First meet - Saturday, March 31 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Cars - Luxury, classic, exotic, modded

Coffee - Caribou Coffee or your own road mug

Frequency - Every Saturday (barring major holidays, extreme weather)

Location - Hunt Valley Towne Centre in Best Buy and Caribou Coffee parking lot

Directions - I-83 to Exit 20A (Shawan Road East); 1/2 mile to Towne Centre on left

Prizes - Gift certificates will be periodically available from Caribou Coffee, Spa in the Valley, Calvert Wine and Spirits, ****'s Sporting Goods, California Pizza Kitchen, Best Buy, Regal Cinemas, Ritz Cameras, Sears Auto, etc.

To sign-up and check for the latest developments, check the Facebook Event Page.

Here's a shot of the 4" x 6" windshield slider and handout...


The location is stellar. Being 40 miles from Maple Lawn and 60+ miles from Great Falls and Lancaster, it'll serve those coming from distance looking for a new experience as well as those that live in the 20-mile radius that want to keep it close and simple to accommodate their busy lives.

This is your meet! Spread the word!

 

Recently, Baltimore County Police were visited to bring them up to speed on the C&C. Greenberg and Gibbons, the Hunt Valley Towne Centre's management team, is excited about the regular gathering's structure. All that is left, for the attorneys out there, is the indemnity clause.

For the latest news, you can check the Facebook page. There's some exciting news on there. If you're a member, you may note your intentions on the site. As for today, 95 have shown interest and much more have expressed interest through the grassroots efforts.

We hope to see you there on March 31!

 

Here are 2 recent updates to the Facebook page...

3/15/12
Today was truly special day in Owings Mills. Allison Timms of Treasured Motorcar Services, Ltd. and Richard Garre of Radcliffe Motorcar Company are tremendous people and true credits to the automobile enthusiast community.

Allison and Richard not only have beautiful facilities and, of course, amazing vehicles but they are truly passionate about their craft. These are two of my favorite people from my Cars and Coffee travels. There were at least 10 times where I found my mouth hanging wide open due to the sheer diversity and history behind the cars and trucks. Allison and Richard, thank you once again. These visits will be remembered for a very long time.

Pictures from the day have been added to the photo warehouse. To top off the Owings Mills theme, a recent visit to Arena Motor Group is also captured in the pictures.

3/16/12
After spending so much time traveling to Owings Mills to talk with car collectors and garage owners, I must pay respect to an absolutely fabulous set of roads. Greenspring Valley Road (east) to Falls Road (north) to Shawan Road (east) to Hunt Valley on warm, sunny day is tough to top.

Today, I spent a good amount of time with Randy Moss from Collectors Car Corral in Owings Mills. He's a true example of living it, breathing it and loving it. Randy provided so much quality information on the local car scene. His advice will help form the direction of Hunt Valley Cars and Coffee. It was truly an honor to spend part of the afternoon with Randy, his customers and of course, his cars.

Thank you to each and every one of the 127 people noting their interest. Continue to spread the word! March 31 is right around the corner!

 

Post pics here instead of linking to facebook page when they are ready please. Enjoy the event!

 

DJ,

Thank you. As anticipated, many of the projected regular attendees have admitted to not being regulars on the Facebook circuit. As a result, pictures and important updates will be brought to the enthusiast websites.

I hope to see representatives from Teamspeed on upcoming Saturdays. Spread the word!

Will

 

As of this morning, Facebook users have spoken and response is strong.

"Going" 135
"Maybe" 48
Those 183 have "Invited" another 170

Here's the Facebook location that started it all. Its the Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee Event Page. It'll be outdated after March 31 so here's our new home, the long-term Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee Group Page on Facebook. Even if you're not a Facebook user, the first link can be viewed regardless of Facebook membership.

For an example of what's viewable on the link, here's today's update...



Here's the current parking map. The "Show Car Area" is just that. If you plan to bring your show car, this is your area. It will be clearly marked with cones. Spectator vehicles may park in any open space outside of the coned area.

What's up with the "Show Car Area" shape? Integration with early Best Buy arrivals to the north, extra Chick-fil-A employee parking and construction staging to the south and present construction to the west make the marked area the most proper for the cars. For the car owners, it means a bit of a 'calorie burn' for coffee right now, but as construction settles, the zone will shift more toward the middle of the parking lot.

As you can see, the parking lot is surrounded by 3 coffee options that will be open during the Cars & Coffee hours. In fact, Caribou Coffee, Panera and Chick-fil-A will be open at 6 a.m. Options are always good!

If you're arriving from Shawan Road, you'll take a right at the T of the main entrance and then you'll meet with the lower-left of the map. If you are unfamiliar with the area, lean on navigation or Google Maps. (wink)

Its time for car detailing. Make it look sharp. I cannot lie. My hands smell like carnauba from this morning's polish/wax. See you on Saturday!

Rich "Will" Williams

 

Today was 'kind of a big deal'. Jest aside, there was interaction with HVTC management, the foreman of the on-site construction crew and the event's insurance company.

Please be fully aware of your surroundings due to the previously mentioned on-site construction. Underground utilities are being installed from the center of the Best Buy parking lot to the area north of Panera. During the planning stage for our parking area, this construction was carefully considered and it will not enter our area.

After a few whirlwind event insurance sessions, it came right down to the wire with 25 minutes remaining in the workday. All is set. With insurance squared away, please take it on your own shoulders to be respectable and safe. Its all about a great time. Respect and safety are all important parts of a great time.

Weather doesn't project to be perfect but we're generally holding to ‘rain or shine’ to eliminate future unsurety. Only in moments of heavy rain, prominent holidays, etc. will there be an announcement of postponement. Due to the weather projections, tomorrow will not be a full representation of our group but it'll give us an idea of our 'rain on shine' crew.

Weather will also loosen the need for more strict parking guidelines. Typically, we’ll split the groups by style and model but tomorrow should be good with only a clear understanding that the coned area will be set for ‘luxury, classic, exotic and modded’ cars. This will set the tone for future events.

Let’s consider the inaugural a soft rollout…a pre-Grand Opening. Tomorrow is our first! I hope its your first as well but if not, we'll see you down the road!

Rich "Will" Williams

 

The inaugural Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee was challenged by Mother Nature but she drained the clouds before our event...and what an inaugural it was! Thank you to everyone that attended or even gave it their best but faced insurmountable hurdles.

Remember, this is a weekly event. The C&C 'veterans' will see a fresh insurgence of cars and owners next week. When the weather shines, now we have an idea of what to expect.

I heard 2 estimates of ~200 show cars. 2 thumbs up! Lets keep the tires rolling! Continue to spread the word at your home enthusiast websites. We have the opportunity to build Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee into something even more special than you saw this morning.

Clean, civil, safe. These were guidelines set during planning. All I have to say is "Keep it up!" Everyone properly disposed of refuse and everyone, except for 1 or 2 upon exit, were very safe in vehicle operation. Please mark this note for the future - The south exit from the Best Buy/MVP parking lot has a winding entrance to Shawan Road. Please exercise caution and employ safe operating speeds. Of course, these guidelines apply to all driving time on the HVTC grounds.

What a great time it was meeting such a diverse group of car enthusiasts. So many great stories. So many great cars. What a great day! Again, thank you. We hope to see you at future events.

 

Since Friday, I have received many Facebook e-mails, traditional e-mails and mentions in face-to-face interactions regarding attendance issues with the upcoming Easter weekend. In adherence with the policy of off weeks for major holidays, Easter falls into this category. There are family travel and local family responsibilities that should take priority. An additional factor is the utility line pavement cut that everyone saw on Saturday. Until approximately next Monday, cutting, earth moving and pavement sealing will be taking place to supply energy to the new women’s clothing store that’s under construction north of Panera. Providing the construction crew with an uncomplicated area to complete the task, in light of Easter weekend, is the best move.

Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee will return, in full force, on April 14. Continue to spread the word and drive exotic, luxury, classic and modified car owners to our Facebook Group Page. Our grassroots efforts will help create the best Cars & Coffee in the region. The off week will help us recruit new participants, give us time to install new modifications and even complete something as tedious as cleaning and sealing our wheels.

There are processes in motion that will create a truly unique and exciting experience for everyone. There are big plans. Really big plans. Alliances are being formed. Get fired up! See you on Saturday April 14!

Rich “Will” Williams

 

Saturday's weather looks excellent for driving to and gathering at Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee! According to Accuweather, we'll see partly cloudy skies and temps in the 50's and low 60’s for the morning hours. The afternoon brings a high in the low 70's. That's perfect weather for transporting cars, gathering with old and new friends and settling into your first (or second) cup of coffee.

Upon arrival at the Best Buy parking lot, you’ll see a clearly-marked area for the show cars. Due to ongoing construction for a women’s clothing store on the property, please exercise caution. All show car traffic will enter the coned area from the south end (facing Shawan Road). There will be 4 open aisles for easy access to all themed areas. Ideally, Asian and European cars enter on the left half and American and Exotics enter on the right half. Early arrivals will be directed to the perimeters of the themed areas and parking will progress toward the middle. This will help organize the cars when we arrive en masse.

The classification of ‘exotic’ will always be a source of debate. When asked about what makes a car exotic, I focus on rarity and performance. Ultimately, its up to the community to decide. (For that matter, parking by classification is completely up to the driver.) If ‘exotic’ remains a dedicated section -- under the same or even a new name – it will depend on feedback. On March 31, it provided sufficient space for the trailered Ferrari 360 Challenge.

For Facebook users, here's the official group page ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hunt...y.Cars.Coffee/ . This would be the link to pass forward to friends that are known Facebook users. For those in the group that are not Facebook users, here's a page can be viewed without Facebook membership ... https://www.facebook.com/events/240314176055770/ .

If you have friends, co-workers, business partners, neighbors, etc. that are auto enthusiasts, spread the word. If you are aware of people that would desire to be added to the Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee distribution list, please send me a note and I'll make it happen. We're continuing to form a new community so make your mark. There was an incredible showing for March 31. Let’s keep the wheels rolling. See you tomorrow!

Wishing you all the best,

Rich "Will" Williams
Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee