Regional Motor Press News

WEST

Captured at the 2010 event and re-circulated to promote this year’s recent Legends of Riverside TV Racing Film Festival & Legends Gala, this photograph of Carroll Shelby, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney (l-r) may become a treasured keepsake of American racing’s golden years.

Carroll Shelby, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney at the 2010 Legends of Riverside

Because the Petersen Automotive Museum calendar is too full to carry complete in this Newsletter, contact cbrown@petersen.org for your own copy or suggest your readers do so if they plan to visit L.A. From kids to hard-core enthusiasts, the museum offers something bound to appeal.

SOUTHWEST

TAWA, in addition to its famed truck rodeo and recently added annual Texas Auto Roundup (coming up April 29) initiated a scholarship program for college journalism students. Shown l to r below are Brenda Fanara, Director of Development, University Of North-Texas, Mayborn School of Journalism, Harold Gunn, for whom the scholarships are named and recipients Margo Maldonado and Brittnee Edmonds.

TAWA Scholarships Awarded by HArold Gunn

Mid-Atlantic

Jessica Anderson is the new president of WAPA

SOUTHEAST

More than 1800 professional high resolution photos of the outstanding Amelia Island Concours event are available in print or digital form from: www.neilrashbaphotography.smugmug.com.

Jaimie Florez was elected 2012 President of SAMA

New England

Unidentified to protect the innocent, these NEMPA volunteers checked their dignity at the door and became elves, Grinches and Santas at the group’s annual Christmas/Hanukah/ Kwanzaa/New Year’s get-together at the Boston Globe. It also captures the lighthearted camaraderie that makes NEMPA perhaps the busiest of the nation’s automotive press associations.

 

In addition to regular monthly dinners, members take part in the “Ask The Experts” feature at the New England Auto Show, select a “Winter Vehicle of The Year” (Won this year by Jeep for the second year in a row) and help select the “Pre-Owned Vehicles of The Year” for Wheels TV. They also will select the winner of the Gene Ritvo Memorial Design & Elegance Award in conjunction with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation. The award is named for the late Gene Ritvo, a NEMPA member and veteran concours photographer who had an unusually keen eye. “The Ritvo” honors the best in design in the automotive world, whether it is a production vehicle or a concept car, a marketing campaign, a logo or some element of a vehicle that “defines elegance in design.”

Then, there is The Autonomous Vehicle Panel to be on stage at MIT and the Yankee Cup Technology Award to be determined by a panel of MIT professors. Both taking place on NEMPA’s 25th Anniversary dinner at MIT. A portion of the proceeds from the annual dinner and the advertising space in the program book will go towards the Autism Speaks charity. The annual Ragtop Ramble/Crustacean Crawl is July 19-20 and right after that, July 21, Cool Cars For Kids will provide 25 young patients from the Dana Farber Institute and their families with rides in cool cars provided by participating manufacturers and NEMPA members.