The residents of Highlands, North Carolina, are very proud of their altitude, as is suggested by the motto of their Motoring Festival. They put the altitude, 4118 feet, on pretty much anything related to the town or the Festival. I had heard of the show and had considered attending for Vintage Road & Racecar magazine, especially since it was only a three hour drive from home. Thanks to a chance meeting with Gus Lard at the Trump Charlotte Concours, I made plans to attend this June. You see, Gus Lard had a ’66 Shelby GT 350 exactly like my first new car – candy apple red, no body stripes, rear seat option. We became friends.
Oh the memories, and, yes, I do wish I had it back.
When I emailed about the show, Mark Chmar replied to my questions. His answers and our subsequent conversations caused me to look forward to the show even more. The Highlands Motoring Festival exists to support three local charities. This year the charities were REACH of Macon County, Literacy Council of Highlands, and the Community Care Clinic. There is an entry fee for those who enter their cars, but spectators enter the show free; donations are appreciated. For the first time, I didn’t need a media credential to attend. Like everyone else, I just walked in, although I did leave a donation.
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