On Saturday morning we will be gathering at Cracker Barrel, which affords excellent staging logistics and is actually safer than the first planned venue for our Cars and Coffee. There is a traffic light when exiting on to the main thoroughfare. We hope that the other two chapters, Georgia and the Carolinas can execute the pincer from their respective regions and join us at Cracker Barrel plus local Audi enthusiasts and owners for a good cup of Joe and camaraderie. This should commence at approximately 7:45 AM. If an RS 3, an iteration of the national club raffle car could lead the caravan, that would be fantastic. The ACFL is attempting to get a well-preserved Audi 200 to lead the parade and if there is another “Old Timer” Audi that is out there and planning to attend, we would love to get you up front also. Nothing like an Audi “History of Progress”. Next up, we will try to line up three Audis in the colors of the German flag similar to what we did back in 2010 when we executed something very similar in a Black, Yellow, and Red TTs. So, if you have an Audi in one of these colors, especially red and yellow, we are still looking for you and let us know when you register.
The caravan route turns left out of staging area north of Cracker Barrel and, will drive through Bluffton then over the bridge to Hilton Head Island and will head to the venue site for Legends of the Autobahn.
Though some of us have already registered through the Hilton Head Concourse website, this is the official club link for registration provided by ACNA.
https://audiclubna.org/legends-of-the-autobahn-east-registration-open-2022/?fbclid=IwAR38Z68eg035Ub4_EWCfaVN9OyGXZCsli-yduqwDlfp1C-SJbl5DVvSkvDw
The ACFL is awaiting word from national regarding the status of Audi Corral parking. We will let all know when we hear something positive on this action point. It would make it very easy for the planned police escorted caravan to just drive right to the venue site into the prearranged “Audi Corral”.
What a sight and a statement, to present and prospective Audi owners and ACNA Club members the same holds true for participating chapter members and club members as they see the caravan drive the 12 miles from Cracker Barrel in Bluffton to the venue site, Port Royal Gulf and Racquet Club.
We all look forward to an exciting 24 Hours of ACFL planned activities and events leading up to the Legends of the Autobahn East as we continue to try to coordinate with two other regional chapters in driving attendance to the ACNA participation in this big event with the other big boys from Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen. and Munich. Do they let the guys from Wolfsburg in? Hopefully the ACNA is planning some big surprises, like the role out of a new raffle car. Now that could be a show stopper, an RS 3.
Chapter registration is now open for the event.
Cost: $30 per vehicle with a check made out to the Audi Club of Florida. Do not send cash. Yes, we do it the old fashion way and do not waste your money or ours on third party’s fees. Registration checks will be deposited as we get closer to the event,
Registration to include: Include a note with your first and last name. E-Mail address, Phone number, Year, Model and Color of Audi and Your ACNA membership Number. You will receive an e-mailed confirmation of receipt.
Number in your party: Also, include the number of kids, names and their ages, as we will be having a special Kinder Rally simultaneously during the caravan up from Jax to Bluffton. We need to procure prizes ahead of time for the expected winning teams.
Registration checks and information needs to be mailed to the following address:
Audi Club of Florida
C/O R.S. Greving
Post Office Box 66156
St Pete Beach, Florida
33706
If you have any questions, please give me a shout at [email protected]
One Last Thing
Once upon a time the chapter members had some input in the car choice. That was when the raffle was simple, probably not 100% totally cricket from some of the comments made over the last few years and the club seemed to purchase the cars from AoA and not in partnerships, which possibly seems to be the case going forward. The last raffle car was stunning but did not draw like the RS 6, unfortunately as it goes it may have been a bridge too far, too much of a niche car, a fourth car for those who already have three and no space, no clue. As chapter leadership vested in the financial wellbeing and longevity of the national club, this being a major source of income, and in doing the most superficial due diligence, we the chapter would like to sell more tickets in support of the ACNA.
Perhaps a little survey is warranted. We will put together a summary and report back to our chapter membership and the ACNA. Thanks in advance for your participation.
Copy and past the below and send off to me with your answers.
Please let me know the following
- Did you purchase raffle tickets for the RS 6?
- If yes, approximately how much did you spend
- Did you purchase raffle tickets for the Quattro Coupe?
- If yes, approximately how much did you spend?
- If you only had $50 to spend on raffle tickets and had a choice of what car raffle tickets to spend them on, (Chances of winning are the same in each raffle) Would it be for a RS 3 or RS 6.
- If you did not purchase tickets for the Quattro Coup, why not? Just a few bullets.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Bob Greving: [email protected]
Member 268
In the close to 20 years, I have been contributing or writing a newsletter for the ACFL, only once previously have I written an obituary, and that was at the passing of Joe Hoppen. At that time many had real chips in their Audis and knew who he was, today not so much, chips no longer exist though MTM is still in the tuning business. Sometime in the early 80s, Frank Beddor formed a club calling it the Quattro club, a few years later member 268 joined, today probably over 75,000 have since joined the club, but membership numbers have not been issued consecutively, according to Bill Cho. That is burning through a lot of members and even more Audis during the ensuing years. Where have they all gone?
I first met Walter M. Sheldon Jr in Chicago at a mutual friend’s house. We both collected Marklin’s toy electric trains. For the most part, mine were old ones, 1950’s, his even older, early 50’s, late 40’s and 30’s significantly more valuable collection had actually been stolen from his house on the North Shore and he was in the process of purchasing everything available in the catalog to replace it. It was not long before Walter invited me to his house to show me his “new” collection. Well, it could have stocked a large toy rain store and included LGB trains, all German or Swiss models, and an outdoor garden railway with switching yards underneath the backyard deck with a lite waterproof control panel attached to the side of the house for train and switching operations. It looked like a control panel for a branch of Chicago and Northwestern. This was serious train collecting and running of toy trains and it was not his only passion. Aside from his wife driving a coupe Quattro, he had a Datsun 240Z, Chevy Syclone, Buick Grand National T-Top, and undercover in the garage was a Ferrari Dino. Walter was an early member of the ACNA, yes number 268, long before I joined 4402.
Walter moved to Fort Myers around the turn of the century and changed his membership to the ACFL. He often joined the chapter at Turn 17, then the Audi Suites above the paddock, and finally at Turn 1 at Sebring. On occasion, his youngest son Trevor, the apple of his eye who preceded him in death by little over a month joined his dad at Sebring
Walter probably did not have to work a day in his life, a step sister who went to finishing school in Switzerland and a family that wintered in Palm Beach but chose to. I know that what he spent on toy trains alone exceeded what I was earning as a Director and member of the executive committee at Marshall Fields in Chicago and exceeded their toy department Märklin train purchases’. He held a number of patents and received some royalties from Champion for the development of a spark plug for marine engines. Walter simply enjoyed sharing his passion and knowledge for trains, especially the Swiss narrow-gauge cog railway, electric engines, and fast cars, and owned the real things when it came to cars had them to talk and play with. If you were not a kid at heart, you could gracefully excuse yourself.
He made the best gin and vodka-infused olives with various stuffing’s for martinis, If I happen to stop by his house on the way to store visits in Milwaukee after 9:00 AM he always presented me an olive salad with Martini dressing. I demurred and took the coffee but still popped an olive or two. I loved the ones stuffed with anchovies, I fondly recall the story he recounted about the time Trevor called and he told Trevor that he had just purchased a BMW. Now Trevor being a big BMW fan thought it might be a 3 or 5 series and better yet a lightweight edition to boot or M series, it would not be a run-of-the-mill BMW simply not fast enough.
Trevor arrives at the house in Lincolnshire, with no BMW in the driveway, comes in and asks his dad where is the Bimmer. Walter tells him to look in the 4-plus car garage. Trevor comes back and says “there is no Bimmer in the garage” The reply back was something to the effect, “Trevor if you looked hard enough you would have seen parked behind the Chevy Syclone an Isetta, made by BMW when they made real transportation for real people, not yuppies.
Then there was the time Trevor came over to show his dad a brand new M3. Now Walter had just returned from wintering in Florida and had had Joe Hoppen duplicate all the go-fast MTM goodies that he had placed on Frank Beddor’s new RS 6 on Walter’s new RS 6. Both Walter and I were fortunate enough to be at Hoppen’s place the day prior to Frank picking up his car and Joe took us for a short ride on the outskirts of Sarasota. I was speechless compared to the acceleration of my 02 S6 Avant.
To be fair to Trevor and the M3, the roads were a bit damp but when the two got home after literally being spanked more than just a few times as Walter related the story, he told Trevor to safely but as quickly as possible get his butt to Highland Park Audi and trade that piece of Bavarian iron, the last word might not have been iron, in for something safer and faster. Trevor being the smart son that he was soon dutifully unloaded the M3 for an RS 4. Walter and his stories will be missed.
Additionally, I just received word Frank T. Oliver passed. He was one of the five original BoD members and our first Treasurer of the reconstituted ACFL. More on this next month.
Prayer vigil/visitation on Friday, Aug 5th at 4-7pm
Serenity Funeral Home 13401 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, Florida 33774
Funeral mass at St. Jerome Church on Saturday, Aug 6 at 1pm St Jerome Catholic Church Parish Office · 10895 Hamlin Blvd, Largo, FL 33774
It is unfortunate to end on these two notes but both Walter and Frank were big fans and supporters of the ACFL and would be looking forward to participating in the Legends of the Autobahn East and the Chapters activities surrounding that event.
Cheers and Safe Motoring
Bob Greving
[email protected]
Emerald Coast Region – Panhandle
