Intrepid correspondent Mark Hershoren from the Foreign Affairs Desk and photographer Michael Schultz departed from the North Central region office of Volvo Classics Interactive Magazine on Thursday, September 17. The assignment required they each drive Volvos at least thirty years of age, cross the Mackinac bridge and drive hell-bent for leather across Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the general direction of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, home of Road America.

The following account was dictated from a pay phone in front of the New Holstein Supper Club.

Dateline Elkhart Lake:
The feeling of this small Midwest town in the middle of Wisconsin is one of beguiling charm and cheer. The weekend of September 19 had a full dance card with the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival race event hosted by the Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association, the Volvo Sports America club's annual meet, a Vintage Volvo Grand Prix, and a tour for antique automobiles. Corporate sponsorship by Volvo Cars North America was in evidence with the appearance of the new S80, C70s in coupe and convertible form and a Cross Country all-wheel drive shooting break.

At Barefoot Bay Resort, situated on Elkhart Lake, the various Volvo 1800s began to appear on Friday until there were perhaps forty or fifty of them. Present too, was a very nice 142 with hood louvers, a 123GT and two PV544s. The guest list read on an international level with cars from points in Canada and the United States.

One group of three cars left the San Diego area on September 13th and got as far as Flagstaff, Arizona, on Monday, the 14th, when one car suffered a blown head gasket. Once expedited parts were on hand, the lame car was again made roadworthy with a few hours of committee-style repairs performed in a motel parking lot. In the Federal Express package, along with the new head gasket and sundries, was a torque wrench and an alignment dowel.

The owner of this car was the recipient of the "Will-it?" award. Also in the trio of So-Cal Volvoistas was Jeff Perry, who was awarded the prize for longest distance traveled.

The event was the end product of a two-year-long effort on the part of Raymond Freiwald, a member of the Board of Directors of the VSCDA. The lion's share of Ray's energy was devoted to a two-year "begathon" in which he adeptly managed to convince the vintage Volvo race drivers that, if they showed up en mass, there would be Volvo fans to cheer them on.

Simultaneously, he was also applying the same tactic on the Volvo fans: coming to this event would induce plenty of vintage race-prepared Volvos to appear on the scene. A feat requiring tact, diplomacy and (probably) a little arm twisting. All in all, the concerted behind-the-scenes work of Freiwald and many others was an unprecedented success. Many among us wondered how this event could be topped next year.

Back at the "Bay," fine old Volvos were getting bathed and buffed. Judging would be held at the track on Saturday. Naturally, much milling about and schmoozing was going on as people roamed the grounds of this turn-of-the-century resort and requested looks under the hoods of each other's cars. Common interest in the Volvos among us in many cases evolved into realizations that there was much more to each of us than just the cars we drove up in. Most folks fell into sleep mode shortly after dark in eager anticipation of the events to come the next day.

On Saturday morning, shortly after sunrise, people gradually began to emerge from their rooms for a light breakfast and to put the finishing touches on the pet cars. Some of us left ahead of the rest to get an early look at the track. Others stayed behind to participate as the procession of 1800-bodied Volvos paraded through Elkhart Lake and then out to Road America, some five miles away.

Once on the track compound, it was hard to decide where one's attention should be placed first. One might have to reason that if one were to stop first at the area where over two dozen race-prepared vintage Volvos congregated, there would still be ample time to inspect the GT40 Fords. Choosing to check out the GT40s first did not seem any more comfortable. There was almost just too much for a vintage sports car buff to process. Misfiring synapses were heard all over the place.

The feeling was reminiscent of the wonder you hopefully had as a four-year-old on Christmas morning.

In the lower infield, near the beginning of the Start/Finish straightaway, there were tents and trailers -- huge trailers, some of them. Around this sat five 122s, five 140s, four 544s and thirteen 1800s. Some folks involved in the racing scene were attired in dirty sweatshirts, others in freshly starched uniforms in team colors.

Some of the racers arrived alone. John Morley of St. Catharines, Ontario, hitched the trailer holding his 1800 racer to his 740 wagon and made the trip without company. When the clutch pressure plate on the car failed and needed to be changed out, a good Samaritan walked up and offered a hand to help Morley get it all apart and back together again in a couple of hours. Having already driven practices and prior races, Morley still was able to participate in the Vintage Volvo Grand Prix owing to his own hard work and that of the kind passerby.

Some racers arrived with an entourage. Parked at one end of the Volvo area sat one black trailer and red one, a Kenworth and a Peterbuilt hooked up to the points. Large awnings on the side of the trailers shaded an 1800 and a 122, and the portable rubber flooring on which they sat.

Among all of the great-looking Volvo vintage racers, a couple managed to stand out from the pack. Joe Brabender's 1965 122S (numbered 123) had chrome bumpers front and rear and a lovely dark blue-grey finish. It had a look to it that recalls the days when weekend warriors would race in the hopped-up family vehicle on Sunday and drive the same car to work on Monday. Several doors down from #123 sat Ralph Paine's maroon 544 replete with fabulous flames and enough louvers to suggest that someone really enjoys punching slots in sheet metal. The finish on both these cars made you want to dip a spoon into them and taste.

John Morley's racer (#180) = ©1998 Edmund Lacis