In 1988, three friends from the MG Car Club Northwest Centre, Rob Broderick, Ken Bottini, and Roger Los decided that they would rather enjoy having a car show that was inclusive of all of the wonderful marques of British cars that were to be found in the Seattle Metropolitan area. Their approach was based on what they had seen at similarly themed events in Portland and in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The parking lots of the local Bellevue Community College was decided as the venue. This first show met with quite an appreciative audience, and from the very start attendees numbered in the hundreds.
After a couple of successful years with the founding line up, there were personnel changes that included Dennis Howell and Kevin Cobley dropping in and Roger, Ken and Rob moving to other endeavors. Eventually, the Boswells, Guy and Carita, stepped in and around 1992, with the show’s growing size and prestige, operations were placed under the auspices of the Puget Sound British Automotive Society, under the direction of the Boswells and the Taubs, Arnie and Sue. This proved to be a winning combination and the show continued in Bellevue until 1998, when the venue switched to Marymoor Park for two years.
In 2000 the All British Field Meet returned to the campus of Bellevue College, where it remains. The PSBAS, under the direction of Arnie Taub, continued to shepherd and nurture the show until Arnie’s unfortunate passing in February 2010. As a tribute, Arnie’s son and daughter, Garrett and Jenna Taub, and Arnie’s wife Sue–along with the legions of enthusiasts and friends–managed to put the show on for 2010.
Now, for the 2011 show, operations have been taken over by Steve Hanegan and the members of the Puget Sound British Automotive Association. This group enjoys the support (and a rekindling of the partnership) of several of the founding personnel that gave the show wings from day one. Roger Los has returned to mentor and provide our web presence, Ken Bottini has pledged his support as President of the MG Car Club, and Guy and Carita Boswell are in the thick of things providing continuity, institutional knowledge and their usual brand of inspiration to retain the original precepts of the show and move us into the future.
It is with this history, the friendships that have developed over the years, and the sheer joy of bringing the Little British Car community of the greater Puget Sound Area together, that we move onward and upward to host the show for 2011 and for years to come.
