Norway Region Celebrates 20 Years

Norway Region Celebrates 20 Years

By Birger Hoelstad and Thor Langli
All photos by the authors except where noted

Originally published in the May-June 2020 issue of Continental Comments (Issue # 354.)

The first weekend of August 2019 it was finally here! After two years of planning, it was time for the Norway Region of the LCOC to sit back and enjoy its 20th Anniversary. One by one, the beautiful Lincolns came rolling into the front of the hotel just outside of Lillehammer, Norway, the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics. A separate room was reserved for us for the Friday “meet and greet,” but the weather was so nice and warm that we all ended up outside. The cars were lined up just a few feet away, so the view was fantastic, with 22 Lincolns and 47 people participating.

ABOVE:  Quite an impressive line-up of Lincolns on the show field.

On Saturday morning, it was time for a car wash before our driving tour took off for the scenic countryside. During the tour, we crossed paths with some even older cars from the 1920s and earlier. Due to this, some of our admiring members were delayed, but eventually, we all made it back to the hotel. A lovely green field was made available to us for the car show. It may seem wrong for a Norwegian to say something like this, but it was actually too hot in the sun on the show field, so we had to retreat to the shade! After the judges had inspected all the cars, it was time for our group to walk over to the newly-opened Norwegian Road Museum.

ABOVE:  1970s Lincoln convertibles ore scarce in the United States, so seeing Ingve Jensen’s 1973 Continental Convertible on display In Norway was a rare treat.

The celebratory banquet was held Saturday evening. A pair of Lincolns, a 2019 Navigator, and 1973 Continental Convertible greeted us outside. We were so lucky that Mr. Tristam Perry, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, and his lovely wife, Maria, joined us at the banquet. Mr. Perry gave a very personal and funny speech, and we all enjoyed their company.

ABOVE:  A new Lincoln Navigator set an elegant but fun mood at the 20th Anniversary reception.

ABOVE:  The LCOC’s overseas contingent, including some of our Norwegian friends, at the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Museum’s dedication in 2014.

For seven years, the Norway Region has had an award named after one of our founders, Tore Solberg. Tore passed away several years ago. This award goes to a person with a long-standing devotion to the Lincoln Motor Car. The award has now been renamed “LCOC Special Award,” and this year, it went to Per Malme. He has owned many Lincolns, has served as our treasurer, and never says “no.” He has worked with Ford his entire life and coined a new term, the golden detour. This is defined as “a detour does not matter, as long as you can enjoy it in a Lincoln.” Previous recipients include Ove Loen, Ragnar Wehn, Tor Haakon Hognestad, Svein Stokstad, Rita and Sigmund Espeland, and Aage Gustavsen.

Various other awards were also handed out, including one to Alf and Anne Marie, who both have done a lot for LCOC, going as far as to change their last name to “Mercury-Lincoln!” Asbjorn Simonsen got the “Longest Distance Award,” having driven 2,200 miles round-trip to the meet. Thor and Randi Loktu were honored, as they have been members since our inception in 1999. The award our region received from LCOC National President John Talbourdet was also much appreciated. It was passed around for everyone to see and will stay with our region director. Every attendee received a Norway Region 20th Anniversary badge.

This event was a wonderful way to celebrate this important anniversary for the Norway Region. Everyone went home with fond memories and will be looking forward to the next grand event.

ABOVE:  With Ingve Jensen’s 1973 Continental Convertible in the foreground, Norwegian revelers enjoyed a reception before the banquet.

ABOVE:  Festive and edible, these cakes speak for themselves.

ABOVE:  Lincoln treasures of all sorts were on display.

Winter Lincoln Overload – Lincoln and Lattes

Winter Lincoln Overload – Lincoln and Lattes

By John Walcek

Originally published in the May-June 2024 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 378)
(All photos courtesy of the author.)

ABOVE: A winning line-up at Lincoln and Lattes- a 1961 Continental, a trio of 1956 Premieres, a 1948 Continental Cabriolet, and a 1938 Model K.

Sometimes, during the dead of winter, life comes to a standstill. This February, the “atmospheric river” brought with it more rain than we have had in California in some time. There were lucky breaks. On Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, the Lincoln Design Center in Irvine held its second annual “Lincoln and Lattes” event, and I decided to go. The morning was gorgeous, with the sun shining and billowing white clouds. By 9 a.m., a cavalcade of some 300 collectible and classic cars had assembled in the parking lot. Free coffee and donuts really facilitated friendly socialization and the excitement of the time.

I drove my nice 1997 Lincoln Continental and was able to park in the aisle with other Lincolns, thanks to the efforts and involvement of LCOC Western Region president Jim Ayres and webmaster Elayne Bendell, who drove her beautiful saddle brown 1964 Lincoln Continental Convertible.

The Lincoln Model K, like this 1938 sedan, could go toe-to-toe with any of the other stars of the luxury field in the pre-war years.

One of three, this Continental Mark II Convertible by Derham was a sight to behold.

The timeless elegance of the first incarnation of the slab side Lincoln, seen here in a 1963 sporting some subtle modifications.

Unforgettable.  This 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V was one of the most impressive machines plying America’s highways in the early 1960s.

Always a crowd pleaser, Aaron Leider’s 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet made the trek from Palm Springs.

A close-up of a motometer and unusual hood ornament.

Western Region Director Jim Ayres’ 1988 Lincoln Mark VII is an impressive example of “what a luxury car should be.”

An early Lincoln Model L, sporting a 1926 California license plate, was among the earliest cars at Lincolns and Lattes.

There was a whole line of 1960s Lincolns from the “Ratties” and “Suicide Kings” car clubs. My favorites were a 1963 parade car and a rose-beige 1963 Lincoln Continental Sedan. Noteworthy aspects of these cars were the quality of their metalwork and paint jobs, as well as customized wheels and hubcaps.

Gregg Bunch brought his big 1938 Lincoln. Aaron Leider drove his 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet from Palm Springs. Don Torrence brought his excellent 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III. There were also three lovely pastel-colored Premieres.

The new Lincolns were in the special Salon parking area, with Lincoln people from the design center and the South Coast Plaza Lincoln showroom. Two noteworthy Lincolns from the 1920s were a 1927 Lincoln belonging to Duesenberg expert Randy Ema and a 1926 Lincoln with an interesting radiator ornament sculpture along with the temperature gauge, or motometer.

Then there were three Continental Mark IIs: one factory-commissioned convertible by Derham, ordered by William Clay Ford for his wife Martha, now in the Galpin Ford Collection; another nice darker blue Mark II previously owned by Elizabeth Taylor now belonging to Bob Rattinoff, and a beautiful silver one.

When things began to break up after 10:00 a.m., I spent the next hour talking to many interesting characters with their other cars. It was a great way to spend part of a Saturday during the winter.

John Walcek is the official LCOC photographer and lives in Placentia, California.