Newsletter Hoosier 2017 q3
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Newsletter Hoosier 2017 q1
Newsletter Hoosier 2016 q4
2017 Grand National Event Winners
The 2017 Grand National Meet in Hickory Corners, MI in August brought cars from all across the country for this single LCOC national meet of the year. One Preservation Award, eleven Emeritus Awards, and
President of Lincoln Addresses Club Dinner in Dearborn, MI
Kumar Galhotra, Ford Motor Company vice president and president, Lincoln, was the guest speaker on August 8 for Lincoln aficionados attending a dinner at the Dearborn Country Club as part of the Fourth Annual Lincoln Homecoming events preceding the Grand National Meet in Hickory Corners. Reporting to Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett, Galhotra is the most senior leader overseeing all Lincoln operations globally, including product development; marketing, sales and service; and all team members supporting the Lincoln brand, as he builds on the brand’s recent product and sales momentum.
Coming from an engineering background (he was responsible for the engineering of all cars, trucks, SUVs and crossover vehicles for Ford and Lincoln brands) and with product development experience in Lincoln’s expansion in China, Galhorta is uniquely positioned to oversee the development of the next generation of Lincoln vehicles as well as connect them with a new generation of Lincoln clients.
His experience in China, where both the heritage of the brand and the luxury image attract potential buyers, has influenced his focus is to build on the appeal of Lincoln not only through its distinctive vehicles but also a world-class, luxury ownership experience.
Galhorta advocates thinking outside the box to see what services Lincoln can offer its dedicated buyers. Realizing that our time is valuable, he indicated that they are looking, not at improving dealer waiting room amenities, but at keeping customers from waiting at all. Offering a car pick up and return for service is being evaluated with a tight 15 minute appointment window at home or office so no one will be inconvenienced or have their time wasted. They are also considering having Lincoln provide chauffeuring options for clients who have partied too much to drive home so your vehicle would be with you in the morning. These are but a few of the innovative approaches the company is exploring for accelerating Lincoln even further as a world-class luxury brand.
Ford Motor Company Vice President Kumar Galhotra was named president of The Lincoln Motor Company, effective Sept. 1, 2014. In this dedicated position, Galhotra is responsible for accelerating Lincoln further as a world-class luxury brand.
LCOC Undertakes Website Redo
The Lincoln and Continental Owners Club has embarked on creating a new website that will work on all electronic platforms. Members and interested parties will be able to view the site on computers, tablets, and smartphones, and utilize the services the club offers with a streamlined layout. Combining all the detail and history contained on the old website with the latest technological advances for ease of use, the new site will attract a new generation of fans and collectors while servicing the current members. Beta testing is planned for October with a projected “live” rollout in early November 2017.
Classic Car Trouble Fortuitously Forges a Decade Long Friendship
John and Jeanne Talbourdet started their LCOC experience with a good ’66 4-door convertible, making many friends along the way, but lusted after the 1940 and 1941 Continental. After years of searching and dreaming, in 2005 they purchased Walter & Carol Webb’s 1941 Cabriolet in Ohio and brought it to its new home in Massachusetts where they fine tuned an already excellent restoration. Feeling ready to take her on a “grand expedition,” they planned to drive to an LZOC meet in Uniontown, Pennsylvania that was a week before the 2007 LCOC Eastern National Meet in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Since this was a long trip and the first one for the ’41 under their tenure, they decided to take their ’66 convertible as a chase car. As classic car owners know, anything can happen on the way to a meet!
All was fine for the first day well into southern Pennsylvania until John needed to merge into traffic and an application of the throttle provided plenty of RPMs but no connection to the rear wheels. Jeanne had to run traffic interference with the ‘66 to give the engine time to engage. They nursed it over the steep and never-ending hills into Uniontown where they were contemplating their options when they first met Ed Avedisian. It turned out that the same transportation company that had initially brought John’s Continental from Ohio to Massachusetts was picking up Ed’s 1941 Zephyr Convertible at Uniontown to take it to Cherry Hill for the LCOC meet and then back home to Massachusetts. A quick phone call confirmed that there was space for their car, so the Talbourdets made new friends and had a great time at both meets.
In the ensuing years as they corrected the connection between engine and ground caused by oil leaking on the clutch and embarked on an engine rebuild, John and Jeanne’s acquaintance with Ed and Pam Avedisian grew. Now more than a decade later, this friendship, formed over a passion for their cars at that fortuitous meeting, was deepened by their shared love of music and great wine. Ed retired after 30 years as clarinetist with the Boston Pops and more than 40 seasons with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, and the Talbourdets are long time season ticket holders for the symphony. Besides a discerning palate, Pam and Jeanne have energy that won’t stop and great attention to detail, so they have utilized their sharp organizational skills for numerous car meets. These LCOC meets have become even more enjoyable over that special bottle of wine that somehow always turns up, and they continue to celebrate their friendship.
President’s Message – September – October 2017