No Spring into Summer Car Show? Join us while we Play Hooky!
Rather than attending our own Spring into Summer Car Show-
-We're Playing Hooky! Join US!
Join us for -NOT- Our Event.
Every year we have invited Families, Car Clubs and "Car Guys and Gals" to our Spring into Summer car show at the beginning of June and our October Open House. This year, we're changing things up a bit. We know we'll miss some of you here in June, but we have a few Summer Events that we wish to attend, and hope to see you at some of these.
Now Before we go so far as to push you out in the proverbial Canoe without a Paddle, please know that we will be here as-per-usual toiling the summer away (for the most part!) on the Classic British Cars we've been blessed to work on and will have our October Stiff Upper Lip Open House. For 2026, our Stiff Upper Lip Open House and Gathering will be on Saturday the 10th.
Watch https://bmcautos.com/event
-or subscribe to our Newsletter HERE to keep up to date on our events.
Speaking of events, we're playing hooky from our own show so we can prep for other events that we will be Travelling to. Much of this will require time to mend and upkeep some of our own equipment. Trucks, Trailers, Collector and Race cars. Ever heard the expression, The Cobblers kids have no shoes? Sometimes, Mechanics cars are held together with Duct tape and Vice grips!
As of this writing, we are making plans to attend a few of the following events. While we may not make all of them, we'll do our best to try!
March 15 Chicagoland All British Sports Car Swap Meet and Autojumble
Location: DuPage County Fair Grounds, Weaton, IL
2015 Manchester Road, N County Farm Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187, IL
https://chicagolandmgclub.com/event/29th-annual-all-sports-car-swap-meet-and-autojumble/
This Amazing Swap Meet is a Nifty gathering. Taking a number of (Heated!) buildings on the fairgrounds, the vendors are a mix of new and used spares.
Cost: $7 shopper admission, 12 and under- free. $45 Vendor fee.
About our attendance: A Representative from our shop makes this event above once every 4 to 5 years, but we Really should attend Every year since it's only a 7 hour drive and a Great event with people coming from all directions and we get to see a lot of our Natinal Friends at this event.
August May 16 "SKO" - Spring Kick Off
Location: Osseo, Minnesota, USA
https://intermarque.org/index.php/spring-kick-off/
Could this be the closest thing to Back to the Fifities for All British, European and other (Many Orphan) cars that are more than 25 years old?
This is a FREE* event open to 2005 OR OLDER, FOREIGN motorcars, motorcycles, scooters, and racers. FIRST COME FIRST PARKED. Placement starts at 9 am. Parking staff will be on hand to direct arrivals. Groups wishing to park together MUST ARRIVE EN-MASSE.
About our attendance: We. ALWAYS. Attend. The joke is we would skip our own Car Show at our shop to attend this, if it was on the same day. For 2026, as we are not having our event, this is Doubly True.
June 11-13 Rendezvous Midwest and Mid-Canada Car Club Meet
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba Canada
https://britishcarclubofmb.ca/rendezvous.htm
About our attendance: Sadly, we LOVE this event, especially as it travels on either side of the USA/Canadian boarder, but haven't attended in a few years. More than we want to admit. If you Love a vacation feel with a near perfectly thought out destination but want to Really get to use your Classic, there can be no better event (outside a Multi-Day Rally) for you and your immediate family.
August 24-26 All MG Gathering (Once Every 5 Years)
Location: Sandusky, Ohio, USA
https://mginternational2026.regfox.com/register
So Further Explanation for you non-MG Folks: There are SO MANY MGs that there is not a Single Main club like Triumph, Austin Healey, Jaguar or other British car clubs have. They are split into PreWar "Triple MMM", New England MG 'T' Register, North American MGA Register "NAMGAR", and lastly the North American MGB Register "NAMGBR". These are divided up more along years of manufacture and cars such as the MG Magnettes attend MGMGAR events, and MG Midgets (and Austin Healey Sprites!) attend the NAMGBR events.
About our attendance: Our shop usually makes this even every 10 years:
2001: St. Paul State Fairgrounds
2011: Reno, NV
2021: Atlantic City, NJ
We're attending the 2026 Ohio event, as it's too close to Not Attend!
September 13-18 Austin Healey Conclave- the 50th Anniversary Gathering
Location: Eagle Ridge Resort, Galena, IL, USA
Another Great Event, and Close by for those of you would would consider attending our Car Show or Open House.
October 10th 10a-3p BMC British Automobile, LLC - Stiff Upper Lip Open House
Location: HERE! BMC. Isanti, Minn., USA
https://bmcautos.com/event - the direct link will be post there when available.
Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming. This event starts at 10 A.M. and continues as long as food, coffee and people are in the building. Technically, that's 3pm, but we're usually around for a while longer talking cars, Racing, and all sorts of fun stuff. It's called the Stiff Upper Lip Event because driving your car with the Fall wardrob includes the flowing scarf, stylish sunglasses, heat-on-full and still the blanket on the passengers lap whilst the top has been retracted or removed. All this and when done right, tkae the long back roads to see the Fall Colours.
Check out these events to:
Talk to people who've been lifelong and recent members of the 'family'.
Go to technical sessions sponsored at these events.
Workshops, training sessions, etc..
Talk to the Gurus.
Get inspired to finish your project!