The best part of any car show is that air of mystery beforehand. You just don’t know what’s going to show up, and it really could be anything.
Well, actually, the best part is perusing the show and digging for those off-beat cars you were — or maybe weren’t — expecting to see. This being our first time to the All British Field Meet held at Portland International Raceway, Sara and I really didn’t know what to expect.
In terms of appreciating older British cars, I think we have a long way to go in the States. It’s probably due to the fact that most, if not nearly all, of their owners are just a bit beyond social media age. I think if they weren’t, we would see a lot more mainstream appreciation for these old roadsters and British cars that we tend to view as a novelty here, rather than a proper driving machine. When it comes to driving, I haven’t found myself behind the wheel of many British cars, and I think that’s true of most of my peers as well. A shame. Probably.
But at any rate, I’m sure you can imagine my excitement as I was strolling down a row of Minis, each different from the next, when I found something truly out of left field. Something that involved some serious bodywork I’d never seen on a Mini before.
Minis have been modified since the dawn of time, so it was no surprise to see a number of wildly modified examples at the show. From off-the-wall bodywork to period-appropriate additions; from a simple Honda swap to a race-bred Vauxhall transplant – there was a bit of everything in the Mini camp.
It’s just further proof that there really is no limit to the number of ways you can modify a Mini; all of which are correct, by the way.
Already a favorite in factory trim, this race-prepped Jaguar E-Type with six velocity stacks checked all the right boxes. I have driven a E-Type before, but it certainly wasn’t one like this.
Four, three, or two wheels, the All British Field Meet had you covered on just about all fronts. That is, as long as it was something British you were after.
Trevor Yale Ryan
Instagram: tyrphoto
Additional Photos by Sara Ryan
Instagram: pockowokosara