Classic car lovers will be familiar with the Morgan Motor Company and their Plus 8 sports car.
And while finding a Morgan Plus 8 tucked in amongst the hundreds of cars at the annual Chestermere Show and Shine Aug. 25 is no suprise, what might surprise some is that the owner of this particular Plus 8 is a member of the Morgan family that the cars are named for.
“My Grandfather was HFS the starter of it,” said Chris Blackmore who makes his home just south of Chestermere in Indus.
HFS being Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan, the founder of the Morgan Motor Company.
“My Mother was Brenda Morgan, she died when I was 12 and my step mother sent me to the colonies and that’s about the rest of it,” he said, “I’ve been here ever since.”
Blackmore has owned his Plus 8 for about seven years now. He purchased it after his attempts to import a Morgan from England ran into too much beauracratic red tape.
The car, which was originally, was repainted to the colours used in the Lamont 24 hour race.
“My cousin devised this colour and used it for his race,” he said.
While some of the cars at the shown and shine are babied by their owners, Blacmore said he drives his Plus 8 year round.
“I drive the heck out of it,” he said, “I come into Chestermere for coffee any old time.”
Show and Shine brings Classic cars for a cause
The annual Chestermere Show and Shine hosted by the Lakeside Kruzers and sponsored by the Dockside Bar and Grill brought together car lovers from across the city and province to support a good cause.
“The show went very well,” said event organizer John Kittler, “The unsettled weather prior to the day of the event probably kept about 100 cars or more from attending.”
Despite the potentially reduced turn out they still had 376 vehicles in attendance.
Kittler said that they raised $14,072 at the Show and Shine this year. The money will be donated to the Easter Seals Alberta, Chestermere Food Bank, and the Alberta Adolescent Recover Centre.
