RM Auto Restoration’s Cars & Coffee event attracts hundreds of vehicles

Everything from Lamborghinis to muscle cars was on display Saturday during RM Auto Restoration’s first Cars & Coffee show of the year.

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Ernie Morreau, a partner in the RM Auto Restoration Shop, said the event attracted more than 350 vehicles by 8:30 am He said this was one of the biggest turnouts because vehicles were parked in areas that haven’t been used in the past on the Blenheim area property for displaying vehicles.

“The word is getting out,” Morreau said of how popular the free event has become.

Morreau said it is interesting to hear the stories about the cars.

“It doesn’t have to be the nicest car on the planet, just that somebody learned to work on their own car in their own garage that’s the best part of it,” he said.

There are also interesting stories to hear from high-end classic car owners.

Jacob Mirvish, with Honest Ed’s Classics, in tribute to his grandfather Ed Mirvish, attended Cars & Coffee with his 1970 Plymouth Superbird and 1971 Chevelle SS 454.

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Mirvish said he was initially outbid when he tried to buy the Plymouth Superbird at an RM Sotheby’s auction three years ago.

He recalled receiving a call a month later from RM Sotheby’s CEO Rob Myers, of Chatham, who asked if he was still interested in the Plymouth and Mirvish bought it in November 2021.

Mirvish’s interest in the Superbird is the vehicle’s “uniqueness.

“They were so ugly back in the day and now they’re worth so much money,” he laughed.

This was Mirvish’s first time at the Cars & Coffee event and he enjoyed it.

“It’s awesome, this has been quite fun.”

Morreau said RM staff gets excited about the event.

“It is great camaraderie, it brings everyone out,” Morreau said. “You get to see the shop, see the cars and actually see what goes on our here.

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“We actually enjoy just meeting all the people and talking about the restoration shop and the auction company,” he added.

The RM Restoration Shop was open for people to see some of the vehicles being restored.

Don McLellan, a partner in the restoration shop, said vehicles come from all over the world to be restored.

“It’s an honor to work on those vehicles,” he said.

McLellan said while many vehicles come from the US, a French Delahaye 12-cyclinder experimental car with a body built by Figoni, owned by someone from Switzerland is currently being restored.

“That’s a real special car,” he said.

However, the vehicle was not out for public display on Saturday.

McLellan said the shop is currently preparing some vehicles for the annual Concours d’Elegance show and auction in Pebble Beach, California in August.

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He said the RM Auto Restoration Shop has won Best of Show the past two years.

“No shop in the world has done that,” McLellan said. “We’re very proud of our guys.”

Last year’s winner was a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, originally built for the King of Afghanistan Mohammed Zahir Shan, he said.

The vehicle sold for nearly $10 million.

McLellan said Mercedes-Benz sent people from Stuttgart, Germany to help with the restoration.

“They came here and got their hands dirty working on the cars with us, and it was really cool,” McLellan said.

In 2022, RM Restoration won Best in Show for the work it did to restore a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Figoni Sports Torpedo.

McLellan said the vehicle, which had a one-of-a-kind body built in Paris, came to America after the Second World War and later fell into disrepair.

“Then we brought back to life,” McLellan said. “That was a big job it was almost a two-year-long project.”

Two other Cars & Coffee events are being held July 13 and Sept. 14 from 8 am to 11 am There is no registration required for those who want to bring a car to the free event.

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