This event was another Jaguar Owners Club/Austin-Healey Club joint drive. The drive was supposed to start at 9:30am from the public parking lot adjacent to Gladstones on PCH at Sunset Blvd. I arrived at 9:05am and was surprised to find out that the instructions had neglected to mention the $13. parking fee. After paying the toll, I was allowed in to join two unknown Healeys and Chuck Lakowski and his white Jensen Healey. The other Healeys turned out to be new member Walter Wolpert and his son Diego in a white ‘60 BT7 and Rob Henry, a long-time Healey owner and old friend of Ron Phillips, and his daughter Renee, in a red 3000. Also, on hand from the Jag Club was a light blue XKE and three modern Jags. In the next 40 minutes we were joined by another XKE convertible and three more modern Jag Saloons. I was disappointed that more Healeys didn’t make the drive.
We finally got underway at 10:20, after waiting for four more Jaguars who ended up being no shows. We headed north on PCH in light traffic and after about 22 miles we made the right onto Decker Canyon Road (Hwy 23). We had been forewarned that this narrow, two- lane road was full of twists, turns, switchbacks, and blind curves.
Well, I was surprised by one of those blind switchbacks, luckily there was no oncoming traffic. After 13 miles of canyon roads at a reasonable speed we arrived back in civilization and a divided four-lane road.
The end of the drive was to be at Brent’s Deli in Westlake Village and as cars turned into the shopping center at Townsgate Road I continued up to the 101 Fwy. Headed east for Glendale and a pleasant afternoon following a great drive.