Director's Message

Marv Wendt

"PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF..."

Immortal words from the world's greatest rock and roll band. I'm Marv Wendt, and I'm the proud Director of the Lincoln and Continental Owner's Club Western Region for 2011. Since I've been a member of the Western Region, three fine gentlemen (Bruce Hutchinson, Mike Gribble, and Norm Hoskins) have been Directors. I am pleased to call these men friends, and will endeavor to uphold the values and commitment they made to this fine institution.

I come to this position with, like most of us, considerable "car cred." My first car was a '54 Mercury Monterey: lowered in the front, cutouts, chrome exhaust tips dropped down over the rear axle, '60 Ford hubcaps, and, naturally, tuck and roll. My "hoodlum friends" and I were more like a gang than a car club, but I can't imagine a cooler Southern California adolescence. The Merc was replaced with a Rocket 88 Oldsmobile, then back to FoMoCo and big "total performance" Ford Galaxies. Thunderbirds and Corvettes followed and, in the late '70s, my first Lincoln: a 1969 Continental Mark III. I never looked back, and there's been a Lincoln in the stable ever since!

My wife, Jan McNiel, and I are fortunate to have the time and resources to enjoy the collector car hobby and actively contribute to LCOC Western. We love the cars, the socialization, and the dedication of the members to the organization, but mostly the fun. We are a wonderful group that reveres an American classic: the Lincoln automobile in all its iterations. We are dedicated enthusiasts who have labored since the '50s to enhance, publicize, and preserve the mystique that is Lincoln.

This year in the Western Region, you'll find a Board of Directors that is an amalgamation of new faces and veteran talent. We have an active membership of over 200 Lincoln enthusiasts and grand plans for many fun, statewide events as well as participation in national gatherings. We are the Lincoln and Continental Owners Western Region, and we're more than a car club!

Continentally, Marv Wendt