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NICOfest 2007 - Nashville NICO Invades Nashville's Import Alliance meet for a Nissan Get-together With the Midwestern U.S. having such a strong following, it made perfect sense to hold NICOfest in the Nashville area. Holding it in mid-July made a little less sense, but we'll get to that.... Import Alliance has been hosting automotive meets and shows for several years, and when they asked to team up with NICO to put on an event in downtown Nashville, it seemed a perfect fit. More than 10 of NICO's 45 Moderators live within a 2-hour radius of Nashville, and the TN / KY / IN area has always boasted a strong contingent of hardcore Nissan enthusiasts.
The Lane Museum boasts an impressive collection of vintage Datsuns, on loan from Nissan since their relocation from southern California to Nashville. Our tour guide was extra-knowledgeable about many of the early Datsuns, and many of the staff and members were able to provide some insight into some other "factoids"...
Other impressive exhibits included a gorgeous restored Patrol, a gleaming SPL311 Roadster, a rare pickup, an L-210 from 1958, a 1960 L-211, the Infiniti Indy racing car from the 2001 season and an early B-210 with 200 miles on it. The Museum rotates its exhibits, and during our tour, they were featuring cars manufactured by Citroen. It was pretty cool to see some of the younger members learning about the French company's contributions to automotive styling and technology. Also prominently featured were countless microcars from the likes of Saab, Messerschmitt, Subaru, Austin, BMW, Honda, Morris, and numerous other, lesser-known manufacturers.
During the tour, our guide let it slip that the musem's basement housed numerous other Datsun / Nissan / Infiniti models, including unsold / undriven examples of the earliest Q45, an M30, a J30 and Reagan-era Maximas and trucks. Despite our pleadings, we were unable to gain access to the basement storage. Not to be denied, a few of us "wandered off" to the back of the building and were able to sneak a peek through the basement windows... However, the lack of lighting and the ancient building's foggy glass prevented any real good views of the treasures within. We managed a few ambient light photos, but we'll have to come back another time to see the rest of the collection.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool and catching up on everyone's ongoing car projects. One thing's for sure, there's no shortage of topics for discussion - many of the group have more than one Nissan in the works.
Morning came much too soon, and it was time to go "do our thing" at LP Field, formerly Adelphia Field and Titans Stadium. The crowd started oling in at 8 am, and there was a near-steady stream of cars all day long. Nisans were well-represented, with approximately 100 cars in our area and another 50 or so scattered throughout the show. For fans of the Maxima and Kouki 240's, this show was a wonderland, with numerous awesome examples of each. By noon, the temperature was 95, with a good amount of humidity and little reprieve from the sun, so the only thing hotter than the weather and the modded Nissans was NICO's new spokesmodel Amanda. She was an instant hit with the crowd and happily obliged photo requests from eager show attendees throughout the day.
Our day wrapped up with a gradual dissipation of the crowd, as everyone had varying schedules and departure times. A post-meet debriefing with NICO staff and Don from NextGear / Import Alliance resulted in plans for NICOclub and Import Alliance to join forces again next year for this event, and to bring a motorsports component to the event. Drifting, autocross and road course action were all discussed, and we'll keep you posted on the plans as the time draws nearer. With photos to be edited, article to be written, galleries to be coded and pictures to be uploaded, there is simply no rest for the NICO staff after the event. Next time you see one of the Moderators, thank them for their work "behind the scenes". Here's a TON more pictures and discussion of the event, some fun stuff to see!!! CLICK HERE! Next stop? Atlanta. For the past 3 years, NICO has held the title for most participants at the annual NOPI / NICOfest National Meet - this year will be no exception. We've ougrown our normal area and will be relocating to a prime location on the infield, and this year's National meet is already shaping up to be a monster. For now, enjoy the photos of the Nashville NICOfest event, and make plans to attend next year. Thanks to all who attended, and we hope to see you in Atlanta or Virginia later this year! |
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