65 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by the late Bill Farley in 2016. Farley was a beloved contributor to Mount Pleasant Magazine.Thanks for your devotion, Bill. There’s a popular club in Mount Pleasant that meets every weekend, but has no admission requirements, no membership rolls, no dues and, pretty much, no rules. Everyone is welcome to join just by driving to Mount Pleasant Towne Centre and parking in the lot near Barnes & Noble (1712 Towne Centre Way) any given Saturday between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. The attraction, according to its Facebook page, is automobiles “foreign, domestic, old, new, clean or dirty.” Welcome to Charleston Cars & Coffee, one of a host of similar gatherings nationwide but very likely the only one that convenes weekly – rain, shine or 100-degree weather – all year round. The coffee element isn’t mandatory. Some participants bring their own java, and there’s always plenty more available inside Barnes & Noble. The key word, not surprisingly, is “cars.” On any given weekend, more than 100 automobiles fill every parking space in the lot and overflow into adjacent spaces. Almost universally, those vehicles are unlike any others seen daily on the Lowcountry’s highways and byways. There are Ferraris and Maseratis, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins, classic MGs, Jags and Triumphs, vintage pickups, tricked out motorcycles and plenty more. There’s no racing and no judging, just the opportunity to showcase everyone’s favorite car and give others a chance to admire it, ask questions about it and maybe even sit in the driver’s seat and imagine what it would be like to take it out on the road or track. Charleston Cars & Coffee got its start not long after Hurricane Hugo, meeting for several years at various locations in the Old Village. About five years ago, a handful of the car faithful struck a deal to hold their regular meetings at the current location, and car buffs from as far away as Myrtle Beach and Beaufort began arriving to show off their prized possessions. One of those founding members is Don Curtis, who lives in Brickyard Plantation and drives a Porsche Carrera. Charleston Cars & Coffee continues to grow, he admitted, but added that “It’s not about the numbers. We don’t have any goals,” clarified Curtis. “We’re a niche community of interest. We’re a ‘multimarque’ gathering, so we’ve seen everything here: Model Ts, Model As, vintage Packards, FUELED UP Charleston Cars & Coffee runs on high octane and caffeine BY BILL FARLEY automotive
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