The AOC / NA New England Rally took place in September and was, by all accounts, a fantastic success!
Clear skies, cool temperatures, and open roads were exactly what we all hoped for, and we were not disappointed. Beginning with a welcome dinner on the Friday evening at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts (the oldest operating Inn within the United States!), it was a chance to greet old friends and make new ones.
Bright and early the next morning, we all got our cars warmed up, and headed out for the first day of the rally.
There were 20 participants, driving vehicles which including 7 Allards, a Jaguar XK120 that self-identified as an Allard for the weekend, and a Smart Car that proudly declared it wants to be an Allard when it grows up.
That first day took us over winding roads and included several stops for gas (and whatever else was needed!), before stopping for lunch at a predetermined location, which included reserved parking on the main street for the cars. We even had people stop by our tables and thank us for bringing the cars to their town!
After lunch, we headed off to our next stop, which was a fantastic private car collection. We all saw several vehicles we would all love to take home – my personal favourite was an all-original BMW 507, which was just a bit out of my price range!
After that, we headed for our overnight stay at the Wolfesboro Inn, where we not only enjoyed a wonderful group dinner, but presented several people with ‘awards’ for various topics.
Sunday morning was again perfect weather, and after leaving Wolfesboro, we headed a short distance to the second collection viewing of the rally, which as an eclectic assortment of vehicles ranging from Fire Trucks, to a circus Calliope car, and everything in between.
After thanking our gracious host, we hit the road again for the trip back to our origination hotel, the Wayside Inn, where those of us who were staying that Sunday night once again had a wonderful dinner before saying our goodbyes and wishing each other well.
Over two days, we covered 300+ miles, visited some incredible car collections, and enjoyed perfect fall weather. No one was stranded — though we had a couple of close calls!
We are already starting to think about our 2026 Rally, so we welcome any suggestions!
