ABOUT THE EVENT
What is America's British Reliability Run?
Begun in 2002 by Blake Discher of Detroit with help from John Macartney and based on similar events in the UK, the ABRR is a three day drive for charity in British cars. It is not a race, and is run on public roads at posted speeds. It is not a rally as there are no checkpoints or deliberately vague instructions. It is an endurance test of sorts, intended to be challenging but fun for the participants, and to see just how reliable these supposedly “unreliable” British cars really are.
ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND ABRR
Coddiwomple 2021
A Phileas Fogg Adventure to the Carrabassett Valley
September 17th-19th
For the 2020 New England British Reliability Run we will be touring the mountains and valleys of northern Maine, specifically the lovely Carrabassett Valley. Home to two major ski areas and ten of the fourteen highest mountains in Maine, the area is alive with mountain vistas and scenery to take your breath away. Our base at the 100+ year old Rangeley Inn puts us square in the middle of the valley, a pleasant drive away from natural wonders, scenic overlooks and interesting local sights. As an added bonus, the late September colors should be spectacular. Don’t be too surprised if you see a Moose or two on our journeys, this section of Maine is sometimes known as “Moose Alley”!
Schedule
Day One, Friday, September 17th
Our adventure in 2020 starts Friday morning in Gorham, NH at the Glen House which is situated at the base of Mt. Washington’s auto road in Pinkham Notch. For those who travelled with us on the first NEBRR, you will no doubt remember the beauty of Pinkham Notch and the views of Mt Washington, which once again, should be spectacular as we are starting later in September when the autumn colors will be at their peak. We have arranged with the Glen House for a block of rooms for Thursday night for those who want the convenience of staying right at the hotel. Kim & I have stayed at the Glen House on many occasions and highly recommend it. There is a view from the pub of the Presidential Range that is literally to die for, a very good restaurant and
even a heated salt water pool! (https://theglenhouse.com/ ) Make sure to mention the British Reliability Run for the $149 dollar rate. From our starting point on Friday we will travel to the Evans Notch through the Speckled Mountains along the New Hampshire/Maine border. Again, the colors in this little traveled roadway will be awesome as there are several stands of hardwood in the Notch. Turning east coming out of the Notch, we will visit some of the “Nordic” towns in Maine, passing through Sweden, Denmark and Norway before stopping for lunch in Paris...a tour of Europe without leaving Maine! After lunch we turn north and head for our base for the next two nights, the Rangeley Inn. Along the way we will pass through Grafton Notch and travel one of the “Moose Alley” roads into Rangeley. Our hotel, the Rangeley Inn, is one of the surviving grand hotels built at the turn of the century (19th century!) that was served by its own train station bringing visitors from Boston, New York and Philadelphia for the summer season. Of course there is a charming pub where we can relax and trade tales of our journey over an adult beverage or two!
Day Two, Saturday, September 18th
Saturday will be a pleasant touring day, crossing an historic bridge (the only one of its kind in America, possibly the world) built in 1866, short hikes to spectacular waterfalls, drives to the tops of two mountains for 360 degree vistas where you can see all the way from Mexico to Peru (really!) and moose spotting along the way! Home to 10 of the 14 highest mountains in Maine, the Carrabassett Valley of Maine is awe inspiring with mountain vistas and scenic overlooks at every turn, and nearly empty roads!
Day Three, Sunday, September 19th
Sunday we travel back to the Glen House for our farewell BBQ, but not before stopping at two more fabulous overlooks of the mountains and lakes to the west of the valley. For those not in a hurry to get on the road, perhaps a drive up the Mt. Washington Auto Road after lunch??? Don’t think your little British car can handle it...why Model Ts have made the climb back in the 20s when the road was dirt, surely our little cars can handle the 8 mile journey on the paved road!
We wish to recognize our sponsors for their support of America's British Reliability Run
We also wish to recognize our contributors for their support of America's British Reliability Run
