The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Every November the large McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago is the scene of one of the top car shows in America-the Chevy-Vettefest which this year was held on November 22 and 23. Each year approximately 50,000 people attend the show.
La Harpe's 2002 plum ZLI Camaro Supercar was chosen to be one of those cars.
Helen Gibb had completed all of the necessary papers and sent them to Chicago hoping that her car would be selected for the well-known event.
Not only was the car chosen, but it was also picked to be one of the "Showcase" cars. This year the "Showcase" was honoring "Supercars" and several of those dealers.
The late Fred Gibb, a Chevrolet dealer, was recognized by having several of the cars that had La Harpe association being displayed together.
Bill Porterfield and his 1969 ZLI and 2002 ZLl were present as were the two comparable cars by Ken Barnhart. Ken Boje of St. Paul, Minnesota brought his "Little Hoss", a Z25 Camaro that had set 15 World Records. Matt Murphy of Marietta, Georgia attended with his COPO 1968 BLUE NOVA, which originated in La Harpe and was found this year in Georgia.
The car still had its original window sticker. Kevin Hand, of Greensboro, NC. brought his Cortey Silver 1969 ZLl Camaro which was one of the original fifty. Helen Gibb's 2002 ZLl Supercar completed their Fred Gibb "Showcase" display.
Bob and Nancy Lionberger again transported the Gibb car to the show. Nancy became acquainted with several of the ladies and enjoyed seeing the sights of Chicago with them, like Marshall Field, Navy Pier, etc. As everyone stayed at the adjoining Hyatt Hotel, they enjoyed viewing the downtown and Lake Michigan from their rooms.
Nancy Gibb came home from Orlando on Thursday and accompanied the group to Chicago early on Friday morning. All "Showcase" cars were asked to be there by Friday noon.
Helen Gib was asked to sign autographs and visit with the people. She signed for two hours on Saturday and one and one-half hours on Sunday. Three men from high performance dealerships also helped with that project. Helen enjoyed spending time with the Illinois Camaro Club, signing autographs and their cars.
Ken Brown, his son and grandson, attended the show on Sunday. This was the climax for car lovers-viewers as well as participants.
As in the past, everyone enjoyed old friends and acquiring new ones. they say that it has been an exciting year. Helen says that people are now aware of La Harpe and want to know just where it is located.