If you live or will be visiting the Phoenix area on Saturday, March 7, 2015, stop by Greasewood Flat at 2:00 p.m. Every year designers and others associated with automobile design get together and swap stories. Photos from the last two years are attached to this post. Past attendees have included Bernie and Sue Smith, George Prentice, Ron Knopka, Bruce and Phyllis Wheeler, Ron and Pat Will, Tony Balthasar, Bob and Diane Ackerman, George and Elaine Anderson, Ron Boorman, Don and Carol Daharsh, Fred and Vyner Daniels, Bill and Joann Dayton, Bill and Carolyn Gest, Terrie Grasse, John and Julie Homan, Ray and Gloria Koenig, Susan and Ian Knocker, Bob and Bobbie Marcks, Mick and Suzie Myal, Bob and Gayila Riley, Gary and Louise Smith. I’ve probably missed some names, but not on purpose.
Greasewood Flat is a rustic, open air “establishment” with an old west flavor. It is surprisingly located in a very affluent area in North Scottsdale. Not so surprising is that they will close at the end of March, 2015, probably to make way for more million dollar homes. Greasewood Flats is located at 27375 N. Alma School Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85262.
Also coming up this month at the Scottsdale Pavilions, the Oldsmobile Club of Arizona is having its annual show on Saturday morning March 28 (followed by the weekly Pavilions car show), and the Buick-Olds-Pontiac Show is on Sunday, March 29.
Photos from 2013 and 2014
Photos from Ron Will
Gary,
Please give my best to all who attend Greasewood Flat this year.
What a treat for me to see some of my old friends there. I worked with Bob Ackerman, Bill Dayton, and Bill Shannon out of those designers I can still recognize. They look great, as for how I look, well…….
Time passes but it is great to see so many gathered together like this.
Phil Payne
Sorry I missed it…I would have dearly loved seeing Ray Koenig, among others, as he hired me by helping effect my transfer from Fisher Body in 1969, help for which I am truly grateful. Ron Will and Bob Ackerman may not remember me, but I would have enjoyed seeing them as well. Was Al Flowers not there?
Greasewood Flats is closing in two weeks. Forever. Making way for “progress.” There is a Four Seasons Resort across the road, indicative of the future.
When Bobbie and I pulled into the parking lot, it was overrun with Harley’s, whose owner’s equally regretted the end of an Arizona era.
Approached the entry by the sign, “SORRY, WE’RE OPEN,” the site was overwhelmed with a celebratory crowd; I was about to turn around, when a friendly face (forget who) said “we have plenty of room, way in the back.” I thank the designers, Ron Will was one, who organized this, and those who did the same in past years.
The ambience was perfect, a loud country band, dominated by guitars and a drummer (far enough away), big fat cheeseburgers and a beautiful Arizona afternoon at the base of a mountain. Then the reminiscing, with at least one Ford “stylist” going back 57 years.