Student Highlight: Philip Schieffelin at the Colorado Grand

This year the Grand had 139 highly-selective vintage cars driving between Vail, Telluride and Grand Junction.

The Colorado Grand generously donated money to scholarship a student from Colorado and going to school at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas. McPherson College is well known for having a four year vintage car restoration and preservation program.

It is extremely special for the Colorado Grand to host this student on the event. Below is a recap from our 2024 student awardee Philip Schieffelin about his experience.

"On Thursday, September 12, I flew to Grand Junction, Colorado. The reason for my trip was the famed Colorado Grand. Growing up in Colorado, I had heard of the Grand but had only once seen the cars as they were driving. After touching down at the airport, I headed for the hotel where the participants stayed for the night. The first thing that greeted my eyes were rows of the classic sports cars that attended the rally. Porsche 356s, Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs, Alfa Romeos, Ferraris, Bentleys, Lancias, and

many more. These were the cars that I had read about and seen pictures of but there I was, standing right in front of them. After thirty minutes of walking around in awe of what I was seeing, I heard that the mechanics were arriving.

Brian Martin, the head of the Automotive Restoration program at McPherson

College, was kind enough to be my main contact for the trip and was serving as one of the mechanics. As he arrived, he found a car that needed work, a 1953 Fiat 8V Zagato, and began diagnosis. I was able to observe and help with the repair to get the car back on the road for the final day of driving. While this repair was ongoing, I met the other mechanics and observed their parking lot repairs on Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, Jaguars, and more. Through the evening, and into the night, the mechanics worked, making sure that as many cars could continue as possible. I was told that previous nights had seen more cars in need of repair, leaving the mechanics to work long into the night. The dedication and camaraderie were amazing to see among mechanics and drivers alike.

The next day started with breakfast, where I learned in what car I would be

riding. This car was a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE. Such a car is not normally seen on the grand, but this car was at home amongst the sports cars. It was a tribute to the rally cars of Ewy Rosqvist, a successful rally driver for Mercedes-Benz. Being a rally car, it was given what amounted to a 300 SL engine. This meant that the mountain roads of Colorado were no large hurdle for this car. After the mid-morning coffee break in Cedaredge, Mike Kunz gave me the keys to the car. This was something that I was not

expecting, but very thankful for. The car drove and handled beautifully, riding on air suspension with the use of power steering and brakes. After lunch, I rode with the Mercedes Classic Center mechanics. In each leg of the journey, I was able to talk with the professionals I was traveling with and gain knowledge and insight into the automotive world.

On Friday evening there was a dinner to formally end the week. While at the

dinner, I was able to meet Lisa Weinberger. Her generosity through a scholarship led to my ability to attend the Grand. I met other influential people in the automotive restoration field, growing a network of those willing to help young enthusiasts and professionals such as myself."

We invite you to share your Driven to Care Student Experiences with us, so we can highlight your stories and inspire others. To submit your experience please send your story to info@driventocare.org