FFR Open House 2001

June 9, 2001

The fourth annual Factory Five Racing Open House gave the FFR team, as well as the customers, more reasons to celebrate.

Hosting the event at our still vacant new building, at 9 Tow Rd., gave us all the chance to take in the splendor and expectation of a brand new Production/Office/R&D/Showroom building for the first time in four years.  The expanse of the new building was breathtaking, as all who were there could envision the opportunity to expand production to even greater levels, in order to keep up with the rising demand.

Today the building acted as music hall, as a live band put it through it's first paces.  Having the event at the new building was no insignificant decision.  This building represents a new era for Factory Five, a threshold where the sins of the past can not enter, and a brand new day is born for our company and customers.  Make no mistake about it, the building was still raw, the parking lot barely paved, fresh fill still banking all sides of the building it displaced, and a limit to available plumbing - it was still definitely rough around the edges, but oh, what promise it does hold.

Joining us at our christening were more than 60 members of our extended family of Roadster owners.  Traveling in from all parts of New England, parts of the Midwest, as well as the Mid-Atlantic states, were customers intent on enjoying the day with us, no matter the state of the facility.  Our family members are always welcome at any function, and this one is our tribute to them.  From it's earliest inception, the FFR Open House was never designed to be a high pressure sales tool, this is our way of thanking customers who have put food on our tables.  The same customers that have stuck by us, every step of the way.

Sixty-two customers, in fact, made the trip.  Some were still building their cars, but the majority of owners showed up in their award-winning daily drivers.  Most brought pictures, even trophies, of recent conquests at the shows, the track or the stoplight races.  This multi-talented bunch is what has really set us apart from the herd of the kit car industry.  In fact, these "tri-athlons" make our customers stand out in any vehicle club.  In every car club there are the show winners - these are usually the cars that sit at home, under the covers, afraid to see the light of day, or dare we say, the whites of the stripes on the roadways.  These are "trailer Queens", trailer it to a show for it's routine coronation, then trailer it back into the air conditioned comfort of the attached garage.  Then there are the daily drivers, a little ragged around the edges from years of hitting the pavement.  They are not always the prettiest cars, definitely not the fastest, but they're used every weekend at least.  Lastly, are the competition cars, purpose built track cars that are much faster than their counterparts in the clubs.  These are the omega males of their representative groups.

Factory Five customers are all three rolled into one.  Too much fun to leave at home, or on a trailer on the way to an event, these cars are driven.  First to the car shows for the constant praise and fawning, then driven to the track for some fast laps, and finally back home, ready to start it all over again.  The joy in a Factory Five, you see, is in the use of it.  Like the timex watch of it's day, it simply "takes a licken' and keeps on tickin'".

Take a second to check out our "family album" and make plans to meet us here for the next open house, tentatively scheduled for June 8, 20002.