Ted Lange: Classic Celebrity of the Week

We know you’ve been waiting for it and it’s finally up! The Uftring Auto Group Classic Celebrity of the Week is the instantly recognizable Ted Lange, better known as Isaac the Bartender on The Love Boat, which ran from 1977 to 1986 on ABC. The Love Boat was set on the Pacific Princess, a cruise ship, where the crew and cast of celebrity guest stars engage in adventures and romance while they visited exotic destinations.  The show became a regular stop for b-list celebrities and the occasional bonafide star.  The Love Boat continues to run in syndication all over the world.

Ted Lange - Isaac the Bartender from The Love Boat

Which brings us back to Ted Lange. Although he will forever be known as Isaac Washington, Lange has compiled a substantial resume’ of acting and directing credits, including extensive work in the theater. His dedication to stagecraft has been recognized with the NAACP’s Renaissance Man Theatre Award, among others.  Three cheers for Ted Lange!

Mid-Illinois Corvette Club - Charity, Food, And Community

Gary Uftring is extremely passionate about Corvettes. This passion is displayed in a few ways - his collection of classic Corvettes, the motorsports program at Uftring Chevy Saab, his charitable donations including giving away a 1974 Corvette Convertible to raise money for Peoria Promise, and also through his sponsorship of the Mid-Illinois Corvette Club, to name a few. I had the opportunity to attend the Mid-Illinois Corvette Club's monthly meeting and observe. A few things came to the fore.

Gary Uftring addresses the Corvette Club

The first thing that struck me was this group loves to get together and eat. This is a philosophy that cannot be argued with. They have numerous "meet and eat" events planned through the coming months and year. It's absolutely fantastic how they love to be in the company of one another. Even if you aren't a Corvette enthusiast, everyone can enjoy having a good time and good food with friends and fellow enthusiasts. The MICC is a prime example of this.

While the Corvette Club knows how to have fun, it is not the only thing they do well. Charity and good will is another aspect that this group exemplifies. Giving back to the community is very important for them and they carry it out in a number of ways. Over the winter they collect and donate shoes and boots to a school where underprivileged children have a great need of such items. These kids were so appreciative of their gifts that many thank you notes were written.

Thank You Letters to the Corvette Club for donating boots

The MICC also works with St. Jude Children's Hospital throughout the year. They hold a Memorial Day weekend St. Jude Runner's Charity Car Show at Uftring Chevy Saab. In addition they support a family that receives services and care from St. Jude. It was clear that this relationship has been very beneficial and of great significance for the club.

From my brief encounter with the club and its members, I gathered that the Mid-Illinois Corvette Club is all about community and relationships. Oh, and driving fun and beautiful cars around and attending some fantastic Corvette events in scenic places. This certainly doesn't hurt prospective memberships.

Members inspect a 2011 Callaway Corvette

If you have an interest in Corvettes and live in or around Peoria or Central Illinois in general, you should check out the Mid-Illinois Corvette Club. They have monthly meetings every second Monday at Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington and a filled calendar of events to attend throughout the year. If you're interested in Corvettes then don't miss Uftring Chevy Saab, the only ZR1 and Callaway Corvette dealer in the region.

Fred MacMurray: Classic Celebrity of the Week

Happy New Year everyone!

This week’s Uftring Auto Group Classic Celebrity of the Week is Fred MacMurray, uber star of stage and screen. MacMurray was best known as Steve Douglas on the television program My Three Sons, which aired from 1960 to 1972. However, long before he became a television icon, MacMurray acted with some of tinseltown’s biggest stars, including Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon and many more. 

Fred MacMurray - Pretty much all around awesome

The classic film noir Double Indemnity (1944) is MacMurray’s best known film role and in the mid-1940’s he was the highest paid actor in Hollywood and the 4th highest paid American. If that isn’t solid enough, MacMurry was the initial model for the superhero Captain Marvel. The great Fred MacMurry retired from acting in 1978 – but will forever live on in reruns and classic movie rentals. 

If you are smart and stay home on New Year’s Eve . . . head out to the local video store and grab Double Indemnity or The Apartment and enjoy some of Fred MacMurray’s finest work.

Camaro Convertible - Coming in February 2011

The New Year is nearly upon us - and that means it's time for some new cars! With so many franchises under the Uftring Auto Group umbrella, we're fortunate enough to see many new cars and redesigns throughout the year. Perhaps one of the most exciting new cars coming out in 2011 is the Camaro Convertible. If you thought the Camaro looked good, wait until you see it topless.

2011 Camaro Convertible

How about that? Absolutely gorgeous. It's sure to turn heads upon its arrival in Peoria sometime in February. We can't wait for the new Camaro Convertible to land at Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington and Jim McComb Chevrolet in Peoria.

It's difficult to pick a favorite thing about this car. Could it be the powerful 312hp V6 engine that still manages 29 mpg on the highway? Perhaps. Could it be the insane amount of technology that, like XM Radio, OnStar, Boston Acoustics speakers and connectivity to your favorite USB and Bluetooth enabled devices? Maybe. Or is it the simple fact that you can start your Camaro and view its vital info from your iPhone? That's probably it.

If you'd like more information along with some photos of the new Camaro, we've got you covered. Read more about the new Camaro on our Chevy Camaro Convertible page. Then, stay tuned to our Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. You'll be the first to know when these striking convertibles arrive in Peoria.

Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week: Ted Knight

Welcome to Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week! Each week we take a look back and honor a classic celebrity. Ahh the memories. 

Ted Knight

Uftring Auto Group's Classic Celebrity of the Week is the great Ted Knight – best known as WJM newscaster Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Judge Smails in Caddyshack.  Knight received six Emmy Award nominations for his work as Ted Baxter, winning in 1973 and 1976. Caddyshack is one of the all time greatest sports movies, and Knight’s performance is instantly memorable. Ted Knight is awesome because of his one-of-a-kind laugh that only the gifted few can duplicate. Mr. Knight gets bonus points for appearing on one episode of the Love Boat – which was a great place for classic celebrities to hang out.