“Yeah, Baby!”: Massachusetts Representative Steve Howitt Is a Fan of Classic Brits
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| Massachusetts Representative Steve Howitt takes his ’74 Pimento Red TR6 for a spin. | |
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Massachusetts State Representative Steven S. Howitt is full-fledged car enthusiast. “I have had many vehicles over time,” he says. “My first car was a bright yellow ’70 Plymouth 340 ’Cuda. Over the years, I have also owned an Orange ’74 BMW 2002, a ’70 Porsche 914 and a ’69 911T as well as a ’62 Morgan, a ’62 MGA Deluxe and 2 MGTFs, a ’54 and ’55. Presently, I own two Triumph TR6s, a ’74 and ’76, as well as an ’80 Triumph TR8 convertible with 6100 original miles.” In fact, a number of his cars have been used in films. The ’74 TR6 and ’80 TR8 were used recently in the movie production of Black Mass, while other cars were used in background roles in 27 Dresses (Silver Mercedes 2000 CLK430 Cabriolet) and Company Men (Silver Mercedes 2005 SL500). His weekend car is a black ’11 Porsche 911S coupe.
Representative Howitt is a dedicated public servant, advocate for accountability, business owner and third-generation resident of Seekonk, Massachusetts, with more than 30 years of public service to the community and to the Commonwealth. A member of the SAN-supported State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus, he began serving in the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2011 and currently serves on the Joint Transportation Committee as ranking member. In the legislature, he uses his knowledge of automobiles to help educate his non-auto enthusiast colleagues on the pros and cons of numerous bills affecting the hobby. For several legislative sessions, certain members of the legislature have attempted to ban the “use and sale of any exhaust pipe that increases the sound emission of any vehicle...” These efforts, opposed successfully by the SAN, have not supplied law enforcement a clear standard to enforce for motor vehicles, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether a modified exhaust system is in violation. Representative Howitt has been a leading advocate in helping kill these bills.
“I am also in favor of year of manufacturer antique license plates for vintage vehicles,” Howitt adds. “I would also like to see some option, whether it is a windshield sticker or a front plate decal, that could be used instead of a front license plate. Nothing looks worse than to have holes drilled into the front bumper of some of the newer classics, such as a Corvette or a Porsche.” The most recent bill in Massachusetts to provide for the issuance of a single registration plate died when the legislature adjourned in 2015.
“I have always been involved in public service,” Howitt concludes. “My father instilled in me the desire to not watch from the sidelines, but be involved in one’s community as he was.”