Marist University Car Club Garners Impressive Turnout for Cars and Coffee Event
Attendees stare at a 2007 Honda S2000. Photo by Chase Muller '25
On a gloomy Sunday morning, while most of the campus was fast asleep, the Marist University Car Club was hard at work setting up for an event years in the making.
The Marist Car Club was founded by Evan Avasthi ‘25 and Chase Muller ‘25. The two met in the dining hall during their freshman year when Evan approached Chase to ask about the racing backpack that Chase wore.
“Because of our similar interest, we decided to go to a few car shows during the spring semester,” said Muller. “Once the weather got on the nicer side, we found out that other schools had car clubs that hosted events and allowed people with like-minded interests to meet.”
Finding people with similar interests was the easy part; the hard part was getting the club chartered and approved by the campus. Car clubs are not common among schools with a similar size and population to Marist, creating an uphill battle.
“The main goal of this club was just to really create a place where students can meet other people who have the same interest on the Marist campus,” shared Muller.
When it came time for the club to host its first event, the goal did not change: bring people with a similar passion for cars together. What better way to attract people with a love for cars than with free coffee, donuts and an empty parking lot?
The two founders, with help from incoming board members, put flyers for the event on exceptional cars all over the tri-state area. The idea was to tuck the flyer into the windshield like a ticket so that when drivers inevitably check the paper, they see the advertisement.
Over 50 cars were registered for the event.
As cars began to roll in at around 9:30 a.m. on May 4, some of the board members were even impressed with the turnout. Owners of cars such as the Lancia Delta HF Integrale, Toyota Chaser and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 watched as many guests crowded around the vehicles to ask questions and take pictures.
“Being the doorman turned out to be the coolest job,” said incoming club treasurer Lucian Pezzillo ’27. “I got first looks at all of the cars entering, which made the job a lot less boring than I anticipated.”
Among the plethora of vehicles, one of the more unique cars was an old New York City taxi with everything from the TV to the clicker still intact.
The owner bought the taxi for a stunningly low cost of $1,000. “This thing has lived a relatively easy life,” said the owner. “The guy who owned it had paid his medallion off, and by the time I bought it, he was just taxing people for fun.”
The success of Cars and Coffee gives the club fantastic momentum heading into the fall 2025 semester. Despite losing Avasthi and Muller to the workforce, the club is primed for an even more successful academic year.
“My goal for next year is to have another event in the fall and make it something that happens every semester,” said incoming president Garrett Wilson ‘27.
With growing interest, passionate leaders and a vision for the future, the Marist Car Club is shifting into high gear as one of the campus’s most exciting new communities.