Host Cars Were on Hand at the Tri-State GTO Club Car Show

 

What happened when Pontiac dropped the 326 cubic inch V8 engine from their full-size Grand Prix into the much smaller second-generation Tempest? The muscle car was born. With a name "borrowed" from the iconic racing Ferrari 250 GTO (Gran Torismo Omolagato, meaning grand tourer homologated), the Pontiac GTO was sold as a high-performance street machine. Introduced in 1964 as a trim of the Tempest LeMans (itself initially a trim and sold on performance), the GTO lasted through four generations and the 1974 model year, only to be relaunched in 2004 and run through 2006. As could be expected, there were quite a few Pontiac GTOs on hand for this year's Tri-State GTO Club Car Show held at Quaker Steak and Lube. Here are a bunch of them.

Small Turnout of Interesting Cars

 

The Tri-State GTO Club show this past summer had an uncharacteristically small turnout. In past years this show packed the parking lot of Quaker Steak and Lube but this year just a smidge over 30 vehicles were on hand. Among them was a new Ford Mustang, a Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle, a 2008 Pontiac G8 GT, a Pontiac Solstice, a Chevrolet Corvette, an Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31, and a restomod 1935 Chevy Master Deluxe. 

The Tri-State GTO Club Show

 

With a lot of competing shows going on, the Tri-State GTO Club Car Show saw just over 30 vehicles show up at Quaker Steak and Lube on a hot, sweltering late summer day. Among the vehicles on hand was a 1934 Packard coupe, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Ford Mustang, an AMC AMX, a 1964 Pontiac GTO, Pontiac Grand Prix, and a brand new C8 Chevy Vette. 

 

Wrapping Up Sycamore Township

 

Today is the last post from the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show. The show had to have been rescheduled due to weather a few weeks earlier and managed to bring out about 60 cars and trucks to the Robert L. Schuler Sports Complex. As always, let me know what you thought of the show by either leaving a comment (no ads, please, they just get deleted) or by dropping me an email at turnerbudds@yahoo.com. Among the vehicles on hand was a Shelby GT 350, a Dodge Viper, an Alfa Romeo Spider, a 1959 Triumph TR 3A, a Triumph TR 6, a Jaguar E Type, and a Lotus Evora. 

Muscle and More in Sycamore

 

Muscle cars are generally a good portion of the turnout at any open car show and that was true at the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show. On hand was a first-generation Chevrolet Camaro, a 1963 Pontiac Catalina, a Buick Wildcat, a 1965 Chevy Impala, a Chevy SSR, another Camaro, and a new Ford Mustang. 

Some Fords Were Among the Cars on Hand in Sycamore

 

The Ford Motor Company has traditionally been one of the most successful automobile manufacturers in the world. From the Model T to the Mustang, Ford has sole a lot of cars over the decades. That was reflected by the number that showed up at the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show. Sure, like many open shows, there were still more Chevrolet cars on hand, but there were plenty of FoMoCo rides as well. Among the cars on display was a beautiful Ford Mustang, a 1981 Jeep CJ7, a Cadillac De Ville convertible, a Ford Gran Torino Sport, a 1966 Ford Fairlane, another Ford Mustang, and a concours quality 1937 Plymouth Business Coupe. 

Corvettes at Sycamore Township

 

The Chevrolet Corvette has been a mainstay at car events all over the country for a long time. Debuted in 1953 as General Motors' attempt to stave off the tide of small European sports cars coming to America. The first versions of the car were a bit off, a bit underpowered but that quickly changed and now, in its eighth generation, the Chevy Vette is still going strong. This could be evidenced by how many were on hand at the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show.