Hot Rods Hit the Lawrenceburg Streets

Hot rods or street rods are a specific kind of custom automobile that are made for speed. The trend really started at the end of World War II when returning soldiers would take old, pre-war cars and give them new, more powerful engines. Spreading from the streets of Southern California, the hot rod trend touched all corners of the country. There were quite a few hot rods on hand for the 10th Annual Cruisin' to a Cure for ALS show in Lawrenceburg recently. Here are just a few of them.

 

Pre-War Cars Rolled Into Lawrenceburg

 

In the years prior to World War II, the country had changed in many ways. People had been given the opportunity to travel much more than in the previous century thanks mainly to trains and, of course, automobiles. From the early days of the 20th Century up until the 1940s, cars had gone from being a novelty to becoming quite commonplace. At the same time, the automobile industry had grown from a scattering of small, independent operations into a major industry. Often times at car events it is the survivors from this era that draw a lot of attention. That was true at the 10th Annual Crusin' to a Cure for ALS car show in Lawrenceburg. Among the oldies on hand was a customized 1931 Dodge, a 1936 Plymouth, a 1940 Ford, a well-worn Ford Model A, a 1934 Ford, a 1937 Ford, a 1936 Ford, and a 1937 Chevrolet. 

Pontiacs Came to Lawrenceburg

 

Founded as a companion brand to General Motors' Oakland automobiles in 1926, Pontiac soon overtook their "big brother" line and fit neatly into GM's mid-range marketing ladder. Sitting above Chevrolet and just below Oldsmobile, Pontiac was seen as a step up from an entry level car, having a bit more status than the Chevy. For decades it was clearly a family car. But by the 1960s it was a pace setter in the muscle car battles. And in a lot of cases, it is these muscle car Pontiacs that are extremely popular at automotive events. The 10th Annual Cruisin' to a Cure for ALS show in Lawrenceburg saw plenty of Pontiacs including a Grand Prix, a Firebird, a Chieftain, a "Screaming Eagle" Trans Am, a Firebird, and a GTO.

21st Century Cars Rolled Into Lawrenceburg

 

The 10th Annual Cruisin' to a Cure for ALS show in Lawrenceburg attracted an estimated 900 or so cars and trucks. Each of those paid an entry fee which went to help support ALS research, a cost pretty much every vehicle owner was willing to pay. Many of those who organize car shows honestly don't care about the age of the car or truck if it brings in money for their charity. So, all of the new cars, those from this current century, were welcomed with open arms in Lawrenceburg to help with the funding. Here are just some that were adorning the streets that day.

Mustang Came to Lawrenceburg

 

Imagine the expectations a company would have on introducing a new car at the World's Fair. Then, imagine that car exceeding those expectations in spectacular fashion. That is the story of the Ford Mustang. Ford wanted a car that was sporty yet affordable and so they based one on the underpinnings of their successful but aging Falcon. The car was expected to sell about 100,000 units per year, but when it was introduced for the 1965 model year it more than quadrupled that figure. The Mustang remains one of the company's top sellers. There were quite a few Mustangs on hand for the 10th Annual Crusin' to a Cure for ALS show in Lawrenceburg. Here are just a few of them.

Fords Came to Lawrenceburg

 

For basically the first half of the 20th century, Ford was the top selling automobile in the United States. And while not number one, it still remained one of the two best selling vehicles coming out of World War II. Officially founded by Henry Ford in 1903, the Ford Motor Company wasn't Ford's first automobile company. He had founded the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899. With a couple of other companies in between (including one called Cadillac), Henry Ford learned with each company and by the time his namesake firm was formed, he had developed a plan that would bring innovation to, not only the car industry, but to all manufacturing. There were plenty of Ford Motor cars on hand for the 10th Annual Cruisin' to a Cure for ALS show held in Lawrenceburg. Among them was a 1972 Gran Torino, a first generation Thunderbird, a 1970 Torino convertible, a Fairlane, a Galaxie 500, a 1963 Fairlane 500, and a Falcon. 

                                           

Some Customs Came to Lawrenceburg

 

The 10th Annual Cruisin' to a Cure for ALS Car Show in Lawrenceburg saw close to 900 cars and trucks fill the main streets of the city. When that many vehicles show up for an event there are sure to be some customs among them. People have been customizing and modifying vehicles practically from the very beginning. In some cases it was to adapt the vehicle to a specific purpose. In others it was to repair damage from an accident. When soldiers came back from World War II an entire industry was created. These soldiers had been modifying vehicles during the war and when they came home they took older cars and re-imagined bodies and engines. Here are some of the custom and modified vehicles that were in Lawrenceburg for the show.