Cars and Trucks On Display At Back the Heroes Rumble

The 5th Back the Heroes Rumble Car, Truck, Jeep and Bike show had a pretty open name, implying a lot of different types of vehicles would be on hand at West Clermont High School to help raise money for life saving equipment for first responders. This hot, muggy summer day saw over 100 different vehicles on display, including a 1950 Chevy pick-up, a a 1982 Chevy truck, a Cheyenne pick up, a 1961 Studebaker Hawk, and more.

Some Mustangs Rumbled For the Heroes

As is the case with most open car shows, the 5th Back the Heroes Rumble Car Show saw a number of Ford Mustangs roll into the parking lot of West Clermont High School to help raise funds for first responders in the area. The Mustang is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic of American automobiles. Introduced in 1964 it continues to be a best seller. There have been numerous options and packages made available over the years. One of the first to really strike a chord was the GT Equipment Package. As the name indicates this package was heavy on upgraded equipment that improved the performance of the car. One of the Mustangs at the Rumble was a GT350 but there were other versions of the infamous "Pony" on hand as well. Here are a few.

A Show to Benefit First Responders

The 5th Annual Back the Heroes Rumble Car Show, an event designed to raise money to benefit first responders by purchasing life saving equipment for them, drew well over 100 different vehicles. One particular automobile was a beautiful 1961 Studebaker Hawk. By 1960 the storied Studebaker company was in desperate shape. Sales had been slipping and the cost to develop and manufacture new models was more than they could handle. Add to that a nationwide steel strike that hampered production of all automakers and Studebaker was very close to having to shut its doors. The lone bright spot was their compact Lark which, through the late 1950s, was selling very well. There was talk of stopping production of other models, including the Hawk line which had been around since 1956. As fate would have it, though, the Big Three (Chrysler, Ford and General Motors) all introduced compact cars in 1960 and that deeply cut into Lark sales. The Hawk was saved, at least until Studebaker closed its American plant in 1963. Also at the Back the Heroes Rumble was a 1968 Ford Galaxie, a 1964 Chevy Nova, a first generation Corvette, a first generation Thunderbird, and a 1974 Dodge Challenger.

The 5th Back the Heroes Rumble

West Clermont High School was the setting for the 5th Back the Heroes Rumble Car, Truck, Jeep, and Bike Show. The show, which brought in over 100 vehicles, benefits first responders and helps to provide them with various pieces of lifesaving equipment. This year's event saw a good variety of vehicles including a 1962 Ford Econoline. The Econoline or E Series, was rolled out in 1961 and while it was based on a Falcon's chassis, the vehicle was designed to take on numerous configurations ranging from van to the pick  up version seen here. Also on display for the event was a 1972 Chevy Nova, a 1966 Fairlane, a 1963 Thunderbird, a Chevette, a 1959 Impala, and a 1965 Galaxie 500. 

 

Wrapping Up the 31st Annual Bethel American Legion Car Show

 Despite a turnout that was less than anticipated, the 31st Annual Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show managed to bring out a large number of quality vehicles. A number of reasons could contribute to there being fewer than 50 vehicles on hand at a show that, over the past two year, brought in 190 and 185 machines. The region was in the middle of a heat wave was one that added to the fact that it had poured down rain, leaving puddles in the field, the night before and into the morning, was another. Still, some pretty nice rides braved it all. Among them was a Dodge Dart Swinger, a 1967 Pontiac LeMans, a Ford Fairlane, a Thunderbird, a 1967 Chevy Nova, and a Chevy Master DeLuxe. As always, feel free to let me know what you thought of this event by either leaving a comment (no ads, please) or by dropping me an email at turnerbudds@yahoo.com.

Some Vettes and More At the Bethel American Legion Show

In 1963 Chevrolet introduced the second generation, or C2, of its Corvette sports car. The first generation had undergone a number of changes during its run, including the popular switch to the V8 engine from the original straight six. While there were some body changes during that first year, the C2 saw a major face lift. And also a new nickname: the Sting Ray. The new C2 had engine options that ranged from 250 horse power all the way up to 365 using that famed small block V8. But in 1963 there was something that never returned, something that has made them very collectible. They had the split rear window.There was one of these rarities on hand at the 31st Annual Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show. In addition to a couple of other Vettes there was a rarely seen (because few survived) Ford Pinto, a customized Plymouth Road Runner, and an Oldsmobile Cutlass.

Chevy and Ford Were On Display At the 31st Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show

 It is not uncommon to see vehicles from Chevrolet and Ford on display at any open car show. These two have been rivals since early in the history of the automobile. So it was little wonder, even with a much smaller crowd than usual, that these two Detroit titans would have a nice selection of vehicles on display at the 31st Annual Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show. Today's post shows that there were more of the "bowtie" brand than the blue oval and while that might have been the case for the entire show, it was much closer in numbers than today's offerings. Among the cars on display was a 1955 Bel Air, a 1968 Camaro Super Sport, a Chevy DeLuxe, a second generation Ford Mustang, and a couple of Corvettes.

A Fine Group of Cars Were On Hand For the Bethel American Legion Car Show

Success can be measured in a number of ways, especially when it comes to a car show. Some will only judge by the total number of vehicles on hand or by the rarity of the cars on display. Success should be judged one car at a time. Unfortunately the 31st Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show had a down year at their recent event. While previous shows managed to draw in excess of 180 vehicles only about 50 came out this year. This was mostly due to early morning rain and an oppressive heat wave that had been smothering the region. Still, the cars that were on hand brought a nice variety. Among them was a Chevy Camaro, a mid-century Chevy pick up, a highly customized 1955 Bel Air, a custom 1962 Chevy pick up, a Chevelle, and a custom street rod.

An Unfortunate Turnout For the Bethal American Legion Post

 After its hugely successful debut in 1964, the Ford Mustang continued to be the pace setter and trend setter for what had become called the pony car. Much of the reason for its success was not sitting on its laurels. Ford regularly introduced various performance packages to cater to the wants of drivers. Both the two Boss options and the two Shelby options created high performance machines along with the Mach 1made the first generation Mustang a car for the rest of Detroit to chase. The Mach 1 package was hugely successful. The 1971 model seen here is one of a disappointing few vehicles that showed up at the 31st Annual Bethel American Legion Post 406 Car Show. Over the past two years the show brought in 185 and 190 vehicles respectively. This year saw only about 50 cars on display. In addition to the Mach 1 there was a Chevy Corvette, a 1965 Falcon station wagon, another Vette, a Chevy 1500 pick up truck, and a first generation Mustang.