10th Annual Shriner's Car Show

The 10th Annual Shriner's Car Show was held recently and bad weather scared a lot of people away. But those who did bring out their cars sure made some folks pretty happy. Among the cars that did show was a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, a couple of Chevy trucks, a Ford Mustang, a 1954 Bel Air, and a 1970 Chevelle.

A Pick Up In Collector Trucks

A couple of years ago my son, Josh, and I were at a medium sized show and he made the comment that there were an unusually large number of pick-up trucks on display. I went back through my files and noticed that, indeed, that year we had seen more pick up trucks at shows than in many previous years. Since then both he and I have been paying attention and have seen the number of pick ups increase at shows that we've attended.

Now this may be a local thing or just one of those instances that since we're paying attention to this detail, we're more aware of them but I don't think so. I've managed to speak to a number of folks who are out showing their trucks and, in each case, asked them why they were inclined to become care takers of old trucks rather than old cars.

There were several reasons given for this seeming increase. Keep in mind that none of this is scientific in the least. This is just what I've learned by speaking to truck owners who I have met over the past couple of years.

The main reason, I've been told, is that over the past decade or so, pick up trucks have gotten a reputation "face lift" in this country. It used to be that pick ups were associated with farming and certain types of blue collar jobs. But in recent years more and more people have been choosing pick ups for their regular daily drivers. It's true that pick ups have become roomier and more luxurious and that has drawn owners toward purchasing them.

Another major reason that people have said to me is that collector pick ups continue to be much more affordable than similar makes and years of traditional cars. Go check out the car valuation tools on Hagerty (https://www.hagerty.com/) and pick a brand and a year and see some of the differences. As the collector car hobby becomes more expensive it's easy to see why more people are moving toward less costly entry level machines.

The third major reason I have been told that people are turning to pick ups is that, until I began to notice it, there just simply weren't that many. Go to any collector car show and you're apt to see multiple Vettes and Mustangs and Camaros and MoPars. What you rarely see are six Ford pick ups sitting side by side. There is a certain group of folks who enjoy not blending in with the rest of the crowd.

It really doesn't matter what the reason, the fact that more and more old trucks are being preserved is wonderful. The more old vehicles we keep moving, the more old history we continue to show off, the better. Bring on the pick ups!

Trucks At the Family Fair

There were a good selection of trucks at the 3rd Annual Grease Monkey Garage Family Fair held at Harvest Home Park in Cheviot. They ranged from original condition to some that were highly customized.

Later Survivors At the Cincinnati Concours

This year's Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance featured two special survivor classes that featured cars that are still running but have never undergone any type of major renovation. Today's group will wrap up my Concours coverage for this year and features cars from 1961 and newer. This class includes a 1969 Mercury Marauder, a 1967 Chevy Corvette, a 1965 Pontiac 2+2 hardtop, a 1975 Jaguar XJ6-C coupe, a 1983 DeLorean, DMC 12, a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302, a 1968 Porsche 912, and a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe.

Early Survivors At the Cincinnati Concours

The 42nd Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance featured two special classes of survivors. Today's post features those cars in the Survivors Through 1960, cars that have stood the test of time without having any significant work done to preserve them. This class includes a 1936 Pierce Arrow 1601 Sedan, a 1954 Packard Cavalier, an amazing 1907 Richmond J-1 Runabout, a 1953 Buick Woodie Wagon, and a 1927 Buick Model 51 Brougham Sedan.

Sports Contemporary At the Cincinnati Concours

The Sports Contemporary Class at this year's Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance featured a handful of brilliant sports cars. Included in this group was a 1965 Lotus Elan, a 1973 Dino 246 GTS (which happens to be one of my top three all time favorite cars), a 1962 Austin Healey 3000 BT 7, a 1962 Chevy Corvette, a 1975 Porsche 911 S, a 1969 Jaguar E Type (another of my all time favorite cars), a 1980 Maserati Merek (yet another all time favorite along with it's "big brother" the Bora), and a 1968 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2.

Sports Classics At Cincinnati

The Sports Classics Class at any concourse event, especially the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance, is always one of my favorites. I've always been drawn to sports cars and relish seeing the best of the best. At this year's Cincinnati concours the class had some exceptional automobiles, including a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing, a 1958 Porsche 356A Roadster, a 1962 Porsche 356B Convertible, a 1955 Sunbeam Alpine, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, a 1957 Isetta 300, a 1958 Isetta 600, a 1956 Porsche 356A Roadster, and a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette.