One of my favorite things to do is to google “car shows near me”. Since it was Labor Day Weekend in Portland, I figured there would be some interesting cars to look at. There were quite a few events to choose from and I decided to check out the annual Cruise-In at a local pizza parlor called Pietro’s.
There is really nothing more American than a car show on a warm, sunny Labor Day weekend in the parking lot of a pizza parlor. It was everything you might expect in a show like this, lots of Corvettes, Mustangs, and muscle cars. Car shows like this are as American as apple pie and baseball.
There isn’t a whole lot of commentary I can add to these photos. These are the cars average Americans have stowed away in their garages. They come out for special occasions, parades, weddings, a nice weekend drive, and for car shows like this one.
Some of them have been painstakingly restored by a talented owner, some have been purchased as a reward for years of hard work and sacrifice. Either way, these folks are proud of their cars and I’m glad there are shows like this one for people like me, that enjoy seeing them.
What would a show like this be without at least one “Tri-Five” Chevy? This nice looking 1956 Bel Air is adorned with a pair of black fuzzy dice. I imagine that 50 years from now they will still have fuzzy dice. It’s become part of the mystique of the model hasn’t it?
A gorgeous 1969 Mustang.
This 1959 Pontiac Catalina convertible received a lot of attention.
A couple of 1930’s Fords. The design is getting close to being 100 years old and these cars still look great.
I thought this 1939 Chevy drag racer was pretty cool.
This is a 1965 Chrysler 300. The more I see of these cars, the more I like them. I really think the interior looks great. Who needs a screen to look at when your dash is this cool?
Speaking of interiors, this 1960 Chevy is a work of art. It must have taken some talented people to make this dash. It’s almost entirely made of metal. There is barely a piece of plastic to be found. Together with the 4 speed manual, this car doesn’t need any infotainment system.
I learned to drive in a 1967 Malibu, but my parents’ car wasn’t anything like this one.
Here is a car you don’t expect to see at most car shows. This is a 1965 Mercury Montclair. Looks like the owner brought along a chair of similar vintage to relax in.
Here is another car I haven’t seen in ages. This is a 1970 Ford XL convertible and as the old saying goes, “They don’t make ’em like this anymore”. This is a huge car with a huge motor. Notice the odd placement of the radio to the drivers left. This one also has the optional 8 track player that in true 70’s style, came with fake wood and chrome trim.
If you were a fan of Mopar Muscle cars, these two would probably put a big smile on your face.
This is the kind of car I associate with shows like this one. It’s become kind of a baby boomer cliché, but I really don’t care. These cars will always be cool, and when the last of us boomers is finally gone, the younger generations will keep taking these to the car shows of the future.
1961 Chevrolet Impala bubble top.
Every good car show should have some interesting Volkswagens to look at and this show did not disappoint.
I don’t usually think of Hot Rods when I think of old Willys. I can’t imagine there are many 1916 Overland Roadsters still around and even fewer that look like this one.
Let’s finish up with some more Hot Rods. This is a Dodge from the mid-20’s. This was a typical family car of the day. I’d imagine almost every piece of the car has been modified or replaced by this point. Can you imagine a car show 100 years from now with hot rodded versions of something as mundane as a Camry or a RAV 4. Now that is something I would like to see.
Don’t worry that EV’s will ruin it for car nuts. They haven’t made flat head V-8 Fords since the mid 50’s and they are still a common sight at shows like this. It’s going to take a long time before internal combustion has vanished.
One final thought. While I loved seeing these cars, and you couldn’t complain about the price, because it was free. I wish more of them were displayed with their hoods closed. I know the owners are proud of their machines, but I’d rather see a closed hood to appreciate the total design of the cars. Regardless, the Pietro’s 2022 Cruise-in was a lot of fun and I just might go back for the next one.
It seems that Corvettes, Camaros and Chevelles have pretty much taken over for the Tri Five Chevrolets, which took over from the 1930s Ford V8s. I wonder what will take over from the Camaros and other muscle cars?
Like you, I love seeing the unusual stuff. The 1965 Mercury never did much for me, but this one is a beaut. And I am in total agreement about the fabulous dashboards that completely eliminate the need for an infotainment system.
Finally, I know everyone prefers the 36, but that 1935 Ford is just lovely.
“… I’d rather see a closed hood to appreciate the total design of the cars.”
I’d agree. I’m a semi-pro photographer who has been to The Amelia nearly every year since its inception.
I have found that 95% of the owners who want to show off their engine bays will, after asking them nicely, be happy to lower the hood until you have finished shooting their wonderful vehicle. After you’re done shooting be very, very sure to thank them for accommodating you. They are usually very happy for the attention they’ve received.
Just my 2-cents. 😏
I agree too – though I suspect that the hood open vs. hood closed question is sort of a window-seat vs. aisle-seat question… people are opinionated either way.
Regardless, Tim’s pictures here are extraordinary, even with the hoods up!
I like the freedom of bringing what ever you have to local shows. So my little Elan kind of stands out among the bigger American iron.
Great photography! And your photo enhancements are very well done. Thank you!
I also went to a Labor Day Car Show (this one in Fairfax, Va.), and saw a similar Montclair. This one is a ’66 – it was an interesting car to look at, not just because it’s exactly the kind of often-overlooked car that I like, but also because it came with an intriguing story.
Signs on the windshield noted that it was a restoration in progress, and that the car was donated to someone after having sat in a garage for 26 years. Apparently, it was the subject of a well-watched Youtube video, which I later looked up, and is below. Quite a story, and I assume the car is currently owned by the man who acquired it in this video.
Here’s the Youtube video on that Mercury:
The 59-60 Chevy dash was probably their greatest asset, miles better than the 61 dash where otherwise most would agree improved in the exterior department.
And preaching to the choir here, old dashboards were entertaining to look at, and enjoyable to interact with. Sorry technologist futurists but a series of LCD facsimiles of “gauges” and “switches” a low level graphic designer, using an AI program, which itself is using focus group input, came up with presented on crude floating fake iPads on an unimaginative hard plastic dashboard with a simulated leather grain and molded in fake stitching is, I’m sorry to say, a crappy looking and unintuitive dash.
Hoods I like to consider on a case to case basis, depends on the the car, depends on the engine, depends on customization. I feel like there’s too much peer pressure at car shows to lift your hood – like if you pull in and see literally every car with the hood up you feel like you have to as well. But if a car has an interesting engine like an OHC 6 Pontiac or lots of rare vintage speed parts or some wild turbo setup, I’m more interested in looking at that than the bodyshell of the car they’re in. A 350 with the usual chrome valve covers and air cleaner, or a modern one with plastic engine covers? Not so much. You should know your car’s assets and display them accordingly
“Average” Americans today don’t even have garages, much less priceless antiques stashed away in them.
I’d like a better view of the ’33 LaSalle (or Cadillac) behind the ’58 Pontiac. It was probably the lowest production car there.
That 1916 Willys Overland Roadster sure does it for me. A true one of a kind and that paint work is awesome.
Car shows like this are one of the best things left in America. I stumbled upon a little car show at my local Dick’s Drive-In this summer and saw an Edsel, Nash Metropolitan, ’67 Mustang GT350, Plymouth GTX, SS396 Camaro, and a ’59 Chevy Impala convertible. Cool cars and greasy cheeseburgers for the win.