Fans of classic cars won’t want to miss the second annual Toledo Vintage Car Show this month.
The July 21, 2012, show will feature vehicles at least 30 years old and at least 90 percent original, said show chairman George Louthan, director of the Northwest Ohio Region Cadillac & LaSalle Club.
“None of the other shows in Toledo have that,” said Louthan, who plans to display his 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible at the show. “All the shows in Toledo are what I call combined shows. You have restored cars, original cars, street rods, street machines, muscle cars — just about everything imaginable that’s collectible in the way of an automobile. It’s a little bit unfair to the original cars. They don’t attract attention like the guy with $5,000 worth of chrome on his engine. This show was conceived last year to recognize and feature the original and restored cars of past eras. People like to see cars how they were from when they were manufactured, and this show is dedicated to that.”
The show is set for 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 21 at the Margaret L. Hunt Senior Center, 2121 Garden Lake Place, in South Toledo near the intersection of Arlington and South Detroit avenues. Admission is free. Registration is from 9-11 a.m. Cost to display a car is $12 with preregistration by July 14 or $15 on the day of the show. Those who preregister will also get one free lunch.
Registration forms are available at the senior center, Beverly Auto Care at 3734 S. Detroit Ave. or by contacting Louthan at (419) 382- 7820 or gelouthan@att.net. The rain date is July 22.
There will be eight categories: 1927 and earlier, 1928-1934, 1935-1940, 1941-1948, 1949 1954, 1955-1960, 1961-1970 and 1971-1982.
New this year will be three categories for vehicles that appear stock, but have modern updates: vintage trucks(1910-1982), vintage sports cars (1910-1982) and modified stocks (1910-1982). Trophies will be awarded in each class as well as first-, second- and third-place trophies for best of show.
The show will also feature a DJ playing music from the 1920s through the 1960s, a 50-50 raffle, door prizes, vendor booths and more. Lunch will be available inside the senior center.
Proceeds from the show will go toward programming at the senior center as well as to local nonprofit Students for Other Students (SOS).
SOS is a peer-to-peer mentoring program started by Toledo area entrepreneur Ford Cauffiel, a member of several area vintage car clubs who owns about 20 classic cars. Cauffiel started SOS in Perrysburg in 1989. The program is now used in 21 school districts in six states, including Toledo Public Schools, Perrysburg Schools, Springfield Local Schools and Evergreen Local Schools.
“It’s a very simple program,” Cauffiel said. “We pay children to tutor other children. The idea is based on a highly efficient, cost-effective way of improving public education.
A struggling child will listen to another child before they will listen to an adult in many instances. The tutor gets as much out of it as the tutee. It gives the tutor an opportunity to make a little money and at the same time raises self-esteem. It’s great to watch a child learn and grow.”
Cauffiel said older people especially enjoy the vintage car show. “Senior citizens like to go back in time. They like to see the old cars. Old cars bring back old memories. It’s a form of history and art. It’s a form of connecting with the past,” Cauffiel said.
“There’s a lot of history in these different automobile companies. I enjoy the technology of the cars — how it’s improved and different technological advancements made over time.”
Supporting local clubs include Buick, Cadillac and LaSalle, Classic Chevrolet, Model A, Pontiac Oakland and Veteran Car Club, but the show is open to any make or model.
Sponsors include Taylor Cadillac, Cauffiel Industries and Beverly Auto Care. For more information, visit gotutor.org/index.shtml.
