Cruise Nationals headlines at Autofest
jil mcintosh/for the toronto star
Classic cars fill Oshawa's downtown core for last year's Autofest. In the foreground is a yellow 1955 Chrysler Imperial.
At next February’s Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, you’ll see something old amid the new: ten vintage cars and trucks competing for the top titles in the Cruise Nationals event.
But the groundwork for that display starts next weekend, at the Autofest car show in Oshawa, where the 10 finalists will be chosen to go to the winter event.
In addition to the Cruise Nationals selection, which takes place on Saturday, the 17th annual Autofest kicks off Friday night with a free downtown street party, and is expected to draw some 1,400 vehicles over the weekend to Lakeview Park on the city’s waterfront.
The show is open to vehicles 1976 and older, and this year for the first time, adds a special section for trucks up to 2010 that have been substantially modified.
“This is more than likely the largest event of its type in Canada, where it’s restricted to a certain age of automobile,” says Gary Challice, president of Motor City Car Club, which hosts the event.
“For the first time, we’re also doing what we call the Old Skool Reunion, for cars like the ones that were built in the late 1950s and 1960s. There wasn’t a lot of money to spend on those vehicles, so they’d take an old car, put a better engine in it and away they’d go — and paint, chrome and interiors weren’t important.
“The looks were unique for some of the things they used, like an old trophy top for a shifter knob. They had no windows, no top. Paint jobs and customs interiors are expensive, so it’s now bringing in a lot of the younger crowd because they can afford it. They’re as safe as anything else, but they look cool.”
Several hundred cars will park in downtown Oshawa next Friday starting at 4 p.m., with free live music on a central stage. The show moves to Lakeview Park on Saturday, when the Cruise Nationals winners will be announced, and continues Sunday. Both days include the car show, vendor area, Oshawa Generals hockey road show, craft sale, and petting zoo.
The 26-member Motor City Car Club uses the show as a fundraiser for Oshawa’s Grandview Children’s Centre, a facility for special-needs children and their families. Over the last 16 shows, the club has donated more than $100,000 to the centre, which receives no government funding.
The Cruise Nationals will start with 60 cars on Saturday, where event supervisor Jon Rosenthall will select the 10 cars and trucks that will go on to the auto show.
The event, now in its eighth year, celebrates cruise nights, which are informal car shows held weekly throughout the summer months.
“These 10 vehicles come from car cruises in the southwestern Ontario area,” Rosenthall says. “In July, they all host a car show where each one selects six vehicles to come to this.”
While the cars selected are all top-quality, they have one thing in common: they’re used regularly, driven by their owners to the weekly events. Many were built or restored at home as well. The show to select the 10 finalists was held at the CNE in past years.
Last February, a 1932 Ford owned by Doug O’Brien took the top spot, while Bill Budd’s 1947 Ford F-47 pickup took second, and Bob Train’s 1951 Mercury Monarch took third.
“The cars will be on display from 10 a.m. Saturday, and around 1 p.m., we’ll start our Cruise Nationals Olympics,” Rosenthall says. “We’ll have games, such as a parts identification contest, a piston toss, and an alternator shotput, with prizes for the winners, and the public can play these. At 2, we’ll name the car winners.
“We’re really excited about this association with Autofest, and we’re looking forward to a fabulous event.”
For more information, visit www.autofestoshawa.com.
Three questions help determine which pickup truck to buy
Not all automatic cars are boring and soulless
