The Hardin family VW Beetle.
By Maddy Vitale
Car lovers had their fill Saturday, from 1920s touring cars to chrome and finned-out 1950s beauties, to the ’60s GTO muscle cars and, of course, the beloved Volkswagen Beetle.
Wes Wood and his wife Lori, of Jamison, Pa., made the 125-mile drive to the Jersey Cape Region Antique Automobile Club of America show on the grounds of the Ocean City Tabernacle.
And they did it in the luxury of their 1953 gleaming red, fully-restored Cadillac convertible.
The Woods have other vintage Cadillacs, another 1953, a ’56, and a ’48.
“This one is my favorite,” Wes Wood said. “It is the only convertible.”
Lori and Wes Wood, of Jamison, Pa., in their Cadillac.
The head-turning car, which the Woods have had since 2000, took some work to get it to the dream ride it is today, the Woods acknowledged.
“A lot of elbow grease went into this car,” said Lori Wood, with a chuckle.
Spectators browsed the vintage cars that filled the Tabernacle grounds. Owners of muscle cars revved the heavy horsepower engines, while owners of cars from the 1920s and ’30s sounded their “ooga” horns and allowed people to hop in.
For Bob Thomson, of Elmer, relaxing in his 1931 Model A Ford was just perfect for him. He bought it five years ago.
“It’s repaired, but not restored,” Thomson said. “I like it just the way it is.”
Bob Thomson, of Elmer, takes a seat in his 1931 Model A Ford.
The show, in its 64rd year, features 150 or more vintage cars.
This year, with sunny skies and cool breezes, Rich Hardin, of Ocean City, and his wife, Bonnie, said it was one of the busiest shows they could remember.
“The turnout is great,” Rich Hardin noted. “There are a lot of cool cars.”
Their family car, an orange 1963 VW Beetle, was one of those vintage favorites.
And their son, Ricky, 17, got to drive it.
“We love Volkswagens,” Rich Hardin said. “We have had this one since Ricky was little. He drives it around town, to go surfing and for a couple of shows.”
The Hardin family's orange VW Beetle.
There were the owners and the spectators. There were also people who fit somewhere in between.
Randy Spaide, of Lansdale, Pa., and his wife, Wendy, are friends with Fred Glazier, of Marmora, and his wife, Sue, the owners of a 1964 red Mustang in the show.
The Spaides got to drive the car while their friends were ahead of them in another car.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Randy Spaide said of the Glaziers' car.
Their next stop was the parade up on the Boardwalk at 2 p.m. with the rest of the participants of the car show.
The Spaides, of Lansdale, Pa., in a 1964 Mustang owned by their friends.
A passenger gives the "peace sign" in this VW van.
The classic cars roll out of the O.C. Tabernacle grounds and head to the Boardwalk for the parade.
