On a spectacular mid-fall Sunday in South Florida, the Deering Estate opened its beautiful grounds for our 6th Annual Vintage Auto Show for pre-1960 vehicles. As you will see, we had a variety of vehicles ranging from 1928 to 1959. The 32 cars and trucks were placed in chronological order from the Richmond Cottage along the southern edge of the great lawn and then parallel to Biscayne Bay. Also on display in front of the Stone House was the resident 1950 International Harvester truck.
Our supporter, Williamson Automotive Group, provided four fine examples of their current models on the field, making a startling contrast between old and new. Many visitors came to the Deering Estate to see the antiques. Joining us throughout the day were a flock of pelicans that flew overhead, a beautiful Great Egret, and a herd of manatees, also known as the sea cow, which are Florida’s state endangered marine mammals, a large aquatic relative of the elephant.
The overall comment was that it was a perfectly gorgeous day to have a car show. Activities for young and old were plentiful. Car owners submitted photographs of portions of their cars which became clues on paper for a scavenger hunt for children. It was a thrill watching the kids get excited as they matched the photo to the various cars. Even some of the adults joined in on the fun. There were old fashioned lawn games and plenty of tasty food from the Sports Grill. The car owners and their families enjoyed a leisure day in the 444-acre park overlooking Biscayne Bay. Besides going on guided historical house tours and natural area tours, they talked with the many visitors about their cars, picnicked, and kicked off their shoes to relax. Most of all, it was a very pleasant Sunday in the park.
The increased success of the show is due to many factors. I am thankful to all the car owners who brought out their cars. The staff members of the Deering Estate were so helpful with parking and setting up tents for us. Through the generosity of the Deering Estate, the car owners were able to obtain a one-year membership to the park. No car show can be accomplished without the help of other club members. Very instrumental were: Mike Penn obtained financial support from Williamson Automotive Group; Bob Squier created the windshield cars, photographed the cars and helped with registering the cars along with Philip Williams; and Maurice Hawa helped with signage and parking
By Jean Hawa
Photos by Al Padilla, Bob Squier and Philip Williams
Click on photos to enlarge.
