Classic cars came to us when the Valley Cruisers had their 20th annual Main Street Event last weekend. The Cruisers' car show always brings a crowd but it's not as crowded as Hot August Nights in Reno and Sparks and we don't have to drive 100 miles to see some great cars.
Every car show gives awards for categories such as most stock, most un-stock, most money spent, most money spent without endangering a marriage - like that. I know the Valley Cruisers awarded trophies in 95 different classes for the Main Street Event but I mentally created by own favorites as I checked out the hundreds of cars in Lamp Park on Saturday.
This is my unofficial list of winners who will receive no trophies and no money - only my appreciation. Priceless.
-- Most likely to be a favorite nail polish color. "Candy magenta" was the color listed for West Sacramento resident Dick Ditleusen's 1933 Ford three-window coupe. The car had a lot of chrome and the color jumped out at me.
-- Most athletic. From afar and standing still, J.R. Beres' red '64 Chevy Malibu just looked like it could be a fast car. But the roll bar, the tach and other meters mounted on the outside of the windshield, and especially the parachute pack, were a dead giveaway that the Chevelle SS is an actual dragster.
-- Best flames. Mark Josifko of Gardnerville named his 1935 Ford slantback sedan "Air Hog." A spooky skull hovering in orange flames burns into the purple body in this original paint job.
-- Best hood ornament. A chrome pig with wings on an orange '34 Ford pickup.
-- Greenest. The 1957 Cadillac.
-- Most periwinkle. The 1930 Ford Model A five-window coupe.
-- Paint job most likely to require sunglasses to view. Gardnerville resident Danny Villalobos' '47 Chevy Fleetmaster sedan is plugged-in bright with orange-on-orange flake and flames.
-- Car with most expression. The headlights, grill and bumper on a red 1950 Studebaker pickup from California created a wide-eyed happy face.
-- Best license plate. "Jomama" on Gary Mayes' 1940 Ford pickup.
-- Lowest front. A mystery Merc with "In da weeds" painted on the front.
-- I'd drive that. I could see myself sliding into the red interior and driving Andy Ciriello's '64 Ford Ranchero. Just like Goldilocks, I'd say, "This one is just right."
-- Sharlene Irete is People Editor at The R-C.
