Greenwood Car Show Best of Show
As usual this year’s Greenwood Car Show had a lil’ somthin’ for just about everyone. In an effort to fill your auto-loving eyes with visual candy I attended the event as an ace photographer to snap pictures of the choicest rides. Please don’t take these portraits lightly; each and every one required I stand bent over, camera in hand with a car in frame waiting painfully for the magic split second when the endlessly swarming crowd of looky-lous would part to make way for a decent shot.
Unfortunately our slide show capabilities here are limited. Please take a look at the pictures on my Examiner page here: http://tinyurl.com/6r8cdgf
But wait! Juicy historic details and dazzling commentary that wouldn’t fit into the captions of the Examiner slide show are located below, exclusively for readers of this blog!!
Enjoy, and if you didn’t make it to the Greenwood Car Show this year you missed out. Just take a look, and a read:
1967 Lincoln Continental
I love 1961-1971 Lincolns. They were powered by Ford 430ci and 460ci V8’s that would make up to 365hp. They also topped out at 5,700lb’s; even without the 18 people you could fit in them.
1965 Edmonds Midget
Midgets are cars too. This one was powered by a 122 cubic inch Cosworth 4-banger that winds all the way up to 8,200rpm and pushes out 225hp. Watch out for the Edmonds when it gets near a dirt oval.
Oh Boy: Oberto vintage hydroplane
This aquatic beast is powered by a V-12 Alison Aircraft engine that makes 2,000 horsepower. She’ll do 185mph and is guaranteed to make even the most seasoned inner-tuber lose their shorts. If you look closely at the exhaust manifold you’ll notice the whole thing runs entirely on pepperoni.
1961 Chrysler 300G
Nothing screamed MOPAR more at the show than this beauty. Powered by a 413ci V8, this was a car that helped define what Chrysler is still doing so well today: American muscle.
1981 Audi 4000 5+5
Five + Five stands for a 1.9L inline 5-cylinder and a five-speed transmission. At first glance it would be easy to write this one off as just another Audi. Don’t do that. The 5+5 is extremely rare. Being splattered with rally mud only makes this one sexier.
1985 Chevrolet El Camino SS
By 1985 the storied El Camino was entering the twilight of its existence in 1987. For those that demanded even more character from the old-school crossover, Choo-Choo customs Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee (seriously), would customize the rig with Chevrolet’s SS package.
1973 Buick Centurion
1973 was the last year for the Buick Centurion and the last convertible Buick would produce until the Riviera in 1982. A little Seattle drizzle didn’t scare this one into putting its top back up.
1965 Ford Econoline Van
Modern day Econoline vans are less sexy and more thankless workhorses. This one is straight out of Scooby Doo. I’d solve a mystery in it and I bet you would too.
1970 Dodge Charger
This Charger is everything a good muscle car should be: Understated yet ballsy, mean and not too shiny. Late sixties green paint sweetens the deal.
1968 Volvo Amazon
Back in ’68 Volvo was still a safety pioneer. The Amazon featured a padded dashboard, both front AND rear seat belts and a laminated windshield… My, my how far we’ve come.
1960 Buick Electra 225
You’ll notice this angry-faced car sports a “Rosellini for Governor” license plate. One of Rosellini’s notable accomplishments as the 15th governor of Washington was advocating the construction of the 520 floating bridge which opened in 1963. Construction on the bridge started three years earlier – about the same time this Electra hit Northwest streets.
1923 Buick Touring Car
Buick is one of the oldest American car makes still in production. The brand hangs its hat on appealing to buyers that want a luxury car but might not be able or want to pay for the likes of a Cadillac. This example from 1923 fits the role, and so far as I can tell still looks pretty alluring even by modern standards.
1919 Cadillac Limousine
Cadillac was less than twenty years old when it produced this limo. You’ll notice from the picture the six-foot tall man standing next to the unrestored Caddy looks like he’s five-foot five. They built ‘em big back then.
1931 Chrysler Imperial
The Imperial lineup was Chrysler’s stab at competing with the likes of Cadillac. Both eight and twelve cylinder engines were becoming a necessity for the luxury crowd during these years. In the ’31 Imperial Chrysler offered four straight eights ranging from 240-385cid with peak power at 135hp.
1993 Jaguar XJ 220
Not many people at the show knew this was a Jaguar when they saw it or that for a several years it was the fastest production car in the world with a top speed of 217mph.
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu wagon
Station wagons are sexy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This one combines Chevelle badass-ness with a Corvette LT1 engine. How can you not love that?
1972 Chevrolet Blazer
The United States is very good at making trucks. First generation Blazers are works of American art, even when painted in yellow.
1964 Fiat 600
Fiat is tentatively working its way back into the American consciousness with the 500. The 600 was the first rear-engine Fiat. It wouldn’t go much faster than 70mph, but it would about fit into the back of a full-size pickup truck.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
Corvette styling very well may have peaked with the second generation Stingray models. The body was originally inspired by a Mako Shark designer, Bill Mitchell caught while deep sea fishing.
1976 Chevrolet Nova SS
Nova’s were working man’s cars that you could drop nearly any high-performance Chevy engine into for kicks and giggles. There’s just something about Nova design that’s endearing. They usually aren’t called beautiful, but they are very Detroit and there’s nothing wrong with that.
1963 Buick Riviera
The smallest engine available in the first generation Riviera was a 401ci v8. The only other was a 425ci V8; proof that real muscle cars could in fact have a luxury option or two.
1971 Datsun 510
For those that weren’t destined to own a BMW there was Datsun. In both 1971 and 1972 the little 510 won the 2000cc class of the Trans Am Series. Not bad for a “poor man’s” BMW.
1972 Datsun 521 Pickup
The 521 was the first compact half-ton pickup sold in the American market in 1968. Anyone who’s owned a Datsun from these glorious days knows they will run for just about ever. Most of their owners thought that was good thing.
1966 Kaiser Jeepster Commando
Kaiser developed the Jeepster Commando to compete with the likes of the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Bronco. In 1973 the Jeepster was replaced by the full-size Cherokee which undoubtedly was more in line with Jeep’s utilitarian heritage. The Jeepster is an odd duck, albeit a charming one.
The Skate King Skate
Based on a 1972 Volkswagen bus the Skate was proudly displayed in the Bellevue Skate King for 25 years. Just looking at it reminds me of the vomit smell in the lobby… Somehow it’s a good memory.
1946 Dodge Power Wagon
There might not be another truck out there that better embodies what a real truck should be than the original Dodge Power Wagon. This one rocks an 8,000lb P.T.O. winch, aftermarket locking rear-differential and a bumper that looks like it could drive through your house.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Replica
Only 50 of these beauties were ever made which may have something to do with why the producers of the film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” opted to build replicas such as this one to use in the movie. It’s hard to argue the fakes still don’t look fantastic.
1974 Chevrolet Caprice
Your rims are smaller than these.
1953 Volvo PV444
During World War II Volvo came to the conclusion that a smaller car with good fuel economy would carry the company out of dark times to a brighter future. The PV series was born and proved the Sweds right.
1955 Ford C.O.E. (Rat Rod)
The owner of this terrifying machine is a member of the Rat Bastards car club. When the zombie apocalypse hits this truck will make much more sense.
1955 Ford Thunderbird (Rat Rod)
I’m not sure what’s cooler about this machine: The headers dumping into open air or the fact that a rat-rodder had no problem cutting into a 1955 Ford Thunderbird . Well played, Sir.
1960’s Chevrolet Impala (?) (Rat Rod)
Whatever this car started its life as it appears as though everything between the front doors and rear fenders of a station wagon were deemed unnecessary by its owner. Now it looks like something out of a family road trip from hell.
1947 Ford Panel Truck
Without the Foster Farms chickens a Ford Panel Truck might not have made it into the show…
1972 Ford Van
If the year, model and paint job don’t do it for you the shag carpet interior certainly will. That’s dirty ‘70’s charm at its best.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Not everyone wants to own a DMC-12, but just about anyone will stop at gawk at it. For the past couple years there have always been one at the Greenwood Car Show.
Unfortunately our slide show capabilities here are limited. Please take a look at the pictures on my Examiner page here: http://tinyurl.com/6r8cdgf
But wait! Juicy historic details and dazzling commentary that wouldn’t fit into the captions of the Examiner slide show are located below, exclusively for readers of this blog!!
Enjoy, and if you didn’t make it to the Greenwood Car Show this year you missed out. Just take a look, and a read:
1967 Lincoln Continental
I love 1961-1971 Lincolns. They were powered by Ford 430ci and 460ci V8’s that would make up to 365hp. They also topped out at 5,700lb’s; even without the 18 people you could fit in them.
1965 Edmonds Midget
Midgets are cars too. This one was powered by a 122 cubic inch Cosworth 4-banger that winds all the way up to 8,200rpm and pushes out 225hp. Watch out for the Edmonds when it gets near a dirt oval.
Oh Boy: Oberto vintage hydroplane
This aquatic beast is powered by a V-12 Alison Aircraft engine that makes 2,000 horsepower. She’ll do 185mph and is guaranteed to make even the most seasoned inner-tuber lose their shorts. If you look closely at the exhaust manifold you’ll notice the whole thing runs entirely on pepperoni.
1961 Chrysler 300G
Nothing screamed MOPAR more at the show than this beauty. Powered by a 413ci V8, this was a car that helped define what Chrysler is still doing so well today: American muscle.
1981 Audi 4000 5+5
Five + Five stands for a 1.9L inline 5-cylinder and a five-speed transmission. At first glance it would be easy to write this one off as just another Audi. Don’t do that. The 5+5 is extremely rare. Being splattered with rally mud only makes this one sexier.
1985 Chevrolet El Camino SS
By 1985 the storied El Camino was entering the twilight of its existence in 1987. For those that demanded even more character from the old-school crossover, Choo-Choo customs Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee (seriously), would customize the rig with Chevrolet’s SS package.
1973 Buick Centurion
1973 was the last year for the Buick Centurion and the last convertible Buick would produce until the Riviera in 1982. A little Seattle drizzle didn’t scare this one into putting its top back up.
1965 Ford Econoline Van
Modern day Econoline vans are less sexy and more thankless workhorses. This one is straight out of Scooby Doo. I’d solve a mystery in it and I bet you would too.
1970 Dodge Charger
This Charger is everything a good muscle car should be: Understated yet ballsy, mean and not too shiny. Late sixties green paint sweetens the deal.
1968 Volvo Amazon
Back in ’68 Volvo was still a safety pioneer. The Amazon featured a padded dashboard, both front AND rear seat belts and a laminated windshield… My, my how far we’ve come.
1960 Buick Electra 225
You’ll notice this angry-faced car sports a “Rosellini for Governor” license plate. One of Rosellini’s notable accomplishments as the 15th governor of Washington was advocating the construction of the 520 floating bridge which opened in 1963. Construction on the bridge started three years earlier – about the same time this Electra hit Northwest streets.
1923 Buick Touring Car
Buick is one of the oldest American car makes still in production. The brand hangs its hat on appealing to buyers that want a luxury car but might not be able or want to pay for the likes of a Cadillac. This example from 1923 fits the role, and so far as I can tell still looks pretty alluring even by modern standards.
1919 Cadillac Limousine
Cadillac was less than twenty years old when it produced this limo. You’ll notice from the picture the six-foot tall man standing next to the unrestored Caddy looks like he’s five-foot five. They built ‘em big back then.
1931 Chrysler Imperial
The Imperial lineup was Chrysler’s stab at competing with the likes of Cadillac. Both eight and twelve cylinder engines were becoming a necessity for the luxury crowd during these years. In the ’31 Imperial Chrysler offered four straight eights ranging from 240-385cid with peak power at 135hp.
1993 Jaguar XJ 220
Not many people at the show knew this was a Jaguar when they saw it or that for a several years it was the fastest production car in the world with a top speed of 217mph.
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu wagon
Station wagons are sexy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This one combines Chevelle badass-ness with a Corvette LT1 engine. How can you not love that?
1972 Chevrolet Blazer
The United States is very good at making trucks. First generation Blazers are works of American art, even when painted in yellow.
1964 Fiat 600
Fiat is tentatively working its way back into the American consciousness with the 500. The 600 was the first rear-engine Fiat. It wouldn’t go much faster than 70mph, but it would about fit into the back of a full-size pickup truck.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
Corvette styling very well may have peaked with the second generation Stingray models. The body was originally inspired by a Mako Shark designer, Bill Mitchell caught while deep sea fishing.
1976 Chevrolet Nova SS
Nova’s were working man’s cars that you could drop nearly any high-performance Chevy engine into for kicks and giggles. There’s just something about Nova design that’s endearing. They usually aren’t called beautiful, but they are very Detroit and there’s nothing wrong with that.
1963 Buick Riviera
The smallest engine available in the first generation Riviera was a 401ci v8. The only other was a 425ci V8; proof that real muscle cars could in fact have a luxury option or two.
1971 Datsun 510
For those that weren’t destined to own a BMW there was Datsun. In both 1971 and 1972 the little 510 won the 2000cc class of the Trans Am Series. Not bad for a “poor man’s” BMW.
1972 Datsun 521 Pickup
The 521 was the first compact half-ton pickup sold in the American market in 1968. Anyone who’s owned a Datsun from these glorious days knows they will run for just about ever. Most of their owners thought that was good thing.
1966 Kaiser Jeepster Commando
Kaiser developed the Jeepster Commando to compete with the likes of the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Bronco. In 1973 the Jeepster was replaced by the full-size Cherokee which undoubtedly was more in line with Jeep’s utilitarian heritage. The Jeepster is an odd duck, albeit a charming one.
The Skate King Skate
Based on a 1972 Volkswagen bus the Skate was proudly displayed in the Bellevue Skate King for 25 years. Just looking at it reminds me of the vomit smell in the lobby… Somehow it’s a good memory.
1946 Dodge Power Wagon
There might not be another truck out there that better embodies what a real truck should be than the original Dodge Power Wagon. This one rocks an 8,000lb P.T.O. winch, aftermarket locking rear-differential and a bumper that looks like it could drive through your house.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Replica
Only 50 of these beauties were ever made which may have something to do with why the producers of the film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” opted to build replicas such as this one to use in the movie. It’s hard to argue the fakes still don’t look fantastic.
1974 Chevrolet Caprice
Your rims are smaller than these.
1953 Volvo PV444
During World War II Volvo came to the conclusion that a smaller car with good fuel economy would carry the company out of dark times to a brighter future. The PV series was born and proved the Sweds right.
1955 Ford C.O.E. (Rat Rod)
The owner of this terrifying machine is a member of the Rat Bastards car club. When the zombie apocalypse hits this truck will make much more sense.
1955 Ford Thunderbird (Rat Rod)
I’m not sure what’s cooler about this machine: The headers dumping into open air or the fact that a rat-rodder had no problem cutting into a 1955 Ford Thunderbird . Well played, Sir.
1960’s Chevrolet Impala (?) (Rat Rod)
Whatever this car started its life as it appears as though everything between the front doors and rear fenders of a station wagon were deemed unnecessary by its owner. Now it looks like something out of a family road trip from hell.
1947 Ford Panel Truck
Without the Foster Farms chickens a Ford Panel Truck might not have made it into the show…
1972 Ford Van
If the year, model and paint job don’t do it for you the shag carpet interior certainly will. That’s dirty ‘70’s charm at its best.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Not everyone wants to own a DMC-12, but just about anyone will stop at gawk at it. For the past couple years there have always been one at the Greenwood Car Show.
