Click here if you are having trouble viewing the photos or video on your mobile device.
Hundreds of cars, live music and plenty of summer sunshine flooded the streets of Saratoga’s historic downtown village Sunday, as big crowds came out for the 9th Annual Saratoga Classic Car Show.
Nearly 300 eye-catching vehicles, ranging from straight-from-the-dealer to highly customized, were on display, showing off ingenuity and style of manufacturers spanning nearly 100 years.
Four blocks of Big Basin Way were popping with all the colors of the automotive rainbow, like the enchantingly deep hues of a metallic “voodoo violet” candy-painted 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline lowrider, owned by Alvin Garnica of San Jose.
Raymon Shackelford of San Jose said the Fleetline was one of his favorites of the show. He stopped off at the event with his wife while their daughter was in between softball games in a tournament held in Saratoga this weekend.
With a camera around his neck, he said he likes this car show because it illustrates the evolution of classic cars, and how people took pride in making and owning them.
“The old cars, the special cars, this is what it’s all about. This is a slice of Americana right here,” he said.
Shackelford said he drove Della, his brandy wine 1972 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, to the show.
“They have character,” he said of classic cars.
“You could give them names. Who names cars nowadays? But an old car has a name, guaranteed,” Shackelford said. “That tells you right there that it’s more than just a car.”
Of course there were plenty of classics, like a side street dominated by 1950s Chevrolets, including a bright red 210 Sport Coupe, taupe and orange Bel Airs, and a cream Impala, all meticulously detailed for the show.
Big-name British classics, including a 1954 Jaguar XK140, in a light shade of British racing green, and a deep forest green 1971 Aston Martin DBS, drew plenty of oglers in the Saratoga Village Center parking lot.
But even an unassuming Italian import — a dark blue 1971 Lancia Flavia 2000 Pininfarina Coupe — parked in a curbside spot shaded by the overhanging trees, was grabbing its fair share of attention.
And while many cars were restored to a showroom shine from end to end, the street party also made room for cars with some faded paint or a slightly rusted fender.
A 1966 Imperial Crown in a light shade of olive green took up plenty of curb space, intimidating several children who will likely never drive a car that big in their lifetimes.
Sandy Mohan, of Saratoga, said she likes the community feeling of the car show, which grabs plenty of local attention and forces partial closures of streets in the surrounding areas.
“Every year, this just gets bigger and bigger,” Mohan said.
“Just look at this ambiance,” Mahal Mohan, Sandy’s husband, said.
“This is little Saratoga, which is kind of a sleepy village town, that’s got this collection of cool cars, and people exhibiting. It’s really awesome,” he said. “I’m blown away that Saratoga can do this.”
Chubby’s All Stars provided the live classic rock from a stage in the middle of the downtown, while people young and old were enjoying the warm sun. Food and treats including Cajun hot links, fish tacos and shaved ice were served up from carts and trucks parked along the thoroughfare, and there was even a flash mob dance.
But the cars stole the show.
Friends Gretta Stimson, of San Leandro, and Ambera DeLash, of San Jose, had never been to this car show before, but came out to have “some girl time” and check out the rides.
“The care and love that was put into these cars is amazing,” DeLash said, while the pair sat on a shaded curb near a 1928 Ford Model A Good Humor ice cream truck.
Stimson said it’s fun to see the fruits of so much labor, which goes toward making cars aesthetically pleasing, especially those from bygone eras.
“It’s like going to a sculpture garden,” Stimson said of attending the show. “They’re pieces of art.”
