Show n’ Shines evolving and going strong, CAMA show suggests

“My 23-year-old son is here today. He’s a member, and loves these vehicles because he’s learned how cool they are by hanging out with me.”

Glen Wilde, CAMA president, with his 1988 Dodge short box. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Wilde, who owns a 1988 Dodge shortbox with 400,000 km on it, admits certain people don’t understand the appeal of driving or even owning a vehicle that does less than 10 miles per gallon.

“That’s missing the cultural base of how very cool these vehicles are to people who literally invest so much in them,” he says. “Some of these are worth over $100,000. You’re not going to get that much out of a Tesla in 50 years.”

That doesn’t mean shows aren’t evolving with older newer-era cars starting to show up more frequently, including Chargers, Challengers and Prowlers.

“With the combination of fuel prices, the general economy, and inflation, car shows this year have seen less participation, and we’re definitely lower, but not too far behind,” he adds.

Red Deer resident Robin Larsen was a partsman for the Plymouth dealership in Bowden in 1968 when he came into a 1966 Plymouth Satellite Convertible — a vehicle which had just 2,759 units manufactured in Canada and the United States combined.

What was worth just a few thousand dollars at the time, he shares, is now appraised between $45,000-$50,000 USD, thanks to the love he’s put into it.

“This one was ordered by a dentist in Jasper. He ended up not taking the car, so a guy in Calgary bought it, and then he was getting a divorce and had to sell it. I had a Chev, and offered to trade it to him with some cash. He agreed, and that’s how I got it in May of 1968,” Larsen recollects.

“It was a family driver for about 12 years, and then I put it away because our family grew and we had different interests like going camping out west. It sat for quite a few years, and then in 1990, I decided to do a full restoration. Every single part of the car was done.”

Larsen even found stock seatbelts to install.

“I just love its performance and its sound. Of course, it being a convertible, it’s so fun,” he says. “When we had our kids, we’d have a bench in the back seat, between the seat and the buckets, and we’d put a sleeping bag down there so the kids could crawl around. That was before all the seatbelt laws came in.”

A newspaper ad from the 1960s reads, “You’ll never find a more beautiful bargain than the all new Belvedere…” The Plymouth Satellite, which Robin Larsen owns, was part of the Plymouth’s ‘B’ platform Belvedere line. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Larsen has multiple replacements for several parts of the car, including seven grills, should the need arise. He too believes these shows will live on.

“I had 15 Dodge Darts at one point, and others, but this one I wanted to keep because it was special to me,” says Larsen, whose favourite part of the hundreds of shows he’s attended is meeting other enthusiasts.

“Now young people are buying newer cars that are special to them. This show specifically is open to all Chrysler family vehicles, even Fiat and Mercedes Benz, and there’s a new Dodge truck club in Red Deer too. The new cars young people are buying are what will one day be part of these shows.”

Partial proceeds from Saturday’s show at St. Joseph High School’s parking lot will go to various local non-profits, including Central Zone Search & Rescue.

The Central Alberta Mopar Association is a non-profit organization.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Show n’ Shines evolving and going strong, CAMA show suggests

What's Trending