Great day for the 37th-Annual 2018 Bowen Campbell Car Show in Goodlettsville

For 37 years, automotive enthusiasts from all over the Music City have gathered in Goodlettsville for the big Bowen Campbell Auto Expo at Moss-Wright Park. This year was no different, as a huge group of quality rides was on-hand for a surprisingly pleasant, overcast day. This one is put together by the Sumner County Vintage Vehicle Club, which is sanctioned by the AACA. As usual, these AACA shows attract some of the nicest old cars and trucks around. I don’t really enter my own cars in many of these shows, but this one was close enough to home that I actually entered both the ’63 Chevy C-10 and my ’93 Corvette. My son hung out with me, I talked to people about cars, and overall it was just a good day in the park.

3rd-Annual Pink Christmas Car Show at Rivergate Mall brings good cars together for a great cause

I like pretty much any car show, but they’re even better when they support a good cause. Such was the case with the 3rd-Annual Pink Christmas Car Show, which was held last Saturday at the Rivergate Mall in Goodlettsville. This event supports breast cancer patients and survivors.  There was a nice group of cars gleaming under bright sunshine, live music, food vendors, swap meet booths, and more. You could tell that the show organizers really put some thought into this one. I was on my way up to Kentucky for the Somernites Cruise, but I couldn’t resist stopping at the mall on my way out to see all the nice cars the locals had to offer.

Hot Rods on Beale Street, June 2017

Thanks to my job, Memphis is sort of my home away from home. So anytime the Hot Rods on Beale Street Cruise is happening during my time in the Bluff City, I always try to be there. The June installment followed the usual trend with this one. There were lots of great cars, there was lots of great music, and there was plenty of good food all along the historic entertainment district. Not everyone can get into this one, because with only a limited number of spots, you need to have a pass. It does control the crowd, but it also sort of stifles the variety of cars that can come from month-to-month. The cars are just a backdrop for the party, though. I can look at the same ones over and over again.

2017 Nashville Auto Fest

I don’t know about you, but when I get through the Christmas holiday season, I’m ready to go do some car stuff. In Nashville in mid-January, that means the Nashville Auto Fest. 2017 marked the 26th year for this indoor car show and swap meet, and as always, it was nice to see some shiny cars under the florescent lights at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. These things had been squirreled away in peoples’ garages all winter, and they needed to be aired-out. There was a little something for everybody, so without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

2016 O'Reilly Auto Parts Customer Appreciation Car Show

Last Saturday, the O’Reilly Auto Parts location on Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet held a customer appreciation day that featured a car show. Well, I’ve been an O’Reilly customer many times over the years, and I definitely appreciate a good car show, so I guess they achieved their goal on this one. And for such a small parking lot, this actually was a pretty good car show. There were several very nice cars in the lot, and every spot was filled. Plus, if someone couldn’t get their car started after the show, they could walk right into the O’Reilly and grab a new battery. Everyone wins with a deal like that.

Cars enhance the beauty at the Fontanel

With lush, green trees, rolling hills, and a burbling creek, the Fontanel in Whites Creek is one of the prettiest places in the Nashville area. It’s even better on Thursdays, because they hold their weekly Concert Car Cruise out on the lawn. The weather was a little cool and overcast last week, so the cruise only drew in about 20 cars. That’s an anomaly though, because usually they bring in 100 cars or more. Nevertheless, it was a nice night to eat at the Italian restaurant, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and check out the cars that were there.

Let's go to the Crusin' Spring Hill Drive-In Car Show

Over the weekend, I found my way all the way down in Spring Hill, former home of the Saturn, for the Cruisin’ Spring Hill Drive-In Car Show. Now, the General Motors plant in Spring Hill might not build Saturns anymore, but they’re definitely alive and kicking, and still churning out Chevrolet Equinoxes. This event was held at the UAW 1953 Union Hall, and featured this car show along with GM displays, a craft show, live music, and even food trucks. It was actually quite a shindig. Here are some of the cars.

12th-Annual Mid-America Chevelle Show. Shimmering Chevelles in Shawnee

The 12th-Annual Mid-America Chevelle Club Regional Show was held last Friday and Saturday in Shawnee, Kan.  If you like Chevy’s popular intermediate, this is the place to go.  Unfortunately, everyone knew ahead of time that Saturday was going to be rainy.  I don’t really like trudging around in the rain, so I swung by the show on Friday afternoon.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the turnout was very respectable in the lot behind the Westglen Movie Theatre.  There were several of them there that tripped my trigger.  Let’s take a look at a few of them.

2012 Mid-America - Aces Chevelle/El Camino Show brought big blocks to the Great Mall

 

The Great Mall in Olathe has been the site of some pretty big car shows lately, and that tradition was continued over the weekend with the Mid-America - Aces Chevelle/El Camino Show, which filled the north parking lot with gleaming mid-sized Chevys.

I know the Chevelle contingent has been getting strong around town lately, because I see several of them whenever I hit a car show.  But it’s hard to realize just how strong until you see them all in one place.  It would be hard to assemble a bigger gathering of hood pins, stripes, and Chevy Rat motors.

2013 Malibu Eco test drive and review. California, here we come!

Prologue: California Dreamin’

About 1,600 miles away from Kansas City is the beachfront city of Malibu, Calif. The affluent, picturesque community draws people in with its rugged bluffs, gnarly surfing, and tranquil drives along the famous Pacific Coast Highway.

Obviously, the topography and beauty of Kansas City is a bit different. But even though we can’t fall to sleep with the sounds of ocean waves cascading on the sandy beaches, car aficionados know that good ol’ KC plays a major part in the Malibu legacy.

The 10th Annual Mid-America Chevelle/El Camino Show at the Great Mall was a showcase of big blocks and beautiful rides

Earlier this week, I visited the GM Fairfax Assembly Plant, where they build the current Chevrolet Malibu. So it seemed only appropriate that I explored the history of that nameplate this weekend when I checked out the 10th-Annual Aces Mid-America Chevelle/El Camino Show at the Great Mall of the Great Planes in Olathe.