NEW BRITAIN — Somewhere between the Caspian blue metallic 1964-and-a-half Mustang and the candy apple red and white “Starsky and Hutch” 1975 Torino, it occurs to guests and drivers at the Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival that it’s not just about shiny chrome and a slick paint job.
“It’s about the past and our childhood,” said Christine Kelly as she stood next to her red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible on display along with hundreds of other vintage, classic and antique during Klingberg’s annual show Saturday. “My brother had one when I was growing up and I always wanted one too.”
The annual event offers auto aficionados and those seeking to remember the past the chance
to view hundreds of glistening cars from the turn of the 20th century on up while helping to raise funds for the nearly two dozen programs Klingberg Family Centers provides for youth in trauma and their families throughout the area.
This year’s show was held for the first time in the spring on Father’s Day weekend and appeared to already be drawing a larger crowd by noon than the 5,000 visitors that were anticipated, said Mark Johnson, Klingberg’s vice president of development who along with his staff organizes the show.
“I’m thrilled, it’s tremendous,” Johnson said as he watched thousands of visitors stroll among hundreds of glistening cars, live entertainment and booths by local sponsors. “There are a lot of people, it sure seems like suddenly the cars were buried with people. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback.”
This elegant 1937 Delahaye from France attracted a lot of attention on the Concours d'Elegance field
Meanwhile New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart was viewing the cars to make his annual selection for the Mayor’s Choice award. He admitted that he’s partial to the 1960s and 1970s American muscle cars but the entire event represented the best the city has to offer.
“The majority of folks that are here are from out of town,” Stewart said. “It’s a great event that brings people in from all over and showcases all the good things in the community.”
Kelly’s Bel Air was parked in the new “Concours d’Elegance” exhibit showcasing pristine vintage cars including several “Corbins” made in New Britain circa 1901 — 1910, at least five Pope Hartford’s also built in Connecticut and 1929 Rolls Royce driven up from Stonington that morning.
Kelly was dressed to match her blazing red automobile in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes. The car donned a “take out try” like those in 1950s drive up restaurants and a speaker from a drive-in movie. “I call her (the Bel Air) the picture and I’m the frame,” she said. “It’s a total look.”
The Concours also included a show-stopping Caspian blue metallic 1964-and-a-half Mustang convertible — one of the first off the production line — lovingly restored by Bob Urban of Waterbury. “I had a 1965 coupe and a 1966 convertible in high school as a teen,” Urban said. “It took a year and a half to restore. I have it out almost every day.”
Many of the cars come with a history, Johnson said, which adds to the ambiance and the attraction of the show. “We have a Trumbull, also built in the state in Bridgeport,” Johnson said. “Issac Trumbull took many of his cars on the Lusitania to bring them to be sold when it was hit by a torpedo. He died and that was the end of the company. There are just a few Trumbull’s left.”
This rare 1947 Davis owned by Wayne Carini and was featured in one of his episodes of Discovery HD Theater's "Chasing Classic Cars"
Other exhibits featured a solar powered car created by New Britain High School students and several Ford Cobras — all replicas made by the New Britain-based company ERA. “The cars are made in New Britain and sold all over the world,” said Johnson, who regularly scours car shows in other states to find Connecticut car owners who would be willing to bring their pristine vintage autos to Klingberg’s annual show. “We asked them, as a Connecticut company, to be a part of the show.”
But for the Shurack’s of Wethersfield, one of the best attractions was a link to their past and a recent movie shared with the entire family.
“I’m going to go see if the keys are in it,” said 13-year-old Jarod Shurack as he surveyed the 1975 candy apple red and white Torino painted the same colors as the famed Ford used in the Starsky and Hutch television show and recent movie with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. “It has the siren on the windshield,” Jarod’s 15-year-old brother Nate said. “It looks just like the one in the movie. The paint looks really nice too.”
“I drove a 1974 Torino,” their father Mike said as he explained the family had attended the show a few years ago. “It seemed like a fun thing to do today. This is an awesome show.”
