18th Annual Fort Bragg Car Show attracts the most vehicles and spectators ever

FORT BRAGG, 6/17/24 – Sean Pinelli has enjoyed a half-century relationship with the restored 1972 Pantera that he showed at the Nor Coast Rodders 18th Annual Classic Car Show in Fort Bragg. His was one of 151 cars that drew a huge crowd for the Father’s Day weekend benefit. Organizer Danny Figueiredo said the club will have to strategize for next year, as there was no room for more cars or even spectators in the once ample four-city-block square closed to traffic all day Saturday in the middle of Fort Bragg. The proceeds of the show are donated to the nonprofit Mendocino Children’s Fund.

“This was the largest turnout of cars we have had in 18 years. And I was amazed at the number of spectators this year,” said Figueiredo.

Pinelli, who lives in Willits, shared the story of how his uncle bought the Pantera in the late ‘70s and the adventures they both had with the car and its restoration.

The Pantera was one of the rarest cars on display and one of the most audacious cars ever made in America. The vehicle was manufactured by the Italian car company, De Tomaso Automobili. De Tomaso was famous for eye-popping prototypes, race cars and handmade cars that often looked more futuristic than what actually emerged in the future. None was more outrageous than the Pantera, with a gigantic Ford 351 Cleveland engine plunked in the middle of the sleek sports car, right between the driver and where the trunk should be. The excess power from this direct torque negated the need for most shifting at low speeds, making the car practical in cities and heavy traffic. It was one of the fastest cars ever and rivaled Ford’s later effort that made the Mustang, one of the original muscle cars in 1965, briefly the fastest car in the world when a redesign was introduced in the early 1980s. During Pinelli’s story,  Fort Bragg City Councilman Lindy Peters stopped by to mention that once he and his cousin spotted a Pantera on the freeway in the early ‘70s. “He was more of a car guy than I was, and he had to drive up alongside and take a really good look,” Peters said. “We were both amazed.” Elvis Presley was one of the first to buy and celebrate the Pantera when it hit Ford and Mercury dealers in 1971.

The Nor Coast Rodders show is different than many other car extravaganzas: They include restorations like the Pantera, meticulously brought back to the state they were when sold new, as well as street rod creations that often use modern mechanicals and frames to house an enhanced classic car. A controversy exists between those who consider it almost sacrilegious to alter a classic’s original design, and those who use old cars to create their own hot rod dream. Street rods and those who restore cars back to their original glory have been around as long as cars themselves, with the term hot rod coming from the ‘50s craze of enthusiasts lowering and souping up cars like the 1932 Ford. 

Pinelli is a big believer in bringing his car back just as it was, while enjoying the diversity that others brought to the show. “I love original cars,” Pinelli said. “It’s about the stories and the memories. When you bring back a car, all of that is part of it.”

The Saturday event was meant to kick off Father’s Day with dads bringing their kids to see the cars. And as is tradition, many dads were accompanied by youngsters in classic plastic mini cars. But now there are more daughters with Dad. Still, this was an old-fashioned event. When they saw this reporter’s  camera, two middle-aged ladies posed against a red sports car, showing a little shoulder and a lot of leg in the style common with bikini models back in the day. They got cheers from the onlookers and teased their admirers as “Ode to Billy Joe” played on the big sound system.  

Spectators, especially younger ones, couldn’t get enough of Larry Bennett’s British-made 1979  Spartan FV103 Armoured Personnel Carrier. Onlookers kept asking him if it was a tank, which it looked like, minus a heavy gun. Bennett said these old machines have become very hard to buy. He got his in 2021 after it made a trip across two oceans and through the Panama Canal. Now, the United Kingdom is bringing the old rigs out of mothballs to send to Ukraine. One teen climbed the city light pole to look straight down into the machine, while Bennett, dressed in camouflage for the event, told stories. Bennet opened the door for everyone to look inside, but the youths wanted to look everywhere. 

Don Oliver, of Don’s Kustoms in Fort Bragg, said he’s glad this car show has so many different cars and doesn’t just focus on originals or rods. “I have always been a car guy. I enjoy seeing them all. The diversity is one of the best things about this show.” He has built many cars, including one that was featured in a trek across Asia. He told the story of his classic 1965 Pontiac Lemans. It was bought new by an old Fort Bragg family at the old Pontiac Dealership in Fort Bragg, where Pacific Auto Body is now. Oliver  also showed off a Chevelle street rod project, which won the “Under Construction” award at the show. The Chevelle was only a bit more than half there, the body open for viewing from all sides.

Chrissy Sullivan’s shining jet black 1962 Porsche was a big crowd pleaser and won Best Sports Car at the show. The Mendocino woman had stories too and emphasized the need to find a great mechanic. Best in Show went to Chris and Paula Tully of Lake County for their 1952 ruby red Chevy.

There were once fears that car collecting and restoring would die with Baby Boomers, especially with the cost of paint and restoration racing far past the sale price of cars. Still, there are profits to be made. He pointed out how the right cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s still could be had relatively cheaply until recently but are now going for big bucks, both restored and not. Figuring out which car will speed past its peers has always been the game.

Chance Platt was one of the teens taking photos and admiring the Corvettes, the Pantera and an unrestored car for sale that looked like it would be fun. His favorite was a 1930s Ford street rod with a spectacular paint job in green flames.

Figueiredo said car clubs and owners from other areas, especially Sonoma County, drove the big increase in exhibitors in 2024. The event does no advertising other than posters that members put around town. “The turnout from out-of-towners this year was spectacular.”

Figueiredo said the event has grown steadily from its beginnings when it had 20-30 cars displayed in places like the Safeway parking lot. He said it now has a big economic impact on the town, filling Airbnbs,  hotels and restaurants for the weekend. He and his wife were invited by a Sonoma group for dinner at the Wharf. “They had 30 people on their reservation,” he said. “And this is going on all over town.”

The post 18th Annual Fort Bragg Car Show attracts the most vehicles and spectators ever appeared first on The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA.