Classic cars of all varieties will
be the main attraction at the Miramar Regional Park during an
upcoming car show.
The car show will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 1 at the
park, 16801 Miramar Parkway. The park has a $1.50 entrance fee,
but children younger than 5 get in free. This show marks the fifth
year that the city has hosted the car show, which is organized by
the Southwest Broward Elks Lodge, the Miramar Police Athletic
League and Jumpin Jack Productions.
Last year's show featured almost 120 cars, which is far more than
the roughly 55 cars at the first show. Looking at cars is the main
draw of the show, but its real purpose is charity work. Jim Lind,
a former Miramar police captain and former leader of Elks Lodge
#2273, said he wanted to do charitable work to benefit PAL.
Lind said he wanted to raise money for charity in a different way
and settled on this idea because of his interest in cars. He owns
five cars.
"It used to be a hobby when I
was younger and could afford it," Lind said.
Lind said that in crafting the car show, he wanted it to be a
family event that appeals to adults and children. As a result, the
car show includes a live DJ providing music, as well as children's
rides and activities.
Car owners who wish to participate will receive a dash plaque if
they're among the first 100 to register. Some cars will receive
Elks' choice and city's choice cash prizes. Registration is still
open, and the car registration fee is $15. Lind said there are no
requirements for owners who want to participate, and the cars can
be classics, customs or antiques.
When it comes to classics, Lind cites a 1949 Packard seen at
several shows as a personal favorite. One show featured a DeLorean
DMC-12, the car made popular by the Back to the Future
films. However, rather than be modeled after the movies that made
it famous, this DeLorean featured an interior resembling the
Starship Enterprise from Star Trek.
"You've gotta learn to expect almost anything," Lind said.
The show also attracts car clubs from the tri-county area. One
such group is the Renegade Corvette Club, based in Hollywood.
Established in 1996 by a group of eight Corvette owners, the club
has members from Miami to Stuart, said Susan Browning, the club's
secretary and treasurer. The club has 35 members, and the cars
they own represent the Corvette from the 1950s through the latest
models.
At monthly meetings, members meet up, eat out and trade stories
about restoring old Corvettes they've purchased and the quests to
hunt down the right parts. The club also hosts its own car shows,
and a January show featured 200 Corvettes.
For Browning and others, camaraderie is the main attraction in
joining a car club.
"We enjoy the American sports car," she said. "Our common ground
is that we love cars."
Call 954-602-3319.
Chris Guanche can be reached at
cguanche@tribune.com.