ELIZABETHTOWN — The 17th annual Made in the Shade Open Car & Truck Show is planned for Saturday at San Jose Restaurant on West Broad Street in Elizabethtown.
Registration for the show costs $25 and begins at 8 a.m. and judging takes place from noon until 3 p.m. with awards being handed out beginning at 4 p.m. There will also be door prizes and a 50-50 drawing. Dash plaques will be given to the first 300 entries.
“It’s going to be a big one. We’re expecting at least 300 cars, weather permitting,” said Classic Cruisers Car Club President Wayne Dove. “Last year we had a rainout and had 95 cars.”
He added that the club has had as many as 321 vehicles turn out for the show. Dove said folks travel from all over to take part in the show. Dove said they have had entries in the past from as far away as West Virginia and Knoxville, Tenn. — hence the trophy for the longest distance traveled.
“This is the second-largest car show on the East Coast,” said Dove. He noted that Myrtle Beach, S.C. is host of car show in early summer that draws between 700 to 800 vehicles.
Dove said they are planning to award 121 trophies with 21 special trophies. Trophies will be awarded to Top 80 Pre-1983 and Top 20 1983 and Newer. Also, there are trophies for Best of Show Pre-1984, Best of Show 1984 and Newer, Best Ford, Best GM, Best Chevelle, Best Camaro, Best Mopar, Best Full Size Truck, Best Street Rod, Best Original, Best Foreign, Best Corvette ‘53 to ‘82, Best Corvette ‘84 and newer, Best Mustang ‘64-‘85, Best Mustang ‘86 and Newer, Best Other, Ladies Choice, Longest Distance, Best Host Vehicle, Oldest Vehicle (Not Homemade), and Club Participation (must have a vehicle registered in the show).
Dove said that food and drinks will be available for purchase. He said that McKoy’s Chapel Church will have a tent and will be selling fried chicken and hot dogs and there will also be shaved ice and an ice cream truck.
Dove said the idea for the show came when he, Terry Levy, Stewart Norris and Jim Taylor attended a car show at the Pecan Festival in Whiteville. Dove said a comment was made about the group getting together and doing a car show in Bladen County.
“The four of us met the next weekend,” said Dove.
He said the first car show was held at the building across from the Elizabethtown ABC Store and they had 60 cars. Dove said the event has grown in popularity ever since.
The club has two gold sponsors for this years event — Lumberton Chevrolet and Clark’s Auto Glass of Whiteville.
A portion of the proceeds raised by the car show go to support Bladen We Care, the Bladen Journal’s Empty Stocking Fund, Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Relay for Life.
—Erin Smith can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.
