Car shows and cruise-ins are popular pastime in city

Since the dawn of the automobile, Americans have had an unyielding passion for driving and owning a car. In the last 50 years, owning older, classic automobiles has become a hobby of untold magnitude of many Americans. In Elizabethton, cruise-ins are a popular summertime activity.

By Rozella Hardin
STAR STAFF
rhardin@starhq.com

   Since the dawn of the automobile, Americans have had an unyielding passion for driving and owning a car. In the last 50 years, owning older, classic automobiles has become a hobby of untold magnitude of many Americans. From the average guy down the street to famous celebrities, American people love their cars. It is a passion that has virtually become a tradition.
   During the summer months, anyone driving by the Carter County Plaza on W. Elk Avenue would think they had taken a step back in time as the parking lot at Ingle's is filled with a variety of antique cars and trucks parked there every Saturday evening by their owners, who socialize and discuss not only the cars, but families and other things.
   Jack Tester, new president of the Carter County Car Club, enjoys driving his 1957 blue Chevy around town. It's the only antique car that Tester has, but it's his "baby," and he takes good care of it. Never would he think about getting it out when the weather is bad. "You don't want to get the underbody dirty. But, when it's warm and dry, I like to drive it around, window rolled down, with arm outside, listening to some 'oldies' music on the radio. Sometimes, I just like to sit at the steering wheel and listen to the hum of the engine," Tester said.
   Tester is like scores of old-car enthusiasts in the area, who pride themselves on owning an old car. "What you grew up with and what you admired most often stays with you," Tester explained.
   The car-cruising fever has extended to the downtown, as beginning in April, the Carter County Car Club will have a cruise-in each Saturday evening on Elk Avenue and E Street through October. "I think it will be great for our club and for the downtown merchants," said Tester. "Downtown is such a beautiful and laid-back place and it lends itself to a cruise-in," he said.
   While enthusiasts gather around their favorite models, others prefer driving their vehicle around, too proud to let their cars stay in one place.
   Old cars cover the entire field of collectible automobiles from classic touring cars and roadsters of the early 1900s to the popular muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. There are so many "old-car" persons in this area. And, like all old-car enthusiasts, they pride themselves on the ability to identify an old car on the basis of a hood ornament, a trunk handle, or most any other person of chrome.
   Fixing up old cars can be time consuming and it can be quite costly. However, Tester and many other members of the car club prefer to leave the tinkering and the mechanics of their old car to someone more experienced. "I have a friend who works on mine. I prefer to showing it and driving it," Tester said.
   "Some of the fellows in the club are great mechanics and love tinkering with their cars. Some will completely restore a car. Others, like me, just enjoy being around them because we always liked cars," he added.
   American car collectors have had a long standing relationship with charity groups. Automotive events, such as car shows, are frequently done to raise funds for these worthwhile organizations. The Carter County Car Club sponsors two car shows yearly to raise funds for the East Tennessee Christian Home. "This year, we plan to have our big show downtown on Saturday before Covered Bridge Days. It will be a kick-off event to the annual festival," Tester said.
   The club has another show in the fall at Big Lots in the Betsy Town Shopping Center.
   "We are really looking forward to the Saturday night cruise-ins downtown, beginning in April. It has the potential to grow into one of the largest cruise-ins in the Southeast," Tester opined.
   According to the new club president, cruise-ins are about antique cars and friendships. On the old-car side, it is the enjoyment of driving and showing your old car. "It's the thrill of driving through town and having people admire your car," Tester said.
   Also, cruise-ins are a good way to link up with people who share the same interest -- old cars. "The friendship is great. We are with people who share our love for old cars," he said.
   "Our wives, even though they may not have a passion for old cars, they enjoy going along for the ride and the shopping that goes with it. They are a very important part of the club in that they do a lot of the registration and paperwork. They're good support," Tester explained.
   The passion for old cars also extends beyond the car club membership. "Look at all the people who come downtown for a cruise-in. A lot of people enjoy old cars. They like the storytelling and reminiscing," Tester said.
   There's a story behind every car. The stories -- they range from where the owner found the old car, the shape it was in, the difficulty of finding parts to make it right, etc. Old-car owners and old-car lovers came from many backgrounds in pursuit of a perfect ride from an irreplaceable era.
   "We grew up with these cars, and the cruise-ins are where we all get together in a parking lot and tell tales and the women go shop. People come by and look at our cars and ask questions. And, we all look at each other's cars. It's a passion and it's recreation," Tester exclaimed.
   Car shows and cruise-ins? They are a great way to blend American tradition with American spirit. It's the thrill of owning something as precious as a classic American automobile.