Let the Good Times Roll

By Mary Carter
and Kevin Brown
General Manager
Eagle Times Correspondent

CLAREMONT, N.H. — The continually growing crowds on Maple Avenue proved that the Claremont Senior Center knows how to put on a stellar event.

By 10 a.m., hundreds of show vehicles were proudly on display. Row by row, the treasured “wheels” had stories to tell. There were cars that had been in the same family for generations, and those with grand histories that had just found new futures.

One classic had been purchased the year the new owner’s granddaughter was born. This year, that granddaughter will ride in it on her wedding day. Another vehicle, which had been sold after high school, made its way back into its original owner’s hands and has remained there for 38 years.

There were imaginative resto-mods and timely classics that had never seen restoration. Side by side were pampered wheels and daily drivers. Muscle cars were friendly neighbors to Model Ts.

Some vehicles had their original invoices on display, making for conversation that easily began with, “Remember when?” One lovely 1957 Chevy Bel Aire was factory designed for the space age. With its sprawling chrome fins and hood rockets, it was fun to discover where the fill spout was hiding.

Not only were there classic cars and trucks, there were race cars, rat rods, and motorcycles, too. It was an event with something for everyone. In the crowds, one could witness young children being fascinated by automobiles that didn’t look anything like our everyday SUVs. Vehicle owners from all over the New England states were getting to meet fellow enthusiasts.