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Century-old cars cruise Canfield
CANFIELD
Twenty-four 1- and 2-cylinder cars manufactured before 1916 rolled into Canfield on Tuesday afternoon as part of the annual mid-July Veteran Motor Car Club of America tour.
Classic car owners showed off their antiques, modeling the functionality of vehicles more than 100 years old.
Dave Kostansek, VMCCA tour leader of Williamsfield, Ohio, said of the 24 cars, 23 are still running, driving the tour to different sites in Valley City, Canfield and Ashtabula in Ohio and Sharon and West Middlesex in Pennsylvania, rather than being hauled as in most car shows.
He explained to enthusiasts flocking to the cars as they cruised down Newton Street the word “veteran” in Veteran Motor Car Club of America wasn’t military related, but refers to the cars still running after more than a century.
The owners maintaining the pieces of automotive history come from all over the nation – and outside of it, Kostansek said.
Peter Mcintyre, a three-year VMCCA member, drove his 1906 Cadillac from his home in London, Ontario, in Canada.
“Everyone is so great and accommodating with our slow cars, asking us where we come from and about the VMCCA,” Mcintyre said. “They couldn’t be nicer.”
Diane Taylor, two-year VMCCA member of Westminster, Md., agreed, and said she was most thankful for those who consider old cars can only go so fast – especially uphill.
“There’s a beauty in getting these old cars on the road,” she said.
Kostansek, owner of a 1911 Maxwell, the car made famous by Jack Benny on his old radio program, said the real beauty comes from the passion each VMCCA member has.
“I was just born loving old cars,” he said.
Taylor said her love for classic cars stems from their uniqueness.
Mcintyre mirrored Taylor’s sentiment, citing each classic car’s need for parts and the difficulty in finding them to maintain the cars.
“It’s a challenge. It’s all about the challenge,” he said.