The weather turned out to be as hot as some of the hot rods at the annual Oak Bay Ave. Car Show on August 5. But the high temperatures didn’t deter thousands of spectators who crowded in to get a close look at some stunning cars and chat with their owners.
From a Model T in beautiful condition to a 1912 electric car whose original owner lived at the Empress Hotel in later years, there were some wonderful examples of the iconic automobile. Based on the many entries and the size of the crowd, the North American love affair with the car is clearly far from over.
I have been a car buff all my life and recognized many of the cars from my 1960’s-70’s youth. There was a Shelby Mustang from Oregon that brought back memories of an old flame who was regrettably never quite as hot as his car.
There were cars for sale, such as the 2012 Mercedes SLS-AMG Sports Two-Seater, retailing for a mere $226,000 at Three Point Motors. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Three Point also entered their new electric Smart Car. Another owner was accepting offers on $13,000 for a 2001 Jaguar with very low mileage in mint condition.
I wandered up to the Avenue to take a look and bumped into Councillor Tara Ney and later Mayor Nils Jensen, who had the unenviable job if picking the best car in the show. I left the Avenue before the judging but I will follow up to see what won.
A wonderful show and congratulations to the organizers and the entrants.