I
can't remember exactly, but I think I attended my first "Back to the
Fifties" car show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 1978.
Minnesota's own Walter Mondale was
Vice President of the United
States, "Grease" was the top
money-making movie, and gasoline was selling for 63 cents a gallon.
Thirty
years later, Mr. Mondale is still doing TV interviews, "Grease" is on
Broadway starring Laura Osnes (from Eagan
High School) as Sandy, gas is selling for $4 a gallon and I'm
still going to "B250s." The show runs this Friday through Sunday,
still at the fairgrounds.
The
Minnesota Street Rod Association hosts the event. Last year, 11,500 street rods
and customs showed up for the show. The first time I went, I'll bet there were
hundreds of rods, certainly not thousands. Any car or truck, 1964 or older, is
eligible. If you want to show your old car, though, you'll have to wait till
next year, because registration is closed for this year.
What
is a street rod? It's a vehicle designed before World War II, and usually
modified with modern engine, transmission, steering, brakes and electronics. Because
the car makers needed a couple of years after the war to design post-war
models, 1946, '47 and '48 vehicles are also street rods.
Cars
and trucks from 1949 through 1964 are considered customs, and anything newer is
not considered at all for this show. Lots of the cars at the fairgrounds will
have wild paint and lots of chrome, but some are completely stock, the way they
came from the factory 40 to 80 years ago.
Why
a 1964 cut-off for a show called "Back to the Fifties"? In the old
days, without computers, it took a lot longer to design a vehicle and get it to
production, so it is likely the '64 models in dealers' showrooms in the fall of
1963 were already being designed in 1959.
This
is a great outing for anyone interested in cars. Adult tickets are $10, and you
can stay all day, even listen to live '50s music at night. Kids younger than 12
get in free with an adult. There are 350 vendors, so you can buy stuff for your
car. Some of the vendors give away posters ... I like them for my garage walls.
Here is a link for more information, including
parking and shuttle buses.
