Showing posts with label
Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival.
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Showing posts with label
Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival.
Show all posts
This was the scene this weekend at the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival in Lakeland where almost 30,000 attendees enjoyed seeing hundreds of examples of the world's automotive manufacturers past and present. Some of the best known makes and models were proudly displayed alongside the rare and obscure. From the antique to the brand new, there was a car or two to fit everyone's needs and tastes for age, design, raw speed, luxury or utilitarian use. The world's grandest marques were side-by-side with car badges unknown and long lost to consumer history. They were all here from the just plain interested out enjoying the perfect fall weather and the show's lake setting to the serious collector. In some cases, such as the incredible collection of Chrysler Maseratis, clubs and their prize vehicles were extremely well represented. This picnic setting, complete with authentic French tablecloth, basket, wines, meats and cheese, was the perfect compliment to the colorful little car the owners had brought for our enjoyment. Their 1985 Citroën 2CV Dolly, a special edition of the extremely popular car, was glowing as it sat basking in the reflections off the water of the lake. During a production run of 42 years, between 1948 and 1990, 3,872,583 of these cars were produced in France and later, in Portugal. Your trip to France is not complete until a 2CV whisks past you on the street. It screams you are in France!
I want to WELCOME Lucy Corrander, a new follower
of Tampa DP. She has a very interesting and must-see photoblog at Pictures just Pictures, and hails from Dorset in the UK. Dorset is one of the most rural counties of England. It is situated on the south coast between Devon and Hampshire.
Do visit Lucy. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised and become a big fan of her images.
It is a fascinating part of our world.
Yes, today's weather was perfect, PERFECT, and I beg all my fellow Floridians to hurry home from parts north to enjoy our autumn, as short-lived as it might be. To you folks who live a good distance from Florida's Gulf Coast, you can now be officially jealous. Today was about 75-degrees and blues skies. NO humidity (for us anyway.) The sun was warm and bright and right now it's about 60. Ah-h-h. I warned you in yesterday's post that I was going to a classic car show. There are several really nice shows in the US and this one is spectacular. The Mirror Lake Classic Auto Festival is held on the streets of Lakeland and all around the town's beautiful Mirror Lake. (The swans preened for my camera as classic wooden speed boats cruised around the lake for their admirers.) It's not Pebble Beach or Amelia Island but ranks right up there as a lead-up to Florida's-own Amelia Island held in March. Today's festival featured cars of every vintage, from Brass Era antiques to newer Roush Mustangs. The rare and unusual to the extremes in design and technology such as the cute Amphicars (built in Berlin from 1962-1967) that go from your driveway right into the water. Several put on demonstrations during the day. There was a Mercedes-Benz 600 and a 1942 Czech Tatra T87 from the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum collection from across Tampa Bay in Pinellas Park.
The car pictured is a very special vehicle with an interesting history. The 1939 Cadillac 2-Door 7567 Convertible is a magnificent restoration and winner of the 2008 Senior National First Prize awarded by the Antique Automobile Club of America. Owned by Mr. Richard Nunis of Windemere, Florida, it was a special order in '39 reputedly by a Mafia "family" member and even acquired bullet holes in its rear fender. The Walt Disney Company bought it along with a number of other cars built in '39 to be used in a "Voyage to 1939" themed promotion in 1990, with the majestic ship, RMS Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, California. (Disney owned the ship and operated the attraction then.) The present owner, and his very nice wife, bought the car in 1992, and have lovingly restored it to its immaculate and award-winning condition. Great car and very nice owners!
The car to the left is another of the hundreds of cars that sat and smiled today for thousands of admiring show-goers. It is a 1932 BSA 3-Wheeler built by the British Small Arms company and is a motorcycle-like car proudly showing off it leather-covered wooden frame construction.
Go to Tampa Florida Photo HERE to see more spectacular cars at today's great auto festival.
All-in-all, the day could not have been better. (It's time to pack for your Florida vacation. Now! Hurry.)
Check out the great WEEKEND REFLECTIONS HERE that James is making possible through his blog, Newtown Daily Photo.
This was the scene this weekend at the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival in Lakeland where almost 30,000 attendees enjoyed seeing hundreds of examples of the world's automotive manufacturers past and present. Some of the best known makes and models were proudly displayed alongside the rare and obscure. From the antique to the brand new, there was a car or two to fit everyone's needs and tastes for age, design, raw speed, luxury or utilitarian use. The world's grandest marques were side-by-side with car badges unknown and long lost to consumer history. They were all here from the just plain interested out enjoying the perfect fall weather and the show's lake setting to the serious collector. In some cases, such as the incredible collection of Chrysler Maseratis, clubs and their prize vehicles were extremely well represented. This picnic setting, complete with authentic French tablecloth, basket, wines, meats and cheese, was the perfect compliment to the colorful little car the owners had brought for our enjoyment. Their 1985 Citroën 2CV Dolly, a special edition of the extremely popular car, was glowing as it sat basking in the reflections off the water of the lake. During a production run of 42 years, between 1948 and 1990, 3,872,583 of these cars were produced in France and later, in Portugal. Your trip to France is not complete until a 2CV whisks past you on the street. It screams you are in France!
