Buick Muscle Car | Newtown Classic And Antique Auto Show Steers Onto Newtown’s Historic State Street Today

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., State Street between Centre Avenue and Jefferson Street will be transformed into a parking lot of classics as thousands of people get a glimpse at some of the region’s restored automotive gems, including classic cars, trucks, Corvettes, street rods, sports cars and muscle cars.

“We’re going to have vehicles here from the 1910s all the way up to the early 80s,” said show chairman Dave Spencer. “This year we’re adding more antique and classic motorcycles, just to expand and give people something different to see.”

Among this year’s exhibitors will be Charles Swartz, the owner of the Swartz-Givnish Funeral Home on Washington Avenue and a member of the car show committee. He will bring his 1964 Shelby Cobra to the show.

“It’s wonderful at 80 mph,” said Swartz, of his vehicle. “I’ve been coming to this show for the past eight years and the Newtown show is one of the better ones around. Newtown has the camaraderie and the small town feel that makes it special,” said Swartz.

Adding to the ambiance of the day will be members of the Sock ‘N’ Buskin Club at Council Rock North High School who will spend the day mingling with the crowd dressed in period costumes.

Each year, the teens come dressed for a particular year under the leadership of Sandy Chantry, who directs Sock ‘N’ Buskin. This year, they will represent 1915, the year the Model T Speedster, the Chevrolet Stanhope, the Brewster and the Ford Depot Wagon steered onto the still developing roads of America.

“The kids will be walking up and down the street, posing for pictures next to cars,” said Chantry, who has worked with the car show for the past five years with Skip Gittens. “It’s a fun thing for the people who come out to the show, but it’s also fun for the kids doing it because they are actors and they like to play dress up and interact.”

At the close of the show, trophies are awarded for the best entries.

Last year, a 1915 American LaFrance Rhino fire engine caught the attention of many at the show. The truck also drew the attention of the judges. Owner Richard Prizer of Langhorne won the Best of Show trophy for the vehicle.

Other top prizes went to Gary Conover, Best Mercedes; Ralph Reichenbach, Best Buick; Ron Gaven, Best Ford; Gene Epstein, Best British model; Robert Niser, Best Chrysler; and Robert Petit, Best Chevrolet.

“Our main idea with the show is to have these vehicles available for everyone to see, so they can see how they developed, how they have grown over the years and the craftsmanship that goes into them,” said Spencer.

The show carries on a Newtown tradition that dates back five decades. The show has been held in Newtown since the mid 1970s when Dave Krewson (former NBPA president) and fellow car buffs in the association held the first show. Having no nucleus of cars to exhibit, they paid “The Trenton Horseless Carriage Club” to bring their cars to State Street on a Saturday in June and gave them each a $5 chit for lunch.

“This is such an historic show. It’s nice to be able to carry that on for this community,” said Spencer.

Spencer said his favorite part of the show is seeing the care that the owners put into their vehicles. “I also enjoy the creativeness that they have with their cars. Obviously the love is there, the passion is there. And the camaraderie that they have is very evident. That’s another nice part of the show for me,” he said.

The rain date of the show is July 24. Details, trophy sponsorship and online car registration can all be found at www.newtownbpa.org . Any questions can be directed to David Spencer at 215-220-0269 or e-mail dave@elegantflooringanddesign.com .

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