Support Your Local Car Show

By Chris Raymond

Chris Raymond

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1,487 views Apr 27, 2010

Springtime is the beginning of the car show season in Massachusetts, and from May to October there will be an event every day of the week, all within 20 miles from my home.  From tiny shows with fewer than 20 cars to huge events with 2000 cars, they are everywhere.   Even more special are the car museums which have excellent exhibits and are perfect for the rainy days when the local show is cancelled.  Here are a few examples of great places in my area:

To the north is Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, and the cradle of Liberty.  It is also home to the Museum of Transportation in Brookline which houses America’s oldest car collection.  The vehicles are mostly European models from 1899 to 1948 bit also include brass era and American cars.  Themed collections include French Coachbuilders and American Style, and each week the museum also sponsors lawn events with names like Cadillac Day, British Car Day, Porschefest and Tutto Italiano.   Not far away, three weekly car shows attract as many as 50 cars each and large groups of local gearheads.   

To the south is Cape Cod, home of the Kennedy Compound, Jaws, Presidential golf retreats and more celebrities then Donald Trump’s boardroom.  It’s also the home of two great car museums:  The Heritage Museums and Gardens and a strange little place called Toad Hall.  The Heritage showcases the J.K. Lilly III collection which includes over 30 antique American cars housed in a round Shaker style barn.  Highlights include President Taft’s White Steamer, a Mercer Raceabout, and Gary Cooper’s Duesenberg.  Toad Hall is a small museum in Hyannisport which houses over 50 classic sports cars, mostly British and all red.  The owner started the collection in a shed behind his bed and breakfast, but lost control after only a few years.  If you love bright red sports cars, then this is the perfect place to spend the day.  Highlights include Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, MG and Lotus as well as several other rare vehicles.

A short drive from Toad Hall is Falmouth, home to the Oceanographic Institute and Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard.  This town hosts the Cape Cod British Car Club’s British Car Day, which is a long name for a gathering of serious Anglophiles and beautiful cars on the waterfront.   Drive a little more south and you arrive in Newport which is home to the gilded age mansions, Claus Von Bulow, Grey Gardens and the Newport Concourse d’Elegance.  This is a fantastic event held on an island in Newport Harbor and attracts the absolute best in antique and classic cars.  The vehicles range from Ferrari to Duesenberg, with almost everything in between and ranks with Amelia Island and Pebble Beach.  The spectator cars are as amazing as the participants, and it’s not unusual to park next to an antique Talbot or classic Aston Martin in the lot. 

Finally, to the west is Foxboro, Home of the New England Patriots and the largest cruise night in New England.  The Bass Pro Shops at Gillette Stadium is the site of over 2000 cars from almost every make and country.  The event is so large that it is very possible to walk all night and still not see everything on the lot, or visit each week and not see the same car twice.  It’s a workout, but a great place to spend a late summer afternoon.

This season I plan to visit as many shows and museums as possible, and I want to remind everyone that the local clubs and events in your state need your support.  Maybe I’ll see you at one of the shows.