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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2015)
The Car Shows S teve McQueen’s 1968 hard-boiled detective thriller, ‘Bullitt,’ put to film one of the more iconic displays of the American muscle car. Behind the wheel of a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback, McQueen pursues a pair of hit-men driving a similarly styled — and violently capable — 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum through the streets of San Francisco. The cars are fast, boxy, loud and brash. They were also, at the time, widely available. Of a muscle car’s distinctions including a V8 engine at least 350 cubic inches — price matters, and anything too- expensive or rarified doesn’t make the cut. In defining what a muscle car is, it’s helpful to understand what a muscle car isn’t. A Chevrolet Corvette, for instance, falls outside the lines. It sits too low the ground, has sleek styling, a fiberglass body and a high, prohibitive price. It’s not a consumer automobile, and as such, isn’t a muscle car. The Corvette is a sports car. In that vein, nor are there European muscle cars. Ultra high- performance, low-production makes like Ferraris and Lam- borghinis are different animals. They are tight, finicky and built to hug corners. Muscle cars, by comparison, are much simpler, an exercise in brute force — the sledge to the sports car’s ball-peen hammer. Indeed, drop a hulking engine in to any automobile and it’ll accelerate quickly, blasting off in a straight line. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, as government regula- tions tamped down engine size and fuel consumption, the muscle car’s popular appeal flagged. Over time, though, those aesthetics have returned to fashion, as these burly boxes have became beautiful — and dotted over — once more. And such is season for 11th- annual Muscle and Chrome event, Seaside’s celebration of accessible automotive brawn on June 19 and 20. Registration is open for vehicles from 1960-1978 that are 10 • SEASIDE CAR SHOWS 2015 of “show quality,” with a focus on muscle cars, as well as “factory performance” automobiles from 1979-to-present. (Registration is $30, and forms are available at seasidedowntown.com.) A sister- event to September’s Wheels and Waves show, which spotlights automobiles produced prior to 1960, Muscle and Chrome draws a slightly more populist crowd of auto-enthusiasts. “Some car shows are noted to be by invitation only,” said Laurie Mespelt of the Seaside Downtown Development Association. “We are not. It’s an open call for cars that fit that criteria.” The cars that make the grade, usually in the neighborhood of 200 or 300, are parked on the streets of Seaside, for all to see. No ticket is required. The festivities kick off Friday, with a complimentary BBQ for owners of officially registered vehicles. Then, at 6:30 p.m., they’ll fire up their engines for a cruise along U.S. Highway 101. The public events begin in BY ANDREW TONRY earnest on Saturday. The official showing is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. As such, parking on Broadway and Columbia streets in downtown Seaside will be reserved for registered show vehicles. At 5 p.m. there will be another cruise, this time looping through downtown Seaside. After that, registrants will convene at the Best Western Ocean View Resort for the awards dinner. Unlike like some shows, Muscle and Chrome approaches their presentation of multiple trophies with a light touch. Rather than conspiring, the Seaside Downtown Development Association simply empowers a number of judges to go out and follow their singular inspirations. “It’s not about parts, or cost or authenticity,” said Mespelt of the award-selection criteria. “It’s about if someone likes the car for whatever reason they want. Some folks will go out and say, ‘My, I like the color on that one, let’s pick that one!’” A Place to Call Home L oca ted in th e qu a in t coa sta l tow n of Sea sid e, O reg on , N eca n icu m Villa g e Sen ior L ivin g offers sen iors th e opportu n ity to experien ce th e best in both a ssisted livin g a n d m em ory ca re. C lose to sh oppin g , d in in g , a n d m ed ica l services. C a ll for a tou r tod a y a n d see h ow you or you r loved on e ca n retire on th e N orth O reg on C oa st. Assisted L ivin g & M em ory C a re 2500 S. Roosevelt D r., Sea sid e, O reg on 97138 503-738-0900 • w w w .n eca n icu m villa g e.com
