The sight of 100 lovingly preserved vintage motorcars parked in a row along the Tiburon waterfront is striking . And that ’ s the scene at the Tiburon Classic Car Show , a step back in time that evokes nostalgia for enthusiasts and gives everyone an opportunity to admire the artistry and engineering of automobiles from another century .
The idea for a classic car show with models from 1975 and earlier took root at a town-sponsored event on Tiburon ’ s Main Street in 2000 , when then-mayor Tom Gram invited local residents Tom O ’ Neill and the late Bruce Ross to display their vehicles . The cars were a big draw , and O ’ Neill and Ross discovered that each had been thinking about a car show . The first official show took place the following year , filling Tiburon ’ s short Main Street with 33 models . But it needed space for more cars , so in 2002 , it moved around the corner to Tiburon ’ s Shoreline Park , where it has a view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge . It ’ s stayed there ever since and has become one of the bayside town ’ s premiere events .
O ’ Neill and Ross envisioned the show as a community gathering for car lovers of all ages to celebrate classic automobiles , but they also wanted to do some good , and it ’ s played out just the way they ’ d hoped . “ Bruce and I went the formal route of creating a mission plan . Giving money to charity was the intent from the start ,” says O ’ Neill . “ Our feeling was that if we made money it shouldn ’ t go to us , it should go to the community .” The show sells ads and sponsorships , so it ’ s been profitable , even though admission is free , and O ’ Neill estimates that over the past five years , it ’ s given more than $ 100,000 to local charities . This year ’ s goal is $ 10,000 , and beneficiaries will be Hospice by the Bay , the Rotary of Tiburon-Belvedere for education projects and the Green Team , a group of local volunteers who plant , weed and prune to keep the community beautiful , as well as
several smaller charities .
The show isn ’ t a competition and doesn ’ t have any judges and awards . Rather , owners show off their prized vehicles , trade stories and reminisce , while spectators take pleasure in seeing historic automobiles — valued collectively at $ 100 million — up close . Among them is San Rafael resident Peter Herley ’ s black 1967 Black Corvette Coupe , which he found 20 years ago . “ My car is very special to me as it is the kind of Corvette I always dreamt of owning , but I could never afford during the years I was in high school ,” he says .
O ’ Neill ’ s car is a 1956 Austin-Healey 100 that he ’ s owned since 1998 and is the same model as the car he had in college . “ For all of those years in between , I never stopped thinking about it ,” he says . “ Thirty years after I sold my car , I would dream about it ,” he adds , and even the smell of the leather lingered . He explains that for owners , the attraction is more than the just the car . It ’ s the incredible memory of a special part of life , along with an appreciation for vehicles of that era . “ There ’ s a beauty to them , a beauty and flow of lines that ’ s just different from anything that ’ s done today ,” says O ’ Neill .
Gram , who was instrumental in launching the initial mini-show , is a fan and says , “ I still attend , and I have a collection of almost every annual hat . I love the event because it ’ s a wonderful use of the waterfront . It ’ s a community event and brings hundreds of residents to the downtown . The car owners love it because it gives them an excuse to get their cars out of the garage and show them off .”
As popular as the Tiburon Classic Car Show is , however , the future of such shows is a matter for speculation . “ Young people aren ’ t into it as much ,” says O ’ Neill , observing that very few of them are able to drive older cars with standard transmissions . “ If you didn ’ t learn to drive them when you were a kid , you probably don ’ t know how ,” he explains .
Meanwhile , though , seeing the cars with San Francisco Bay as a backdrop is a rare opportunity , and O ’ Neill invites people to stop by and enjoy the action . Period music from the 1950s , ‘ 60s and ‘ 70s complements the cars , and the show is in a beautiful location , so he suggests taking a picnic or buying food there . He also recommends that visitors relax , enjoy the ambiance and chat with the cars ’ owners . ” People who own the cars love to talk about them ,” he says . “ The real joy comes when you know it ’ s brought some kind of nice feeling .”
The Tiburon Classic Car Show takes place on Saturday , July 17 , 11am to 4pm ; tiburonclassiccarshow . com
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