Vintage vehicles seem to bring out the car lover in everyone. Seeing an old model makes people reminisce about the muscle car they drove in high school or the old Lincoln or Nash their grandfather owned.
Rick Ellis, co-president of the North Georgia Mopar Club, sees it happen every year during the Atlanta International Auto Show, where club members display vintage cars.
“People going to the auto show love the old cars. They come and point out one they had or tell us about their first car,” he said.
The North Georgia Mopar Club will showcase eight vintage cars at the show this year. The club is dedicated to Chrysler brand products — including Dodge, Plymouth and Jeep — but also includes other marques absorbed into the brand such as AMC, Hudson, Willys and DeSoto. This year, club members will show everything from a 1933 Plymouth to a 2001 Chrysler Prowler.
“With room for only eight cars from our club, we try to get a variety of the nicest cars,” Ellis said.
This marks the fourth straight year the club has helped supply vintage cars for the show.
“It’s the ultimate car show. We’re not competing for trophies, just showing and talking to a lot of interested people. Everyone who shows [a car] is very honored to be down there,” he said.
Typically, owners want their car to be perfect before showing it, he added.
Club members will be on hand to talk about the cars on display and to provide information about the club and its activities.
“A lot of people take pictures of the cars, they drool a little, and we’ve even recruited some members for the club,” Ellis said.
The club has about 400 members whose interests range from the oldest Chrysler models to special-edition versions of the Challenger or Charger. One member owns every model Plymouth made for the 1964 model year; others collect a specific body style. It doesn’t even have to be a vintage car; some members simply own recent Chrysler products.
Those who are mechanically inclined help members who aren’t so handy with a wrench, Ellis said. “The club is a good clearinghouse for knowledge.”
The group takes part in cruise-ins, car shows and fundraising events for charities like Toys for Tots and efforts to support troops overseas. The organization donates about $14,000 annually to such causes.
Along with the North Georgia Mopar Club’s vintage Chrysler products, auto show visitors will find vintage Ford and General Motors vehicles on display.
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