It’s fair to say that classic car owners enjoy showing off their beloved vehicles in the summertime with the public.
The Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s June 29 “Music & Motors” event on the parade grounds of Lawton Loop in Lawrence featured more than a dozen cars, food vendors and live music. Among the cars visitors could see included a 1967 yellow Mercury Cougar, a cherry red 1960 Corvette, a classic Chevrolet Camaro and a 1993 Ford Mustang convertible that was one of only 1,500 special edition vehicles ever produced.
The classic car event got its start during the pandemic every Wednesday as a vehicle to get people out of their homes, said Brad Klopfenstein, chamber president. Klopfenstein said Teachers Credit Union had approached the chamber and asked about possibly adding music to one of the Wednesday evening events during the summer.
That eventually led to The Rock Garage, a music school in Castleton, to partner with the chamber, according to Klopfenstein, who said the public can come out every Wednesday to check out a variety of classic cars.
“The draw is that it’s a free event, it’s family friendly, and you can bring sandwiches and a cooler if you want,” Klopfeinstein said. “If you’ve got a classic car, it doesn’t cost anything to bring it out, so it’s mostly car aficionados who come out and spend a few hours on Wednesday, and it’s designed to bring people in the heart of Lawrence.”
Brenda and John Satterfield, who live in the Lawrence area, were among those who came to the event to show off their restored 1974 Monte Carlo. Brenda Satterfield said the car has been kept in the family, noting that it was once her parents’ car and was purchased when her father died.
She said she enjoys being able to share the beauty of the different cars with individuals around her.
“We enjoy the camaraderie of our car friends, and it brings back a lot of memories to people,” she said.
The Satterfields also attend different cruise-in events in the Indianapolis area to showcase their car, including one in Cumberland held at Culver’s every Friday evening. They also plan to keep their car within the family and hope to pass it along to their children.
Brenda Satterfield added that the couple will occasionally get inquiries from people who express interest in buying their vehicle but noted that it won’t be changing hands anytime soon.
“Right now, it’s not for sale and it has too much family history,” she said.
For more on upcoming chamber events, visit greaterlawrencechamber.org/ or call 317-541-9876.
