Here’s a follow-up article about OBLIVION VI from this past weekend. There were just so many cool cars at the show, so we needed to post a second article about all the retro rides.
Gearheads displayed their Solo Cup JAZZ inspired decals on Geo Trackers and Metros, plus their Diamond Back bicycles. Even the Nissan Pulsars and 240 SX models were as blue as a set of Panasonic D-cell batteries.
There were plenty of oddball cars at the show, whose looks may not have aged like fine wine. There was a good condition SAAB 900 S, a survivor-quality AMC Eagle, and a fully restored Subaru BRAT. Not sure if any of these cars were cool back in the day, but they sure are now.
Top-tier German grand-touring cars like the slant nose BMW 850i and the Mercedes Benz AMG 500 SEC were the kind of status cars that announced to the world that you’d arrived. Big engines putting our big horsepower, these full-size, two-door, four-passenger coupes are what the Americans used to call ‘personal luxury cars’ back in the 70’s.
In the early 90s, Subaru produces some amazing vehicles including the sought-after S208, one of which was on display with an unpainted body kit. Even a 2005 Subaru WRX made it into the show, despite it being way too new to qualify, but the owner left a note on the windshield explaining he’d blown up the engine of his 1981 Porsche 911 and brought the Subie instead.
The Italians were well represented the Ferrari Testarossa in both red and black, plus a Series 3 Alfa Romeo Spyder ‘Graduate‘ that looks like it’s from the 60’s but was built until the 90’s. Also on hand was a brandy-wine coloured Alfa Romeo GTV from the early 90’s …a truly weird and underappreciated car.
If big American iron is more your style, there was a murdered-out Chevy Impala SS, a black-on-black 1st gen Dodge Viper and a Plymouth Prowler towing a matching trailer, although we’re not certain if the V6 counts as ‘American muscle’.
Car shows are usually so segregated. The JDM crowd don’t mix with the European cars, and nobody wants to mess with the American muscle cars. At most shows, showing up with the wrong ‘type’ of car gets you ostracized. That’s truly what made OBLIVION VI special; all were welcome. Even the oddballs.
I absolutely loved the 90’s series of most cars. I like how this car show didn’t discriminate and invited everyone! Truly had many eye-candies.
I too love cars of this era. That’s probably why I drive a 1992 Subaru SVX in ‘metallic teal’ which is the OFFICIAL car colour of the early 1990’s.
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Although this is not the place or time, I want to tell a story about being refused entry to a parking lot car show one time.
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In my little corner of Toronto, there’s a Wednesday evening car meet organized by the RVACCC, whatever the hell that acronym means. I rolled into the show with my kids in the back seat, and went to park near a Bricklin (similar looking car to my SVX). The gatekeeper came up to me and said I had to leave, or at least get out of the show area and park in the mall parking lot. It turns out the acronym stood for ‘Rouge Valley Antique and Classic Cars and they only wanted American-made cars from the 60’s & 70’s. I laughed at the old man and pointed to the Bricklin, but he said the car had a replacement Chevy V8 engine and therefore was permitted.
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I was so pissed off, so offended, that I just said to the guy that HE is the reason car culture is shriveling up. Because old-timers like him didn’t want youngsters and their modern cars involved.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Although I haven’t been to any car events myself, I’m aware of the many videos and news on how discriminative they are in such car events. Like sure, you guys got a theme going on and all that but it wouldn’t hurt to not be a spoilt sport for once! I get why you got offended, if the other guy’s car was permitted just because of the engine change but not yours… who wouldn’t be pissed off? 🤦🏻♀️
Yeah…people are so petty. But that’s OK. I just ignore the negativity.
That’s the best solution, they won’t ever change so might as well ignore. :’)
It is so awesome that cars from the 1980s and 90s are now considered cool and collectible. After all, they are the cars we saw around when we were young, on the streets, in the showrooms, in magazines, and so on. It is so satisfying because we can easily relate to the culture from that time.
On the other hand, if those cars are considered vintage, so are we.
Speak for yourself, old-timer! I’m only a 1974 model. Not a classic yet.
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IT’s funny Rubens, when I entered my Subaru into the OBLIVION show, I commented to organizers that the show does not need a Ferrari Testarossa or a Lambo Diablo … it needs a Honda CRX and a VW Scirocco on display. Cars that were available and part of the car scene in the 80s and 90s.
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I got a kick our of seeing a Buick Reatta (remember those) because it was so rare even back then, even though it was an affordable, sporty car.
LOL, I am a 69 model, and my engine is losing compression.
I do remember the Reatta, such a nice little sports car.
When I moved to Georgia in 1999, there was a County near Atlanta where the local police had adopted the Chevy Impala SS as their cruiser instead of the omnipresent Ford Crow Vicky; what a good-looking police car.
I have always loved the Impala SS. I remember being a high-school kid in 1993 and seeing one at a dealership and thinking it was ‘the car of the future’
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Then a couple years ago I saw an Impala SS and a Buick Roadmaster station wagon (same era) at the drive-in movie theatre. Gosh they were so cool.
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There is something SO RIGHT about a front-engine, rear-drive, body on frame American car. Those cops in Georgia knew that too!
https://demaras.com/2022/09/18/the-drive-in-1986-all-over-again/
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