01 Sep Glendale News-Press: Glendale Cruise Night Delivers Same Roar
Hundreds attend annual classic car event that was postponed due to July storms.
By Ryan Fonseca, [email protected]
Downtown Glendale became a classic car haven Saturday when Cruise Night rolled into town.
The 22nd annual event brought out hundreds of car lovers, music lovers and families eager to enjoy the longtime summer staple.
As the sun sank behind the buildings, attendance climbed for the free event, which featured live music, food, games and, of course, rows of an estimated 400 pre-1980s cars.
Thunderbirds, Mustangs, Cadillacs, Rolls Royces, Corvettes and many more lined North Brand Boulevard from Milford Street down to Broadway.
Many car owners sat in chairs behind their prized rides, answering questions from onlookers.
“The main thing that comes up all the time: ‘How much? How much do you want to sell it for?’” said La Cañada resident Tony Croupe.
Croupe has been bringing his black 1969 Corvette Stingray T-Top to Cruise Night since the first year of the event.
In all those years, he says talking with the people continues to be his favorite thing about the event.
“I think it’s one of the best-run car shows around,” he said.
The annual showcase was originally scheduled for July 18, but organizers stalled the event due to the threat of lightning from a summer storm.
As music from stereos — and surf rock band the Chantays performing nearby — wafted down the street, one phrase punctuated the air with regularity: “Look at that one!”
Car enthusiasts and casual streetwalkers alike pointed out the eclectic mix of automobiles, sometimes ogling the engine, a creative paint job or a nice interior.
“I saw a green one over there and it was my favorite,” said 7-year-old Daniel Landaverde, who came to Cruise Night with his family from Fontana.
His younger brother Jacob had a tougher time nailing down a favorite, pointing out a few new answers to the question within seconds.
Their mother Corina said it was great to get out in the fresh air for the day, though her husband Elmer had other motivations.
“For him it’s cars,” she said as he smiled and nodded. “He’s taking lots of pictures.”
Plenty of classic cars were catching eyes, but one downright historic vehicle garnered a continuous stream of people and questions — Gary Hendrickson’s 1915 Model T.
The century-old car was rusted, had no upholstery and weeds were growing out of it, and for Hendrickson, a North Hollywood resident, that was a point of pride.
“The way I look at it, nobody goes to Europe to see the restored Coliseum, nobody wants to straighten the Tower of Pisa — it wouldn’t attract people — and nobody paints a picture of a brand-new barn,” he said. “That’s the premise of this car.”
He said he pieced the car together from authentic parts over the years, down to the wooden steering wheel and hand-cranked engine.
Hendrickson said the rescheduled event was not a problem for him, but he would have attended last month despite the storm, since a little lightning wouldn’t make a difference to him or his car.
“It looks like lightning has already hit it,” he said.
Source: Glendale News-Press