Car buffs of all ages come out
Published Saturday July 11th, 2009
Even those not old enough to drive enjoyed yesterday's cruise-in
Devon Knight hurried excitedly from car to car, snapping photos and pointing out all the intricate details and differences of each vehicle to his mother Bev Dawe.
However, unlike most of the spectators at the 2009 Atlantic Nationals Automotive Extravaganza, 10-year-old Devon isn't yet old enough to get behind the wheel of any of the hundreds of cars that lined Moncton's Main Street for yesterday's cruise-in rally.
That certainly didn't inhibit the youngster's passion for the event.
"He's single-minded; cars are the main thing in his life," says mom Bev, who travelled with the family from Newfoundland for the event. "He draws cars, he talks about cars, he reads every book about cars. He's a born car enthusiast.
"I'm sure he will always be into cars. He would have to change quite a bit to go to something else."
It seemed a trend at yesterday's event as not only were thousands of adult spectators out in full force to see the vintage hot rods and muscle cars, but many young people took quite an interest as well.
While Devon and his family enjoyed looking at all the cars in attendance yesterday, it was their own well-known car that brought them to the event.
"We have a '62 Bug that's a Herbie replica from the movie and Devon is a big Herbie fan so we decided to come to Moncton because it's such a big car show and everybody told us it was great," Dawe said.
"It's a really good car show," Devon says. "I like that there's all these different cars; there's some big like American cars and then there's like classical cars too.
"I started liking cars so much because, when I was little, my Pop always gave me rides in his truck and I started liking cars and trucks a lot. My favourite car so far was the 1969 Dodge Charger."
While Devon's knowledge of cars is astounding for someone his age, other youth at the event enjoyed the show without much in the way of technical expertise.
"I liked the green one with the white stripe on it; that was pretty cool," said Julie Schlief, a 10-year-old from Lower Coverdale.
Mom Sandra Schlief says she encourages her children to enjoy cars.
"We'll definitely be back here," she says. "I used to go to all of these car shows when I was a kid. We love going to car shows. Definitely we encourage them. Maybe they could develop a wish to own something like that when they're older."
Shea Persaud, a 13-year-old from Ottawa, is a few years away from being able to drive, but that didn't stop his imagination at Atlantic Nationals.
"It's always nice to just come down and see what kind of car I might get when I'm older," he said.
"You'd better start saving some money," quipped his mom, Erin, who brought the family to Moncton to visit relatives in the area, while taking in the car show.
"I like cars," Shea said, undeterred. "I like the old cars; they are kind of cool.
"It's kind of nice to see the different cars and how people work on them and stuff," he added, noting he hopes to continue his interest in cars as he gets older. "I kind of thought of maybe learning how to fix up cars and make them look kind of cooler.
"It would just be nice when I have a car and I'm older, to be able to fix them up myself and stuff."
Younger brother Kieran, 11, said he enjoyed seeing "all the different designs and different colours" at the show.
For some young people, enjoying Atlantic Nationals was simply about experiencing some quality father and son time.
"Not yet," Lorne Sutherland, 11, said when asked if he had an interest in cars. "I have no idea why. But I do really like just hanging out with my Dad, coming down here and taking a look at all the cars with my Dad."
Duane Sutherland brought his 2008 Challenger to the show and said he hopes to pass on his love of cars to his son as he gets older. It's the fifth time the father and son have come together from Newfoundland to the show.
"We have a bit of a collection (of cars), so I'm hoping he's going to get into it. I'm sure he will," Duane said. "It's not just father and son time with him, but bringing the car down, seeing the other cars and then talking with some other owners is obviously a big part of it as well. It's a well-run show."
While the older audience marvelled at the cars lining Moncton's downtown yesterday, there was no doubt the event caught the attention of young car nuts like Devon Knight, too.
"This is physically a bigger one and there's more cars here. It's a big show compared to the ones back home in Newfoundland," he said.
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
