Lovers of vintage and custom cars all gathered along 119th Street in Whiting as over 200 cars from the past century were showcased for the local car enthusiasts to enjoy.
Not only did Whiting residents show up, but those from all over the region attended; even some from Illinois made it to Whiting to show off their car. This vintage car community is very close as the owners of the cars always go to the same events, knowing their fellow parking lot neighbor.
Walking down 119th street, you might recognize some of the cars or their brands as a majority of them were well-known makes and models such as Cadillac, Camaro, Chevy, Corvair, Corvette, Cougar, Firebird, Ford, GMC, Hudson, Mercedes-Benz, Mustang, and Volkswagen.
Every car in the lineup had a unique story that was personal to its owner, whether that was the year and make of the car, where the car was originally from, or even the owner's reason for wanting the car. As the community walked down 119th Street looking at them, they learned the stories behind the cars and got a walk down memory lane.
“Ford created the Model T to try to give every man a chance to have a car, and so it has a lot of historical value in that regard,” said Model T owner Ed Gregor. “I put a lot of hours into it, and I really like to share the history of it with people who come around.”
For some, they drove hundreds of miles to take possession of their car – Bob Ore got his 1950 Chevy B Body Coupe from Minneapolis, Minn., and Michae Calleros got her Mini Cooper Classic from Phoenix, Ariz.
“I bought it from the original people,” Ore said. “I got the original title for it as the car was handed down through the family, and then I bought it.”
While some bought their cars far away, others bought their cars right here in Indiana. Cruz Salvador got his 1966 Mustang from Indiana eight years ago, John Reyma got his 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass S in Hammond, and Gregor got his 1923 Model T Ford Coupe from Whiting although it was originally from Missouri.
Some owners were very lucky with their car such as Bill Howes who has a 1991 Nissan Figaro. His car was the 1989 concept car of the year at the Tokyo car show, and then Nissan manufactured it for one year only in 1991. They made 20,000, and it was Howes' luck that he was able to get one.
Others got lucky in a different way.
Gregor got his 1923 Model T Ford Coupe from a neighbor. As Gregor was heading to the grocery store one day, he saw the car in his neighbor’s driveway, stopped to talk to them, and then ended up buying it from them.
Many of these car owners grew up with these cars being the only ones available, so having these cars, which are now deemed as uncommon, is very special to them.
“When I was 17 years old, I always wanted one, and it took me 10 years to go and finally get one,” said George Timko.
Timko has been attending cruise nights for the last 13 to 14 years.
If you missed the event, don’t worry as Whiting Cruise Night will take place all throughout the summer on the following dates: August 18, September 15, and October 20. For more information, visit www.whitingindiana.com. Registration is free.
“I enjoy seeing the families and the kids and everybody join the nice weather and looking at different cars together,” Reyma said.
