While everyone is "oohing" and "awing" over the classics at Pebble Beach I would like to draw your attention to an expanding niche I call "Street Shows." Instead of displaying cars on the lush greeneries of golf courses and public parks, places where an automobile would never normally be driven, the entrants are angle-parked on a local street. Spectators can stroll by and admire without charge, an extra advantage in that it attracts folks who might never attend a concours, resulting in new converts to the old car hobby. A perfect example of this took place last weekend in Oak Bay, a district of Victoria BC. Blethering Place has been organised for the past several years by the owner of a restaurant of the same name which, in itself, honours a past that no longer exists: the Old English tea room. The locals love it as Victoria was the last bastion of British immigration to Canada. At this show you can sit outside with your tea and scones while you admire the cars.




Every year the show has grown and now covers so many blocks that a live band was playing at each end. The automobiles were a mixed blend of sports cars, American classics, old English survivors, rods and customs, restored fire engines, and vehicles that simple defied categorisation. But that's the way it should be in a Street Show. And talking of English survivors, what could be more British than a British Racing Green Morgan?




At the other extreme: a collection of American Edsel convertibles, representing automobile design when cars symbolised a lifestyle we'd all hoped to achieve. Or so the marketing experts thought. As transportation Edsels may have been questionable but as rolling sculpture they certainly deserve a place in history.




There were few "genuine" classics at Oak Bay, just a couple of lovely old Packards and this 1934 Bentley 3-1/2 liter that is in the process of restoration. It was the first model produced after Rolls-Royce bought Bentley and still retains the sporting look that typified the marque up until the takeover. Already a beauty, this could soon be a concours car. I hope the owner continues to display it at Blethering Place.




What? A Japanese car in a street show? Of course. We're now in an era where Japanese cars can induce tears of nostalgia among those who grew up with them. This Toyota Corolla station wagon has been lovingly maintained and restored and certainly caught my eye. Unfortunately most older Japanese automobiles were of the Plain-Jane variety and tend to be ignored by collectors. Which makes them a bargain today.




They were upright, boxy, came with running boards, spare tires mounted on the back, and usually lacked trunks. But inside they were spacious and comfortable and with those big windows, provided passengers with a view. Have you noticed that today's crossovers are upright, boxy, and have more interior space than conventional sedans? Neverthless I don't think any of them are as handsome as this 1927 Nash.




It took owner John Pace just eight months to build this Custom Speedster in the image of similar "hot rods" of the early 30s. The frame comes from a Model A Ford, with Ford axle and wheels, body is aluminum, while power is supplied by a Jaguar twin-cam six. The car contains parts from 35 different sources.




The Blethering Place street show is nothing if not democratic, hence the most basic of transportation can be seen and admired for its functionality. Remarkably, there are several Citroen 2CVs (Deux Cheveaux) running around southern Vancouver Island, exhibiting that wonderful French charm. There were three on display; the beige van is actually a working vehicle in Sidney, where I live. So here's to street shows, friends, the more the better.