Santa Maria was treated to an informal parade of classic cars Friday night as the annual Wheels and Windmills car show in Solvang added a "cruise" this year, sending an array of vintage and classic autos from Buellton to Santa Maria and back.
Honorary grand marshals this year are father and son automotive design legends Sam and Chip Foose, who started their specialty car and hot rod designs in Santa Barbara during the 1960s.
Event organizer Bob Stokes predicted about 90 cars would make the trip. Last year's show in downtown Solvang drew about 300 cars and nearly 10,000 spectators.
The cruise traveled up Highway 101 to JR's Drive-In at 603 E. Main St. in Santa Maria, where music was provided by a DJ and the restaurant gave food discounts to registered car show participants.
Today, a colorful variety of vehicles - antiques, commercial, stock, full-custom, race cars, government vehicles and woodies - will be lined up by 8 a.m. on Copenhagen Drive and First and Second streets in downtown Solvang.
A new element this year is the inclusion of five speedboats from the 1960s and '70s heyday of drag racing on water - races that approached 200 mph - that will be displayed on Copenhagen Drive near Alisal Road.
The drivers, including Santa Maria's John Miller and Solvang's Don Edwards, will display either original or restored vintage boats that were part of a quarter-mile racing culture that has largely faded from the public's mind.
In addition, they'll be signing copies of a new book called "Drag Boats of the 1960s Photo Archive," compiled by Edwards and another retired racer, Barry McCown, both of whom were record-holders during their racing days.
Wheels and Windmills festivities will continue until 4 p.m. with a raffle of a GM Performance Parts V8 engine donated by Jon's Equipment and Construction Co. Raffle proceeds will benefit the Santa Ynez High School automotive department.
Other proceeds from this year's show are being donated to the Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary and the Progeria Research Foundation, Stokes said.
The reconstruction of Avenue of Flags in Buellton forced the car show from its original location four years ago. Before coming to Solvang, it was called the Avenue of Flags Car Show for six years.
For more information, visit www.wheelsnwindmills.com.
August 29, 2009
