Taking a trip back in time
WORLD OF WHEELS: Weekend show offers rare opportunity to see ’60s custom cars
With the first day of spring less than a month away, and having experienced such a mild winter, it is time to think about dusting off the collector car in the garage and preparing it for the coming year’s activities.
Perhaps a trip to the Fraser Valley World of Wheels show taking place at the Tradex Convention Centre in Abbotsford this Friday to Sunday will get you motivated.
The World of Wheels is sanctioned by the ISCA (International Show Car Association) and will feature cars from the west coast of Canada and also south of the border. All of the show cars entered for judging will be competing for points for the ISCA Championship.
One of the cars from the United States is called the Black Widow and was built by Troy Ladd, who runs Hollywood Hot Rods in California.
And if you grew up during the ’60s you might remember the toy version of the Ford “T” pickup hot rod. Something to view that lives a little closer to home is the sensational hand-crafted, late-’50s one-off custom which was featured in the 1964 Hot Rod magazine’s custom car annual called “The Bonaguro.” John Bonaguro hand-laid the fibreglass body to create something special that incorporated elements from other a number of production vehicles.
If you search Google Images for a photo of the 1963 Maserati Quattroporte you might see a slight resemblance in the front end features. This could certainly have been possible because Bonaguro began creating the car in 1957 but did not complete it until 1963.
Custom cars from this era are rarely seen because most of them have been scrapped, so come and visit this interesting example and have fun visiting the vendors who will be displaying their products and services.
World of Wheels show times are as follows: Friday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door at the following rates: One day $15, a weekend pass is great value at $20 or a family pass $35 (two adults and two children), seniors and youth (13-18) $10.
Nigel Matthews is the Director of Sales & Marketing for Hagerty CanadaHagerty is the World’s largest specialist Collector Car and Boat Insurer. Contact him at nmatthews@hagerty.com or visit www.hagerty.ca