Since C&O moved to Perimeter Mall a couple years ago, I've noticed a surge in crowds that's only slightly masked by the increase in parking lot space. The new location, geographically, has a lot to do with that. Nightmarish traffic notwithstanding, Perimeter Mall is an ideal place to host a show that' just continuing to grow, not only by word of mouth, but now thanks to its own organization that offers merchandise and web content. The reality is, this location can be reached by anywhere in metro Atlanta in under an hour on Sunday morning, and that's important.
I started out, as always, on the outer fringes of the parking lot. It's a mixed bag here, mostly spectators' cars that range from stock Nissan Maximas to Land Rover Defenders and turbo Saabs.
It's interesting for me to see what kind of cars people are drawn to at shows. Not too long ago, I would have ogled at a stanced Miata, but nowadays I pay more attention to rarer stuff like this Alfa Romeo Giulia Super sedan. A car that I only imagine was extremely common in Italy, the Alfa represents an interesting phenomena. Many of them don't survive today given its commonality, and even fewer survive here in the states, since they weren't imported here when they were built.
Further down, a Ferrari 328 GTS looks sinister in black. A few rows down from that, a modern take on a classic Volkswagen. In the late 1970s, Volkswagen sold the Caddy (branded as the Rabbit Pickup in North America), essentially a Volkswagen Rabbit with a pickup bed. It wasn't hugely popular here, but it's enjoyed a comeback in recent years, and seems to have inspired this Jetta owner to turn his sedan into a small pickup.
Other unique showings included a pair of Alpina-tuned BMWs. I can only assume these 80s examples are fairly rare, as I've never seen any before.
Across the way, I noticed a giant crowd had gathered around a roped-off display. Powder blue and orange peeked through, and I finally saw what it was, a Porsche 918 in classic Gulf racing dress. A front-on photo was going to be impossible, so I employed some of what I learned in photojournalism and moved to where the people weren't. Or at least where there weren't as many.
And those kids I ragged on earlier for liking stanced Miatas? As I said, I can't blame them much, and furthermore, I shouldn't be so judgmental. They're carving out a future generation, just like I am at 22, of car lovers that will carry the torch of the hotrodders and club racers. For all the big money that shows up here, the Ferraris, the Bentleys, and the special Porsches, the real group that matters are the grassroots enthusiasts. These kids recognize that in the stanced Miata; it's just a car built by someone who truly loves cars and what they can stand for.
All throughout the "show field" you can see this juxstaposition. The businessmen who come out to impress, opening up their 458's engine compartment and giving it some revs; the Paulding county guys with homemade subwoofer boxes and broken bumpers; the guys who've been on the scene for 40, 50, even 60 years, graduating from Chevy Vegas to Corvettes to Malibus, then back to Chevelles again; everybody here has at least a baseline level of respect for everyone else, and that's what will keep this show growing far into the future.
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