By EVONY SALMERON
Two dozen car enthusiasts from all over the DMV drove their cherished classic cars to College Park to participate in the city’s third car show on June 21.
About 200 people stopped by City Hall to check out some tuned-up vintage and modern cars on display and vote for their favorite ones.
“Cars are like ice cream,” Mike Templeton, a College Park resident who displayed his 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air at the show and helped run the event, said. “Everybody likes ice cream, just different flavors. So that’s why, when we do the car shows, we got a little bit of everything. The newer cars, the older cars, the hot rods, the classics, whatever. And it’s all for the residents, when they come down to some kind of event like they’re having today, [it] gives them something of a variety to look at.”
The city brought the College Park Classic Rock & Car Show back this summer after skipping it last year.
“We had heard from the community [that] they wanted to bring it back, and so we thought, you know, we would try it again,” Ryna Quiñones, College Park’s communications and events manager, said. “I think it’s important to do that and to constantly be, you know, updating, improving, tweaking, all of those kinds of things or events so that our residents get the most enjoyment and build the most community.”
Templeton said he has been a part of the College Park car community since “I was probably 12 years old” in the ’60s, and has made a living working on cars and building emergency vehicles. Although he considers himself “basically retired,” Templeton continues to participate in community events.
“I just never grew up,” Templeton said.
Berwyn Heights resident Daniel “Buddy” Robson Jr. heard about the show from Templeton. He entered his prized 1955 Buick, which he bought at an estate sale 10 years ago.
“It’s exactly the same as it was when it rolled off the showroom floor on May 23, 1955,” Robson said. “I haven’t done nothing other than maintenance. I take that back, it’s got seat belts in the back.”
Darryl Ginyard drove his car from Washington, D.C., after seeing a flier for the show. He said he has found a community with College Park car enthusiasts.
“That’s the beauty of the car show,” Ginyard said. “That’s the beauty of the people. Because people from every background, every financial status, the only thing important to them is your car is nice. … It’s everybody who likes cars. That’s their connection.”
