Dozens of cars on display at annual Vintage Car Parade

KAMLOOPS — People of Kamloops and in the surrounding area spent their Easter Sunday (Apr. 9) viewing vintage cars at Riverside Park during the 51st annual Vintage Car Parade. Sixty vehicles ranging from model year 1911 to 1998 were on display.

The main attraction that people were in awe of was a 1911 Buick McLaughlin, the oldest car at the parade. Jerry Wallin is the owner of the Buick and is also a member of the Kamloops Vintage Car Club. He purchased it in 1990 due to the previous owner having plans to sell the car at the Barrett Jackson auction house in Arizona.

“Ed Shaw was restoring the car to take it to Arizona to sell it at Barrett Jackson. When he told me the history of the car, where it came from, who owned it and being the first automobile in Ashcroft, I didn’t think it should go to Barrett Jackson, so I bought it.”

Another vintage car that was on display was a 1938 Chrysler Royal. Keith Barron, who’s the owner of the Canadian-built vehicle first purchased it two years ago. He quickly realized it was backfilled with history, dating all the way back to the original owner who bought the vehicle on his wedding day.

“His bride stood him up at the altar; she didn’t show up,” Barron told CFJC Today, “so he took the money from the honeymoon and he bought this car.”

Through his YouTube channel Keith’s Garage, Barron was able to connect with the son of the second owner.

“He’s like, ‘My dad used to own that car.’ And he said when we were little kids, there was no backseat. The family couldn’t afford a four-door sedan possibly, so they got a good deal on the two-door coupe. And the kids used to stand behind the seat in the back area. It was never designed for a seat.”

Through their stories, Barron and Wallin appreciate the human interaction the most when it comes to their cars.

“Complete strangers coming up to me going, ‘Wow.’ That’s exciting to me,” Barron said. “Every time I go to the gas station, I cannot get gas without strangers coming to talk about the car and I think it’s fantastic.”

“The people who come around and ask the questions, it’s very… it gets ya.”