New Bern to Host Classic Auto Show

Automobile aficionados and throngs of the curious from throughout the state will descend on New Bern Saturday, May 13, to visually experience the evolution of the motor vehicle from the horseless carriage days of the early 1900s to the muscle cars of the late twenty century.

It’s the city’s 30^th Annual Spring Antique Automobile Show. 

Sponsored by the First Capital Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), and staged in the city’s vibrant historic downtown, it will showcase upwards of 150 vehicles of various marques, vintages, and models from the world’s premier manufacturers, according to Zach Simon, First Capital president.

Captivating entries will range from the 1928 Ford Model A with wooden spoke wheels and a four cylinder 40 horse power engine to a 1973 Plymouth Road Runner with a 440 cubic inch engine.  Other competitively appealing entries will include a stunning two-tone blue 1931 Pontiac meticulously restored from a jumble of parts, a national award- winning 1964 Chevrolet Corvette, and a 1966 Oldsmobile 442. Classic Ford Thunderbirds, Pontiac GTOs, Studebaker Golden Hawks, Jaguars, Toyotas and various other vintage vehicles further highlight the field of seldom seen and near-priceless entries.

The show opens to the public at 10am and will be staged on Middle St.from S. Front St. to Broad St. and on sections of Pollock and Craven St. It concludes with the awarding of trophies at 3pm at the intersection of Pollock and Middle St. 

The cars will be parked back bumper to curb along the tree-shaded streets flanked by boutiques, specialty shops and restaurants housed in classically preserved structures reflective of the city’s 300-plus-year-old past.  Attendees will be within walking distance of such attractions as the North Carolina History Center, Tryon Palace, the Firemen’s Museum, The Pepsi Store, Civil War sites, and homes dating from the mid-1700s, including the Stanly House where George Washington slept during his Southern Tour. 

It is not too late to enter an auto in the show. Michael Wilson, the event chairperson, said any 25-year-old motor vehicle may be entered regardless of make, model or condition, and an owner does not have to be an AACA club member. The show is not limited to cars. Motorcycles, fire engines, jeeps, trucks, mopeds and other vehicles that were manufactured no later than 1998 and were produced to be driven on public roads and to carry passengers also are entry eligible.

Registration fee: $20 in advance , $25 the day of the show. Registration forms are available at www.ncregionaaca/firstcapital.com, by email at zacsim@aol.com, or 252.626.0286. Dash plaques will be given to the first 100 registrants. Founded in New Bern in 1991, First Capital has sponsored a show each year since 1992 except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the Coronavirus epidemic. Of the 30 shows, two were North Carolina AACA regional meets and six were AACA national meets, including Grand National meets in 2002 and 2010 and an AACA Southeastern Fall Meet in 2016. First Capital is one of 14 AACA chapters in North Carolina. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., the AACA is an international organization with members in 41 countries.