By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
Hot cars and cool weather greeted the start of August in La Conner on Saturday.
The annual Chamber of Commerce and Port of Skagit Classic Boat & Car Show at La Conner Marina still had some sizzle despite several hours of drizzle.
Wet conditions meant fewer entries and smaller crowds than usual at the popular summertime event, but those who did brave the elements didn’t let rain dampen their enthusiasm for a display of vintage vessels and vehicles that spanned decades of innovative design work and engineering.
Nearly 90 cars and trucks, ranging in size from Scott Herring’s 1996 Rover Mini and the La Conner Pets 1998 Daihatsu Midget II ultra-compact cargo van to an array of iconic Detroit muscle cars like Ken and Linda Beecher’s bright green 1970 Ford Torino and Rey Solomon’s 1972 Chevy Chevelle, were showcased at the south basin parking lot.
The Daihatsu was judged the show’s top 1990s entry. Another local winner was Shelter Bay resident Bob Ferari’s black 1957 Chevy, recipient of the Favorite GM Award.
Best of Show accolades went to Mike Thompson’s 1966 Olds 442.
“We ended up with 89 entries,” said spokesperson Tami Mason, manager of the La Conner branch of WaFd Bank, who noted that some traveled long distances — she cited Auburn and Wenatchee as examples — to take part in the local show.
“We actually ended up with more entries than I thought we’d get because of the weather,” Mason said.
Showgoers arrived from all over, too. Rob and Michelle Littell attended from the Missoula, Mont., area. They were joined by their daughter, Morgan, who lives in Renton.
When asked if the day’s rain had made them reconsider taking in the show, the Littells insisted — as they admired Ron Shirk’s 1951 Ford Woody — that they didn’t hesitate, not even for a moment.
“Gosh, no!” Michelle stressed.
“It’s Washington,” Morgan explained knowingly.
Most if not all attendees were prepared for the summer showers. Mike Pierce, of Seattle, who strolled the parking lot wearing a rain parka and at one point unfurled an umbrella, shrugged good-naturedly in response to a question about the weather.
“It does seem more like October First than August First,” he conceded.
Nor was Herring hindered by the rain. Unlike some car owners who took cover in their vehicles or beneath canopies, Herring stood beside his Apple Red Rover Mini to share its unique history.
Manufactured from 1959 to 2000, primarily in the United Kingdom, the Rover Mini continues to enjoy popularity overseas, Herring said.
“I go to Japan for work,” he said, “and you see them running around there.”
Herring, who lives in Anacortes, found his Rover Mini in South Seattle after an extended search for what has become a nostalgic model with a dedicated enthusiast community.
On the pleasure craft side of the show, yachts featuring exquisite woodwork were moored at F Dock while sporty, smaller vessels were exhibited on trailers in the lot next to the Swinomish Yacht Club Building.
A 42-foot 1940 Cris-Craft yacht built in Algonac, Mich. — a literal floating work of art—was a major attention-grabber at F Dock along with Spirit, a sleek 1931 Merrick Express Cruiser.
“I went down and saw the wooden boats last night,” Mason said. “They’re beautiful.”
The trailered boats included a snapshot of La Conner maritime history — a classic Skagit 20 fiberglass model built here by Skagit Plastics, which operated in La Conner in the 1950s and early 1960s. The La Conner company produced stylish boats that appeared on some of the period’s leading TV shows, among them “Perry Mason” and “Sea Hunt.” Famed bandleader Guy Lombardo, known for his iconic New Year’s Eve broadcasts, lent his name in the late 1950s to a new line of recreational boats manufactured on the East Coast using Skagit Plastics molds and licenses.
Due to the un-summerlike weather, the show was shortened by an hour, ending at 2 p.m.
“Thanks for sticking it out,” show announcer Mike Yeoman of KAPS Radio said to those who stayed around to learn which entries were award winners.
“I promise much better weather next year,” Yeoman vowed.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
