Bigger isn’t always better. Yes, it’s nice to go to a car show and see a hundred classics, collectibles, and memories lined up and shining in the sun, their chrome polished, the bright colors gleaming in row after row. But it can be overwhelming, too, and you might miss out on seeing something unique. So when the Downtown Development Authority and Olympia Arts Miami asked AACA South Florida to put on a one-block car show on Flagler Street for the first time since 2014, we knew that we could only place thirty or so cars on the historic street, and frankly, club president Ira Shapiro was wondering how we could pull it off with such a small number and still provide the public with a variety of automotive history. But the club came through with flying colors. From a 1931 Ford Model A Victoria to a 1973 Aston Martin AMV8 and an abundance of cars from decades in between, the block of Flagler Street starting at the Olympia Theatre was filled on Saturday, May 15, and the crowd loved it. They voted in a People’s Choice ballot to select Albert Naon’s 1952 MG TD as their favorite. The sponsors of the show each got to choose their favorite: Downtown Development Authority chose Jaime Del Valle’s 1951 Jaguar XK 120, and Olympia Arts Miami selected Gary Shanock’s 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. The AACA award for Best of Show went to Frank Rubino’s 1950 Healey Silverstone. And everyone who brought a car received a Finalist trophy to show our thanks for helping to make our return to Flagler Street after a seven-year absence such a success. Ira Shapiro thanked the volunteers who helped make this show possible: Jean and Maurice Hawa, Tomás Hernández, Al Padilla, Bob Squier and Philip Williams. If you didn’t get to see the show, stroll through the pictures.
Philip Williams
Photos by Al Padilla, Bob Squier and Philip Williams
