August 5, 2004

Annual Almaden Valley Auto Festival draws large crowds

This year’s annual Almaden Valley Auto Festival saw a large turnout and was very successful, according to the volunteers. Hosted by South Hills Community Church last Saturday, the event attracted hundreds of people viewing more than 100 classic cars, while enjoying a live band featuring music of the 60s. There were also kids games, a jump house, and a barbecue. Alpha, Cobra, Jaguar, Model A’s, Shelby, ‘57 Chevys, and other cars provided onlookers with a nostalgic look at the past.
Richard Fenwick of Almaden proudly displays his 1965 Ford GT that has a top speed of 185 mph from its impressive 540 hp engine. “I have put a lot of work into this car and I really enjoy meeting people in Almaden who share my passion for great cars,” said Fenwick. “I’ve noticed people seem friendlier when they see the Ford GT logo on the car compared to other exotic cars.”


Terry Webber of Almaden displays his 1932 V-12 Lincoln KB Limousine produced by coach builder Willoughby. “Only 64 cars were made and each cost about $6,000 which is about $140,000 in today’s money. “This car was once owned by a jeweler who placed rubies in the eyes of the Lincoln’s ‘greyhound’ hood ornament,” said Webber. While it’s great to see completely restored cars, it is also a thrill to see a number of cars here that are half way through the restoration progress. It gives people a better perspective of the hard work that goes into these cars.”


Robb Robinson of Almaden and president of California Customs stopped the show with his customized 2002 Denali SUV. The car sports a custom fiberglass interior molded around two LCD video screens, powered by a 3,600-watt nine speaker audio system with three subwoofers. “This is my own car and I had a meeting with the guys at the shop and we came up with this inspirational design, “said Robinson. “We’ve helped a lot of guys here at the show with their cars,” he explained.