While the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto is primarily a showcase for new cars, there’s still a rich sense of history. Peek into the Metro Convention Centre’s 800 Level and you’ll see examples of “vintage tin”: the 10 cars and trucks in the Cruise Nationals.
More than just a display, the cars are also in competition for three top prizes. They’ll be selected by a combination of online public ballots and a panel of celebrity judges.
The vehicles competing include a 1949 Ford F-47 pickup truck, 1932 Ford coupe, 1971 Chevrolet Nova SS, 1968 Camaro Z28, 1947 Cadillac convertible, 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible, 1958 and 1963 Chevrolet Corvettes, 1955 Oldsmobile 98, and 1951 Mercury Monarch.
In addition to celebrating the golden age of motoring, the show also honours the “cruise night.”
Believed to have originated in Cambridge, Ont., in the 1980s and now popular across the continent, cruise nights are informal old car get-togethers, where owners drive in with their vehicles to show them to friends.
At a season-end show at the CNE, Cruise Nationals event supervisor Jon Rosenthall selected the ten cars for the show.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is unique among auto shows,” he says. “We started doing this in 2004.”
The gold, silver and bronze winners will be announced tomorrow. All 10 cars will be on display throughout the auto show.
