Manteca Classic Car Show
Updated: Oct 2
And Now The star attraction
Press play and hear Holly tell it herself.
The Pink Thunderbird and the Lady Who Chose It
Some cars win you over with horsepower. This one won over a whole field of people at the Manteca Classic Car Show with a coat of pink paint and a great deal of love.
It is a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, still wearing its original paint and still powered by its original V8 block. It may not be the most spectacular classic on the grass that day, and its owners would probably agree.
But it stood out, and they showed it with love.
Around the Thunderbird sat the whole of a drive-in evening from long ago: a drive-in movie sound box ready to hang on the window, Elvis keeping watch from the back, and a drive-in movie tray loaded with all the food you could ask for. You half expected a screen to flicker on across the car park. It was a car show with a story, and the car was the leading lady.
I met Holly and Michael beside it. They have owned this classic T Bird for five years. They are a fun couple, and they had been hunting for a classic car for some time. The Thunderbird came from a club member, and it had led a gentle life.
Holly took one look at a picture, saw the colour, and told Michael, "Go get the man the money."
I will pass on a piece of wisdom here for free: when a woman likes the colour, it is a done deal, no matter what. Engine, mileage and sensible second opinions all stand politely to one side.
Thank the Lord the car didn't need much work. What did need doing, Michael did, and this is the result. Splendid.
Holly's devotion to that colour is something to behold. Pink, and proud of it.
Holly, I should say, was shy about being interviewed. She hovered, she hesitated, looked over to Michael, who shrugged. But in the end, she let me hold the microphone, and a little bravery from a shy lady is worth more than a polished speech.
So here is to the pink Thunderbird, to the sound box and the tray and the King, and to Holly, who chose it in one glance and then, kindly, told me all about it.
Below are other classic American cars at the Manteca show.
Which one of these shown above would you like to own?
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