Rev’in ’em Up at the 52nd Portland Roadster Show
Photos by Brian Gilliland & David Marin, Story by David Marin
Portland — Flip your time machine dial to the year 1956, November 24 - 25 to be precise and we’ll land ourselves in the dimly lit National Guard Armory in downtown Portland surrounded by an assortment of gleaming hot rods on hand for our viewing pleasure at the first annual Portland Roadster Show.

With an attendance of 5,500 spectators, the inaugural event is a resounding success and as we travel forward visiting the ’57 and ’58 shows we find that they were held in the more accommodating Multnomah County Fairgrounds in Gresham. More people came. The PRS continues to grow and as we travel at the speed of light from 1960 to 1990 we see the shows held at the Coliseum and finally, in 1991 the event is staged at the newly complete and thoroughly beautiful Oregon Convention Center… a facility worthy of the millions of dollars worth of mobile metal sculptures displayed at the PRS.

Stepping out of our time machine and onto the floor of the 52nd annual Portland Roadster Show, February 29 - March 2, 2008, it’s hard not to feel a sense of deja vu. Geez, some of these faces look just like guys we saw during our time travel back to 1956. Sure, they’re a little older, maybe a little less hair and a little more weight, but aren’t we all? Besides, they still act the same. Isn’t that a pre-requisite to being a gearhead, or at least a hot rodder. Don’t you have to take a pledge not to grow up?

In any event, an abundance of kids, young and old, came to enjoy the 52nd PRS. As a veteran of a car show or two myself, I was particularly touched by one youngster who stopped at the CruZin’ Free Info Booth. Couldn’t have been more than 8 or 10 years old and he pored over our “Free Info” table, picking up business cards and explaining to me that he collected them. I said, “no problem” and asked the youngster which was his favorite car. Naturally I expected him to pick one of the big dollar glamour vehicles with the million dollar paint job and every goodie on the planet. The kid fooled me… he grabbed me by the arm, dragged me down the aisle to a corner and pointed around the bend at one of the High School Challenge cars and said, “I like that one best.” “Why,” I asked. “Because the man (a high school student) told me all about his car and about the work he had done to it.” I’m thinking, “Pretty sharp kids, both of them.There’s a lesson there.” I walk back to my booth with the kid and give him a complimentary magazine. I’m betting he’ll give it a pretty good going over. Good investment I’m thinking.

Check out the 2009 Portland Roadster Show next time around. Even if you don’t learn anything, you’ll have a good time.