The town of Somerville (NJ, not MA) has been hosting a Friday-night cruise night for many years. Several websites maintain that 2015 is the 26th consecutive year of this event. Having lived in this area since 2001, my recollection is that the town at first was aghast at the idea of “hot rodders” invading their space. (This cruise night uses Main St., not a parking lot, as its gathering place.)

Then a funny thing happened: the local restaurants, antique stores, and other small businesses began to notice a significant uptick in their business on Fridays, as “spectators” swarmed into downtown to partake of the cars AND the food…. The next thing you know, the township is so in favor of the cruise night that they take over hosting duties from the local car club which had been performing that function.

We took advantage of a warm and dry summer evening this past Friday to enjoy the always-eclectic car collection, as well as Alfonso’s Italian food (some of the best in the area). Photos are below, in no particular order. If you’re ever in the mood for a great Friday night cruise night which includes a hometown atmosphere, cruise on over!

The 1958 Edsel wasn’t a bad car; it was no better and no worse than most any other full-size American car of its time. Its timing was bad, introduced during a recession, and priced to compete in an already-crowded mid-priced field. Its styling only added to the sale challenge. It barely made it into its 3rd model year before the plug was pulled. To this day, “Edsel” is synonymous with major corporate marketing blunders. Meanwhile, the car’s looks have mellowed, and it’s become a collectible.

A trio of tremendous Pontiacs: two Firebirds and a GTO:

The man responsible for much of Pontiac’s success, John Z. DeLorean, went on to start his own ill-fated car company. The DeLorean DMC-12 was produced for only two model years, 1981 & 1982 (the 1983 models were cobbled together from leftover parts by court order). This particular example was cosmetically perfect, and a stick-shift car to boot:

“Stan” proudly shows off his 1962 Studebaker Hawk GT. He claims he pulled it from a field about 10 years ago, after cutting down the tree which had grown up through the floor next to the steering wheel. A father-son project, Stan was rightfully proud of his car’s condition, and his trunk is full of memorabilia obtained from the Studebaker museum.

 

All photographs copyright © 2015 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.