A New Hope “Star Car”: The Volvo 142E

August 24, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events New Hope Auto Show, Volvo 142E

The third and final “star car” of the 2026 New Hope Auto Show is this 1971 Volvo 142E. I first spotted the car from the rear as I circled the show and headed back to the Alfa Romeo class. A man, presumably the owner, was standing at the Volvo’s open trunk. I approached him and asked, “is this a ’71 142E?” When he replied in the affirmative, my next question was, “would you like to sell it to me?” He quickly countered with a “no,” but my question began a conversation about his ownership. He told me that he bought the car, perhaps ten years ago, after finding it advertised for sale on Long Island. He turned and handed me a copy of the VSA (Volvo Sports America) club magazine, for which he is the President. His name is Tony D’Agostino, and we had a pleasant chat about this car and Volvos in general.

Most people who desire a Volvo sports car gravitate to the 1800, produced as a two-door coupe and three-door hatchback from 1961 through 1973. They are attractive cars, and certainly look the part of “the sporty Swede.” However, the driver’s fit is tight, the steering can feel heavy, and outward visibility is limited. None of these deter the Volvo faithful from collecting them. I speak from some experience as I’ve driven plenty of them through the years. I’ve also driven the 1971 142E, which was a very special car. At that time, in addition to the 1800, Volvo produced the 140 series in three body styles: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and station wagon. The 140 was Volvo’s bread and butter car, with a four-cylinder carbureted engine, a choice of manual or automatic, cloth seats, and a limited option list. For those who wanted more, the 164 four-door sedan included a six-cylinder engine, along with leather upholstery and metallic paint. By 1971, the 164 and 1800 had switched to fuel injection, while all the 140s stayed with carburetors. Well, almost all. The limited-edition 142E was the first 140 to offer Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection, along with leather seats and metallic paint. The high-compression engine produced 130 HP, impressive for its time. Compared to the other 140s, the “E” was quicker, and also roomier than the 1800. I consider it to be one of the lost gems among old-school Volvos.

The 142E model rarely comes up for sale. I’ve been casually following the market, and most that do appear are in dire need of some restoration. While Tony didn’t reveal what he paid for the car, I vaguely remember an ad for one on Long Island several years back, with an asking price in the $20,000 range. Sounds expensive for a 140, but compared to what some 1800s fetch, for the right car, that price might be considered fair. The rarity alone. along with its outstanding condition, made Tony’s 1971 142E an easy pick for a star car at this show.

A New Hope “Star Car”: the 1965 Iso Rivolta

August 14, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events Iso Rivolta, New Hope Car Show

As it drove onto the show field, still fifty yards from me, it was difficult to pinpoint its make and model. Resplendent in silver-blue metallic, it could have been a Maserati, or a Lancia, or an unusual Fiat. Whichever, it was unmistakably Italian. Greg, the owner of the Alfa Romeo Spider next to my Junior, said, “look at that Ferrari.” And although he was incorrect, it was high praise indeed. As it drew closer, I thought I knew it, but they are so rarely seen, I still wasn’t sure. I could barely make out the Bertone badge on the front fender, which was a big clue. My guess turned out to be correct, and only confirmed when I was mere inches from the car. I was standing in front of an Iso Rivolta at the 2026 New Hope Auto Show.

I will always have a soft spot for the brand, because in a way, I owned one. Well, I owned a model originally designed by Iso but manufactured by BMW, and that was my Isetta (Isetta is Italian for “little Iso”). That story is too long to get into here, but suffice to say that the financially fruitful sale of the Isetta’s manufacturing rights to BMW provided the Iso firm with the funds to create what company chairman Renzo Rivolta wanted next: a high-performance 2+2 touring car, with Italian style and American power. The Rivolta was the first in a series of such vehicles, featuring styling courtesy of Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, and motivated by a Chevrolet 327 V8 under the hood. A total of 964 units were produced between 1962 and 1970. List price was $8,595, undercutting the Ferrari 250 GT ($12,600) by several thousand dollars.

I spent more than a few minutes with the owner, John Gailey, who told me that he oversaw the car’s complete nut-and-bolt restoration. When he obtained the car, it was painted in grey primer with a red vinyl roof (?!), and the interior was a wreck. He stated that the biggest advantage to this purchase was that the car was essentially complete. Restoration work was handled by Prueitt Restoration in Glen Rock, PA. According to the placard alongside the car, the job took over four years, with the body and interior colors selected as a tribute to John’s father, who owned a Rivolta in these colors when John was young.

While I didn’t look at every car at the New Hope show this past Sunday, of the ones I did see, this Rivolta was near or at the top of all the vehicles on display. It had it all: style and performance combined with an outstanding restoration. John also indicated that he owns an Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale, so I hope to run into him again at future events.

A New Hope “Star Car”: the 1997 Alfa Romeo 916 Spider

August 13, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events Alfa Romeo 916 Spider

Among the twenty-eight Alfa Romeos on the ground at the 2026 New Hope, PA, auto show this year was a 1997 916-series Spider. Its unique design stood out among all the other Alfas as it is a model that was never officially imported into North America. Before we get to the story about this particular vehicle, here’s a little background on this model.

The Type 916 (internal name) was conceived as both a 2+2 coupe and a 2-seat convertible. The coupe would reestablish a sports car in the Alfa Romeo lineup after the discontinuation of the Alfetta/GTV-6 in 1987, and the convertible would be the replacement for the long-lived Spider, the first version of which was introduced as the Duetto in 1966 and lived through four generations, ending in 1994. Indeed, in keeping with naming traditions, the coupe was called the GTV while the drop-top continued the name of Spider. Both cars were front wheel drive, with four-cylinder Twin Spark and V6 “Busso” engines available. The first model year for the 916 was 1995, with production ending in 2004.

A few 916 models have been privately imported into the States, thanks to the U.S. Government’s twenty-five year rule, which allows importation of cars that reach that age. There are a number of them in Canada as well, which has a less stringent fifteen-year rule for cars that do not meet Canadian safety and emissions standards. The Spider at New Hope displayed a sign stating that a previous owner had privately imported this left-hand-drive one from Switzerland.

Since fellow AROC NJ chapter member Paul and I were judging all the Spiders, this one was also our responsibility. The Spiders were in three rows. We finished row one, and turned our attention to row two, starting with this car. The car’s owners, Dave and Linda, were there to greet us, and before we could point out that the car’s hood needed to be open for judging, they let us know of a little, tiny, insignificant issue … they were not able to get the hood open, and had been trying for several minutes, to the point where Dave said his fingers were starting to burn from handling the car’s very hot hood.

We chatted a bit about this conundrum, with Linda informing us that they had only owned this car for a few months and were still learning its peculiarities. Paul and I presented our options to Linda and Dave: we could either not judge their car at all, or we could judge it without assessing the engine compartment, which would lower their point total considerably. Eventually, they wandered away to let us judges do our thing. I actually sent them over to look at my ’67 across the way from their car, at which point Paul and I went to work.

Paul fishes for the secondary release while Richard keeps tension on the release cable. Photo courtesy of Bob Cooley.

I opened the driver’s door and found the hood release, centered under the steering column, while Paul remained at the front of the car. Paul suggested that he completely close the hood again (it was on its first release point), and I agreed. With the hood closed, I pulled the release lever to verify that the hood was popping up. While I continued to pull on the cable, Paul ran his hand along the underside of the hood. Finally, he found the secondary release, on the passenger side, not far from the right headlight. We had the hood open! Once Linda and Dave saw that, they came running back to thank us. Paul joked that our “Sunday repair rates” were quite high, and after a few chuckles, they were sincerely appreciative. Paul and I then finished the judging, including the engine compartment. While their car did not place, we deemed it a very nice car nevertheless.

Linda and Dave admire their first -ever glance at their Spider’s engine 😉

Linda, Dave, Richard, and Paul congratulate each other on a job well done. Photo courtesy of Bob Millinghausen.

Their Spider, in a very attractive dark grey over tan leather, features a five-speed manual transmission. The instrumentation is thorough, and the well-bolstered seats appear to provide plenty of legroom. The soft top, when retracted, is hidden under a body panel, making for a sleek look when topless. I found the overall package quite attractive, and it’s a shame that Alfa Romeo was out of the U.S. market during this car’s production run, as I think it would have sold well here. Linda and Dave are members of the Delaware Valley chapter of AROC, and I hope to run into them and their delightful 916 Spider again!

Alfa Romeo Dominates the 2026 New Hope Auto Show

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events, Uncategorized New Hope Auto Show

The New Hope Auto Show, which began in 1957, lays claim to being the second oldest collector car show in the country, after Pebble Beach, CA. Given its modest location, in a high school parking lot in the quaint and charming town of New Hope, it has much to live up to. One aspect of the show that the organizers brag about is its judging system. First, vehicles gain entry to the event (Saturday for domestic product, and Sunday for imports) only by application. Cars are then placed in classes based on make and model. Volunteer judges attend a judging meeting to review the rules: all cars are evaluated based on a 100-point scale, divided among exterior, interior, engine compartment, and chassis. Judges are looking at originality and condition, and they must decide on a first, second, and third place winner. Ties are not allowed. The judges are experienced men and women who have judged for the AACA and/or have judged at New Hope for years. The New Hope show organizers expect that the winning cars will be representative of the hobby’s finest.

This year’s show was held on August 8 and 9. My ’67 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr. was in attendance for the sixth time. There was an excellent turnout from both the Delaware Valley and New Jersey Chapters of the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club (AROC), and it was announced during the morning’s judges’ meeting that Alfa Romeo, with twenty-eight registered cars, was the largest class on the show field! The challenge for our chief judge, NJ Chapter President Enrico Ciabattoni, was completing the task in a timely fashion. He again had a team of four for judging, including your author, fellow NJ Chapter member Paul Mitchell, and DelVal Chapter member John Palumbo. As we have done in the past, we divided the field in two: open cars and closed cars. There were eighteen convertibles and ten coupes and sedans. Paul and I tackled the convertibles (Spiders in Alfa-speak), while Enrico and John took on the closed cars. (I should note that even though Paul, John, and I had cars on the show field, we voluntarily labeled our cars “do not judge” to avoid any appearance of impropriety.)

Just a portion of the Alfa Romeo show field

The judging went smoothly for us, and we were slowed down a little only by judging rules that require owners to be present and that require tops to be raised for inspection. In reality, Paul and I had fewer than eighteen cars, because at least four owners had marked their cars “do not judge.” After filling out our evaluation sheets, we sat down to tally the totals, and we were happy to see that we had no ties. (During the judges’ meeting, it was mentioned that during Saturday’s show, a tie score in one class was decided solely based on the cleanliness of the driver’s floor mat.)

First place, open cars: 1963 Giulia Spider, owned by Bill Beccone

Second place, open cars: 1991 Spider, owned by Bob Cooley

Third place, open cars: 1987 Spider Quadrifoglio, owned by Jeff Brown

Among the open cars, the 1963 Giulia Spider, looking like it had recently emerged from a restoration shop, was our clear first place winner. Second place went to a nicely preserved ’91 Spider, and third place to an almost-as-nice ’87 Spider. Among the tin tops, first place went to a beautiful black 1991 164 sedan, second place to a lovely blue ’72 Giulia Junior, and third place to a brilliant black 1989 Milano sedan. Interestingly, among the six winners, three were from the NJ Chapter and three from the DelVal Chapter.

First place, closed cars: 1991 164 sedan, owned by Bill DiPrima

Second place, closed cars: 1972 GT Junior, owned by Quinn deMenna

Third place, closed cars: 1989 Milano Verde sedan, owned by Maurice Arcangeli

I’ll say it again: Alfa Romeo owners are among the friendliest, most down-to-earth hobby people I know. The entire day was spent hanging with old friends and making new ones. Even though participants were competing with each other, there was no animosity displayed. The variety of cars was impressive, helped by the fact that for Alfa Romeo, unlike most other classes, all years are accepted up to 2026. We had a nice selection of Euro-spec cars, including my Junior, Quinn deMenna’s Junior, and a 916-series Spider. Overall, every car was in nice condition. I saw no corrosion on any car during my chassis inspections, which speaks to the care that these cars get. The entire day felt like a party, which is how it should be. Being part of this club is supposed to be fun, and it was!

ALFA ROMEO OPEN CARS

Classic Spiders (1966-1994)

916-Series Spider

CLOSED CARS

Classic Giulia coupes

Alfetta/GTV-6 Coupe

Modern Giulia sedans

The three NJ winners: Bill DiPrima, Bob Cooley, and Jeff Brown

Flemington, NJ, Cruise Night, June 13, 2026

June 22, 2026 RichardReina Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Jr., Car shows, Events Flemington NJ Cruise Night

The Flemington, NJ, cruise night was previously held on Main St. in downtown Flemington on alternating Saturdays. I last attended this event in 2023, and a few things have changed since then. First, the show has been relocated to Stangl Road, a supposedly quieter street for local traffic (more about that below). The second change is that it’s now held only once a month. What has not changed is the selection of a different “featured class or brand” for each cruise night. On Saturday, June 13, import vehicles were featured, and I made a late-day decision to hop into the Alfa Romeo and drive over (it’s only fifteen minutes away).

The cruise night was advertised as running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and I planned my arrival to coincide with the start time. I was taken aback with how crowded the show was at 5 p.m. As I slowly motored down Stangl Road, I was directed to the “featured cars lot,” where I managed to secure the final available parking spot. Backing in between a Triumph TR-6 and a tricked-out Hyundai Veloster, I correctly surmised that the evening’s “import cars” would include a wide variety of automobiles.

Sharing space with the other “furrin” cars

No sooner had I exited my Alfa when two fellow NJ-AACA members, John P. and Jerry P. (no relation) sauntered over. John had his beautiful ’57 Chevy Bel Air parked down the street, and Jerry placed his ’64 Pontiac Bonneville next to John’s Chevy. The three of us proceeded to amble along Stangl Road together, admiring the machinery, when we ran into Dave, another NJ-AACA member (who didn’t have a car there). It was a nice mini reunion, with lots to talk about, surrounded as we were by classic cars.

Stangl Road is lined with restaurants and retail stores, which brings its own share of traffic, but you would not refer to it as a primary thoroughfare, the way you would Main St., the cruise nights’ previous location. During my visit, Stangl Road was so crowded with pedestrians that many of us (wrongly) presumed that the road was closed to through traffic. It was not. Most drivers had the courtesy to keep their speeds low, but several wise guys wanted to show off their muscle cars. The worst offender of the night was the driver of a FedEx truck, which was attempting to speed through the area until traffic slowed him down. At that point, Jerry, a Navy veteran, leaned into the truck and gave the driver an earful, scolding him for his carelessness while there were children in the road.

I eventually made my way back to my Alfa, where several spectators engaged me in conversation about my car. The cruise night is run by Fred Beans, a large multi-franchise series of dealers throughout NJ and PA, and around 7:30, they announced that if your windshield placard was missing from your car, that meant you won a trophy. Mine was missing, and a short while later, I was presented with my trophy! What was confusing, though, is that about one-quarter of the import cars won trophies, and no explanation was forthcoming regarding how or why certain cars were chosen. Oh well, it was an honor to win. Once that part of the evening was concluded, I headed home. The Flemington Cruise Night offers a very large number of vehicles, covering the spectrum of collectability: old, new, and everything in between. It was crowded, noisy (there were TWO live rock bands playing all evening), and I’ve concluded that I prefer Somerville’s cruise night. Still, I might pay Flemington another visit (without the Alfa) later this summer.

The local Jaguar Club arrived and parked together. Below is a sample of what they had on display.

Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals, May, 2026

May 18, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events Alfa Romeo Owners Club, Carlisle Import and Performance Show

Carlisle Events held its annual Import & Performance Nationals show this year on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. The weather cooperated, with Friday starting out quite cool (45 degrees F) and breezy, but warming up by mid-afternoon. Saturday was as perfect a spring weather day as we could have hoped for.

Although not as large a show as Spring or Fall Carlisle, much of the Fairgrounds was taken over with cars, a flea market, and a car corral. A Facebook post claimed that over 2,200 vehicles were in attendance, a record for this event. As I have observed from previous visits to this show, it’s the car clubs which help drive much of the participation, as you will see below when we cover some of the specific makes.

A small contingent of members of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) caravanned to Carlisle, departing early Friday morning and spending one overnight locally so that we could enjoy both days. This worked well for us, as Friday’s turnout was light, but Saturday brought out the crowds. I saw cars continue to stream into the Fairgrounds well past noon.

I last attended this Import show in 2008, when I trailered my Isetta there. (I was also there in 1990.) It has certainly grown in the ensuing years. My seat-of-the-pants guess is that the brand with the largest turnout of cars was Volvo. Other brands with large showings included BMW, Saab, and happily, Alfa Romeo. One of the biggest surprises was the number of Opel GTs there. Asian brands taken as a whole were well-represented, including Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Acura, and Hyundai. My biggest disappointment was the poor showing from British marques: a scattering of MGs and Triumphs, a handful of Rolls Royces, one Morgan, and one Jaguar E-Type! Maybe there was a competing British car show nearby.

Another overall observation was the age of the cars. Many of the vehicles were newer and/or modified. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact, it was obvious that owners of newer cars are joining their makes’ clubs and participating in events, which is great for the hobby. Personally, I prefer seeing the older machines.

The photos below are segmented by make, with further commentary included.

VOLVO

There were a lot of Volvos, and a wide variety of models and generations as well. I saw a few each of 544s, 122s, 140s, and 240s. Many of the half-dozen or so P1800/1800E sports cars were modified. The numbers grew once we entered the decade of the ‘90s and beyond, with 850s, 900s, S/V/C 70s, and the P2 cars (S60, S80, V70, XC70). Even the newest generation of Volvos happily joined their older relatives. These Volvo owners are a loyal bunch, much of it driven by membership in the Volvo Club of America (VCOA).

BMW

The oldest BMWs that I saw were the 2002 models (sadly, no Isettas). The majority of the Bavarian Motor Works models were perhaps no more that ten years old. The BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA) is very active and likely had a hand in bringing these German cars out.

ASIAN

There was no one outstanding Asian make at the show, although the Datsun 240Z stood out for its iconic styling and its place in history as a hugely successfully model for Nissan. I was surprised, but perhaps should not have been, to see quite a few Hyundai vehicles at the show.

OPEL GT

This model launched when I was a teen, just before obtaining my driver’s license, and with its “baby Corvette” looks and attractive sticker price, I thought it might be my first car (but alas, that did not happen). Fast forward to 2026, and I was shocked to see what looked like two dozen of these lined up at Carlisle. Frankly, I would have guessed that there weren’t two dozen Opel GTs still running in the entire country! Yet here they were, and it looked like they were drawing more than their fair share of crowds all weekend. Several nice Manta coupes were there as well.

MERCEDES-BENZ

While there were not a lot of Benzes here, the few that were on display were interesting examples of the marque.

Unique color on this Mercedes Benz 230SL (Hi Mike and Barry!)

BRITISH

I don’t know if this was an aberration, or if the owners don’t think that the Carlisle Import show is for them, but the turnout was light indeed.

FRENCH

It’s always a special treat to see these quirky French cars, whose owners are as passionate as anyone else.

ALFA ROMEO

My primary reason for attending was the promise that the total number of Alfa Romeos on display would top last year’s figure of fifty, and indeed, that occurred, as it was announced that over sixty Alfas were on the field. From viewing videos of previous shows, I was prepared for the reality that, similar to some other makes, the “modern” Alfas (Giulia, Stelvio, Tonale, and 4C) would dominate, and they did. Still, we had a good turnout of classic Spiders, and some other infrequently seen models. As has become tradition, the local dealer, Faulkner Alfa Romeo, hosted a free lunch on Saturday for all Alfisti.

The caravan from the hotel to the fairgrounds

Alfa Romeo 155, a model not sold in the U.S.

OTHER ITALIAN

Fiats dominated here, which was no surprise. There were a few Lancias, a deTomaso, but no Ferraris, Maseratis, or Lamborghinis.

The 2026 NJ Region AACA Spring Meet

May 4, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events, Uncategorized Annual Spring Meet, NJ Region AACA

The New Jersey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (NJ-AACA), which is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year, has held its annual car show on the first Sunday in May for almost as long. The show’s location for an incredible fifty-three-year stretch was at the Automatic Switch Company in Florham Park, but when that business was shut down about ten years ago, other venues were sought. The club has had some difficulty finding a new “permanent” home for the show, but this year, we were able to use the grounds of a Vo-Tech school in Denville. Most everyone agreed that this location was possibly the best of the half-dozen we’ve tried since losing Automatic Switch. Let’s hope it sticks.

Another variable, and one completely out of our control, has been the weather. The annual Spring Meet has always been a rain-or-shine affair, but two of the last three years have been virtual washouts. This year, we had the desired sunshine, but it was accompanied by temperatures in the 40s and 50s, with wind gusts up to 30 MPH. Most of us were dressed for the occasion, and the show went on. I’m happy to report that I would estimate that we had close to 100 vehicles in the show, a very healthy number. (Also know that there were at least three other car shows being held at the same time within a thirty-minute ride from our show, so car owners had choices.)

The show’s variety was impressive. For those who think that the collection of, and interest in, pre-war cars is dead should attend an AACA show. There were many four-door sedans, a body style often considered “uncollectible,” and the sports car crowd would not have been disappointed in the number of domestic and import vehicles in that class. Unlike a National AACA show, the NJ Region opens its shows to both “Modern Classics,” cars 2002 and newer, and modified cars. This is done in order to encourage enthusiasts who would otherwise be shut out by AACA’s requirement that show cars be twenty-five years of age or older, and in stock condition.

I was on the judging team, paired up with another AACA member and assigned to judge the sports car class, which we enjoyed immensely. The MGA coupe took 1^st place in that category, with 2^nd place going to the Saab Sonnet. The awards ceremony started promptly at 2 p.m. and was finished in twenty minutes. With that, the 2026 edition of the NJ Region’s Spring Meet was a wrap.

PRE-WAR AND IMMEDIATE POST-WAR

FOUR-DOOR SEDANS

FULL SIZE CARS OF THE ’50s, ’60s, & ’70s

MUSTANGS

OTHER PONY CARS

SPORTS CARS

MODIFIED CARS

This year, in honor of the Region’s 75th anniversary, the show included an award for the “best 75-year-old car,” meaning, from the year 1951. But there was only one vehicle from that year at the show, and it was this heavily-modified Ford truck. So it got the award.

The newest AACA-eligible car was this 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK convertible, owned by my friend Bob. He won an award in this class.

Just some of the AACA members who worked the show from start to finish

The 2026 AACA Southeastern Spring National, Charlotte, NC

April 15, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events AACA Southeastern Spring National, Charlotte Auto Fair

As I expressed in my previous post about my first-ever visit to Charlotte’s AutoFair, Thursday’s and Friday’s visits disappointed me. The Car Corral was a complete letdown, the Flea Market held nothing of interest, the Car Club area was sparsely populated, and not one person working at the show knew the first thing about the on-site auction.

Saturday mostly made up for all of these issues. As it is officially named, the AACA Southeastern Spring National took place as scheduled, with show cars streaming into Charlotte Motor Speedway starting at 7 a.m. But there was this inaccurate statement in the show handout: “AACA Nationals Field: The show field is inside the Speedway in the Xfinity Garage and it’s totally paved.” Am I the only one who interprets this to mean that the entire show will be in the Xfinity Garage? Because that was not the case. The garage was utilized to hold the pre-war and immediate post-war vehicles, of which there were about fifty. But the remainder (another 100-150 cars) were outside, which was fine; I just wish the show organizers had been more honest.

AACA judges give this Firebird the once over

Let’s put my quibbling aside and talk about the vehicles which were there. As expected, most cars were assigned a Class based on model year and/or make and model. There were also Driver Participation Class (DPC) and Original (formerly HPOF, Historical Preservation of Original Features) Class cars. Domestic vehicles from the 1960s and 1970s dominated, and I saw cars that are infrequently spotted in the Northeast. Examples included a Chrysler TC by Maserati, a 1960 Ford Country Squire wagon, not one but two Mustang IIs, a Willys station wagon, several Toronados, and several Eldorados. Import cars were limited to a late 1990s BMW 3-series, a Ferrari 308 GTS, and a Jaguar E-Type coupe.

The charmers were inside the garage. Two 1911 cars, an Oldsmobile and a Thomas Flyer, both had brass polished to an impossible shine. Several 1930s Cadillacs and a 1940 LaSalle looked great. And there were a number of ’40s and early ‘50s Fords, each one nicer than the next.

The day started with beautiful weather, and as it got warmer, the garage provided some respite from the heat. By 3 p.m., I had taken in all that I could, and my visit to the AutoFair was done. Saturday was an early night because I intended to drive home in one day. Departing the hotel at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning, I arrived home eleven hours later. I allowed myself plenty of stops, and traffic wasn’t bad, but I was beat, and was glad to be home.

The 2026 Charlotte Auto Fair

April 13, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events Charlotte Auto Fair

Long before the Internet was a thing, I recall reading about the Charlotte Auto Fair in Hemmings Motor News. It sounded like the South’s version of Hershey, with a flea market, car corral, and car show all rolled into one. I’ve often thought about attending, so earlier this year, when my AACA magazine advertised that a National Judged Show would be part of this year’s Auto Fair, I decided to make the drive. I headed out on Wednesday morning, April 8, and overnighted in Roanoke, VA, to break up the trip. Early Thursday morning, I was back on the road, and arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 10 a.m. Finding the place was easy, there was no wait to get in, and once I forked over my $10 for parking, I was inside the Speedway.

Although I’ve never been a racing fan, I’ve always understood that NASCAR is a really big deal in the south, and stepping onto the actual track at the Speedway was awe-inspiring. The place is huge. When infield seating and standing room accommodations are included, total audience capacity is 95,000. That’s big. The map I was handed as I walked in showed me that the track’s entire infield oval, plus several fields beyond the oval, were taken up by the show.

While the flea market fields were filled to capacity with vendors on Thursday, the same could not be said for the area set aside for car clubs. There were very few cars on Thursday, and just a few more on Friday. The car club area did not completely fill up until Saturday. I wandered through the car corral both Thursday and Friday, but it was less than half full both days, and many of the cars there were late model, heavily modified, or both. (The “Hershey rule” that only AACA-eligible cars are allowed in the car corral was not in force in Charlotte.) Many asking prices were astronomically beyond reasonableness.

My map showed one building marked “Auto Fair Auction,” but when I wandered over to it, there was nothing to see: no auction cars on preview, no signage, nada. I stopped at two different information booths run by AACA’s Hornet’s Nest Region, the club responsible for the entire show, and no one knew anything about an auction. Saturday morning, I gave it one more shot, and was extremely disappointed by my findings: two old project cars, plus a small smattering of garage “junk,” and that was the totality of the items for the auction. It was not advertised, it was not promoted, and it held zero interest for me, and probably for the majority of show-goers.

Saturday’s AACA judged National Show was worth it, as there were many fine cars on display. (The write-up and photos for that show will be covered in a separate blog post.) In retrospect, attending the Charlotte Auto Fair all three days was excessive. I could have seen everything I wanted to see on Saturday. But not all was lost. I got to spend time with two long-term friends, both of whom retired to North Carolina, and that made the extra days I spent there worthwhile. Would I attend the Auto Fair again? Probably not. We will file this in the “one and done” category.

FLEA MARKET

Old car parts the way we used to search for them

CAR CORRAL

1967 Volvo 122 wagon, asking $18,000. Weber carburetor, claimed original interior.

1963 Studebaker Avanti, asking $32,500. 289 V8, auto.

1963 Citroen Camionnette, two-cylinder air-cooled engine, four-speed, FWD, many new parts, needs brake work. Sign says MAKE ME AN OFFER!

1965 Buick Riviera, rebuilt nailhead engine, $9,500 OBO

1963 Pontiac Bonneville Safari, 389 tri-power, buckets/console. No asking price shown.

Sign: “1958 Studebaker Silver Hawk. All new Chevy crate engine. Mint condition. Rare. $63,000.”

CAR CLUBS

CORVAIR

MOPAR

FORD

Falcon Ranchero (wood was added by owner, not available from the factory that year

OLDSMOBILE

HOLDEN

Impressively, the Holden Club brought many cars. I didn’t know there were this many Holdens in North Carolina, much less America! There were Chevy SSs, Pontiac GTOs and G8s, and actual Holdens (or at least converted to Holdens).

AUDI

AUCTION

The 2026 New York Auto Show

April 4, 2026 RichardReina Car shows, Events New York Auto Show

The 2026 edition of the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) held its press days on Wednesday and Thursday April 1 and 2, with the show opening to the public on Friday April 3, and closing on Sunday April 12. I again was able to convince the show organizers to provide me a press pass, and I made my way to the Jacob Javits Center on Wednesday the first.

The main floor was almost completely full this year, with a mix of displays hosted by manufacturers and dealers. As has been the case in recent years, Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai, and Kia were the dominant brands with factory support. Local dealers brought in vehicles representing BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volvo. Wednesday’s event was well-attended, as there were press conferences running almost continuously throughout the day.

The lower level was again primarily converted to a large EV test track, where one could sign up for a test ride (not drive) in the EV brand of your choice. Given the recent industry upheavals regarding electric cars, one might presume that EVs would be ignored at a show like this. But such a presumption would be incorrect. There were so many EVs at the show that I’ve broken out coverage of them as a separate section in this blog report.

CHEVROLET

General Motor’s most affordable brand was also the only GM make in attendance at the show. Chevy displayed a complete lineup of cars, trucks, and SUV’s, including a significant number of EVs (covered separately). A highlight was coming across a genuine “concept car,” which for many years had been a frequent auto show feature and has all but disappeared in recent times.

The placard read: “Corvette distilled: Pure, sophisticated sculpture- electrified vision of future Corvette hypercar.”

A 1958 Impala provided a blast from the past. “There’s still no better way to see the USA.”

FORD

Like its crosstown rival Chevrolet, Ford brought “one of each” from its vehicle lineup, with a focus on the Mustang, Bronco, and pickup trucks. The Mach-E Mustang EV is covered separately below.

NISSAN

In addition to its wide range of crossovers, Nissan showed the Z Nismo, now available with a stick shift! I do wonder if that will enhance sales of this slow-selling sports car.

The sign made me wonder, how many people in attendance know how to shift for themselves?

TOYOTA

Prius (which is still a hybrid, not an EV)

This car impressed me. This is the Corolla hatchback in its mid-level FX trim. Standard equipment includes the white wheels, a rear sport wing, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto compatibility, automatic climate control, power driver’s seat, and heated front seats. Including an $1,195 delivery charge, this car’s bottom line price came to $29,229. I thought this was a lot of car for the money.

I found this under the hood of the RAV4. SAE 0W-8 oil? I need to look that up.

SUBARU

Again occupying a significant amount of floor space, Subaru was out to highlight its many new and restyled models. But in my opinion, these new designs have crossed the line from “different” to “unattractive.” I doubt that will hurt sales, though, because the people I know who drive Subarus swear by them.

STELLANTIS

Globally, no automakers carries more brands in its portfolio, even if most of them are not sold in the U.S. Still, the domestic Stellantis lineup includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo. Their display focused on a tie-in with our country’s 250^th anniversary, but of course, that only applies to the domestic makes.

A brag board about its investment in America

DODGE

The focus here was the Charger, available as a two-door, four-door, gas, or electric.

JEEP

The Jeep display highlighted the Wrangler and its many variations. The new Recon Moab EV is covered separately below.

RAM

Mega cabs and dualies serve to overemphasize the enormity of these trucks.

FIAT

Fiat sells one model in the U.S., the 500-e EV. But for some reason, they also decided to display an old 500, which looked like you could pick it up and place it in the bed of one of the Ram trucks.

ALFA ROMEO

While I was very happy to find my favorite brand included, I was equally disappointed at the paucity of the display. There was one Tonale, one Stelvio, and no Giulia. There also was no signage to explain features, options, or pricing, although to be fair, none of the Stellantis brands exhibited explanatory signage. For a brand that is seemingly on life support, the sales and marketing effort made by the company was a big disappointment. Who’s running the show? Are they trying to sell cars? Are Alfa’s dealers up in arms about this?

HYUNDAI

I was in attendance for their press conference, where Hyundai seemingly took the industry by surprise by announcing plans to build a body-on-frame truck (“built in the U.S., using U.S. steel”). The concept, named the Boulder (note the spelling) is planned for a 2030 debut. That is a long way off, and I am left pondering how much the world can (and undoubtedly will) change between now and then. Obviously going after Jeep and Ford, I think that those customers have traditionally stuck with domestic brands. Will the typical Wrangler or Bronco shopper stop in at the local Hyundai dealer?

CLASSIC CARS

It’s become tradition in NY to set aside a small area for several classics to be displayed from someone’s personal collection. This year, the theme was Automobiles of the Great Depression, and included a 1933 Pierce Arrow, a 1935 Auburn, and a 1937 Cord.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Have you heard these numbers? GM: $7.9 billion. Ford: $19.5 billion. Stellantis: $26.2 billion. No, these are not their net profits for 2025. These are the various write-down and restructuring charges (totaling over $53 billion) each of the Big Three lost during 2025, as they turned away from EV investments due to loss of tax credits and a public still reluctant to embrace a pivot toward EVs.

Yet: GM and Stellantis had a significant focus on new and upcoming EVs at the NY show (Ford, less so). Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, Volvo, Nissan, and Polestar also had EVs on display. Recent news stories have indicated that Americans, facing rising gasoline prices, are again shopping for alternatives, including EVs, so for those in the market, the NYIAS had vehicles for their consideration. EV manufacturers who were absent included Tesla, Rivian, and VinFast.

The two major bugaboos for consumers, range anxiety and price parity, are slowly but certainly being tackled by the industry. More efficient batteries, continued investment in public charging stations, and lower priced EVs are here or coming soon. But in the short term, it remains to be seen if Americans can be weaned away from their internal combustion engine machines.

I took two test rides on the EV track downstairs. First was a ride in a Lucid Gravity, a large $80,000 SUV. I followed that with a ride in the new Chevy Bolt, a $30,000 compact SUV. Aside from faster acceleration in the Lucid, there was no other discernible difference from the passenger seat, an interesting tidbit for those who might be considering one of the more affordable EVs coming to market.

CHEVROLET

Chevy’s EV focus was mainly on the trucks: Silverado, Equinox, and Blazer. The new Bolt was there as well. The vehicles are good-looking, and pricing seems to be moving toward price-parity with the gas-engine equivalents. I’m just surprised that Chevrolet continues to style the EV versions to look different than their gas counterparts. They are holding onto the idea that an EV should not look like the gas engine vehicle of the same name.

Bolt interior (the higher trim level car)

FORD

With the demise of the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s current EV offerings come down to the Mach-E Mustang, of which there were several on display. There was absolutely no mention of the upcoming “affordable” EV pickup truck.

JEEP

The big EV news at Stellantis was the unveiling of the new Jeep Recon Moab, the “only fully electric vehicle to be Trail Rated.” The published range is 260 miles, so if you’re really going into the wilderness with this, make sure you have the juice to get back home. The starting MSRP is $65,000.

LUCID

The Lucid display was packed all day. They had the four-door Air, the Gravity SUV, and a model called the Sapphire. I had to ask a Lucid rep about the Sapphire. “Oh, that is not a separate model. That is the Air but with every single available option we could possibly add. The price on the Sapphire is $249,000, but of course, you can get an Air starting around $80,000.” This is the kind of vehicle that, right or wrong, causes Americans to think that EVs are out of their price range.

SUBARU

Subaru showed a refreshed Solterra, and a new EV called the Trailseeker. Subaru is going overboard with the black body cladding, painted and unpainted.

VW

The ID Buzz was on display, but the VW stand had nothing else regarding their EV lineup. I was hoping for a sneak preview of the Scout, but there was no mention of it.

HYUNDAI

Based on the vehicles I see on the road, Hyundai has been doing well with the Ioniq lineup of EVs. The Ioniq 9 was on display, as Hyundai smartly starts to offer the larger SUVs that Americans crave.

This styling quirk on the Ioniq 9 caught my eye. Is this a faux fender skirt??

VOLVO

This was my first look at the EX90. From twenty paces, many will mistake it for the XC90, which is the idea. I found the interior a bit too spartan, as is the case with many EVs from other manufacturers as well.

POLESTAR

I couldn’t tell if Polestar was represented by the manufacturer or by a local dealer, but looking at my photos of the display, I would guess the latter.