The Lime Rock “Sunday in the Park” Show, 2025 Edition

September 1, 2025September 7, 2025 RichardReina Car shows, Events Lime Rock Historic Festival, Lime Rock Park

We East Coasters caught a real break with the weather, as our climate moved away from the hot and humid conditions of July and August and into cooler and less humid (but still sunny) days to close out the month. This made our annual trip to Lime Rock Park on the Sunday of Labor weekend even more enjoyable. This year, two of my NJ-AROC (NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club) buddies rode along in the persons of Bob C. and Paul M., both of whom took care of all the driving! All I had to do was sit back and relax.

We arrived at the track at exactly 10 a.m., grabbed some coffee, and proceeded to the show cars. As always, there were special classes designated by the show organizers, as well as the popular “Gathering of the Marques,” populated by local clubs as well as individuals who wanted to show off their rides without preregistering for any particular class. This year, classes included the 50^th Anniversary of the BMW 3-Series, One-owner Cars, “Body Doubles” (essentially replicars), Porsche 356s, Spirit of the Roadster, Designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro, Hemi Evolution, and Classic Ferrari V12 Coupes. In other words, something for (almost) everyone.

As we began our stroll, someone tipped us off that the cars in the “Marques” section might start to leave early, so we decided to beeline to the end of the show, where we would reverse our direction and slowly take in the displays. I’m glad we did because vehicles began departing by 11:45 a.m.! This was the only disappointing aspect of the day, but we still got to see what we came for. One highlight was the larger-than-usual turnout of Alfa Romeos, including two modern 4Cs and three Zagato GT Juniors. Mustangs were out in their usual large numbers, but the BMW headcount looked a bit shrunken, especially lacking in 2002s. The Ferrari V12 coupes were my personal highlight, as it included two 330/365 GTCs, my all-time favorite model from this fabled Italian marque.

The award ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. and concluded soon after, and that’s when the real exodus started. Mental note for next year: try to arrive a little earlier and be aware that many show cars depart sooner than might be expected. We three decided to tour the paddocks, as we were in no rush to hit the road, finally getting underway about 3:30 p.m. Except for some unexpected traffic on the NYS Thruway, the drive up and back was a joy. Lime Rock’s Labor Day Sunday show is a permanent event on my calendar.

ONE OWNER CARS

A more careful reading of some of the placards on cars in the class revealed that several of them are “one-family owned,” slightly different than “one owner.”

I normally don’t spend a huge amount of time around 356s, but this color was particularly attractive

The BMW Z1 was never officially imported into the U.S.

The Z1’s most unique feature is its sliding doors

This one-off Alfa features a handmade body of the owner’s design, sitting on a chassis from a 1930s Alfa.

This class disappointed me, not for its cars, but for its paucity, although I suspect that a few cars in this class may have departed before I got to this display.

1981 VW Scirocco (with my friend Alicia)

CLASSIC FERRARI V12 COUPES

The Ferrari 330 GTC (later renamed 365 GTC when its engine was enlarged) has a shape which has charmed me since I first saw a photograph of one in a magazine as a thirteen-year-old. This year I was honored to find two of these on display, one in classic red and the other in Pino Verde (pine green).

THE GATHERING OF THE MARQUES

ALFA ROMEO

OTHER ITALIAN

Yes, this Chrysler TC by Maserati was parked with the Italians. Who am I to argue?

1980 Ferrari 308 GTB, Euro spec with carbs and small bumpers

LORENZO’S 308 GT4

Fellow NJ-AROC member Lorenzo proudly showed his unrestored Ferrari 308 GT4 in the “Barn Find and Unrestored” class. He performed significant mechanical reconditioning to make it roadworthy, and he’s doing his best to preserve the original lacquer paint.

BRITISH

GERMAN

AMERICAN

PARTING SHOTS

The Lime Rock “Sunday in the Park” Car Show, Sep. 2024

September 2, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Historic Festival 42, Lime Rock Park

While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end to the summer season, there are still plenty of classic car shows to attend before things shut down for the winter. And what better way to kick off this segment of the year than by attending Lime Rock Park and its Historic Festival 42 (as in “now in its 42^nd year”). As I did last year, I rode up to the event with my friend and fellow Alfa-owner Tony, and we were rewarded with great weather and a great display of cars. To my eyes, compared to last year’s slightly disappointing turnout, this year’s vehicles were more numerous and more varied.

As always, the vehicles arranged on the track can be broken into two large groups: the Featured Classes, and the Gathering of the Marques. The Featured Classes are pre-arranged, and one must apply to have one’s vehicle accepted. The Gathering of the Marques is open to any spectator with paid admission, provided that their car’s marque is one on display.

No one featured class stood out for me; rather, it was a nice assortment of pre-war, post-war, domestic, and import vehicles. For the Gathering of the Marques, I found the Italian brands, especially Fiat and Alfa Romeo, to exhibit stronger than usual showings.

AMERICAN

1964.5 Mustang, claimed to be wearing all-original paint

1935 Chrysler Airflow

A ONE-OWNER ’67 GTO

The gentleman representing this car claimed that he bought it brand new in 1967 when he was 22 years old. The car has 7x,000 miles on it, and he further claimed that it was 100% original: paint, chrome, upholstery. The car looked stunning. He special ordered it with Tri-Power and without PS, PB, or A/C. On top of all this, he owns 15 other GTOs!

BRITISH

1930 MG

GERMAN

FRENCH

Renault Alpine

VOLVO

FIAT

Fiat 1500 OCSA

A BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED ’69 FIAT 124 SPORT COUPE

Ever since buying one as a 20-year-old, I have had a soft spot for the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. Terminal rust has killed 90%+ of them, and it’s an incredible treat when one pops up at a show. This ’69 (first-gen car with the single headlamps) stopped me in my tracks, as it looked almost perfect. I spoke at length with the owner who told me he bought it 8 years ago, then spent 7 years restoring it, so it’s been finished for only about a year. He had two cars and took the best parts of each to create one car. All mechanical work was performed by him, with only the body and paint work farmed out, although the body shop had the shell for 3 years. I asked about sheet metal availability, and he said that this car needed a complete floorpan. Doing some research, he discovered that the 124 4-door sedan and the 124 coupe had the same wheelbase. The 124 sedan was built in large numbers under license as a Lada in both Poland and Russia, so parts availability in these former Soviet-bloc countries was good. He found an aftermarket floorpan for the sedan offered by a Ukrainian company, and with some trepidation, ordered it. It arrived, and to everyone’s glorious surprise and relief, it dropped right into place!

ALFA ROMEO

The “Juniors” (smaller engines, fewer features) were never officially imported into the U.S., so seeing one is a rare treat, although they are around. My ‘67 of course, is a Junior, privately imported in 1967. While I’ve seen a small handful of other Juniors at Alfa shows, I’ve never seen one in the same colors as mine, that is until I saw this 1968 model, one year newer. Other Junior owners have challenged certain features on my car, claiming that all Juniors have two-spoke wheels (mine is a three-spoke), and only one “Designed by Bertone” badge on the front fenders (I have two, one on each side). This Lime Rock Junior had the same steering wheel as my car but only one “Bertone” badge. Most interestingly, it had a grey dash without the vinyl “wood” applique which my car has. I’ve only seen the grey dash on pre-1967 coupes. I think, as others have hinted at, that the factory assembly process was simply not always that precise.

GRILLE EVOLUTION

ADDENDA

This Fiat 500 was spotted on Main St. in Somerville NJ parked between a Porsche and a Mercedes-Benz. You could fit THREE 500s into that parking spot!

The 2011 Lime Rock Vintage Car Show

January 14, 2024 RichardReina Car shows, Events Lime Rock Park, Sunday in the Park

Continuing with my winter photo cleanup, I came across these film photos which I’ve never published, taken at the 2011 Lime Rock vintage car show. I have no specific recollection of attending, and I mention that only because the pictures show a light turnout of show vehicles, which I cannot explain. My photo quantity is also light, likely because I started the day with a partially consumed roll in my camera and did not have more film with me. Still, the vehicles on the field were attractive and varied, bearing out my long-held opinion of Lime Rock as one of the few places in the Northeast to spot rare and unusual machinery.

Ownership of my first Alfa was still 2 years away, yet my long fascination with the marque is borne out by this photo.

This gorgeous Fiat 850 Spider is an early car, as evidenced by its glass-covered headlights, a treatment that would soon be replaced by exposed sealed beams.

I was attracted to the color combination of this big-bumper Fiat 124 Spider.

A couple of old and rare Fiat station wagons. Note the suicide driver’s door on the blue car.

Ferrari Daytona

I never pass up an opportunity to photograph the eternally beautiful Jaguar XKE.

The bump in the hood (and the license plate) inform us that this is an MGC, with an inline 6 under that hood.

Spotted in the paddock: a Ford/Lotus Cortina in the middle of an engine swap.

An NSU Wankel Spider, with a rear-mounted rotary engine.

A very clean and nicely restored Volvo 1800S.

The Lime Rock “Sunday in the Park” car show, Sep. 2023

September 4, 2023 RichardReina Car shows, Events Lime Rock Park, Sunday in the Park

Another Labor Day weekend, and another trip to Lime Rock Park for their vintage car weekend. The signage at the track made it clear that “Historic Festival 41” marks the 41^st year for this treasure. As I have related in previous posts, racing is done on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, with Sunday racing banned by local ordinance (to give the locals a break from the noise). Cleverly, this becomes an excuse for the track to host a car show known as “Sunday in the Park”. I’ve been attending for over 30 years, and Lime Rock never fails to disappoint with the uniqueness and quality of the motor vehicles on display. Along with Greenwich, I consider it one of the premier car shows in the Northeast.

There were a number of featured classes again this year, and two which stood out for me were the letter-series Chrysler 300s, and the pre-war MGs. The 300s on display were stunning, but I was disappointed in the small number of vehicles. The factory produced them from 1955 through 1965, but only a few of those model years were represented. Conversely, the display of pre-war MGs was plentiful. I had remarked in my recent New Hope post that one of the highlights was a ‘30s MG; at Lime Rock, there were close to a dozen such vehicles. Given that they were never officially imported into the States, I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

Other specialized classes included Chrysler concept cars, Japanese performance cars, and American station wagons (which basically duplicated the wagons on display at Greenwich in June). And as we have seen every year for the past decade or so, the “Gathering of the Marques” gives owners of interesting daily drivers a chance to park with cars of the same make and/or model around the track. Sightings included groups of Corvettes, Volvos, Miatas, BMWs, Alfas, and Fiats among others. But large swaths of the track were empty this year. Notable by their absence were large-scale representations of Shelby Mustangs, BMW 2002s, and domestic vehicles of any brand. At previous shows, the Shelby Mustangs alone numbered in the dozens, driven by strong club support. I’m not sure why the turnout was low; I’m just hoping that this is not a sign of diminished participation in car shows in general.

The entire day was sunny and it got quite warm by late morning, with the temps hovering just under 90 degrees F. The round-trip was greatly helped by my friend Tony, he of the NJ Alfa club, who assisted with the driving both directions, and was great company for the entire day. We got to the show just before 10am, and were headed home by 2pm, with the heat having gotten to both of us. Lime Rock is a Labor Day tradition which I plan to continue as long as possible!

CHRYSLER 300 LETTER CARS

The canted headlights were a feature of all ’61 and ’62 Chryslers

CHRYSLER CONCEPT CARS

No signage accompanied this car above. I thought it was the Thunderbolt, but Google shows a 2-door with a retractable hardtop for that one. Can anyone identify this car?

PRE-WAR MG CARS

JAPANESE PERFORMANCE CARS

Honda (not Acura) NSX, JDM spec. Note RHD

1992 Mazda RX-7 Efini Type R, JDM spec. Note RHD

GERMAN CARS

BMW Isetta, original aside from one repaint

BRITISH

VOLVO

FIAT

This 1st series Fiat 124 Sport Coupe (“AC” in Fiat-speak) is the single-headlight version from the late ’60s. It was spotted in the paddock.

1973 124 Sport Coupe, 3rd series (“CC” in Fiat-speak)

Chrome-bumper 124 Spider next to most recent gen (coined “Fiata” due to shared platform with Miata)

LANCIA

ALFA ROMEO

Giulietta Spider motors past Italian brethren

The 2014 Lime Rock Vintage Race Weekend

December 26, 2022 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park

In 2014, for the first and (so far) only time, I traveled up to Lime Rock for their Labor Day Vintage Race Weekend and took advantage of the ‘Gathering of the Marques’, which allows owners of certain automobiles to put their cars on display. That year, I drove my Mazda Miata to the show, and although I still had to pay full price to enter, I was allowed to circle the track, find the Miata group, and park with them.

There were several special treats this year, including displays of Fiat 500s, Fiat Abarths, and a personal appearance from famed race car driver Sir Stirling Moss. As is typical for Lime Rock, some of the cars in the parking lot are just as interesting as the ones in the show, and the paddocks are open to allow spectators to roam freely (but no touching!).

Another unique element to my visit is that I stayed overnight locally, which enabled me to take in some racing action. Photographing speeding vehicles is an art unto itself, and one that I need to practice more. Nevertheless, I was able to fire off a few shots of cars at speed that I trust my readers will find of interest.

ITALIAN

MY MIATA

BRITISH

My dear friends Ann Marie and Dennis Nash, with their Bentley. They both have passed on.

GERMAN

Mercedes-Benz 300SLs; note tail light differences between coupe and roadster

SIR STIRLING MOSS

RACING!

Lime Rock Park Vintage Race Weekend, 1990

December 11, 2022 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park

I’m almost certain that 1990 was my first visit to Lime Rock Park in Salisbury CT for its Labor Day Fall Festival weekend. The tip likely came from a fellow employee at Volvo Cars North America. The racing photos prove that this visit was either the Saturday or the Monday of that weekend, as by local ordinance, there is no racing allowed on Sunday. My recollection is that I “took a ride” just to see what I might see, and I did indeed stumble upon something wonderful.

Judging by information on the www.limerock.com website, the Vintage Racing weekend would have been in its eighth year in 1990, meaning we were there near the beginning of it all. Paying guests are allowed to wander throughout the paddocks, and my photos reflect an interesting variety of classic machinery, some of it quite valuable in 2022. For instance, the red Jaguar XK-120 would have been worth around $50,000 in #2 condition (according to my 1990 copy of Krause’s Standard Catalog of Imported Cars). My most recent copy of the CPI (Cars of Particular Interest) Value Guide shows that same car valued today at $165,000. That Maserati 3500 GT Coupe is pinned at $15,000 by Krause in 1990; CPI says today’s value is closer to $225,000. Want to take a guess on the BMW 507? According to the respective value books, in 1990: $105,000. In 2022: $2.3 million. Among these 3, the 507 wins the ‘percentage increase’ contest. If only we had a crystal ball….

This initial visit lit a flame in me that burns to this day. Especially in more recent years, I’ve almost never missed a visit to Lime Rock during Labor Day weekend, although, as I’m not a big racing fan, my visits are almost always to attend the “Sunday in the Park” static car show, about which I’ve posted numerous times (2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017). While Lime Rock is not on the beaten path, it’s worth going out of your way for it if you have not been there.

Messerschmitt on trailer, probably in the car corral

Lime Rock Park, Labor Day Sunday Concours, 2022

September 5, 2022 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Historic Festival, Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park

It’s three hours to the minute to drive door-to-door from my home in central New Jersey to the gates of Lime Rock Park, in the rolling hills of northwest CT. The long ride is worth it, as proven by my almost-annual pilgrimage to this, likely my favorite East Coast car show, which I’ve been attending since the 1990’s. What makes the Labor Day Weekend Sunday Concours so special? It’s the quality and variety of the vehicles on display. I’m a regular at Carlisle, Hershey, Macungie, Mecum Harrisburg, Greenwich, and various AACA events in my area. Yet Lime Rock always manages to create displays of automobiles I almost never see anywhere else, and, they do it without dragging out the same vehicles year after year.

I will let the photos act as my ‘evidence’, and I dare you to disagree!

The Lime Rock crew does a nice job segregating vehicles based on age and country of origin. In addition, there are always special classes each year.

This rarely-seen Alfa Romeo 2600, with an inline 6-cylinder engine, was resplendent in its burgundy paint with red interior.

The Trans Am pony cars were the featured vintage racecars of the weekend.

The GM Heritage Collection brought a number of rare and valuable Corvettes to the show. The star among them for me was the Mako Shark. The sign omits any mention of the fish being painted to match the car 😉 . (If you don’t know the story, you can read it here.)

Nice to see one with blackwalls, as it might have worn when new

Hudsons, stock and in race livery

THE WORLD’S ONLY VOLVO 142GT?

This fellow Dave talked my head off, but, he was passionate and knowledgeable beyond belief. The car’s trunk was full of authentic VOA (Volvo of America) catalogs of racing parts, many of which were installed on his car. He started with a rust-free 1971 142, which he completely restored to the way he wanted it. Along the way, he added a competition cylinder head, dual Solex carbs, a GT grille with fog lights, a GT dash cluster, accessory wheels, “142 GT” emblems, and much more. He estimated that the engine is putting out about 180HP. He name-dropped Mitch Duncan and Bob Austin along the way, so he seemed credible. In essence, he built a hot-rod 142E, using 100% factory parts.

FIAT MANIA!!!

A rare (and valuable) Ferrari 288GTO

More German cars

Jaguar E-Types (called XKE in America) were another featured model

JAGUAR E-TYPE SPOTTERS GUIDE

Series 1 cars were built from 1961-1967. They are distinguished by their glass-covered headlamps, with front signal lamps and rear lamps mounted above the bumpers. At first, there were two body styles: FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) and OTS (Open Two-Seater). In 1966 a lengthened model called the 2+2, with a tiny rear seat, was added. The Coupe can be distinguished from the 2+2 from the side. Make note of the length of the door glass and rear quarter glass. In the Coupe, the two are roughly equal. In the 2+2, the door glass is notably longer.

Series II cars were built from 1968 part-way through 1971. (Some 1968 cars have a combination of Series I and Series II features and are sometimes referred to as “Series 1.5”. We will not get into the distinction here.) Series II cars have exposed headlamps. The grille opening is slightly enlarged, but still only wears a single horizontal bar. Front signal and rear lights are mounted below the bumpers. Side marker lights were added to U.S. models. The 3 body styles, FHC, OTS, and 2+2, continued.

NOTE: All Series I and Series II cars had smooth (non-flared) wheel well openings, and all were powered by Jaguar’s inline 6-cylinder engine, although displacement increased from 3.8L to 4.2L.

Series III cars were built from mid-1971 through 1974, the final year for the E-Type. There were some major changes: the only available engine was now a V-12. The 2+2 continued, and the convertible was now built on the longer wheelbase of the 2+2, making an optional automatic transmission available in all body styles for the first time. The shorter Coupe body style was discontinued. The grille opening was made larger still, and received an eggcrate insert. Front and rear fender flares were added (the flares can be the easiest way to distinguish between Series II and Series III cars from a distance).

The Tesla charging stations remained vacant all day on Sunday

Lime Rock Fall Vintage Car Show, 2013

May 22, 2022 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park

Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, will always signify the Lime Rock Park Fall Vintage weekend to me. Since first discovering the event in the early 1990’s, I’ve made it my mission to attend the “Sunday in the Park” portion, the static car show on the track itself, every year if possible.

Perusing my picture archives uncovered photos of breathtaking automobiles from the 2013 event which have not been posted by me yet. The sky is very overcast in all the pictures, and while I have no memory of the weather from that day nine years ago, the clouds created a wonderful umbrella of diffused light for my camera.

Italian vehicles comprise the majority of the shots, including two unusual trucks. I may have had Italian cars on my mind more than usual, having purchased my 1967 Alfa Romeo just six months prior. There are several British and Swedish marques represented as well. Lime Rock is not an easy ride for me: it’s close to three hours each way, yet it will always remain a must-see event, time and weather permitting.

Links to my posts from visits in 2007, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 can be accessed by clicking on the underlined.

Ferrari 330 GTC, an ATF regardless of price

This Ferrari’s interior is so beautiful I didn’t even take an exterior shot

Above: 3 views of a Cisitalia cabriolet

Above: Ferrari 275 GTB/NART

Above: An unusual Alfa Romeo van; note “Romeo” script on nose

Not to be outdone, here is a Fiat van with Maserati badges

Above: a pair of Swedes, Volvo 1800 on the left, and SAAB Sonett on the right

Hood bulge marks this as an MG-C, with inline 6 powerplant underhood

Above: another ATF is this Fiat Dino coupe, powered by a Ferrari V6. Front end bears strong similarity to my Fiat 124 Sport Coupe.

Lime Rock Sunday in the Park Classic Car Show, 2012

February 27, 2022 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park, Sir Stirling Moss

Every Labor Day weekend, Lime Rock Park, a racetrack set in the western Berkshires of Connecticut, hosts The Vintage Fall Festival (the name has gone through some permutations over the decades). Classic race cars of old battle it out on the tarmac on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, while on Sunday (when racing is prohibited by local ordinance), the track is repurposed to feature some of the finest classics in the Northeast.

I’ve been attending the Sunday event for years and have posted stories about my previous adventures: finding my 1967 Dodge Dart convertible here in 1991, displaying the Isetta in 2020, and attending in 2007, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The 2012 event featured “The Race Cars of Stirling Moss” and also featured Sir Stirling himself. I managed to shake the great man’s hand and watch him present awards in the afternoon. Other than that, it was just another day at Lime Rock….

**Sometimes the parking lot is as interesting as the show field**

Red Italian cars are a sign that you’re in the right place:

**’63 Split Windows look good in any color**

This little Honda drew lots of attention: make note of that redline!

More Italians, this time, some colors other than red:

**A gorgeous face which has inspired many**

Sir Stirling Moss spent most of the afternoon presenting trophies and awards to deserving recipients:

The 2007 Lime Rock Labor Day Vintage Car Show

November 13, 2021 RichardReina Car shows, Events Fall Vintage Weekend, Lime Rock Park

I’ve written about Lime Rock Park, specifically its Labor Day weekend Fall Festival, on several previous blog posts. My 1967 Dodge Dart GT convertible was discovered there in 1991, my BMW Isetta was shown there in 2000, and I filed contemporaneous reports in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

**This pre-war beauty is perfectly framed under the overpass**

Perusing some old photos, I came across pictures that I snapped on my 2007 visit. That’s too long ago for me to have specific memories, however, the photos reveal that the day was bright and sunny, and when the weather cooperates, Lime Rock is one of the best vintage automotive events on the East Coast.

**The track is truly in a park-like setting**

There is actually one memory worth noting: these snaps were taken with a film camera, likely my Nikon EM, and likely with Kodak Gold ISO 100 or 200 film. I tweaked the brightness and contrast on a few of them, but other than that, their rich color stands out to me. Enjoy the shots!