Taking the Fast Track Down Memory Lane

The cheeseburgers and fries on the window tray of the gleaming old Chevy hardtop were plastic, but the nostalgia at the 14th Annual Car Show held Sunday by the Classic Chevys of Southern California car club was genuine.

“Back when I was a teenager, I had a ’56 Chevy,” said Alan Donath, co-chairman of the event, which drew 250 classic cars. Six years ago, Donath bought another ’56 Chevy Bel Air to rekindle fond memories of growing up in the Valley in the 1950s, he said.

Other club members talked about cruising in their cars as teenagers, stopping at the Bob’s Big Boys scattered throughout the Valley and racing on Van Nuys Boulevard.

“It’s like stepping back into my teenage days,” said Eric Stalboerger, a member of the Ventura County Chevys club.

The show, held in a parking lot outside the Blue Cross of California corporate headquarters, included models from as long ago as the 1920s and as recent as the ‘80s. Owners added special touches like food trays on the windows, stuffed animals and strategically placed mirrors to show off engines and undercarriages.

“The quality of cars here is very high,” said Andy Davidson of West Hills, who was exhibiting a 1981 purple Corvette with his wife, Kelle, and their dog, Governor.

As admirers walked by, the Davidsons used a remote-control key chain to turn the engine on and off, roll the windows up and down and activate the burglar alarm, which warned, “Step back or be infected by purple!” The remote control also made the car “meow.”

Not all the cars on display were Chevys, however.

“I like Mercs,” said Brian White, of Valencia, a designer for Ford Motor Co. White and his father, Bill, were walking through the Blue Cross parking lot when they spotted a black 1950 Mercury Coupe with painted flames erupting from the grill and spreading over the hood.

“I like the styling of the Fords,” Brian White said.

The show was a benefit for the city recreation department’s Valley Regional Adaptive Program, which helps disabled people take part in activities at city parks. Officials did not know how much was raised Sunday, but last year’s event netted $5,600. --ED BOND