ONCE A CLASSIC, ALWAYS A CLASSIC
2017 Monrovia Auto Show - Where the Classics and the Hot Rods Come to Show-Off

Writing and Photography by Sean Speer An unspoken element of nearly all classic car shows these days is that there are more than a few vehicles in each that gain entry because they are either a survivor or someone put some ungodly amount of money and man-hours into perfecting a car that got nowhere near that level of attention when new.  This is not a knock on peoples values; truly there is a car for everyone and no one should dismiss someone else's pride & joy.  Still, some vehicles may not be as awe-inducing as some owners think they should be.

Fortunately, there are also a few cars that show up to each show that you know were special when they were first built, were treated as such throughout their lives, and sometimes have been lovingly reborn through the restoration process.  Such was the Best-In-Show winner at this years Monrovia Car Show.

Local Monrovian Fred Bowden purchased his 1937 Lincoln K-Model LeBaron Coupe from a good friend a mere six months ago.  The car had just undergone a complete resto-modification; replacing the drivetrain and undercarriage components with modern gear but otherwise restoring the body and interior to the highest standards.  "My friend in Arizona was the one that actually had the work done on the car, and then I bought it from him when it was finished.  But I'm not afraid to take the credit it for it!" said Fred.

F.This is the only one of the 25 with a Landau top, custom built by Marcel."

Towards the end of my talk with Fred, I tried to catch a picture of him with his object of affection.  Unfortunately we had to exercise a measure of patience since people kept entering the frame to take a closer look.  "I guess we've got a fan club already," noted Fred.  If so, then the show judges must be considered charter members. Check out the gallery of scenes from the 2017 Monrovia Car Show. [nggallery id=602]