By CRAIG HIGGINS
The Progress
I don’t need no used car,
I got a brand-new Cadillac,
“Can’t Tear It Up Enuff”
by the Fabulous Thunderbirds
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A surge in the pandemic and a chilly forecast, couldn’t tamp the spirits of enthusiastic car fans who attended the 2022 Motor Mania in Mesquite last weekend. Throughout the weekend, a large crowd of people wandered amongst an embarrassment of riches for the true car enthusiast that awaited them in the parking lot across the street from the Casablanca resort.
Motor Mania is a fourteen-year-old auto-extravaganza, and is sponsored by the resort. Around 900 cars are shown every year, with owners competing for $15,000 in prizes.
In an interview conducted prior to the show, Casablanca event coordinator Christian Adderson laid out the appeal of Motor Mania, and the economic benefits it brings to the community. “If you look across the town of Mesquite, every hotel around town is sold out this weekend,” he said.
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Adderson also reflected on the role the city plays in hosting the event. “Mesquite shows its hospitality and the Casablanca is happy to be part of that,” he said. “What better place than Mesquite to have those people (car fans) come together?”
And come together, they did.
Walking along the rows of candy-colored entrants revealed decided trends in what constitutes a classic car, which not surprisingly varied in the eyes of the owner.
While the selection of vehicles spanned every era of motor madness from pre-World War I (more on that later) to modern models, a trend of cars from the 1950s to 1970s prevailed. Classic sock-hop-era Fairlanes, Thunderbirds, and Impalas vied for space with “pony car”-styled early Mustangs for space on the asphalt. Many of these beauties were restored to factory showroom quality, with gleaming paint jobs and spotless chrome. Others featured expertly-modified customizations including lowered chassis and lush upholstery.
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This event definitely attracted a committed crowd, many of whom knew and enjoyed the company of their fellow car hounds. A collegial, almost family environment was noted by numerous fans and contestants. These are people who enjoy showing off their cars and their knowledge of engine blocks and customization techniques.
Off to the side numerous booths and truck displays offered everything from high-quality flannel shirts and turquoise jewelry to plate metal posters and neon signs. The discerning event-goer could also acquire vintage parts and accessories from a set of bins without waiting out the hordes on eBay.
A strong undercurrent of patriotism girded the event – several cars featured tributes to first responders. One 80’s-era Mustang sported a police-car motif and “death-proof” steel-reinforced cage along the interior.
Dogs played their part, too – numerous pit bulls, mastiffs, and Australian heelers followed their owners around, grateful grins plastered on their canine faces. One inspired pit bull used the rough concrete as a back-scratcher to the amusement of her humans.
Out of all the cars on the lot, perhaps the biggest and boldest entry was an elegant customized model inspired by the legendary 1910 Fiat S76 “Beast of Turin”, an ancient Italian roadster which once held the unofficial record for world’s fastest car.
The “Beast” shown at Motor Mania was brought back to life by renowned vehicle restorer George Wales of Woodland Hills, CA.
Wales energetically explained how he took what had been the husk of an old fire truck and transformed it into what could best be described as a worthy competitor to Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang.
“If you smiled when you saw it (the “Beast”), we won,” Wales said.
While Wales’s rebuild includes the original bicycle-like chain drive which powered the rear wheels to the S76, he did add modern necessities such as front brakes and power steering to his Beast.
He called the fire-engine red vehicle a “salute to the great racing cars of the heroic age.”
A trip to the back lot afforded an opportunity to see some of these vehicles in action. As the name implies, slow drags are races where a pair of drivers compete to see who can pull their jalopy across the finish line the slowest – no braking is allowed, and spotters follow the cars, checking to ensure their feet are off the pedals. A small crowd on bleachers across from a concrete barrier cheered these sluggish competitors to victory.
But the crowd saved its biggest reaction for the burnouts. A burnout is an event where a single driver puts on their parking brake while simultaneously bumping the accelerator and regular brake pedals to make the rear wheels spin wildly. The roar of the big-block engines mixed with the grinding of burnt rubber to kick up a ruckus which filled the air with torrential columns of smoke. The winner of this event managed to somehow make her tires’ exertions a pinkish hue – her cloud resembled a giant bulb of cotton candy.
Later, the sun fell in the sky and the crowds dissipated. Laid along one side of the Casablanca parking lot was a row of Tesla charging stations, empty now but ready to fill the electrical gullets of roadsters from an age to come.
Will these someday rival the affections bestowed upon their steel-and-chrome ancestors?