Nothing says
”
patriotic
”
like the jungle roar of custom classic autos revving their
engines in a gasoline-powered salute to American know-how.
Morgan Hill – Nothing says “patriotic” like the jungle roar of custom classic autos revving their engines in a gasoline-powered salute to American know-how.
Given the U.S. legacy of roadsters, buggies, compacts and jalopies, it’s no surprise local resident and car enthusiast Lou Mirviss, 68, jumped at the opportunity to organize this year’s first-ever Fourth of July “car show” and “car cruise,” scheduled to coincide with Morgan Hill’s famous Independence Day parade.
Seminal parade organizers Maureen and Bob Hunt tapped Mirviss for the job.
She was an obvious choice: For the past 11 years Mirviss has run the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Taste of Morgan Hill car show, nurturing it from a modest showcase of 30 cars to an extravaganza featuring 165 autos over a two-day period.
For this and other accomplishments, the chamber named Mirviss “Woman of the Year” in 1997.
So, how did this car enthusiast fall head-over-heels in love with autos?
“I’m from the 50’s era, so naturally I dated every guy with these cars,” she said, letting out a cheery laugh.
The July 4 car event features 90 flashy models. Many of them will cruise the parade route, starting at 9am, before parking along Monterey Road between Fourth Street and Dunne Avenue for a stationary display.
Unlike many “official” car shows, there will be no judges and no prizes on Tuesday.
But many of the entries will be just as impressive.
Expect to see a 1941 Chevy Deluxe two-door, a 1965 Chevy Corvette, a 1927 Ford Phaeton, a 1967 Shelby and a 1973 De Tomosa Pantera.
Cars you won’t see: Rust buckets.
“They’ve all been brought up-to-date,” Mirviss said. “They look just like the day they came off the assembly line.”
Mirviss, who donated her time to organize the event, relied on her personal “Rolodex” to reach more than 500 car buffs in the Bay Area with news of event.
Still, the number of entries surprised her.
“The majority of these were car people who followed me for years,” she said. “But the response was quicker than I expected.”
This won’t be the first time Morgan Hill’s Independence Day parade has featured classic rides. Typically, about 30 cars have been in the parade, Mirviss said, but never has there been something on this scale.
“I think it’s going to add a new flavor,” she said.
Mirviss is already well known among Morgan Hill’s army of Fourth of July volunteers. The 17-year resident has volunteered at the last six parades, working at the VIP tent.
Her goal this year is to teach other volunteers how to incorporate an impressive auto showcase into the Independence Day event.
