Saturday’s Car-B-Q Classic at the Winnetu in Katama drew an all-ages crowd to the resort hotel’s front lawn, where more than 40 vintage and custom vehicles lined up for public inspection under a blue sky crossed by wandering clouds.
Saturday’s Car-B-Q Classic at the Winnetu in Katama drew an all-ages crowd to the resort hotel’s front lawn, where more than 40 vintage and custom vehicles lined up for public inspection under a blue sky crossed by wandering clouds.
Buffed paint jobs and shined-up interiors gleamed in the autumn sun and wide-open hoods showed engines clean enough to dine from, as car owners eagerly answered spectators’ questions about their cherished rides.
“They love showing off their beautiful classic cars of all shapes and sizes and colors,” said Monica Brady-Myerov, publisher of the Vineyard Gazette Media Group, which teamed up with the Winnetu to host the Car-B-Q.
Ben Ritter won best in show for his 1976 Jeep CJ-7.
Ben Ritter won best in show for his 1976 Jeep CJ-7.
Most of the entries in Saturday’s show are owned by Islanders, Ms. Brady-Myerov said.
“I think it is really special to the Vineyard that we have so many classic cars,” she said.
The Car-B-Q definition of “classic,” Ms. Brady-Myerov said, is strictly up to the entrants, with no date range specified to take part in the show. Internal combustion engines from the 20th century dominated the field, although the Winnetu displayed a new electric sedan along with the 1956 fire truck and 1931 wood-paneled jitney it uses for guest transportation.
Other one-of-a-kind appearances in Saturday’s show included a gleaming 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, with distinctive red and white graphics, entered by Grace Pinto of Sandwich; a 1975 Styger Pinzgauer truck, built in Austria for military use in the Alps, entered by Kirk Oswald of Edgartown; and Island artist Charlie Giordano’s Bugaboo, a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle he’s transformed into a post-apocalyptic survival car that literally bristles with tools and attachments.
Charlie Giordano transformed a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.
Charlie Giordano transformed a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.
Each of the 40 vehicles displayed a QR code for spectators with smartphones to vote online for best in show and runners-up.
When the ballots were counted Saturday afternoon, voters showed a preference for rugged and quirky vehicles over the many muscle cars and older classics in the show.
Islander Ben Ritter won best in show for his 1976 Jeep CJ-7, which he’s customized with a tall camper top. Mr. Ritter’s prize is $250 to spend at the Winnetu’s fine-dining restaurant, The Dunes.
First runner-up was Diogo Mandelli of Vineyard Haven, whose 1959 Willys station wagon was customized in fine-woodworking style, complete with an inset of Martha’s Vineyard. His prize: $100 to spend at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs.
Time to rev the engines.
Time to rev the engines.
James Walpole of Edgartown was second runner-up with his 1958 Nash Metropolitan, a familiar Island sight with its turquoise and white paint job and custom license plate SOUPER. He won a $50 gift certificate to Edgartown Meat and Fish.
Winnetu manager Matt Moore said the Car-B-Q was a fun way to bring families out for a day at the resort, where some employees were turning out free popcorn and cotton candy while others cooked up hot dogs and hamburgers to order.
“We were perfectly designed for an event like this — we’ve got the parking and we’ve got the space for the show, and we dialed up nice weather,” he said.
Additional Car-B-Q sponsors included Associate Roofing and Patrick Ahearn, Ms. Brady-Myerov said.
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