Time Traveling Cars At The Drive-In
- Philip Thibodeau
- Aug 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 24
Every classic car is a time machine. Not in the literal sense, perhaps: the time-traveling Delorean from Back to the Future is just a fiction, after all. Yet encountering a century-old vehicle that is as shiny and new as the day it rolled off the assembly line can trigger memories of a distant era. The noise its engine makes when it turns over can be like the sound of ancient history roaring back to life.
This past Saturday at the Southington Drive-In, a venue that is itself a relic of the 1950’s, Milldale's own Roarin’ 20’s Antique and Classic Car Club held its annual show. Visitors came to admire the dozens of vehicles lined up in the summer sun while “Hang On Sloopy,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and other oldies blasted from a stereo. The cars ran the gamut from classic muscle cars like Camaros, GTOs, and Mustangs to an ancient yet still-functioning Model T.
While the heat drove many of the exhibitors under the shade of the pavilion, Vinny DeLucia of Waterbury took the opportunity to soak up the sunshine next to his ‘Burma Green’-colored 1958 Pontiac Bonneville.
DeLucia found his car at a house in Michigan where it had sat for decades, neglected and exposed to the elements. The underbody was covered in rust, and the brake lines and transmission needed to be replaced. Yet, all things considered, it was in good shape, with just 22,000 miles on the odometer and the original owner’s manual still in the glove compartment.
DeLucia had been on the hunt for a green Bonneville to replace one he had owned as a young man. His find reminded him of the old one - and of his early years.
“It brings back memories. I used to come here to the drive-in and park in the back row with my girlfriend. We used to sit in its back seat. It’s a huge back seat, like a living room. We never saw the movie.”
“These days, though,” he joked, “I can hardly get in or out of the back seat.”
Nearby, Patrick Downey of Meriden kept watch over his candy-apple red 1969 Ford Mustang. Downey bought it right out of high school for $1,500. He does all of his own maintenance on the car and takes it out for a ride at least once a week. “It’s meant to be used,” he stressed. The vehicle was in immaculate condition. At his side, a flyer from the club advertised the show: “No Alcohol, No Pets, and No Burnouts.”
Two friends, John Tattersall of Southington (left in photo) and Allan Bradanini of Middletown, sat together under a blue tent in the company of their early Fords:
Tattersall had arrived in a Model T coupe that first rolled off the assembly line nearly a century ago, in 1926. With its four-cylinder engine the Model T’s top speed is about 35 mph. It has no odometer, and in order to measure how much fuel it contains, one has to insert a wooden ruler into the gas tank. This iconic vehicle was the oldest car at the show.
Bradanini's ride was a Model A pick-up truck that he acquired from a farm in Marlboro, CT, in 1973 for $1,100. He did the restoration work himself. The controls are all mechanical, and much simpler than those in today’s vehicles.
While all the cars on display were in good working order, their owners tend to be careful when taking them out, sticking to backroads and avoiding the congestion of local highways. Even a minor fender-bender is something to be avoided. The worry is partly financial. A well-maintained classic car can sell for well over $100,000, and replacement parts are not cheap or easy to find. But the care goes beyond simple economics: each vehicle has its own unique story to tell, and the memories it evokes are irreplaceable.
