By the time you read this, we will be at the beginning of June, but I am writing this toward the tail end of April. Deadlines in the printing world are a funny thing. We work so far ahead of time, it is often hard to distinguish between the seasons and to plan for yearly happenings, as a result of these unusually long deadlines. Anyway, I have just left the Fabulous Fun Ford Weekend, held every year at the beautiful Knott's Berry Farm theme and amusement park in Buena Park, California.
This show was not so much about Ford trucks and SUVs, as it was more about the entire Ford heritage itself; and it had probably more than 1,000 vehicles on hand from every make and model. There was the super-rare Ford Cobra 00001 to the not-so-rare and brand-new Ford Edge. However, it was walking around the aisles of vehicles that often made me reflect upon my childhood and all of the way-cool vehicles I had once fantasized about. Which got me to thinking, I can't be the only person who attends these events and reminisces about simpler times and less pressure, who dreams of hitting the road in some drop-top convertible, or some other classic car or truck which I had always wanted but never could afford.
I know I'm not alone. With show names such as "Blast from the Past," these organizers are certainly playing to that theme. Musical genres from the '50s, '60s, and '70s reigned supreme and filled the air. When I walked around admiring the vehicles and heard others walking by, the conversations always went something like this, "I remember so-and-so, who had this cool '57 Ranchero back in high school." Or in my case, a little more timely, "I remember this guy who had the coolest tubbed '68 Camaro in high school." That was back when the Pro Street movement was cool. Man, I thought that car was so cool...despite knowing the thing was in primer and constantly broke down. But those nights at the local In-N-Out burger stand were where we all congregated before peeling off to hit the local street-race scene, which formed my many memories of what I thought the car culture was all about.
It is our love affair with the automobile that often fuels our passion. We spend more time in it, thinking about it, and caring for it than, in some cases, the true loves we should be spending our time and affection on-our families or our kids. But our automotive affairs are what we most dream about, right, wrong, or indifferent. Heck, without these auto motive affairs, myself and the rest of the dedicated people working for Truckin' magazine wouldn't have jobs. So, thank you for dedicating your own passion to our experiences, because without it, we would be unemployed.
Getting back to my Knott's Berry Farm Ford experience: All I can say is, thank you for attending and making sure to preserve the same reminiscent quality for the next generation, because the people who may look in mock horror at us for completely modifying new trucks and SUVs are those same people who now roll into these events in their '50s-, '60s-, and '70s-style classic cars and trucks. We may be them in 30-40 years, when the next generations are driving in their 2025 Ford Mustangs or Edges. That is, if these vehicles and makes will even exist in 18 years. Who knows, the names of our events, such as Showdown, Havoc, and Forbidden Fantasy, may seem like just the oldest and most inappropriate names ever.
Until next month, enjoy the fruits of our labors and be sure to hit up a local car, truck, or rod show. You'll be glad you did.