Village News - Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Sunshine broke through San Diego County’s May gray last Sunday (May 28), much to the delight of the thousands of car enthusiasts who gathered at Pala Mesa Resort for the 52nd annual Fallbrook Vintage Car Show.

“It went really well,” said Doug Allen, chair of the 2017 show. “I think everyone had a great time, and our staff was thrilled with how everything went. The cars were great, the music was great and the flyover was a really big highlight.”

A military flyover featuring T-34s and the Fallbrook High School band performing the national anthem kicked off the car show. Then, three trumpeters from the band played Taps while the planes flew over in the missing man formation.

“The missing man formation was to honor the veterans that are not with us anymore,” said Allen.

Allen estimated a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 attended the event, which showcased 477 classic vehicles, including eight DeLoreans, the featured car this year. Among the other cars lined up were Brass Era vehicles as well as Woodies, Thunderbirds, Corvettes and an array of foreign sports cars.

Steve Wells, left, and Mike Garcia view the intricate engineering of a Brass Era 1913 Pierce-Arrow Raceabout on display at the Fallbrook Vintage Car Show.

In addition to checking out the cars, visitors perused items from vendors at the swap meet and at Restoration Road, an area dedicated strictly to car-related products and services.

“Restoration Road was a big success,” said Allen. “It drew a lot of interest on that side of the field. It had a lot of people all day."

Awards were presented at the end of the show and Best of Show honors went to: Penn Lenson, Stock Car, 1949 Willys; Gary and Lezie Smith, Modified, 1932 Ford Roadster (Deuce Coupe). Other awards included Miss Fallbrook’s Choice: Carla Niles, 1965 Ford Mustang; Honorary Mayor’s Choice: John Williams, 1955 Chrysler Imperial.

The Fallbrook Vintage Car Show is put on by the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club, which uses proceeds from the event to help local non-profit organizations.