The La Grange Park Police Department put on its 2nd Annual Car Show on August 14, drawing 75 cars and several hundred visitors to Memorial Park.
Admission was free to visitors and owners paid $25 to show their cars and get a chance to win a trophy. All proceeds from the event went to the Special Olympics.
First place in the Muscle Car division went to Kevin Johnson, who won with his 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle.
“I feel great,” he said. “I was here last year and this is awesome.”
La Grange Park resident Kerry Joseph took second place in the Classic Car Division with his 1955 Chrysler Imperial.
“I feel terrific,” he said. “This is the second year of the show, it was nice to have it again. It was a nice night weather-wise, and a nice turnout again…to be awarded second place for this, I think it’s fabulous. I hope they keep doing this.”
Next to the park’s volleyball courts, food trucks fed the hungry, and a DJ entertained everyone with classic Rock and Blues. There was a raffle where two winning tickets let their owners split a pot of $438.
Cars entries leaned toward American-made, although there were a few foreign models, including a 1994 Mazda Miata, a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle, and a late-model Honda Civic Si.
Chevrolet Corvettes proved the most popular entry, with eight cars, the oldest being an immaculate 1959 “‘Vette”, predating the Stingray models that debuted in the 1960s. The newest was a 2024 model.
Ford Mustangs were runners-up in popularity, with three vintage Mustangs and two customized Shelby Mustangs. There were also a few Chevy Camaros — one Z-28 — and a sprinkling of Pontiac Trans Ams.
One of the Corvettes was owned by Westchester resident Pat Alden, who proudly showed off his black 1973 model.
“What I’ve done is I’ve had the engine rebuilt,” he said, “and I’ve spent enough on this car to keep it insured for between $35,000 and $40,000. I spent enough money on this that back in ’97 I could have bought the (Indianapolis 500) Pace Car.”
Alden estimated that, including the purchase price and all the repairs, he had about $45,000 invested in the car.
Lombard resident Rich Michiels showed off his 2016 Shelby Mustang.
“The reason I came here tonight is this is my brother’s car,” he said, pointing to a 60s-era Mustang in the next spot. “His son-in-law is a cop in La Grange and we come to support the Special Olympics. I was here last year. I try to go to as many shows as I can.”
Retired La Grange Park Police officer Don Barkell, who was honored in the Village’s 2023 Arbor Day Celebration, was the proud owner of the 1965 VW Beetle, saying “I still drive it all the time.” But it is for sale for $15,000.
In addition to La Grange Park officers, several Village officials were on hand, including Village President James Discipio, and Trustees Mike Sheehan, Robert Lautner, and Jamie Zaura.
“This is a great event that brings the community together for the Special Olympics cause and to raise money for the athletes,” Police Chief Tim Contois said.
He also pointed out that the Community Park District of La Grange Park had partnered with the Police Department in staging the event.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
