Dennis and June Duncan jumped at the chance to buy back an old friend.
The Duncans, a pair of vintage car enthusiasts from Coldstream, and members of the Vintage Car Club of Canada, North Okanagan chapter since 1991, bought a 1957 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket 88 from a friend on Vancouver Island in 1991, and spent the next two years restoring the car.
“We sold the car in 1997 to a company in Burnaby called Magic Moments, who sued the car for chauffeur and entertainment services, utilizing actors to drive the cars,” said Dennis.
The Duncans actually borrowed the car for their daughter’s wedding in 2000, then bought it back from Magic Moments two years later.
The Rocket 88 is a four-door hard-top with a 371 cubic inch engine, 277 brake horsepower, four-speed Jet-A-Way transmission with power steering and power brakes. It was the last Olds to race in the NASCAR circuit, driven to victory by the likes of Lee and Richard Petty.
The Duncans’ ‘57 Olds will be among the vintage cars and vehicles on display for auto enthusiasts and others to admire at the Vintage Car Club North Okanagan chapter’s 23rd annual Father’s Day Car Show Sunday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the north end parking lot at the Village Green Centre.
“Our car received the Sponsor’s Choice Award in the South Shuswap Car Show in 2012,” said Dennis. “In 2014, the car received the People’s Choice Award in the annual Rocket Round Up Car show in Olds, Alta.”
Registration for exhibitors is free and can be done prior to the show, starting at 9 a.m. A vehicle must be at least 25 years old to be considered vintage.
Admission to the show is by donation and there will be food vendors on site.
Some of the proceeds from the show will be donated by the club back to the community. Last year, the club gave $2,000 to a pair of Vernon School District secondary school trade classes.
The Vintage Car Club of Canada has 24 chapters throughout B.C. with about 2,400 members.
“One of the main objectives of our club is to assist in the acquisition, restoration, preservation, salvage and maintenance of, and to promote interest in, motor vehicles of ancient age, their accessories, historic lore and associated items,” said Dennis.