When the last four letters of your name spell F-O-R-D, there’s a chance you could gravitate to the famed automaker for your choice of wheels.
Vernon’s Bill Hansford, 74, is the proud owner of a pheasant red 1948 Ford Fordor Super Deluxe vintage automobile. He picked it up from a fellow car club member in Kelowna, did a bit of work restoring it, and drives it around town and to other car shows, much to the delight of people who stop, gawk and wave as he’s behind the wheel of his beauty.
Hansford will proudly and prominently have his car on display Sunday, June 18, at the annual Vintage Car Club of Canada North Okanagan Chapter’s Father’s Day Car Show, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the north end parking lot at the Village Green Centre (by SportChek).
“I love it,” said Hansford of his car upon seeing it for the first time. “It’s a year older than me. I’m a 1949 issue. I thought if I can last this long, so can the car, so I bought it.”
A retired transit and professional driver for nearly 40 years in the Lower Mainland, Hansford moved to the North Okanagan in 2016. His love of vehicles started early.
“I joined Army Cadets at 14 because nobody else would let me drive,” he laughed. “At 16, I had a driving permit for all wheeled vehicles in the CAF (Canadian Armed Forces).”
His first car was a 1952 Austin A40.
“I like being in car clubs,” he said. “It’s fun going on trips to other shows, and you meet some nice people.”
Rain or shine, the Vintage Car Club Father’s Day show has become a staple in the North Okanagan. When the weather is great, they have had as many as 160 cars registered for the show. When the weather is inclement, as it was in 2022, they had 75 vehicles, but still had people swinging by throughout the four hours to look at the classics.
“Our show is very successful,” said Trevor Gill from the North Okanagan chapter. “Even the younger generation today looks at the cars and they realize how totally different they are from the vehicles on the road today.”
Registration for the show is by donation (all vehicles must be licensed or registered), and runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Admittance is also by donation. Proceeds from the event are used by the car club to help local students.
“It’s a fundraiser for us so we can make donations of needed equipment for automotive classes in the Vernon School District,” said Gill.
Food vendors will also be on-site and there will be music throughout the afternoon.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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