The first anniversary of the opening of the Rohan Recreation Center was celebrated in style on Sunday afternoon with more than 100 antique and vintage cars from seven different Villages car clubs lined in the parking lot. All of those shiny cars with their hoods up against the backdrop of a brilliantly beautiful day made for quite a spectacular sight.
Following the car show was the golf cart drive-in movie. “American Graffiti” was shown to a sellout crowd.
Also participating in the car show was The Villages R/C Car Club. Using remotes the cars ran a series of NASCAR type races for the crowd to enjoy. Club member John Cleeves described the races as “just like a real car without getting hurt.” The club meets at Rohan on the second and fourth Saturdays to race in the parking lot.
The show brought out car enthusiasts. Fernandina residents Deborah and Skip Brown thought the show was very impressive. Partial to corvettes, they were taking it all in stopping to talk to Terry Wiest who owns a 1963 red Porsche.
Two Villages Vintage Car Club members and good friends, Bill Decot and Roy Haler participated. Decot has a 1966 all-original red Mustang GT Deluxe convertible. The car has been in Decot’s family for over thirty years, he has had it for two. In addition to the shows, Haler says he take it out for exercise.
“But not to Publix, or any parking lots,” he said.
Haler’s replica, which he built himself, of a 1965 Cobra was getting a lot of attention.
“It took two years to build,” said Haler. “I started on it after I retired. I’ve always been a car guy; you know grew up in Detroit, Mom worked at Ford.”