Vehicle passion on display at local car show

Sherry Carrell of Casa Grande has a passion for old cars.

Sitting in a lawn chair on a shaded walkway Sunday at Maricopa High School, Carrell stared through her sunglasses and watched over her shiny blue 1939 Chevrolet Coupe.

“It’s one of those things you just fall in love with,” Carrell said.  

Carrell and her husband Larry were among more than 50 car owners who parked their classic vehicles in a grassy outdoor plaza on the school’s west side. The second annual Show and Shine Car Show drew car enthusiasts from around the Phoenix area and produced a diverse vehicle line-up including low riders, buggies, Camaros and squeaky-clean classics like Carrell’s Coupe.

“Each and every one has a different personality,” she said.

Event organizer Mike Conner, an auto/welding teacher at Maricopa High School, said the show helps support and builds awareness for the school’s Career and Technical Education programs. Admission charges and competition fees went toward the high school’s automotive and welding courses.

Conner said his interest in vehicles began at a young age. He grew up in a family that kept costume vehicles.

“I think it’s just something that’s in your DNA – something that’s in your blood,” he said. “You’re born to do it.”

Conner said his goal is to make the show grow each year, and so far, the community is catching on. This year’s event was already three times the size of last year’s inaugural show.

Drawn into the mix of newcomers was Tim Harrington, the owner of a yellow 1973 super beetle convertible – a vehicle he considers a “muscle car.”

“It’s pretty quick,” Harrington said.

The addition of a performance motor – stored in the back – enables his car to reach speeds of more than 110 miles per hour. He purchased the car about three years ago from a Volkswagen dealer in Phoenix.

***ADVERTISEMENT***At Sunday’s event, Harrington wore a yellow hat with a VW logo – a perfect match to his car.

“My thing is I like muscle cars and things like that,” he said. “It’s my priority, I guess.”

For Sherry Carrell, it’s about preserving history. Her blue 1939 Chevy Coupe, purchased four years ago in Scottsdale, was parked right next to her husband’s 1938 Coupe, which he recently bought in Sacramento and drove to Casa Grande.

“It’s preserving history,” she said. “It’s huge to have these kids, who are going to high school here, have the opportunity to work and weld.”