In an article for the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine written in 2022, here is how Ken Goldberg described an event in Aquinnah that inconceivably took place as a regular occurrence in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s: “In place of the demure Outermost Inn diners sipping champagne and slurping oysters, screaming spectators followed the collisions, the wreckage, the turned-over cars as a bunch of locals were soon to decide who would be king of the road.”
What Mr. Goldberg was describing was The Crunch, an annual demolition derby that ran from 1979 to 1982, pitting Islanders and their end-of-season cars in a winner take all smash up derby.
“In place of the bucolic meadow below was a smoking cacophony of the roaring engines of cars racing and banging into each other, while at the same time always avoiding that outrageously large rock right in the middle of a loosely laid out figure-eight course.”
Intrigued? If so, this weekend the Martha’s Vineyard Museum is the place to go, as it unveils its new exhibition on the demolition derby. The show includes photographs, artifacts and first-hand stories from those who participated in The Crunch and lived to tell about it.
In Ken’s words, the car names alone would be worth the entry fee: “Big Daddy, Hats off to Larry, Bonzai, Toxic Shock, Blue Cheer the Swedish Angel, Golden Goose, Barrister T, The Graves Machine, Mom’s Worry, Big B, Almondine Queen, Mallennyium Falcon, Controlled Substance, Adios Amigo, White Trash, Captain Crunch, Ol Smokey, Katama Krunch.”
The opening reception is Saturday, Jan. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit continues through April 26.
Visit mvmuseum.org.
This article appears in January 23, 2026.
sounds great i hope it’s still on display in September
The exhibit is expected to be up Jan 25, 2026 – Apr 12, 2026
Awesome show ! with so many of us who were originally there. I plan to go again and sit and watch those memories unfold, to reflect and enjoy, perhaps with a tear, and a smile for those no longer here.