On Sunday afternoon, the Winnetu Oceanside Resort became a haven for car enthusiasts, who gathered for the Vineyard Gazette’s Car-B-Q classic auto show.
The owners of classic, vintage and antique rides, from Volkswagen buses to sleek Thunderbirds, lined up their automobiles on the Winnetu lawn so that fans of all ages could look under the hood or even get in the driver’s seat.
Guests enjoyed burgers, popcorn and cotton candy while voting on their favorite cars, joined by the Winnetu’s two antique cars and the Vineyard Gazette’s 1955 Chevy pickup. Winners received prizes from sponsors including the Gazette, the Winnetu, Automates Car Detailing and Town MV.
Among the hopeful motorists was 17-year-old Seabella Vargas of Vineyard Haven, who was showing off a 1998 BMW Z3 she restored herself. The self-taught mechanic has been working on the car since she bought it at the beginning of the summer, and there are still a few modifications she’s hoping to make, including adding a turbo engine.
“After the turbo, it’s going to have 600 horsepower, which is crazy for this car since it’s so light and so small,” she said.
Ms. Vargas, who used to work at the Winnetu, enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the hotel and the classic car community at the Car-B-Q.
“The company is great,” she said.
Nearby was Raleigh Russell with her 1995 Toyota Hilux Surf, a model made exclusively in Japan until 2009. She purchased it in July off the Vineyard’s Facebook page, MV Stuff for Sale.
Growing up on the Island, Ms. Russell loved to look through her dad’s Car and Driver magazines and listen to Car Talk on NPR. In adulthood, she’s enjoyed having the chance to get more involved with the car community.
“I’ve just always been so interested in cars, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to be more involved with my hobby,” she said.
On the Vineyard, car fans are hardly in short supply, said Chris Priore, a co-founder of Martha’s Classic Car Club alongside Guy Cammorata. He said the club has 220 members, most of whom have rides of their own.
“There’s a lot more people on this Island with a lot of cars,” he said.
Mr. Priore brought his bright yellow 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport convertible, which he found abandoned in the woods in West Tisbury, covered in mud. He rescued it and restored it from tip to tail.
“In the time I built this, I got married, had two children and went from a single-car garage to a three-car garage, and finally it’s done,” he said. “It takes a while if you have other things happening in your life.”
For him, the magic of classic cars comes down to speed, sound and the portal they create to days gone by.
“It’s the nostalgia,” he said.