Sun shine state! Great weekend at All-American car truck and bike show
The Midland American Auto Club were blessed with the sunniest two days of the month in Kilbeggan on the weekend of April 20 and Sunday 21 when they hosted the All-American car truck and bike show.
Cars, trucks, big rigs and bikes gathered at the clubhouse and showgrounds from Saturday morning and headed on a late afternoon cruise in perfect summer weather around the local area and through Tullamore.
If you were in that area and didn’t see them, you would have heard them with engines revving, horns blaring and the sirens on the red and white Starsky and Hutch Ford Tonino blasting away.
Sunday was show day and all manner of American vehicles rolled in.
There were so many bikes, the marshals had difficulty in parking them all at the top of the show field, and they made a fine sight all the polished chrome shining in the sun.
The visitor gates opened early to let the early participants in and by 11am the show field was packed with American vehicles parking up and visitors enjoying the sights with coffee, corndogs and ice cream.
More than 300 American vehicles and their owners from all corners of Ireland were there to enjoy the gathering. Cars and trucks from Northern Ireland, particularly the later model ones, were there in number and visitors came from the UK specifically for the show.
There were huge chromed Big Rig Kenworths, Peterbilts, Internationals, Macks and Freightliners in bright blue and red; Ford, Dodge and Chevy pick-up trucks – some new, some old, some custom painted, some looking old and ratty but with fully rebuilt engines and customised air ride suspension and some looking like they’ve just come off a farm in Iowa and not been painted in the last 60 or 70 years.
There were many ‘day vans’; that particular American van that has luxury carpeting, sun blinds, interior lights and wood panelling and comfortable seats inside for siting down, relaxing in and chatting but that is not a camper, including a custom painted Dodge van with a Western Cowboy theme.
A trio of not seen before 1959 Chevrolet sedan, panel wagon and El Camino pick up truck came rolling in early afternoon and created quite a buzz with their matching horizontal rear fins and teardrop rear lights.
Mustangs from the 60s to the new teens were in abundance to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the launch of the iconic Ford (60 years and four days previous to the show). The Mustang is a perennially popular American car and always captures the imagination of everyone.
The drawing workshop for kids was a major hit this year and more than 100 sat down quietly to sketc American vehicles, either copying from photographs or drawing freehand. The drawing classes get kids thinking about the uniquely styled lines of the vehicles club members and enthusiasts love so much.
The club are lucky to have the services of a trained professional art teacher to coach the kids to capture what they see on paper. The finished drawings give them great mementos to take home.
A 45-foot, 29-ton American fire engine from New York was on display again this year, with its 100-foot ladder and a huge Stars and Stripes flying from the top. It created a unique sight in the Westmeath countryside, and almost dwarfed the smaller, but still large American fire engine next to it.
At 3.30pm on the Sunday, the contestants for the burnout competition started changing their road wheels for the burnout wheels with slick tyres and the competition began – and soon the air was filled with tyre smoke. Sarah-Jane Mellon from Dublin fried the tyres of her bright yellow 1973 Mustang fastback impressively.
A significant number of vehicles were for sale; 1950s sedans, Jeeps, cars, vans and bikes.
There were also a number of non-American vintage vehicles in the public car park for people to enjoy, as owners of non-American classic cars are also welcome to bring their older cars and vans out for a run on the day.
The revised traffic management plan – asking visitors to exit the motorway at junction 4 Tyrrellspass (not junction 5) and follow the brown Kilbeggan Racecourse signs through Dalystown and Ballinagore worked well, and avoided a build-up of traffic in Kilbeggan town.
The Midland American Auto Club are grateful to Kilbeggan Racecourse and Thomas Fagan for making car parking available in their grounds in addition to the Midland American Auto Club parking. That got cars off the road quickly, improving traffic flow to the show.
Admission was held at €10 for adults and children under 14 accompanied by an adult were free. American show cars, trucks, vans, pickups and bikes and occupants got in free because the club do not charge exhibitors to come to the show; they are the show!
About Midland American Auto Club
The Midland American Auto Club (MAAC) is a large group of American car and truck enthusiasts who share a passion for owning, restoring and maintaining American vehicles.
Based in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, (opposite the Kilbeggan Race Course), the club meet every Thursday 7.30-10pm in the summer and every other week in the winter. All are welcome, members and non-members.
More information is available at midlandamericanautoclub.ie), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or speak to Joe Keenan (club chairman) 087 238 8400 and Nick Stratta (club public relations officer) 085 828 9922 for general information.