Photo: A radically customized ‘49 Mercury leads several other cars past seemingly endless rows of classics, street rods and customs at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds during the Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the ’50s weekend.
In the real world, U.S. automakers were still in trouble June 19-21. Bailouts and bankruptcy were still the buzz words. A big question mark still hung over the future of American automobile production.
But at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, happier times returned in a big way – if only for a weekend.
The Minnesota Street Rod Association’s 36th annual Back to the ’50s event attracted more than 11,500 vehicles from Detroit’s glory days – the days when the U.S. flexed its automotive muscle with authority as the undisputed global leader in personal transportation.
Those days might be gone, but the organizers, participants and spectators of Back to the ’50s have made sure they’re not forgotten. From rusted-out rat rods to squeaky-clean customs and everything between, the diversity of vehicles at the show was incredible. As long as the model year was 1964 or earlier, it was probably at Back to the ’50s.
The show is the largest of its kind in the world, regularly drawing cars from throughout the U.S. and a few other countries and more than 100,000 spectators. This year was no different, economic crisis and all.
For a few days in St. Paul, time was reversed. Chrome, fins and V8s ruled. All was well in Motor City.
Hopefully the glory days aren’t all behind us.
June 23rd, 2009 | Articles, Event Articles
