Car collectors flock to Jefferson for show

By Steve Sharp of the Daily Times staff
Monday, September 29, 2008 12:58 PM CDT

JEFFERSON - Organizers of the Fall Madison Classics Car Show and Swap Meet frequently face challenges from the weather. Before this past weekend's event, however, they were living in the added fear of the downturn in the economy. As it turned out, there was little need to worry, because car collectors and those interested in vehicle restoration flocked to the grounds, ensuring sales were brisk.

“We lucked out. We had a nice day Saturday and a decent day Sunday - the weather really helped with attendance,” event organizer Gary Esse, of the Madison Classics, said this morning.

Esse estimated attendance for the weekend to be about 30,000 people at Jefferson County Fair Park. Esse said this number is about average for a fall car event. The Classics also conduct a spring car show and swap at the fair park annually.

“The way things are going with the economy, I felt we did fine,” Esse said.

Esse noted car sales were average over the course of the weekend.

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“We did fine. I think it's one of those things where the weather dictates how things will be. But we did luck out,” he said.

The featured collector's automobile over the weekend was the Corvette. Esse estimated there were 100 Corvettes on display.

He said the event attracted many people from out of state, as usual.

“We noticed quite a few guys from California and a lot from Illinois and Indiana,” he said. “They come for a little of each - to sell and to buy - but mostly to buy.”

Esse said the Car Corral, in which vehicles are sold, is the real star of the show at Jefferson, with 1,550 cars for sale this past weekend.

“There was a little of everything there. You could have bought anything,” Esse said, adding there was a 1953 Ford convertible at the event and those don't come along every day. “And there were Mustangs and Camaros - these are the most popular models, of late, around here.” He said 1967 to 1969 Camaros and the later cars, such as the Irocs from 1987 and up, were also popular.

With road construction on Highway 18 in Jefferson still taking place, traffic had the potential to be a problem. Esse said, however, it could have been a lot worse than it was.

“They were doing cement work on Highway 18 and I think it presented problems, but we signed it well and I don't think people had much trouble getting in and out,” he said.

Esse said the Jefferson County Fair Park, as a facility for a car show, “is better than ever.”

“All in all, everything was comparable to last fall and our numbers were comparable - the show was good by all means,” Esse said. “We had a lot of cars and parts for sale, and a lot going on.”

Esse said he feels, despite the poor state of the U.S. economy, car hobbyists are still active in the pastime.

“The hobby is still very strong and people are enjoying working on their cars, and Jefferson is a good avenue to restore vehicles and to find out about how the market is going,” he said. “The Jefferson event is a good educator for car collectors, especially in this area. It's the top show around for classic cars and restoration.”

The spring Madison Classics Car Show and Swap Meet is scheduled for April 25 and 26 at the Jefferson County Fair Park.