Antique Autos, ‘Muscle’ Cars Featured At Homesteads Event

By Andrew Gorosko

The proud owners of a variety of antique automobiles and high-performance vehicles, known as “muscle cars,” put their prized possessions on display Saturday, August 14, at The Homesteads of Newtown’s Third Annual Car Show held in the upper parking lot of the Mt Pleasant Road complex.

The event was held as a fundraiser by the assisted-living facility to benefit people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

People attending the show admired the vehicles that bore seemingly perfect paint jobs and carried what seemed to be square yards of spotlessly clean chrome.

George Gereg of Bethel displayed his gleaming brown 1938 Pontiac “Woody” station wagon. The tall vehicle, which bears light-colored hardwood doors, rear quarter panels and tailgate, amounted to the sport-utility vehicle of its day, Mr Gereg explained.

Mr Gereg bought the six-cylinder vehicle in 1978 from a Brookfield farmer.

Arthur Radun of Newtown showed his elegant medium-green 1939 Packard Club Coupe at the event.

Although the eight-cylinder auto is large by today’s standards, when it was built, it was considered to be a fairly compact vehicle, Mr Radun said.

Overall, 19 vehicles were entered into two competitions at the event — best antique car and best muscle car.

The 1928 Buick of Stephen Pearlman of Danbury placed first in the antique auto category. George Gereg’s 1938 Pontiac “Woody” station wagon received a second-place award. Middlebury resident Joseph Bochicchio’s cranberry-colored 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook convertible received the third-place award. 

In the muscle car competition, the first-place award went to a 1988 Chevrolet Corvette owned by Bill Vollmer of Sandy Hook. Danbury resident Adrian Tambascio’s 1968 Plymouth Barracuda received the second-place award. A 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS owned by Donald Lomnicky of Waterbury took the third place award.

Kerry Cardinal, who is The Homesteads’ recreation director, organized the car show and related public activities on August 14.