OK, so it’s not historic preservation, but anyone who likes old houses would have to enjoy the thrill of being surrounded by antique autos. I think some of the same things that attract us to historic buildings-craftsmanship, quality materials, attention to detail-are part of the allure of old cars. These beautiful works of art are evocative of their time-you can just picture a 1950s Chevy with its big fins parked outside the soda fountain, a 1913 Ford Model T crusin’ country back roads or the 1960s GTO racing down the dragstrip.
Every October, Cruisin’ the Coast draws thousands of antique cars enthusiasts to South Mississippi. Unfortunately, like old houses, old cars tend to require ongoing maintenance. My friend Kim, my dad and I were supposed to be cruisin’ historic downtown Ocean Springs today in my dad’s 1980 Silver Shadow II Rolls Royce, but “Paula” sprung a leak in her power steering hose and barely made it back from registration. So, since we didn’t have our ride, we decided to pick our dream cars. Kim pictured herself being taken to a Hollywood premier in a 1935 Packard convertible. I personally coveted a very sleek black ’65 Corvette Sting Ray convertible. Dad’s dream car? Well, the answer changed repeatedly, but after much deliberation, Dad opted for a 1972 Cadillac El Dorado convertible.
In addition to the ongoing restoration of my 1905 home, I have a car restoration project as well. My 1975 MGB was flooded in Hurricane Katrina and has not been cruisin’ since. Oh well, maybe next year…
Categories: Gulf Coast, Historic Preservation, Ocean Springs
Preservation in Mississippi 
Looks like it was a nice time in spite of the Rolls Royce not making it…..
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