No, not the town. I miss going to the Grand National Roadster Show when it was still in Oakland. Of course the Pomona show is bigger and 10 times better with cooler cars, decent food and impressive grounds... And yes it's true that your less likely t... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
And before the move south there were the Cow Palace years............... All in keeping with our fondness for nostalgia.
Sure are some swoopy panels on the car at the 18 second mark. And man-oh-man do those two girls clunk heads slipping into the roadster at the end! Neat little clip!
I was living in Carson City in the late 70's, not too much into car, but a friend told me we had to make a road trip to some show in Oakland. So we loaded up in my 65 Chevy longbed and drove over Hwy 50, after a recent massive snow storm, to Oakland. Got to the show as it opened, interesting neighborhood. But I walked the halls with my mouth hanging. I had been to Harris' auto collection, but these cars were amazing. It was the time time period with Customs making their comback. It totally changed my outlook on cars.,, I need to pull out my slides for a little "Way Back Machine'. Pomona maybe bigger and better and closer now, but is a new show with its own history. I am glad to have made at least one Oakland Roadster Show.
I went every year starting in 1976 until the end. what I find annoying is they call the new show "the Grandaddy of them all". "GNRS" we have now is a new show.
Didn't expect to see one of the BATs there. And the old fish tank in the car trick. There really is nothing new under the Sun.
I moved to the Bay Area in 1991, and went to my first Oakland show that year. Standing in line for my ticket, I was amazed to see that all the guys around me were greybeards. It was the first time that I was conscious of the greying of the rod & custom community. Now, of course, it's obvious; if I see a '32 roadster I know it belongs to an affluent old fart.
Jive-Bomber Jay - I too miss the Oakland (Grand National) Roadster Show ... but admit that the Pomona Fairplex is a better venue for the GNRS. Really cool find on the the video! ... and like Weasel & pwschuh already mentioned ... Wow! ... The 1954 Alfa Romeo Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica 7 (B.A.T. 7) concept car at the "National Roadster Show"? ... too cool!
Took my oldest to his first "indoor" car show at the 50th annual at the Cow Palace. He wrote a paper on it for his 5th grade class. He got the bug then and it never left. Take a kid to a car show or into the garage with you, it sticks...
I too miss the Oakland Roadster Show. My first was about 1960. It just outgrew any local facility except maybe for the Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. I am just glad it has been saved by the forward looking people of Southern California. I also miss the olds brick Castlemont High School building that I watched come down in '59-'60 and Hy's drive in and Gordon's and the Rainbow Room in San Leandro, the cruse strip from Pring's to the Coke bottling plant and back. All gone "you can't go home" It's not there. Sorry guys for the rainy day mood. Gary
Cool pic of Rich (Pure Hell) Guasco's purple '29 AMBR winner from '61, or was it '62. Rich still has the car but it now sports a white interior and a '32 grille.
Miss Oakland as well as the Cow Palace shows. Went from the 60's until it went South--never been to that one-too far and too many people for me.
I miss the GNRS OAKLAND, too. Mainly because it was a local show. It was fun to go to the show with your buddies. Now, it is to far away to go with friends who can't make the journey. The Cow Palace was not well suited down stairs for the vehicles that ended up down there, along with many vendors. Still, it was a fun show.
I made every year from ( 55 ) till the end. Last time I saw my 1st 32 was there sold it because of a divorce, brought a tear.
It was at it's best when still at the Kaiser Convention Center. Weekend parking lot was always a better show than inside and it was free.
So many great memories in Oakland and it was only a 45 minute drive. I have been to Pomona and agree its a better location though. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I started to go the show in 1958. In 1963 I entered my 1954 HD "K" Model. I received the Silver Award. In 1965 I entered my 1962 HD Sportster. I received the Bronze Award. I was a judge for a couple of years with my brother in the motorcycle divison. The show was held next to the Oakland Auditorium in thoes years. I still have thropies and the memories. A friend still has the AMBR car for 1952. Same as it was then.
I moved to oakland/berkeley in '74......got to attend...the "grand daddy" many times....after reading about it from pittsburgh for 20 years.....got my car robbed one year.....made the 50th after moving to oregon...got to go to pomona in 010 for the history of customs room...all great memories....always was and always will be......'the grandaddy of 'em all.....
Yeah, I miss the Oakland Roadster Show. Never went to the show in L.A., and don't plan on ever going.
I miss it too. The year it was held in multiple large tents in the Colleseum(sp?) parking lot was a bit of a disaster though. Maybe that was the last year at Oakland. I haven't been to the GNRS in Pomona, I am sure it is a great show, but it can't be the same. The noise and smoke of all the cars and bikes firing up to leave at once after the awards were given was a thrill I will never forget from my one year of entering the show.
Russ - All the cars leaving on Sunday was an event in itself! Cops were telling the participants, if they did a burn out leaving they would get a ticket. Some of the car builders didn't care, in the spirit of things, they did their burnouts and gratefully received the tickets. I've got hundreds of Kodachrome slides taken with a Canon F-1 35mm. Got two slide projectors to view them when a party gets going.
I recall the "year of the tents" ... I think it was due to the damage to the Arena and coliseum from the Marina earthquake ... also when it left Oakland and went across the bay it did, I think, the first year at the Moscone Center before the Cow Palace .... it just wasnt the same after the move out of Oakland.
Jay , I think most of us Bay Area rodders still mourn the loss of the Oakland Show.Pomona is a great show , but Oakland has the history.I went to the show starting in the 1960's and have collected a lot of memorabilia from the early shows.There was a reunion held in Oakland about month ago , and over 200 guys from the early days showed up to reminisce.....it was great! The video is super cool and appears to be from 1955. Here are some still shots from that show. The twin Trophy Girls who bump their heads in the Video.
Does anyone out there have pictures taken at the 1950 Roadster show, they would like to post? Sure wish I could have gone to Oakland at least once.
I miss it also . Think about it every time I look at the banners I have hanging in my shop from the 50<SUP>th</SUP>.
The real Oakland Roadster show was at the Exposition building next to the Oakland Auditorium and Sausal slough. ( Laney Jr. College ) It was held after the BCRA Midget races were over, god rest "Speed Reilly , Mike McGrievy and of course Tommy Copp and his white square wheel " I built an Edsel model car custom and brought it to the show, my pals laughed at me for being "square" I had the last laugh when the Tribune sports photographer snapped my picture with Geo. Barris, Ed Roth and Joe Cruces behind the ropes in front of the Mysterion, still have that clipping and flick. Oakland was a great place to be a kid in those days, Plaza, the Strip near Pete Paulsens on 150th, Hy's and least we forget the Doggie Dinner; not so much anymore unless you like Glocks !
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