Last weekend, car enthusiasts in Montezuma County marked Collector Car Appreciation Day, a day reserved to celebrate classic cars and the cruising culture associated with them.
Collector Car Appreciation Day was established in 2010 by the Specialty Equipment Market Association and its SEMA Action Network. Congress designated the second Friday in July as Collector Car Day and July as its appreciation month.
Over The Hill Gang, a local Cortez car group, hosted a poker-style cruise through Montezuma County, featuring two 54-mile loops and a live radio broadcast cruise along Main Street with the Community Radio Project.
Registration began Saturday morning, with the first car departing about 12:30 p.m. The east loop followed U.S. Highway 160 to Mancos and returned via Colorado Highway 184 to Dolores and U.S. Highway 491. The west loop followed U.S. Highway 160 to U.S. 491 and Colorado 184 to Dolores and Mancos, then returned to Cortez via U.S. 160.
“Everyone seemed to enjoy it,” Over the Hill Car Gang’s Robert Valencia told The Journal. “Thanks to our sponsors that helped put it together. We’d like to do it again.”
The event was open to all vehicle owners, not just those with classic cars, and the event drew nine cars despite hopes for a larger turnout.
The event proceeded well despite the heat, which slowed participation later in the day. A man from Farmington won the cruise prize.
“It wasn’t a lot, but the ones that did participate, they had a pretty good time,” Valencia said. “There were people cruising on the street in the evening, and from the radio station, we could see cars cruising.”
The live broadcast on Main Street was successful, with cruising cars visible from the radio station. Valencia said it was a good first attempt and that the Over the Hill Car Gang plans to review the event at the August meeting and will discuss future plans for the cruise. The group is also set to celebrate their 25th anniversary with a barbecue in August.
