West Fargo, North Dakota.

Last week I shared photos from my latest annual visit to Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auto Auction. You don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to view great classic cars. Automobile enthusiasts know that there are local car clubs all over the country and they like nothing better to do than show off their prize collector cars.

During the summer months, both Fargo and West Fargo have designated cruise nights where car enthusiasts show off their chariots and people show up to gawk at the classic beauty of automobile design. Whether your taste tends toward hot rod, custom, or stock (factory new) look, these smaller shows usually cater to anyone interested in automobilia, especially mid-20th century classics. I wonder what the car shows of 20-30 years from now will feature… especially since most new cars all look the same.

In West Fargo, the show is on Sheyenne Street. On the downtown street, there are two lanes for travel and parking only on the west side. That’s ideal for cruise night where cones and candles separate the lanes. Classics drive up and down the street while visitors gawk at the chrome and metal beauties parked diagonally in the parking lane.

Though it appears from my two “crowd photos” above that there aren’t a lot of people there, the photos happen to miss the hundreds of people who attend. There are food vendors and lots of other activity going on in West Fargo on Cruise Nights, held the third Thursday in June, July, August and September. What better way could there be to enjoy a nice summer evening during North Dakota’s long summer days. I submit for your review a small collection of images gathered from one of  last year’s events. Look up a classic car cruise night in your area. You’ll be glad you took some time to walk amidst the classic memories of yesterday’s automobilia. In most browsers, you can click on an image to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery.

I miss the “suicide doors” like those found on this classic Lincoln.

A classic from a bygone era.

Custom Chevy dash.

Classic Cadillac convertable.

a Fargo Police recreation.

Chevy Super Sport.

I used to own a 4-door version, a 1959 Impala, in this color scheme.

Early generation Mustang.

West Fargo Cruise Night Traffic.

A vintage car cruising downtown West Fargo.

Custom power plant.

A 1958 Pontiac classic.

John Steiner