Despite poor weather, auto show recognizes unique cars during event - By Jim Beers

The 22nd annual Windham Auto Show went off without a hitch Sunday, despite mother nature's efforts to dampen the event. Approximately 80 cars, trucks, motorcycles and special interest vehicles made it to Windham from all over Maine as well as New England. Featuring vehicles from all eras in auto history, the car show had something for everyone who attended.

Frank Meserve of Naples, who has been to all 22 shows to date, loves the annual trip to Windham with his wife Betty. "I love coming back each year to see the same cars as the year before, as well as all the new ones. We almost didn't make the trip this time due to the weather, but it was well worth it once we got here. The cars, music and food are always great!" he said. 

In addition to the autos on hand, the event was alive with delicious smells from the food tent, and those great oldies tunes rocking in the background. The 50-50 raffle was a huge hit, handing out nine gift baskets ranging in all sorts of prizes. The weather did play a part in how many vehicles were on hand, as the numbers were down from recent years. That certainly didn't deter the crowd as they were as enthusiastic as ever in walking down memory lane, and having a glimpse at the future in autos as well. 

 

The end of the event meant it was awards time, and the remaining crowd gathered in front of the trophy table to clap for and congratulate the winners in 29 different classifications. Some of those winners were as follows; in the Motorcycle Class, a '70 Triumph took home first place. The Special Interest Class saw a beautiful red 1947 Farmhall Tractor claim the top prize. The Foreign Class featured a very clean '59 Opel Rekord winning the top honor. At the end of the day, only one could stand above them all as "Best in Show". That award went to Swede Sjulander of Bar Mills, Maine, with a 1954 Mercury Sun Valley. The show also featured some nice mainstays, like the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, from many different years in production. 

The Windham Raymond Athletic Boosters, alongside some great local sponsors, put on another successful event that raised important funds to help support the sports teams of RSU14.