Classic Car Show Motors Into Coney Island

By Gabriele Holtermann, Brooklyn Paper

Antique car enthusiasts revved up their engines at the third annual Classic and Antique Car Show, hosted by the Alliance for Coney Island and the Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn on July 20.

Dozens of classic cars were on display at West 12th Street and Surfside Avenue in Coney Island, including a 1979 Checker cab, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, and a 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible.

Brooklynite Mike Quigley, who owns a red 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible, bought the car 22 years ago. He described the joy he felt at the time but now is ready to sell it due to garage space issues and the lack of air conditioning, which makes summer driving “brutally” hot.

“On a nice day, it’s a lot of fun. You can take a ride on the highway for a cruise. It’s really like a mini vacation,” Quigley said.

Vito Labella of Dyker Heights displayed his 1967 Plymouth GTX, which he bought 16 years ago and restored with his wife and son.

“When we brought the car home, the engine was in a cardboard box. There was no interior. So we built the car over,” Labella said. “It’s been a labor of love.”

Lenny Schiller, president of the Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn for 25 years, developed a passion for vintage cars in 1967 when his grandmother gifted him her 1936 Chevy. Schiller’s collection has since grown to 64 vintage cars, some of which have appeared in movies and music videos, including the B-52s’ “Love Shack” featuring his 1965 Chrysler 300 convertible. One of his prized possessions, a 1979 New York City Checker taxi, was displayed at the show.

Schiller told Brooklyn Paper that the cab was manufactured by Checkers Motors Corporation in Kalamazoo, Michigan, founded by Morris Markin, one of the few Jewish car manufacturers, in 1921. The company produced around 5,000 of these iconic vehicles until 1982.

Schiller’s cab was once owned by Sophie Bakerman, one of the few woman to own one of these pieces of New York City’s urban culture. According to Schiller, only 16 Checker cabs remained in operation in 1991, and none were on New York City streets by 1999. He noted that the cab drew significant attention.

“I have cars going back to 1912, and that car gets as much attention as anything because kids haven’t seen them,” Schiller said. “The first thing they ask me is, ‘does it have the jump seats?’ — the little seats in the back — which it does.”

The Antique Automobile Association of Brooklyn, established in 1959, boasts 300 members.

“I’m the oldest, the longest member in the club. I joined back in 1968,” Schiller said, describing himself as the “part maven.”

“I know which junkyards to call. There are new companies like Rock Auto Parts that have parts going back to the ’50s. It’s just a matter of know-how to get the parts,” Schiller said. “Certain parts for very old cars with low production are harder and harder to find.”

European pin-up girl Miss Ruby stumbled upon the vintage car show after a nostalgic ride on the beach-bound train to Coney Island.

“I love old cars and the energy of Coney Island,” Miss Ruby said. “This is amazing. And I love the backdrop of amazing Coney Island Park.”

[Photos by Gabriele Holtermann]

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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