Every summer, John Briggs and Sally Briggs burn rubber traveling to car shows in Ohio and southern
Michigan.
Favoring "oddball" cars, the couple entered their red and white 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
and their purple 2007 Dodge Charger SRT-8 in Saturday’s 13th annual Classics on Main Car Show in Bowling
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They were among about 400 who
showed off their sparkling groom, gleaming paint jobs and meticulous rehabs of vintage vehicles.
Sally Briggs, fiscal officer for the village of Holgate, Ohio, says she and her retired husband admire
old cars because "they sure don’t make them like they used to."
When John Briggs found the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser for sale three years ago, one of only 8,000 made, he
jumped on the chance to buy it and restore it to the exceptional condition it’s in now.
It was a rare, lucky find, Briggs said, since only 8,000 of the cars were made due to a recession that
started in late 1956 and early 1957.
"You get a feeling of satisfaction by finding a creative way of doing things," he said.
"It’s awfully wonderful when you’re at a car show and someone comes up and says ‘wow’."
The car won the honorable mention trophy in the Exhibitors’ Choice category at last year’s Classics on
Main Car Show.
John Briggs and Sally Briggs like entering their cars in the
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Classics on Main Car Show because passersby get to vote for their favorite entries, unlike some other car
shows, John Briggs said.
The couple usually receives voter’s choice or top 10 awards at local car shows, Briggs said.
Their Dodge Charger SRT-8, entered as "Plum Crazy" with its purple accents under the hood and
throughout the interior and exterior of the car, was also a rare find, being number 181 out of just 300
made as a limited edition model.
"I like the different cars, the ones you don’t see very often that you can put unique touches
on," he said.
A purple Teletubby doll in "Plum Crazy" and a Frisch’s Big Boy doll and matching die-cast model
in the Cruiser are the cherries on top of the couple’s entries, Briggs said.
Sally Briggs also enjoys the socializing opportunities car shows bring.
The couple enjoys talking with other entrants and sometimes takes their grandchildren to the shows.
This time, they brought along their new puppy Colt, a 12 week-old boxer and beagle mix they adopted this
month from the Wood County Humane Society.
"We just like sitting outside on a beautiful day and talking to so many nice people," Sally
Briggs said. "It’s a great way to spend the day."