Rods & Relics Car Club Downtown Lincoln Car show a huge success

Overcast skies didn't keep away thousands of visitors Saturday to downtown Lincoln for the 16th annual Lincoln Rods & Relics Car Show. More than 400 cars from America's Golden Age of automobiles, all American built before 1975, were displayed. That included sedans, muscle cars, hot rods, convertibles, trucks; you name it and it was likely on display on every (closed) street in downtown Lincoln. Food vendors, merchandise vendors and car parts vendors added to the shared vibe of nostalgia. Saturday's event kicked off at 10 a.m. with the playing of the National Anthem by DJ Professor RockOla, and a low-level, close-formation fly-over by the West Coast Ravens of four identical aircraft flown by area pilots and trailing smoke. All proceeds from the event go to local charities, this year being RRUFF, Acres of Hope and the Lincoln Rodeo. More than $200,000 has been raised by the club over the years. Thirty-one awards were given out, with Best of Show being Ian Carder's 1947 custom Plymouth. There were also 14 specialty awards. Award- winning or not, every car owner drove away with a smile on their face. The Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce helped promote the event, also doing a landslide business selling pork and brisket barbecue sandwiches. Event organizers Alan Taylor and George Funk pointed out that "this was another great event for the community, only made possible by the dozens of volunteers who devoted so many hours to make it a success."