1962 Chevrolet Corvette (Photo courtesy of Google images)
Face it-America is full of speedy gas-guzzling car drivers. Whether you’re the American who pimps out your ride with 28-inch rims, or the American desperate to own a car that magically parallel parks itself, we all comprise the nation on wheels. Automobiles have been a symbol of American patriotism since the Ford assembly line in the early 20th century. To this day, the automobile infatuation continues to grow.
For a brief time in March, the average American had an opportunity to experience an aspect of the American dream. Through a patriotic tunnel of red, white and blue balloons, guests entered the 2012 DFW Auto Show at the Dallas Convention Center, to face an inviting playground of pristinely buffed cars.
In the first showroom, 2013 Chevy Silverado and Ram Truck models encircled the epitome of a nationalistic automobile. This Chevrolet’s Americanized paint job was a hyperbolized mural of combat scenes set against the American flag. There were eagles, fireworks, Army tanks and even headshots of presidents such as Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. “This one, Mommy! Buy it now, Mommy! I want this one,” a young child said. Another parent passed by and quickly shielded her son’s eyes in order to avoid a similar request. “Jesus, it’s not for sale, Dustin,” said the boy’s mother. “Your Grandaddy would kill for a Chevy like that though.”
If you walked another 100 yards along the showroom’s carpeted path, you would run directly into Ford’s massive display of awards and suavely moving car turntables. Compared to other sections, Ford’s showroom area was much louder and had a distinctly higher energy. Children and adults alike were eagerly running in and out of driver seats to imitate driving behind the wheel.
“This is like a damn jungle gym,” said Dallas resident Jack Warbus. “People sure are excited. I live in an all Ford household, and it’s definitely all about the F-150.”
It is a fact that a car’s initial purpose was to transport a person from point A to point B, but as underlined by the DFW Auto Show, automobiles have become more intriguing than that. The auto show gives the adult an invitation to envision portions of the American dream. Sitting in a Ford F-150, a hopeful young man said, “Wish I could afford it. Feels damn good.”
On the opposite end of the auto show, the foreign and elite car brands require a more composed atmosphere. Although the Porsches and Audis are pretty to look at from afar, they aren’t as approachable and interactive as the American or Japanese cars. Set on platinum platforms and emollient jade carpet, the foreign cars weren’t participatory and evoked timidity out of guests. Threatened by both the horsepower and prices of European cars, the majority of visitors migrated to the vintage section of the DFW Auto Show.
“The antique car section is different. It’s where the truly historical American cars are on display,” Gerry Boren said.
Boren, a lifelong car enthusiast, stood behind his 1960 Corvette with his chin up and hands clasped behind his back. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit, Boren looked like he stepped straight off the set of “Grease.” He patriotically complemented the milky-white paint job and red interior of the sleek and sassy Corvette.
“I got my license at 13, and I bought my first car. That ’52 Chevy led me to this beauty that I’ve had ever since,” Boren said.
Thirty-two hundred dollars and the 1952 Chevy trade in bought Boren his antique Corvette that is still drivable today. “I have two other antique cars, but this Corvette has been with me to over 250 auto shows,” Boren said. “This guy in Oklahoma wants her bad- for 150 grand-but she’s priceless to me. I go on road trips every summer with my wife in this car.”
Many antique-car owners share the nostalgia Boren has about his Corvette. At the DFW Auto Show, they all had some sort of story to tell.
“Wild” Bill Hayden graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1957 with an engineering degree and then worked a long career in the oilfield services for the company Halliburton. Many years after retiring, and now pushing 80 years old, Hayden has yet to let his “Wild” nickname down.
“I grew up with the need to drive, and I still got it,” said Hayden as he pointed and nodded at his name badge. Hayden is an officer of the auto association Z club of Texas, which represents 350 antique cars and their owners across the U.S. “I guess I’m a veteran to auto shows,” Hayden said. “I don’t feel like it.”
Juxtaposed to the antique cars is the official racecar for the Toby Keith Foundation. The harsh transition from 1950 Mercury Turnpike Cruisers to a hot pink and purple racecar seemed like the auto show curator made a mistake. The graffiti-gone-wrong racecar lacked the suave elegance of the antique cars, but it was smothered in the DFW auto show’s theme-Americanism.
Images of electric guitars and red Solo cups along the sides of the racecar made it look more like a clown car image than a high-speed vehicle, but the public was drawn in.
“The car raises awareness for the Toby Keith Foundation, so it’s gotta be outrageous,” said K.J. Smith, a spokesperson for the foundation, which provides assistance to pediatric cancer patients.
The racecar’s disposable cup artwork promoted Keith’s hit single, “Red Solo Cup.” “We take the car down to the Solo Cup plant and put her right on the assembly line,” Smith said.
Earning $50 million in 2011, Toby Keith, the highest paid country singer, was established as an American icon. Keith’s distasteful racecar is stylistically unfit for anywhere but the racetrack, but it echoes the patriotic imagery of the DFW Auto Show’s nationalistic Chevy. Whether or not you have the financial means to own over 100 vehicles like Jay Leno, you do have the opportunity to see the historical and sentimental value behind the automobiles at the DFW Annual Auto Show. There is American pride in owning a truck, Mustang, or even an eco-friendly Smart car. They all comprise the nation on wheels.
