Enjoyable, informal vintage car show took place in Stratford on June 10, 2022 (Another, larger car show took place on Lakeside Drive on June 19, 2022)

June 10, 2022 vintage car show in Stratford. Jaan Pill photo

On June 10, 2022 I visited a car show featuring vintage cars, all nicely polished. I thought about how much fun cars can be and what a disaster they’ve turned out to be, as well.

This enjoyable event, which took place in Stratford, Ontario on the north side of Cobourg Street close to Veterans Drive, appears to be a regular occasion bringing together owners of century-old vintage cars.

June 10, 2022 vintage car show in Stratford. Jaan Pill photo

It’s interesting to view the cars and ponder the history of the automobile industry.

I’m reminded of a previous post (which speaks of horses startled by a bus) about a textile factory that used to be located on Ballantyne Avenue in Stratford, a short ways east of where this informal vintage car show took place:

The R.M. Ballantyne Ltd. textile plant was built by a thread company, which ran into financial difficulties, and was first occupied by a motor company which built a bus, that startled the horses

What strikes me about the seat is how close it looks to the seat of a typical horse carriage from the 1800s. Jaan Pill photo

According to the note in the back seat, we’re looking at a 1909 Model T (Touring) Ford. Jaan Pill photo

Bicycle culture in Amsterdam

As I looked at the iPhone photos that I took at the vintage car event on June 10, 2022, it occurred to me that the seats on the vintage cars reminded me of the seats of horse-drawn carriages.

When I think about the history of the automobile industry, I’m reminded, as well, of the bicycle culture of Amsterdam, a city that I visited with my wife and daughter in the summer of 2018. At a previous post, I’ve marvelled at what a tremendous feat of civic collaboration the bicycle infrastructure of Amsterdam demonstrates:

Amsterdam bike scene, August 2018. Jaan Pill photo

Bicycle culture in Amsterdam is impressive

An excerpt reads:

Bicycle culture in Amsterdam

The bicycle culture in Amsterdam also had a strong impact on me. The sight of people riding abreast on their bikes, carrying on an extended conversation kilometre and kilometre – those are among the great things that have stayed with me.

I also much enjoyed seeing young children sitting side by side, carrying on conversations while sitting in purpose-built carts, attached to bicycles, propelled by their parents.

Amsterdam bike scene, August 2018. Jaan Pill photo

What I saw in Amsterdam was most inspiring for me. The city’s approach to bicycling underlines, for me, what people are capable of achieving when the desire, know-how, and requisite political energies are in place. It feels great just to picture what I saw, in the time we were in Amsterdam.