Local classic car owners meet at the Hollin Hall Shopping Center. Photograph by Gerald A. Fill
Looking for a place to show off your classic car? Want to relive the good ol’ days of the past, or just want to hang out with other classic car owners to talk shop, and show off your ride? Well, there is a place to do that. In the Mount Vernon district, the place is the Hollin Hall Shopping Center parking lot, at the corner of Fort Hunt and Shenandoah Road. They get together the first Sunday of each month, from 8:30 - 11 a.m., weather permitting.
Warren Harlow, and his wife, Georgia, the group’s organizers of Alexandria Cars & Coffee, began promoting classic car informal gatherings October 2012. Typically, the site locations were less than ideal. Finally it seems, they now have a perfect place to meet, for now: the Hollin Hall Shopping Center parking lot. Warren Harlow displayed a classic car worthy of admiration in any auto show venue: a “night mist blue” 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang which he completely rebuilt and reconditioned. His sons, Austin and Hunter, already have the classic car “bug”; they own a green 1970 Dodge Swinger.
This past Sunday morning about 35 people and 25 classic cars were at the Hollin Hall Shopping Center enjoying the company of classic car owners who love to work on and display their vintage rehabilitated creations of a bygone era brought back in the form of pristine reconditioned classic cars. Among the 25 classic cars that were on display: a1967 Porsche Coup, a 1972 and 1954 Corvette, 1966 Ford Mustang GT, a Lamborghini Diablo, several Austin Healy convertibles, an MG convertible, a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1967 Pontiac GTO, among others.
The Harlows explained why they organize the gathering: “Because we enjoy the hobby and hoped to bring other people together that share the same passion. We met a lot of great people through the years with neat cars in the area but we didn’t have a local place to meet and hang out. Most of us get our coffee or tea at Hollin Hall so meeting in the morning here seemed like a good idea.”
The group has no formal organization, no membership requirement, and no particular agenda other than to get together to share their love for classic cars.
“We welcome all cars, new or old, shiny or rusty, from any continent (one car on display was an immaculately maintained 1958 silver Porsche),” Harlow said. The Harlows described the effort as family friendly, with everyone happy to share their rides, ideas, and memories.