Cars of every kind at the 2015 Fleetwood Country Cruize-in
LONDON, ON – The annual Fleetwood Country Cruize-in, already acknowledged as the largest outdoor auto extravaganza in Canada – and according to some, one the biggest on the planet – has set a new benchmark with its 2015 edition.
Organizer Steve Plunkett says more than 5,500 vehicles of all shapes and sizes rolled onto his sprawling 45-hectare estate just west of London, Ontario, last Saturday, with another 2,500 to 3,000 expected Sunday, surpassing the one-day record of 4,500 vehicles set a year ago.
Ideal weather conditions – bright sunshine and moderately warm temperatures – prompted spectators to show up in droves, with Plunkett estimating the crowd count on opening day at about 12,000. “We had 55 acres (22.25 hectares) of parking available and it was absolutely full,” he said.
Similar conditions Sunday drew huge crowds again and Plunkett expected the weekend attendance total to be about 24,000 persons, another record.
While the cars are the real stars, part of the credit for the impressive turnout each year can be attributed to the list of celebrities Plunkett manages to attract to the event. This year, Plunkett reunited the stars of the long-running TV series, the Dukes of Hazzard. “I had no idea there would be this much interest in the Dukes of Hazzard,” he conceded as he watched hundreds of visitors lining up for autographs on shirts, model cars, photos and even a few car parts.
John Schneider, who played Bo, and Tom Wopat, who portrayed Luke, were kept busy signing and posing with fans, as were “officers” Rick Hurst (Cletus) and Sonny Shroyer (Enos.) Also on hand was Tom Sarmento, who was the lead mechanic on the show and built all the orange General Lee Chargers used in the series.
Other guests this year included TV car show host Courtney Hansen and the legendary Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn. American custom car builders George Barris and Gene Winfield, as well as My Classic Car TV host Dennis Gage, also met fans.
Show-goers were also entertained by Team Farmall, a group of square-dancing tractors, while vintage jets from London’s Jet Aircraft Museum did flyovers. Of course, the massive gathering of vehicles is the prime attraction, with virtually everything and anything on hand, including classics and vintage models, hot rods and customs, muscle cars and sports cars, even exotic sports machines, like this Lamborghini.
In one one area of the estate, a group of classic GMC motorhomes lined up for attention, as did a collection of vintage travel trailers, complete with age-appropriate tow vehicles.
There was even a display of classic trucks, ranging from a Good Humor ice cream truck to a full-size Esso fuel tanker and the Labatt Streamliner.
In a pond on the estate, a group of Amphicars took patrons for a unique ride, splashing in at one end of the waterway....
And emerging back on land at the other end!
In addition to the eclectic array of vehicles on display, Plunkett’s own collection is always a huge attraction. Two museums featuring vintage Cadillacs dating back to 1907 are opened for public viewing.
One of the museums includes a replica of New York’s Waldorf Astoria ballroom, where manufacturers unveiled their latest models decades ago. This unique setting is the backdrop for the primary vehicles in the Plunkett collection, including several rare and one-off models.
Plunkett donates all proceeds from this event to help support numerous organizations in the London area, including Jesse’s Journey, a foundation supporting research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The event has raised more than $1.16-million in its previous 10 years and that total will certainly increase significantly as a result of this year’s record-breaking show.
These were just a few of the highlights from the 2015 Fleetwood Country Cruize-in. There were plenty more, from mild to wild, like this highly-modified 1970-1/2 Camaro with Lambo-style doors. Keep scrolling to see lots more.
In the early days, all Model Ts were NOT all black. That restriction only began with the 1914 models.
1918 was the very first year that Chevrolet made trucks.
Chevrolet actually offered a V-8 engine in 1917-18 bit this 1918 truck has a much-more-common four-cylinder.
Prohibition didn't begin until a year after this truck was built and it never applied in Canada so the truck was probably a popular sight.
This 1952 Ford military Jeep was built in Windsor, Ontario
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