Juliana Garcia  - Prairie Village

First-ever Meadowbrook Car Show attracts thousands with vintage, luxury cars on display

Meadowbrook Car Show

Thousands showed up to the Meadowbrook Car Show in Prairie Village on Sunday, April 11. Participants viewed 100 cars lined along Meadowbrook Parkway, and benefits from the event will go toward a county public art program and KC Automotive Museum.

The KC Automotive Museum kicked off the beginning of car show season in Prairie Village with the Meadowbrook Car Show.

The event, moved back a day due to Saturday’s rain, drew thousands of people Sunday to Meadowbrook Park, 9101 Nall Avenue.

The family-friendly event featured a performance by students from The School of Rock, a scavenger hunt for children, food trucks and youth judges.

The $20,000 raised by the precursor cocktail event on Friday will benefit both the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and the KC Automotive Museum in Olathe.

Half of the proceeds will go toward a Meadowbrook Park art installation — part of JCPRD’s public art program — and half will go toward the museum’s educational events for the upcoming year.

Vreni Fernandez, KC Automotive Museum executive director, said coordinators were happy with the turnout — and the museum is looking forward to gaining community support this season.

“We do a lot of educational events throughout the year, especially coming off of such a challenging year,” Fernandez said. “This is a year when we’re really hoping to get a lot of community support.”

JCPRD Superintendent of Culture Susan Mong said the district is looking at both permanent and temporary installations for parks throughout the county.

While the February public input survey has closed, Mong said she welcomes the public to provide input on JCPRD’s public art program.

Those interested can email Mong directly at susan.mong@jcprd.org.

‘I bought it because I liked it’

Cooper Weeks' 1955 Mercedes 300SL
Cooper Weeks’ 1955 Mercedes 300SL has been in his family for 57 years — since Weeks first bought the vehicle in 1964. Weeks named his daughter after the car, and plans to pass it down from generation to generation.

Car owners have a number of reasons for participating in car shows, from enjoying the interaction and admiring the vehicles to wanting to educate new generations about classic cars, their history and design.

Some owners like Cooper Weeks, owner of a 1955 Mercedes 300SL, feel their cars are part of their family.

Weeks said he bought the car in 1964 simply “because [he] liked it,” and ended up naming his daughter Mercedes in honor of the vehicle — and plans to keep it in the family for generations to come.

Other owners like Bob Wollenman, a KC Auto Museum board member, enjoy participating in car shows to educate the public.

Wollenman said automobiles’ popularity with younger generations is not as vibrant as it might have been in generations past.

Bob Wollenman's 1936 Packard
Bob Wollenman’s 1936 Packard is a 5,000 pound car featuring rear-hinged doors and a golf club door.

As the owner of a 1936 Packard — a coupe convertible featuring rear-hinged doors, three-speed manual transmission and a side door for golf clubs — Wollenman said he hopes car show attendees can appreciate older cars like his hat were handmade.

Wollenman said the Meadowbrook show served as an opportunity for the museum to show off what the car enthusiast community has to offer and helps with their ongoing efforts at securing space for a museum in Kansas City’s Crossroads district.

“We have a goal to eventually build a museum here in Kansas City,” Wollenman said. “We have to present to the public what the opportunities are in the car enthusiast world. You look around, and just about every make, model and year you want is here.”

The cars

Here’s a look at a number of cars featured at the Meadowbrook Car Show, from Lamborghinis to Dodges and more.

Photos of every car at the event can be found on KC Automotive Museum’s Facebook page here.

1911 Porsche Carrera 4
One of the 100 cars at the Meadowbrook Car Show was a 1911 Porsche Carrera, pictured above.

 

Mixture of new and old style cars
A variety of cars — differing in style, makes and models — were on display on April 11. Participants were able to view the cars from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

1959 Dodge Sierra
Car enthusiasts paid special attention to the details of the cars. Pictured above is the front bumper of a custom 1959 Dodge Sierra Spectator Wagon.

 

Interior 1959 Dodge Sierra Spectator Wagon
Participants were also able to admire the interiors of the cars. Above is the interior of the custom 1959 Dodge Sierra Spectator Wagon.

 

Meadowbrook Car Show
Several car owners popped the hoods of their vehicles for participants to see — and potentially inquire about — the car’s engine, as pictured above.

 

1922 Duesenberg
Above is a 1922 Duesenberg, which was produced by the American manufacturer Duesenberg Motors Company founded by brothers August and Frederick Duesenberg.

 

1957 Cadillac El Dorado Seville
Above is the rear bumper of a 1957 Cadillac Seville El Dorado, nicknamed “Brut.”