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PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEMAY – AMERICA’S CAR MUSEUM

ACRES OF AUTOS. The LeMay Car Show and Auction showcases more than 1,000 automobiles presented in numerous themed rooms like the Rolls Royce Room, Cadillac Room and Muscle Car Room.

31st Annual LeMay Car Show and Auction:

The Rolls Royce of South Sound car shows

By Matt Nagle

Lovers of fine automobiles will think they have died and gone to heaven at the 31st Annual LeMay Museum Car Show and Auction, to be held Aug. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the former Marymount Academy in Parkland and also on the grounds of the LeMay family home. Visitors from throughout the Puget Sound region and other parts of the Northwest wait eagerly for this event each year to see more than 1,000 vintage, classic and specialty automobiles, trucks and motorcycles from the LeMay collection, plus hundreds of additional local collector cars and other unique vehicles.

In addition to the vehicles on display, the event features many other exhibits of dolls, toys, antiques, auto memorabilia and specialty items collected by Nancy LeMay and her late husband Harold LeMay, housed in private garages on the LeMay property. Once a year the LeMay family opens their homestead to the public to show off their dazzling collections along with their nostalgic general store and soda fountain.

The car show and auction is held in two locations simultaneously, with shuttle buses proving transportation between them. On the LeMay grounds, many theme “rooms” will be set up for displays, such as the Rolls Royce Room, Cadillac Room, Muscle Car Room, and Fire Truck Alley, to name just a few. The LeMays will also have a disc jockey playing music from the 1950s and ’60s, food booths, a merry-go-round for the little ones, and even a Santa Shop to explore.

“They are collectors extraordinaire – the cars are just one element,” said Trudy Cofchin, chairperson of the car show committee and director of events for the LeMay car museum. “They have stuff that will interest every member of the family.”

Over at the former Marymount Academy in Parkland (325 152nd St. E.), where the LeMay Museum is open year-round, there will be specialty rooms as well for motorcycles, trucks, small cars and more, as well as displays of vintage bicycles and classic “teardrop” trailers. This will also be the auction staging area, where potential buyers can preview their top choices beginning at 9 a.m. More than 30 cars will be on the block, including a 1934 Chevrolet four-door, two 1939 DeSotos, more than two-dozen Packards and a 1959 Rambler two-door. Visit www.lemaymuseum.org for the most up-to-date list.

Families can take home a special souvenir of the event by having their pictures taken with Fred Flintstone’s car, the “Flintmobile,” and other celebrity cars as well, such as “Christine,” a 1958 Plymouth Fury as seen in the Stephen King film of the same name, and a 1948 DeSoto like the one Mr. Cunningham drove in “Happy Days.”

There will be many volunteers available throughout the day at both sites, as it takes more than 400 of them to successfully stage this gigantic annual event. “The day is made wonderful by all the volunteers we have,” Cofchin said. “It would not be possible without them.” She also thanked prime sponsor AAA of Washington and the more than 50 local businesses and car clubs that help sponsor the event.

Entry donations are $10 for adults, $20 for families of four, $5 for children under 12, and $5 for active-duty military. Donations can be made in advance online at www.lemaymuseum.org. All proceeds benefit the non-profit Harold E. LeMay Museum.

Free parking will be available offsite with free shuttle bus transportation between the parking lots, Marymount Academy and the LeMay grounds. Designated parking lots will be in the vicinity of, and include, Rainier View Christian Church at 12305 Spanaway Loop Rd. S. and also at Spanaway Junior High School at 15701 ‘B’ St. E. Look for the signs.

For additional information, call (253) 536-2885.

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