A Look at the All Ford SouthWest Classic Car Show

Hats off to the organizers of the first annual All Ford SouthWest Classic Car Show that took place this past weekend in Glendale, Arizona. Even though the turnout was a bit low, FordMuscle took notice of the carefully selected mix of “VIP” Fords chosen to grace the brand new Arizona Cardinals stadium. While the event’s host Dick Brannan and other significant members of the golden age of factory Ford drag racing (ie., Sam Auxier Jr., Al Joniec, and Hubert Platt) were a draw for many Ford enthusiasts, All Ford SouthWest did not show favor only to historic factory-backed Falcon, Comet, and Galaxie drag cars.

In combination with the state-of-the-art Arizona Cardinals football stadium, the careful selection of Ford customs, model-A’s, production musclecars, non-factory backed drag machines, low-riders, and modern muscle, made All Ford SouthWest look more like an elegant museum of Ford history than your average summertime outdoor car show. Here’s just a few cars we saw:

A Real 1932 Ford Hot Rod
While some try to emulate them with today’s “Rat Rods”, here’s a real hot rod owned by the family of Ernesto Casarez. A veteran of the Korean War, Ernesto was shot in the chest and survived. He returned from the war and worked on this 1932 Ford. The car dates back to the Goleta airport drags. Ernesto died in 2005 when he was bit by a mosquito infected with West Nile virus. The car, his memory, and love for this true hot rod live on.

Privately Run 1964 Comet Cyclone Original Drag Car
The small block Cyclone shown here has been a drag car since it was purchased. It first ran D/stock then B/FX. Unlike many of the drag machines adjacent to it, this Mercury was not a factory sponsored car, it was always privately run. The Cyclone was retired from racing in the 1970’s. The owner purchased the car in the eraly 1980’s and it currently has 213 passes on it.

Old School 1977 Thunderbird Lowrider
Owned by Tony Perez, a member of Arizona’s “Redeemed” Christian Car Club, this 1977 Thunderbird was a fine contrast to the “go-fast” company present at the stadium. Next to the Bird was an equally smooth 1975 Lincoln Mark IV. Both owners expressed their efforts in making sure lowrider culture isn’t quickly stereotyped by those unfamiliar with what it’s really about. In the lowrider world, neighborhood automotive craftsmen and artists are willing to extend themselves (and cash payments) in order to help a fellow lowrider make their vision possible.

36,000 mile 1990 Thunderbird SC 5-Speed
Kathy Kocinski of Sun City, Arizona bought this piece of modern muscle in 1992. Perfectly stock, this supercharged bird was almost flawless. Considering these cars are usually trashed or on the verge of blowing a head gasket, seeing one in near-prefect form was a throw-back to the early 90’s when Ford was still making some exciting gentlemen’s (in this case “lady-like”) musclecars.