1,600 vehicles roll into Butler
Simon Neubert has taken his 1923 Ford Model T from his home in Cabot to New York City to Seattle, but still made it a point to park it on Main Street in Butler so people in his local community could see a piece of history.
Neubert said his appreciation for one of the first widely manufactured automobiles comes down to its use as the “common man’s car.”
“The Model T was the easiest car to get a hold of,” Neubert said. “Without this car, you wouldn’t have any of these cars on this street.”
Neubert showed off two of his Ford Model Ts at the 28th annual Cruise-A-Palooza Sunday, June 25, on Main Street in Butler, an event that boasted more than 1,600 vehicles.
Dan Cunningham, publicity director for the Rodfathers of Butler, said the event is not limited to certain vehicles, which allows anyone to bring their ride to show off on the street.
“It started with 10 guys showing off their cars on Main Street,” Cunningham said. “We’ve never done prizes ... We look at it as raising money for charity.”
The streets of Butler were filled with many vehicles dating to the 1920s, such as Neubert’s Ford Model Ts, as well as modern vehicles such as Volkswagen Beetles and Teslas.
Troy Adamosky, of Butler, brought his 1969 Camaro to the cruise, and said his appreciation for hot rods may have started in his childhood with the vehicle.
“I bought it off a neighbor,” Adamosky said. “I watched him build it as a kid.”
Fixing up old automobiles is what drives many car cruise participants, Cunningham said. He spent weeks refurbishing a 1966 Mustang, which he finished a few weeks ago to be ready for the Sunday cruise.
“It’s a great hobby to have,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham also said the Rodfathers choose several nonprofits around November each year to donate money from the group’s events to. Cruise-A-Palooza raised money through sponsorships, a 50/50 raffle and more than 100 auction items, according to Cunningham.
While Neubert enjoyed looking at some of the other vehicles on display Sunday, he said he also uses car shows as opportunities to educate people on vehicular history.
“The Model T is the second most manufactured car ever,” Neubert said, adding that the car in the number one spot is the VW Beetle. “There’s something really special about these cars.”
