River City Rodders put classic cars on display in downtown Cape Girardeau

More than 200 cars and trucks will line Main Street from Broadway to Merriwether Street as well as the parking lot in front of Hutson's Fine Furniture on Sunday during the River City Rodders' 33rd annual River Tales Classic Car Show.

Many eras of automotive history will be represented at the show, including a post-Depression Studebaker owned by Ford Stoecker of Cape Girardeau. Stoecker owns two Studebakers -- a brown 1935 Commander Land Cruiser four-door sedan restored to its original condition and a 1937 sedan delivery "resto rod" that was built from the ground up as a street rod and lacks only a few coats of paint.

"Everyone has their own take on the car hobby," Stoecker said. "Some guys like to race them, and some people roll them out of their garage into a trailer, and they transport them to a car show and then roll them out and the things never come out on a rainy day. I much more enjoy driving them and going places with my cars."

Stoecker has driven his Studebakers around the country. The sedan delivery went to Alaska and back, and the Land Cruiser has been to California and back. He said he enjoys seeing others drive their cars as well.

"You drive around daily and you never think twice about the late model car next to you, but if it's a 60- or 70-year-old car that really looks neat, you'll gesture to the driver and give him a thumbs up and express your interest in the car," he said.

The Studebaker sedan traces its origin back to the Pierce-Arrow, a luxury car company in the 1920s and '30s. In 1929, Studebaker bought Pierce Arrow, but because it was perceived as a prestige car and Studebaker was more of a mundane model, Studebaker didn't advertise its ownership.

For the 1933 New York style show, Studebaker was trying to capture the interest of the public. The company handmade five cars called "Silver Arrow" and released them under Pierce-Arrow.

The cars were the first to be considered aerodynamic. They had fully enclosed rear fenders that were molded into the bodywork, as opposed to add-on fenders that hung out on the sides of the body. The front fenders were integrated into the hood and the front doors, whereas every other car of that era had separate fenders.

After financial trouble, Studebaker sold Pierce-Arrow in 1933, but it was one of the few automobile companies to survive the Depression. It scraped together enough money to come out with a new line of cars in 1934 when the company decided to recapture the excitement of the Silver Arrow.

"That's what the Land Cruiser is," Stoecker said. "Studebaker sold two sets of four-door [models] in '34 and '35, the conventional one with the squared-off rear-end, and then the Land Cruisers that captured that streamlining look."

Ron Keller with Rods by Ron did the paint and body work and Ron Shipman with Performance Antiques did the powertrain on both of Stoecker's Studebakers.

"The brown car is an all-original engine and drive train, while the other is a street rod and has a highly modified GMC engine," Stoecker said.

The River Tales Classic Car Show offers car enthusiasts a chance to show off vehicles made during the 20th century. Registration will be from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday. Registration is $15 per vehicle. The awards presentation is at 3 p.m.

Aside from the first-, second- and third-place trophies in each of the 34 classes, the club also gives special trophies like best paint, Rodder's Choice and Old Town Cape choice, said Danny Essner, secretary for the River City Rodders.

"The best time to look at the cars is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.," Essner said, referring to Sunday's show. He said the River City Rodders want people to spend a day downtown and not only see the cars, but take some time to visit the riverfront and downtown businesses, as well.

The Rodders will also have a cruise from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Capaha Park.

"It's basically an opportunity for people to get together and hang out," Essner said.

For more information about the River City Rodders and the River Tales Classic Car Show, visit www.rivercityrodders.com. Both events are free.

Pertinent addresses: Capaha Park

Downtown Cape Girardeau (Sunday)