By Emily Williams
Historic, sport and racing cars will fill the streets of Lane Parke on May 17 to kick off the annual Barber Historics Race weekend with Car Parke 2019.
Spearheaded by Alan Thacker of the Mountain Brook Driving Club, the Car Parke event will be co-presented by Barber Historics and will include classic cars, sports cars and even a few race cars that will be seen on the track that weekend.
“Barber did a similar show in past years in the (circle) in Mountain Brook Village,” Thacker said, but it struggled a bit due to the landscape.
Lane Parke reached out to Thacker in April to offer its parking areas, which are unused until the opening of the GreenWise Market later this year.
“It is a great space because it is more contained,” Thacker said. “You’ll be able to see all of the cars and feel that energy, with the race cars revving up.”
According to Thacker, events like this are a chance for owners to socialize with each other as well as interact with the public about one of their favorite subjects – cars.
“I started loving sports cars on my own, it wasn’t something my grandfather or father did,” he said. “I think it was around 1965 … . I just started noticing some neat cars coming out.”
Over time, Thacker’s knowledge grew, but it all began with a simple appreciation for vehicle appearances.
For those who don’t know much about cars, the show will be easy to navigate. Vehicles will be separated into four display sections devoted to different countries: the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Italy.
As Thacker began formulating a list of cars to be displayed, he decided to organize the cars in each section by the year they were made.
There will be cars from as far back as the 1950s and ‘60s all the way up to contemporary models. They represent a variety of manufacturers, including Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Lamborghini.
In addition to seeking a variety of makes and models, Thacker also took color into account when rounding up cars for the show.
“We’ll have a wide palette of colors,” he said. For example, there will be a Ferrari in French blue, a color Thacker said is not as widely seen as the ever-popular red.
The car that Thacker identifies as the most unique among the vehicles on display will be a relatively new McLaren, representing the Brits, that is a bright yellow color.
Guests can peruse the Car Parke vehicles from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., with a stage featuring music by the surf rock band High Fidelics. If anybody gets hungry, Thacker said, there are plenty of restaurants in Lane Parke to grab a bite, such as The Grand Bohemian Hotel, MidiCi Italian Kitchen and CharBar No. 7.
Thacker said he expects this won’t be the only Car Parke event. He’s hoping it will become a success and can continue to serve the local community and Barber Motorsports in future years.
