«This meeting can already be considered the biggest event of its kind south of Lisbon», proudly says Ricardo Pinto, president of the Parish Council of Armação de Pêra, surrounded by cars of various ages that participated, this Sunday, in the event. of the “Clube dos Veículos Clássicos do Barlavento”, in the old mini-golf, in that village on the coast of the municipality of Silves.
The meeting, as it happens every first Sunday of each month, was marked by an atmosphere of great animation, guaranteed by remarkable music in the XNUMXth century, and attracted many people to this area of the village.
«The event came from a group of friends who had old cars: me, Tozé and Rogério», said Sérgio Costa, the president of the club that names and organizes the meeting.
«We talked with the president of the Board to hold a meeting similar to the one in Faro. We had our first meeting at the auction, with 24 cars. For us it was a success! People started joining and it became a big event,” she added.
The first meetings took place in the auction area, next to the beach. But, in August 2017, due to the “Pirate Week”, classic cars moved to the old mini-golf on a temporary basis. However, this situation became permanent, as things went well in the new location.
The 8th anniversary of the event is celebrated this month, but the party will only take place in May, due to the inconstant weather.
On the 1st of May, «there will be a special edition of the meeting», which «will be extended until 18:00, with food and drinks and live music».
Yesterday, as in each of the meetings, a classic car was in the spotlight. This time, the “star” was an old Cadillac, a machine that caused a sensation.
The featured vehicle was joined by other classics such as a 300 BMW Isetta 1957, a 1982 Excelsior, a 3 Ford Xr1988i, another 1985 Cadillac, a 1982 Land Rover, as well as an Austin 850, a 70s Citroën Mehari, an Aston Martin DB 6, GMC, Morris Ten, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Deluxe, Ford Mustang 289 and the Vespa and Honda cx 500 motorcycles.
«This is a very successful event, due to the regularity, the privilege of the view to the sea, which is the most beautiful in the world, and due to the recognition of people from various parts of the country and the world. All this is what has guaranteed success. It is a way to boost Armação and local commerce. It is a tremendous pride and a winning bet», guarantees the mayor Ricardo Pinto.
The president of the Parish Council adds that, in the future, other activities may be promoted, in addition to the exhibition of cars, namely the creation of a greater offer for people who want to eat or drink during the event, «since many of the cafes and shops are closed at this time of year'.
Ricardo Pinto challenges people to go to Armação on the first Sunday of each month, starting at 10 am,
«There is always space for conversations, for sharing stories related to vehicles, for exchanging experiences, doing business and making contacts. There are still those who come just to see, but end up infecting friends and acquaintances», concludes the president of the Board.
In addition to the usual attractions, Sunday's meeting was also marked by the swearing-in of the association's board members for the next three years, by the sale of miniature cars, blouses and other accessories.
Photos: Cátia Rodrigues | Sul Informação
Note: Cátia Rodrigues is a student of the degree in Communication Sciences at the University of Algarve and is doing her curricular internship at the Sul Informação
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