Petersburg brewery hosts cruise-in, city gives trolley tours: View gallery, video

"Silver Streak gets temperamental when she's hot," Roger Clifton said, behind the wheel of his '62 Rambler American Deluxe. Riding shotgun, I quipped, "So do I."

Roger and his wife Karen shared a fun experience with me. On the evening of Wednesday, June 12, we went to a cruise-in hosted by Trapezium Brewing Company in Petersburg. The event was part of the International Convention of the American Motors Owners Association [AMO] held at Keystone Truck and Tractor Museum in Colonial Heights.

Car enthusiasts came from all over to share their beauties with each other. The cruise-in was one of the first events of the four-day convention. Roger, a former neighbor, was appointed convention co-host mainly to help manage the Facebook page.

Cruise-in participants formed a procession in Keystone Museum's "back yard." After her mild temper tantrum, Silver Streak cranked up and joined the other sweet rides. We paraded down the Boulevard, across the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge and through Old Towne. Petersburg's historic Union Train Station was a great backdrop for the classic cars.

Spectators oohed and aahed as they walked around the four-wheeled gems. As he admired a red, very rare, 1970, two-seater Gremlin, Mark Scott of Richmond shared a funny story with me. "When I was 16, eight of us went to Nags Head in a Gremlin. We were crammed in that thing sitting on top of each other. Brings back a lot of memories. Wish I never would have gotten rid of her."

The city of Petersburg treated convention goers to trolley rides driven by Michael Edwards. Public Information Officer Joanne Williams greeted tourists and Ella Dickinson did a fantastic job pointing out Old Towne's sights. Guests hopped off at different restaurants along the way. As we drove past Shut Yo Mouf Soulfood Restaurant at 424 N. Market Street, Roger shared with everyone on the trolley that it once was Connie Hack Rambler.

Petersburg: Tourists taste Old Towne

In Trapezium Brewing's taproom during music bingo, the three of us shared a Bavarian pretzel with Lucky 47 White Ale beer cheese and a Monterrey brick-fired pizza made with red sauce, prosciutto, five cheese blend, goat cheese, fig and honey drizzle. It was all delicious and Christina our server was awesome! Chad Quella, AMO 2024 event chairman, stopped by our table to chat. We raised our brews to a fun evening spent with car enthusiasts. "All of these people are very nutty in different ways," Quella said.

Bill Dettman of South Bend, Indiana has been an AMO member since 1986. He ordered Trapezium Brewing's wings, a pink lemonade beer and a Bonneville pizza with red sauce, pepperoni, prosciutto and a five-cheese blend. "It was all very good," Dettman said. "The wings were not overly done and not too spicy."

We walked a short distance back to the cruise-in just in time to watch Dave McCormick, owner of Trapezium Brewing Company, crown the "Finest AMC Ride", Bob Green's golden lime metallic, 1970 AMX sports car. "I'm 90 minutes away. It was a nice ride. I drive it anywhere I can," Green of Suffolk said. "I'm just here for the show and didn't think I could win."

Larry and Izzy Adams dined at Andrade's International Restaurant and loved it. "We have enough left over for another meal. It was delicious," Larry said. Unfortunately, his 1970 AMX could not make it to the convention due to a collision with a deer. "It's the first time in 20 years it won't be part of this meet." The couple from Staunton, Virginia wasn't about to miss out on the exciting convention. Izzy said, "There are so many people with stories to tell."

"I love antique cars. It brings back a lot of memories," Paula Mims of Petersburg shared. "When I first tried to drive a car, it was in a Rambler. A brave friend let me drive around the block."

Social Butterfly interviews Rambler fan Roger Clifton

When did your passion for Ramblers begin? "At an early age. I was brought home in a ’57 red and white Rambler Custom with a Continental Kit, and our second car was usually a Rambler."

Who inspired you to become a car enthusiast? "My father and a good friend. Mike Gambill has a really cool ’54 Hudson Hornet."

Why are you fond of Ramblers? "They're an independent automaker and along with my family's seven, I have owned four."

What Ramblers have you have owned, past and present? "A 1963 Rambler American 330 “The White Flash”, a 1962 Rambler American Deluxe “Silver Streak”, a 1960 American ”Mater’s Cousin”, and a 1965 American 330 “Miss Lillian” named after its original owner."

Do you plan to purchase other classic cars in the future? "Hopefully, a Rambler American convertible."

Do you have any other favorite brands? "Hudson, Studebaker, Nash."

Are you a member of any car clubs? "Yes, Potomac Ramblers, AMO and AMCRC [American Motors Corporation Rambler Club]."

How does Karen feel about your hobby? "She’s okay with it as long as I keep it reasonable. She enjoys riding with me in parades." Karen's own response, "I love that he's passionate about it, but it's his not mine."

How often do you take your pride and joys out for a spin? "Once or twice a month. Great to drive to church and periodic cruise-ins . The farthest one was Southern Knights Cruisers Car Show at Richard Bland College."

Do you cruise in your Ramblers on the 5&Dime Trail , the 80.6-mile scenic drive along Routes 5 and 10? "I stick to local and low-speed back roads. Silver Streak's sweet spot is at 45 mph."

Are you hands-on with repairs and such? "A little. I’m blessed with my friend Mike Gambill of Chester. He’s a wizard with vintage cars. He brought Silver Streak and Miss Lillian to life again!"

How would you describe the camaraderie between car enthusiasts? "In Potomac Ramblers, it’s a bunch of good and helpful people who freely share their knowledge and sources of parts."

Do you have a comical tale to share about you and your hobby? "Unloading Silver Streak and running behind it to stop it, discovering the brakes didn’t work!"

During our cruise to Old Towne, Roger shared how his first car "The White Flash" was great for rooting around cow pastures to get the church Christmas tree. He said, "It always looked pretty cool perched on top of a Rambler."

For more information about the Potomac Ramblers car club, the convention hosts, visit potomacramblers.com , and visit amo.club to learn more about the American Motors Owners Association. To view convention images , visit 2024 AMO Convention in Petersburg, Virginia: Innovation for Generations on Facebook. Read this story at progress-index.com to view my gallery and video.

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Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg brewery hosts cruise-in, city gives trolley tours: View gallery, video