Show off your classic at the Gilmore Museum’s first-ever virtual car show

We’ve all had plenty of garage hours recently, with the promise of many more to come. Want a chance to show off your work to your friends, and still stay safe? The Gilmore Car Museum in southern Michigan has got you covered. Next Saturday, April 11, the museum will host its first-ever virtual car show on its website.

Got a vehicle with a model year of 2000 or before? It can be two- or four-wheeled, a truck or a custom, or even a project car. You’re in, with just a few steps. (Digital ones only, if you’re already sitting down at your computer.) Simply send an email to carshow@gilmorecarmuseum.org with your name, your hometown, and details about your car: year, make, model, and any fun or special details about your classic. The deadline for entry is Thursday, April 9 at midnight.

Though Gilmore is throwing the entry doors wide open, so to speak, the show will still have a familiar structure. There are separate categories for projects, customs, trucks, and motorcycles as well as bracketed time periods: pre-1920, 1921–1942, 1945–1969, and decade-by-decade through 2000. Starting at 2:00 p.m., the museum will award the top three places in each category. First gets a prize (undisclosed) and second and third get bragging rights. There will also be overall awards, including Best in Show (one each for pre-war and post-war) and a  Preservation Award.

As of this writing, and according to Facebook, the weather next Saturday will be miserable between the designated show hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.—but it doesn’t matter. The show will go on, and nobody should even get damp. 

We’d say join the revolution, but we hope this virtual show is just a stopgap measure—and a very encouraging one, at that. We’re just looking forward to the smell of coffee and fuel when in-person events can safely resume. Until then, support your Michigan car community and the Gilmore Museum.