La Verne's Cool Cruise

Easter weekend is usually a quiet weekend when it comes to car shows, as family gatherings take precedence.  There was one great car show to be found, however, and sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday was Cool Cruise Saturday in Downtown La Verne.If you haven't been to downtown La Verne, we recommend the trip.  Tucked behind the Pomona Fairgrounds and track, La Verne is home to an old-fashioned hot rodder culture that has a charm all its own...An initial surprise of the show was this Helms Bakery truck, otherwise known as the "Bread Sled."  We loved the retro hommage to Helms and were amazed by just how far back the driver sits in this truck.  Note the unique addition of the plexiglass plate to make the engine visible from the interior of the cab.This rod was one of our favorites of the day, not just because it was wonderfully executed and driven by an enthusiastic hot rodder, but because it was a daily driver.  That's right, this rod graces the streets and highways every single day!Have an extra $75,000 to spare?  If so, this Amphicar can be all yours.  Rarely seen at car shows, this aquamobile delighted showgoers.  A novelty collectible for classic auto and boat lovers alike, the Amphicar was the brainchild of German inventor Hanns Trippel.  First produced in 1961, fewer than 4,000 Amphicars were ever produced.  We loved the custom plate on this Amphicar, "BLUBLUB."We loved the variety of unique cars that turned out for this show, including this Anglia. As a kid, my dad owned an Anglia, complete with right hand drive and plaid interior. We always let our dog ride in the front seat, and he always received lots of strange looks from the folks around town. They never quite understood why the dog was driving...This Roadmaster was in pristine condition and filled with gorgeous design detail.We were happy to see this Hudson Hornet, the likes of which is rare at car shows. I developed a fondness for Hudsons after going to a restaurant in my hometown called Hudsons, which was completely themed to these cars, complete with fronts and rears of Hudsons hanging on the walls.This truck featured beer kegs in the back (sadly, only for show), but the real clever customized piece on this truck was the guage quietly tucked in to the back of the scoop, which was perfectly visible from the driver's seat.When you attend quite a few car shows like we do, you often see the same cars at a variety of shows. However, this last Chevy, seen here on a trailer, was being pulled by a wonderful cab-over that we found on its own at the Hot Rod Homecoming. Stay tuned as we bring you the haulin' half of this vintage beauty.