Luxury Cars, Rare Rides To Headline Newtown Auto Show On Sunday

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — This year’s Newtown Antique and Classic Auto Show is shaping up to be one of the best ever with rare automobiles and a marquee car whose name espouses luxury.

The show is scheduled to roll onto historic State Street in Newtown Borough on Sunday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with more than 150 vehicles, representing a century’s worth of automotive history.

With 10 classes of cars, show chairman Dan Petty said people can expect all kinds of vehicles from the early 1900s up to the late 1990s. Specialty cars, former military vehicles, trucks, foreign cars, modified cars, hot rods, and more will be part of the show.

“People are going to enjoy looking at these cars,” said Petty, a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Newtown and the vice president of the Newtown Business Association, which organizes the show. “There is something for everybody. We have the really old cars. We have the muscle cars. Then we have the foreign cars.

“Anybody will be able to appreciate the craftsmanship, the workmanship,” he said. “It’s like walking through a museum of automotive history.”

Gene Epstein won last year's Mayor's Award Best in Show for his 1956 Continental Derham. From left are Mayor John Burke, Gene Epstein, Police Chief James Sabath, and show chairman Dan Petty.

Setting this show apart will be the marquee cars - Rolls-Royce and Bentley - two names associated with the best in automotive luxury.

“We are thrilled to have Rolls-Royce and Bentley as our marquee cars this year,” said Paul Salvatore, who is working with Petty on this year's show. “People think of Rolls-Royce as the ultimate car. They are gorgeous.

“When I think of Rolls-Royce I think of elegance. I think of old England. I love the idea of having them in the show,” said Salvatore.

In addition to the marquee cars, Bucks County resident Gene Epstein, one of Pennsylvania's premier car collectors, will show two of his rarely-seen vehicles at the show.

Epstein will be bringing to the show his one-of-a-kind 1950 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, which took first place in June at the Rolls-Royce Owner's Club Annual Meet in Gettysburg. It also won Best in Show at last year's Redcoats & Rebels show in Washington Crossing.

He will also be bringing his stunningly beautiful Lincoln, "Rhapsody In Blue," to the show. The restored 1940 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet recreates the all-blue Continental ordered by orchestra leader Paul Whiteman 83 years ago. The car is named after Whiteman's theme song.

"Rhapsody In Blue," a restored 1940 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet that recreates the all-blue Continental ordered by orchestra leader Paul Whiteman 83 years ago. (Gene Epstein)

Epstein will be bringing his showpieces to Newtown to focus attention on Wheelz2work, a nonprofit program he founded through the Bucks County Opportunity Council and the Bucks County Community College.

Through Wheelz2work, the public can donate used cars in exchange for a full blue book tax write-off. Donated cars are given to low-income families enrolled in the Opportunity Council's Economic Self-Sufficiency Program to provide safe, reliable private transportation for work or school.

"Gene is his own car show with what he has. And the fact that he brings some of his great cars just enhances the show. To have Rhapsody in Blue at the show is going to be phenomenal," said Salvatore.

"And at the same time we'll be able to help Wheelz2Work. So we're doing a car show with a purpose," he said. "We're going to help people. We're going to make people aware that this program is out there. And we're going to make a life-changing difference in the lives of others. If these special cars bring the people in and Wheelz2work raises money, then it's a win-win."

Adds Petty, "The whole point of the car show is to bring the community together and to bring awareness to this amazing cause that Gene has started. We want to raise awareness of this program and what better way to do it than to get the community out, show off a lot of nice cars and just have fun."

Look for the Bucks County Opportunity Center booth where raffle tickets will be sold to raise money for the program. Donations will also be accepted.

“We love having Gene as part of the show," said Petty. "He is obviously very well respected in the car community at large, not just in the United States but internationally. He has won prestigious awards with his cars. When you think about all the charitable causes and work he has supported, he's also a local hero."

The show is presented by the Newtown Business Association and is sponsored by Trinity Health (St. Mary Medical Center). Gold sponsors include Weed Man, C&N, Thompson, and Mosquito Hero. The show's silver sponsor is Applebee's Neighborhood Grill.