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Reports calling for thunderstorms and hail April 16 convinced organizers of
KICA Cars in the Park to cancel the show hours before its start.
Part-time Kiawah resident George Desko showed off a 2010 Ferrari Italia 458
at a car event last Saturday at Night Heron Park.
But as is periodically the case in metro Charleston, the weather didn’t act
like it was supposed to at least on Kiawah Island, and skies brightened for
much of the day.
That was enough incentive for a dozen or so show-goers who resided or were
staying on the island and had already arrived at the Night Heron Park site.
Figuring they were close enough to garages to cover their cars if the
weather suddenly changed, the aficionados lined up their high-end models and
held an impromptu fest.
One enthusiast, Russ Crane, parked his 1931 Model A Ford in the grassy
infield.
"I just like antique cars. This is so much fun with the grand kids,” said
Crane, who registered the car in Pennsylvania where he has a house.
Crane said the classic Model A, known for its open-air “rumble seat” behind
the driver and passenger compartment, had been cosmetically restored when he
bought it.
But the coupe required a lot of mechanical work such as a rebuilt
carburetor, distributor and transmission.
Still, he downplayed the amount of effort involved in fixing the
six-cylinder power train. “You can buy a lawn mower engine more complicated
than this,” he quipped.
A few cars away was a row of Porsche 356 roadsters. “I’ve driven this car
35,000 miles since I’ve had it,” said Curt Dansby, of Charlotte, who brought
a 1965 model.
He has a house on Kiawah Island and visits the show with a group of friends
who hold an annual get-together, complete with T-shirts, dubbed the “Shrimp
and Grease” weekend.
A much-eyed display was a pair of Ferraris owned by George Desko.
He parked a 2010 burgundy Italia 458 next to a rare 1995 Testarossa, one of
349 crafted worldwide that year. Desko, who lives in the Pittsburgh area and
has had a house on Kiawah since 1984, said the 8-cylinder Italia is actually
slightly faster that the 12-cylinder Testarossa, top speed 202 miles per
hour to 198 mph.
And the new model travels from 0 to 60 mph in a blood-rushing 3 seconds.
A member of the Ferrari Club of America, he’s clocked laps on various tracks
including for charity events. “We just did Sebring,” he said.
Keller Staubes, a Cars in the Park organizer, said backers plan to focus on
next year’s show. Supporters of the Kiawah show, which is in its fourth
year, eventually want to remake the event as a concours d’elegance – part
show, part ritzy shindig held at exclusive locales such as Pebble Beach.
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