On Sunday a fleet of vintage cars arranged themselves in the parking lot of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School for the 13th annual Tisbury Car Show. The event was hosted by the Tisbury Fire Department and benefited the Fallen Firefighters Fund.
Just over 40 cars, spanning from a 1929 Ford Model A, with crank windows and a wooden bed, to a 2019 Porsche Panamera 4, with a twin-turbo V6 engine and rear-seat entertainment, found their spots on the asphalt.
At front and center of the show were fire trucks representing the departments of each Island town. Hanging from the extended bucket of the Tisbury Fire Department’s ladder truck, an American flag rippled in the breeze as observers mingled with the owners of the vintage cars.
Seth Gambino of Tisbury sat in the shade of his 1956 Chevrolet 150. The patina roof and grill of the classic mid-century car made it stand out among the other well-polished vehicles.
“I’ve driven it every day since I got it,” Mr. Gambino said. “I just like living in this era.”
Mr. Gambino has collected and fixed cars his whole life. He said that car shows are a great opportunity to display his new projects. But he feels a special connection to this car show, as the hosting fire department rescued his family’s antique shop from a house fire in 1996.
“I sure owe them a lot,” he said. “This is just one of the ways I show it.”
Mr. Gambino also had eyes for another car, owned by Richie Giordano — a 1956 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air just on the other side of the walking path.
“She’s a great car,” he said, referring to his Chevrolet 150. “But soon she’s going to give her life to become a Nomad.”
According to Mr. Giordano, there were only 6,800 Nomad’s ever made — and much less that have maintained the quality of their engines, frames and tropical-turquoise and cream paint.
Once Mr. Gambino is finished with his next project, the Island will include two of those 6,800.
Though there was competition, and a bit of automobile-envy, all participants were united in their front to support the fire department.
Throughout the day, Island-band Serendipity played their set. According to organizer Dick Pratt, the band has consistently backed up the firefighters each year of the Tisbury Car Show since it began 13 years ago in the parking lot behind Shirley’s Hardware.
Singer Merrily Fenner summed up the atmosphere on Sunday.
“We just love our firefighters,” she said.
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