PHOTOS and VIDEO: European car show draws thousands to Pottstown
by evan brandt
POTTSTOWN — Thousands of people ranging from car enthusiasts to the simply curious from as far away as seven countries and 22 states flocked to downtown Pottstown Sunday for the second annual European auto extravaganza known as L’oe Show.
Thousands of people poured onto High Street Sunday for the second annual L’oe Show auto show. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
For six blocks along High and Hanover streets, parts vendors, accessory shops, and pop-up stores joined Audis, Porsches and Volkswagens, so many Volkswagens, to the delight of those who traveled, in some cases thousands of miles, to get a closer look at their favorite autos and their engines.
All total, it was more than 500 show cars.
Pottstown business owner Jamie Orr, left, is also the prime organizer for L’oe Show and kicked off Sunday’s event by thanking the vendors and visitors for showing up. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
L’oe Show is the brainchild of Jamie Orr, owner of Orchid Euro LLC on Queen Street, who has now lived in Pottstown longer than he lived in his native Scotland.
“If I had to explain my job in one sentence, it might be ‘Traveling the world looking for cars, parts, and adventures,’” Orr wrote on the event’s website. “This has taken me to five continents, and dozens of countries, including all 48 lower States in the USA (and Alaska, to the Arctic Ocean), South Africa, Brazil, China, Japan, almost every country in Europe — Lichtenstein and Norway remain elusive, but I did get a car from Greenland.”
Damien D’Amore of Weekhawkin with the 2008 Volkswagen he brought to this year’s L’oe Show car show in Pottstown. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Sunday’s show was filled with people who share Orr’s passion for these vehicles.
“My dad had had one of these sedans when I was 12 or 13 and just fell in love with it,” said Daimen D’Amore of Weehawken, N.J., who brought his 2008 Mark 5, R-32 to the show. “I came last year and it was great, so this year, I brought mine,” he said.
He’s not the only one.
Porsche's lined North Hanover Streets during Sunday's L'oe show. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The rear-mounted engine of a Volkswagen Karmenn Ghia was on full display Sunday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
A Volkswagen fitted out as a police car was among those to be seen Sunday at L'oe Show. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
This two-tone Volkswagen was an eye-catching auto on display Sunday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
It's hard to imagine how this Volkswagen could be more pink. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
High Street was packed with almost as many cars as people in a broad spectrum of colors, shapes and styles; some candy apple red, others bubble gum pink, and many one of 100 shades of black.
Stripes, lightning bolts, flowers and even messages and slogans decorated the shining sheet metal. For the most part, not a spot was to be found on any of the chrome bumpers.
The sign outside the former Lastick Furniture store, recognizable for decades, took on a new look for L'oe Show in downtown Pottstown Sunday. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The interior of the former Lastick Furniture store was transformed into a L'oe show specialty and novelty store for Sunday's show. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
One vacant store front on High Street was transformed into a show for those looking for their favorite collectable. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Pottstown's iconic Very Best Hot Dog Shop temporarily had a new neighbor in a pop-up store set up for L'oe Show Sunday.
L'oe Show organizers even managed to squeeze a vintage Volkswagen Beetle behind the gates of the Iron Gate Biergarten on High Street. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Those downtown businesses that chose to be open Sunday saw a jolt of business and were complemented by the many pop-up stores and vendors that occupied vacant storefronts downtown, or, in some cases, set up special tents and tables, many dedicated to the parts and accessories sought out by auto enthusiasts.
More than 40 vendors and stores participated.
Pottsgrove High School Marching Band members Kelsey Renner, left and Haley Harner made a second musical contribution to Sunday's L'oe Show by offering their rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Pottsgrove High School Marching Band member Kaden Hill, 14, stops for a photo with Carter Hill, 8, Breah Chisn, 4 and Erika Carr. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The Pottsgrove High School Marching Band kicked off Sunday's L'oe Show by leading the parade of specialty and concept cars down High Street. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Steel River Playhouse board member Karen McCormick, left, and artistic director Leena Devlin manned a table selling merchandise to help raise money to replace the theater's marquee. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Scott Haldeman of Philadelphia came to Pottstown for an opportunity like this, to sit inside a unique Volkswagen mini-bus. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Also benefitting were some of Pottstown’s non-profits. Inside the former Lastick’s building the Steel River Playhouse was selling raffle tickets and merchandise, all of which was donated by the many vendors who participated in Sunday’s show.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds from this will go toward replacing the marquee on the High Street landmark. “We’ve had to repair it a couple of times already, it’s time to replace it,” she said.
This unique vehicle looks like it was once a VW Bus and now its both transport and showroom alike. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Yes, you looked twice right? This is in fact a Volkswagen with the rear of another identical Volkswagen converted into a trailer. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
This special vehicle was built to climb Pike's Peak. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
One of the things auto enthusiasts appear to enjoy about L'oe Show is the ability to look inside rally cars, and under the hood. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
The paint job on this Volkswagen is enough to make you rub your eyes. (Evan Brandt — MediaNews Group)
Sunday may have been the big event, but nearly a week of events, including hang-outs at places like Sly Fox Brewery, Coventry Ice Cream Parlor, the Carousel at Pottstown, Red Horse Motoring Club, Little Italy and the Norco Fire Company all served as lead-ins to the Sunday finale.
