Rev your engines: Engels Car Show to return on Sunday

For Paul Engels, who works at the iconic gas station just south of Portage that has been owned by his family since 1951, the annual celebration of fossil-fueled finery is steeped in turbo-charged tradition.

Islanders can ogle vintage hot rods, roadsters, hydroplanes, tractors, and even a few supercars, when Engels Repair and Towing hosts its annual car show, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at 22725 Dockton Rd. SW.

For Paul Engels, who works at the iconic gas station just south of Portage that has been owned by his family since 1951, the annual celebration of fossil-fueled finery is a labor of love and steeped in turbo-charged tradition.

Engels has lost track of the number of years the show has been going on, but it has been happening for at least the last two decades, he said, only taking a pandemic pause in 2020.

The car show is non-competitive and free to enter and has always attracted participation from a wide spectrum of car collectors on the island and beyond. Rust buckets may sit next to meticulously detailed classics, giving the show an ecumenical feel missing in many other shows in the region.

In recent years, the show has exploded in size, with cars lining the Engels property all the way to Kingsbury Road. Still, said Engels, the majority of participants come from Vashon, bringing out cars that have been safely tucked away in barns and garages for most of the year.

All the time-honored elements of the event will be back in place this year, Engels said, including volunteer help from Vashon High School football players, who will once again be on hand to cook hot dogs and hamburgers for the crowd. Also on offer this year will be street tacos served by La Isla Mexican Food.

Islander Brett Bacchus, Engels said, is putting together a reconstituted version of the Doily Brothers Band, a storied island rock band from the 1970s and 80s that will play several sets during the day. Players will include Bacchus, Gary Toto, Scotty Johnson, Loren Sinner — and hopefully, Engels added, original Doily Brothers member, Jimmy Spakowsky.

What’s Engels looking forward to this year? He said he’s hoping islander Carl Olsen will bring his high-end supercar, a 2018 McLaren.

But he’s also excited to see some choice Chevy and Dodge pickup trucks from the late 1950s, as well as islander Paul Norton’s 1964 Grand Sport Corvette or his 1968 Camaro Super Sport.

He also said his father, Lou Engels, will show off a 1934 Pickup truck that he rebuilt in 1954 — a group project he undertook with intrepid island friends.

Engels said he loves presenting the show each year.

“It’s all about seeing the shine, the chrome and the colors,” he said. “People look forward to it, and when it’s all over, you let out a big sigh of relief.”