My People’s Choice Award

The Port Orchard Cruz, held yesterday along the city’s waterfront, doesn’t have a people’s choice award. With nearly 500 vehicles this year and thousands of spectators, counting all of the ballots would take too long. That’s what I learned from a couple of members of the Saints Car Club, which does a superb job staging the show. So I decided to award my own people’s (person’s?) choice award (see photo).

The main reason I go to car shows is that I never get tired of seeing collectible cars from the fifties and sixties and talking to their owners. Each car—restored, cleaned up, and show ready—represents a huge investment in time, money, patience, and love. But secretly I’m also looking for vehicles I have never seen before. Yesterday, my quest for the unusual was rewarded, and it gets my vote for best of show.

Entry #32 was a 1931 Twin Coach Bakery Van. Restored years ago by a shop in Pennsylvania and owned now by Olson Gaskets, a local company, the bread truck was completely authentic, including period photos, a 1931 California license plate, and actual bread wrappers from the 1930’s. It was part of a fleet of 800 vehicles operated by Helms Bakery of Los Angeles. This particular one was in service until 1967.

The vehicle is mounted on a bus chassis (note the huge tires), and the operator stands up to drive it. Top speed is just over 30 mph. It was meant to cruise suburban neighborhoods delivering cookies, rolls, and other bakery products. Inside, the goodies were kept in a series of glass-fronted deep wooden drawers.

The guys showing the blue-and-yellow van told me it has been at the Cruz several times before. I have no idea how I missed it at previous shows. I’m looking forward to seeing it again next year.