Antique car enthusiasts gather weekly for shows in Lynbrook

Paul Randazzo grew up with his family driving Jeeps onto the beach in Riverhead. His dream, however, was to own an Army Jeep. So when he saw that a 1960s Jeep that served the French Army in the Algerian War was on sale several years ago, he said he just had to purchase it. “It’s probably worth upwards of $15,000 considering it’s in its original condition,” he said.

For the next few months, Randazzo will show off the Jeep every Thursday night in Lynbrook’s Parking Field No. 20 as part of the village’s weekly car show. “I’ve been coming here for probably three years,” Randazzo said. The car shows have been a popular event in Lynbrook every summer.

Other antique car enthusiasts from Lynbrook said they enjoy coming to the car show each week. “You meet a lot of nice people and you get to look at all these nice cars,” said Dan Gatto, who owns a 1966 Chevrolet Camaro. “These cars reflect a time in America when the craftsmanship was at its best and they were all made in America.”

At the show, the car owners also have an opportunity to talk to others about selling their cars. “We can connect with each other,” said Gatto’s wife, Diane.

In fact, there are between 100 and 125 cars on display each week, according to Harry Levitt, the owner of Mur-Lee’s Men’s & Boy’s Shop on Atlantic Avenue. Levitt first organized the car show more than 20 years ago. He decided it would be a good annual event to promote Lynbrook’s downtown in the nice summer weather.

Due to its popularity, however, Levitt had to make it a weekly occurrence about 15 years ago and then moved it to the parking field about three years ago. Even with these changes, Levitt said he feels that it remains a popular event. “I’m getting phone calls in February asking if I’m doing it,” he said.

For their part, local businesses and organizations seem to still be interested in the show. At the June 8 event, NGL Group, L.L.C., a Lynbrook-based insurance company, sponsored the show and set up a booth to inform residents about their services. The Lynbrook Fire Department also partners with the car show once a year to raise money for the Nassau County Fire Fighters’ Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that provides supplies “to the wounded men and women of our armed services.”

The antique car show will be held every Thursday until Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at Parking Field 20 in Lynbrook.