Is This One of the Best Collector Car Shows in Montana?
Judging which summer car show is "best" can be a subjective undertaking. That's impacted in large part because frequently you'll see the same cars turn out at different shows in a particular region of the state. And while that doesn't lessen your appreciation of the event, it does take away a little of the magic of discovery.
But as real car fans know, there's one show in Montana that is a "can't miss". A bucket list kind of event where the number and variety of cars combine with small-town charm in a beautiful setting.
We're talking about the "Old Schoolhouse Rock Car Show" in Superior, which happens this weekend.
The show, now more commonly called the "OSR", is one of the biggest events of the year in Mineral County, and has become a long-running tradition in Superior. This is the 24th year for the event, which starts bright and early at 7:30 Saturday morning and runs until 3:30 pm in the afternoon.
There's an actual school
While other car shows like to use the "old school" title as a reference to the cars, the OSR is literally named for the old school in Superior, which has been a fixture of the community for generations. That means a perfect setting, with lots of green grass and even some big shade trees.
But here's the real secret
What makes the OSR special is geography. Because of the location, it will draw car owners from not only Missoula, the Bitterroot, and north to the Flathead, but also entices many drivers over from Northern Idaho and even Spokane. Many cars will start arriving on Friday evening and make an entire weekend out of it.
That leads to an amazing mix
On any given year, you can see everything from muscle cars in nearly every available color, to '59 Cadillacs, "rat rods" and some "rusters" that you can't figure out how they even made it to the show.
But there are enough cars that you're bound to see some of the "indy" classics too, like Studebakers, Hudsons, and Packards. One year, an owner from Spokane, who happened to be a huge Griz fan, even showed an amazing '54 Kaiser Manhattan, all done up in a U.M. color scheme.
It's easy to find. Just hop off I-90 at the Superior exit and head north into town.