UVSC hosted its 20th annual auto expo Saturday at Thanksgiving Point's Electric Park, drawing spectators from all over the state to make it one of the largest car shows in Utah.

"It's a great tradition for UVSC and is a great opportunity for people to get involved," said Kim Chiu, organizer of the event.

The expo typically has 15,000 to 20,000 spectators each year. UVSC had to move the expo from its campus site to Thanksgiving Point in order to accommodate the growing number of cars and people. More than 600 vehicles were entered to be judged in 36 different categories this year. Winners of each category receive prizes, including gift certificates to local automotive businesses and cash.

The expo features various types of vehicles including cars, trucks, 4-by-4s, original or restored muscle cars and sports motorcycles.

Ron Oveson, a resident from Benjamin, purchased a 1957 Chevrolet Belair and entered it in the show. He got the car from a seller on eBay seven years ago.

Oveson said, "Our children and grandchildren all participated in sanding the car down so it could be painted and ready for the show."

Though Oveson is modest in talking about his accomplishments, his wife Karen said he has won many awards in car shows before and hopes to be successful again this year.

"It took us all winter to get the car ready in time, but then again, cars are my life," he said.

Jim Pearson, from Provo, entered a 1941 Ford Roadster that he custom built himself. The purple car was surrounded by people while Jim's wife, Muffy, sat inside the car answering the crowd's questions.

Jim said he built the car for his wife, who specified the car design.

"Muffy picked the color purple because of some purple house slippers she loved," he said. "We actually took the slippers to a paint shop and found the exact same color to match them."

Pearson spent two years building the car using parts from many different types of vehicles. He finished the car just a week before the expo.

"I don't have a really big garage, but it's nice and clean and gets the job done," he said.

Along with the expo, UVSC also hosted an annual auto products swap meet, which is the largest in the Western United States. All proceeds from the events establish scholarships for auto, diesel and collision repair students at UVSC.



Copyright Brigham Young University 21 May 2007