Classics coming to Washington
Comets will land in the Washington area next week, and Mavericks will also be stampeding in as the Maverick Comet Club International holds its 22nd annual roundup here, making Pennsylvania the seventh state to host the event.
Tuesday will be an early arrival day for club members, and throughout the week they will tour the Washington and Pittsburgh areas. It all culminates with a show in the parking lot of the Double Tree Hotel near The Meadows Casino on July 25, where members will showcase their Ford Maverick and Mercury Comet classic cars. The event is open only to members of the MCCI.
MCCI’s members are owners of the Maverick and Comet vehicles, cars that were manufactured in the 1970s, and are generally lesser known to collectors.
“The Mavericks and the Comets are kind of like the red-headed stepchild of vehicles,” said David Cooper of Bethel Park, the MCCI Pennsylvania state representative. “They were considered just a throwaway car. They were really cheap … you drove it until it didn’t run anymore then you’d have it crushed.”
The roundup comes to Washington after spending two years in Texas, due to the work of Cooper, John O’Hara of Washington and Harold Bier of Houston. Each year, the city is selected by the MCCI board after reviewing submissions from different chapters. Cooper needed help putting the plans together due to being new to the area. He moved here from Seattle in 2012, where he was previously the Washington state representative. He was asked to fill the vacant position in Pennsylvania.
“I said ‘Well I can do it, but I don’t know my way around yet.’ So I had John and Harold help me by showing me around Pittsburgh and helping me put the packet together,” Cooper said.
While previously not seen as valuable when they were first in production, the cars have surged in popularity, even among the younger crowd.
“I’m amazed how the young kids like the cars, too,” O’Hara said.
The show on July 25 will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue through 3 p.m. More details about the events occurring throughout the week can be found at maverickcometclub.org. While it is only open to members, owners of Mavericks or Comets who are interested can still join. Applications can be found on the website. The requirements for membership are ownership of one of the vehicles and payment of dues.