First Annual AHS Auto Club Car Show

Calling all car connoisseurs: clear your calendars for Friday, June 10. 

The Avon High School Automotive Club will be hosting their first annual car show.

Lightheartedly dubbed their "debutante ball" by faculty advisor CJ Fusco, an Avon High School English teacher, the show is a chance for the club to introduce themselves to the public.

“Basically, we just want people to come and have a good time,” Fusco said. 

The club formed last year with about five students who all shared an interested in cars, and has fully evolved this year and peaked at about 12 students. The group is supported by the high school Parent-Teacher Organization, Board of Education and town of Avon, Fusco said. 

Recently, a member of the PTO gave the group a Datsun ZX 280 to work on, which may even make make its official appearance at the car show. For now, the club’s goal is to work on this car with the parts and tools they have. Eventually, the club would like to try to do a restoration on another car or purchase one.

“We’d love to be able to buy an old American muscle car that’s ours to work on,” said club member Jake Smith.  

Sophomores Smith, Jared Ratner and Nick Barto are the three founding members of the group, and say coming together as a group and sharing their passion is the best part of the club. 

“Being able to hang out with friends and learning team building skills,” Smith said, are among the highlights as well. 

Barto agreed, and said he looks forward to working on the car with the other two club members.

All three have some background in working on cars, from Smith’s time restoring an old dune buggy, to Ratner’s time helping his uncle with a 1955 Chevy Bel Air to Barto helping his dad maintain a Buick Skylark. 

The club was given access to the town garage to work on the car, supplied with the necessary tools such as an air compressor, jack stands and a part washer to complete the fix-up. 

Admission to the car show is free, and all "vehicles of interest" are invited, be they muscle cars, sports cars, hot rods, antiques, motorcycles or off-roaders. 

The show will run from 6 to 9 p.m. in the back parking lot of Avon High School. 

Awards will be given out for Best in Show and the People’s Choice Award, among others. 

There will also be food and beverages for sale at the show, along with a raffle. Donations to the club will also be accepted. 

For more information on the club and/or joining the group, visit their website. The group typically meets once a week at the town garage on Arch Road.