Decades may separate the years of the vehicles on display, but those in attendance share a common passion for classic cars and swapping stories.

The second Thursday Night Special of the Cochrane Classic Car Club was held July 15 at the A&W/PetroCan, corner of River Avenue and Griffin Rd., that attracted auto enthusiasts and curious spectators alike.

For spectators like me, it was a walk through the years on a hot July night and a chance to socialize, something quite refreshing after this past year and a bit. It was much the same for the vehicle owners, who also got to exchange information and tell stories about their treasured vehicles.

Peter George was just one of many whose vintage car has a storied past. It's a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe with a flat head V8-91A and has a mere 53,322 miles (85,813 km) on the odometer.

It was built the same year as Peter was born, and changed hands several times before he acquired it.

The original owner was Malcolm Robertson, a farmer from just north of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, back when it was the much smaller Malton Airport. Due to gas rationing during the Second World War, it was stored in his barn in 1943 with just 15,120 miles (24,462 km) until it was discovered and purchased by a Peterborough man in 1979.

The Deluxe Coupe was purchased by a friend of Peter in 1994, who unfortunately lost a battle to cancer in 2003. Peter purchased it in 2005 and brought it west to Cochrane.

Peter displays the vehicle when he can and does so in memory of a family friend.

Flying Officer Wes Irwin served as a navigator in the Second World War and perished on Nov. 22, 1944, along with pilot John Reid, when their Mosquito fighter-bomber ran out of fuel on a return flight from marking German submarine pens off the coast of Norway. He and his British wife had one son. Wes never got to meet him.

Peter was 4/12 years old at the time, and still has the Christmas card sent to him by Wes just days before his death.

Several other Thursday Night Specials are in the works in various locations around town. Spectators are always welcomed to drop by.

The club will soon decide if it will host its massive Fall Colours Show and Shine in the Historic Downtown in September. When the weather is right, it attracts over 200 cars and several hundred more spectators. It had to be cancelled last year due to the pandemic.