Driving through the center of Rochester on an early summer Monday evening, you might think you took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere back in the 1950’s. As you near the Plumb Corner Mall, you see dozens of vintage cars and hear classic rock tunes blaring through the speakers. Don’t worry, you’re not crazy, nor did your car learn how to travel back in time. The gathering is a weekly ritual for the Downshifters’ Car Club of New England.
“It’s a car club for friends and it’s a get together,” said Downshifters’ President John Remedis, who is also known as Johnny Angel to his friends in the club. “This has been going on for a long time.”
The weekly gatherings are called Cruise Nights, and they began back in 1959 in Brooklyn, NY when Remedis established the club. A couple of decades later, the club relocated to Florida when Remedis retired from a career in law enforcement in 1989. In 1981, the club made its way to New England where it has been ever since. Remedis currently resides in Freetown.
The cruises are held in the summertime and begin in May. They are held in a variety of towns including Westport, New Bedford, Assonet, Middleboro, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Somerset. Each week, nearly 50 cars gather, pop their hoods and show their stuff to club members and curious folk passing by. While the number of cars has slightly decreased over the years according to Remedis, the cruises are still quite popular.
There are cars from every decade dating back as far as the 1920’s. Remedis said some of the cars are in their original form while others have been transformed into hot rods.
“It’s nice to see the cars restored so you can keep them forever and pass them along to your kids and grandkids,” he said.
No matter the model, year or color of the car, Remedis said there is one common theme that brings the cars back week after week.
“It’s all about friendship,” he said. “It brings us back to the 50’s. Those were the good years. We grew up with these cars.”
For more information on the Downshifters’ Car Club, you can find them on Facebook by searching “Downshifters Car Club of New England,” or stop by the Plumb Corner Mall in Rochester Mondays at 5:00 pm.
Story and photos by Katy Fitzpatrick
