By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer
Robert and Evelyn Eckhart felt right at home at Somernites Cruise this weekend — even though their home is in Austria.
Then again, their home isn’t very Austrian, either.
The Eckharts are fans of American culture, and their house, decorated with a vintage pinball machine, an old jukebox, and an antique Coca-Cola dispenser, would seem to have been dropped in the wrong location — nearly 5,000 miles away. The couple’s love for vintage America doesn’t end with their house. It expands to their three garages, which contain 12 classic cruisers — and even their clothing, most of which is authentic old, and American-made.
“We don’t like to buy Asian,” Robert noted. “It’s sad that America is no longer a producing nation. It’s a consuming nation. ... When I compare America now to 15 or 20 years ago, it has changed a lot. ... So we just close our eyes, go from one car show to another, buy car parts, and then go back to our garage.”
It is in his garage that Robert finds the most happiness.
“The sound of a V8 engine cannot be replaced by anything,” he said. “I am most relaxed when I go in my garage.”
Robert learned about Somernites Cruise while he was reading about Hot Rod magazine’s annual Power Tour, which made a stop in Somerset earlier this year.
“Then I became curious about Somerset,” he said.
On this visit to the United States, the Eckharts are spending two weeks in Kentucky and Tennessee.
“We like the South the most,” Robert says, adding, in a thick German accent, that he is a fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd — and has “Free Bird” tattoos to prove it.
During the week, the couple has been stopping at salvage yards and antique shops, looking for car parts and memorabilia from the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s.
Robert is currently restoring a 1959 Chevy Biscayne. The Eckharts also own, to name a few, a 1968 Impala, a 1973 Camaro, a 1973 Lincoln Mark IV, a 1977 Pacer, and a 1972 Mercury Montego.
“We use our Volkswagon and Audi for our winter cars,” Robert said.
Why are a couple of Austrians so intrigued by American-made cars?
“They’re popular all over the world,” Robert explained.
“They have their roots in rock ‘n roll. In Europe, if you like punk or rockabilly, you’re addicted to some sort of American car. ... We’re trying to catch this lifestyle, even though we know it’s long gone.”
The Eckharts are also fans of American movies and television shows — Andy Griffith and Happy Days rank among their favorite shows.
And Evelyn loves to cook American style.
“She has a lot of American cookbooks,” Robert said.
The couple is in their twelfth year of marriage. And it should come as no surprise that they tied the knot in Vegas.
Love. American style.
The Eckharts and hundreds of other car enthusiasts were blessed with a bright, crisp fall day in downtown Somerset, despite earlier forecasts of rain.
“It has surprised us that the turn-out has been as well as it has been considering the (light rain at the) beginning of the day,” said Somernites Cruise Management Team Member Mark Hansford.
“The weather has been more of an issue this year than ever before. It has definitely tested our resolve, but it’s brought everyone closer together. Weather is challenging, but the show goes on, and we’ll be here one way or the other.”
While Robert and Evelyn Eckhart likely traveled the farthest to attend Somernites’ final show of the 2009 season, the traditional “longest distance award” — given to the visitor who brought a vehicle the longest distance — was bestowed upon Shean Barney of New York.
Hansford said the management team is already making plans for Somernites Cruise’s tenth anniversary in 2010.
“It’s going to be over the top,” he said.
