By Steve Eitzen

If I had a buck for every regional and national classic car show I've attended over the years, my permanent e-mail address would be SteveInTahiti.com because I could have retired to that Pacific paradise a long time ago. One unfortunate side effect of seeing so many shows is that, eventually, they all start to look alike. In fact, it takes a really amazing show to make an impression on me these days. The 2000 Western Nats, however, impressed the heck out of me.

In addition to the remarkable number of quality Cats on display, this show was impressive because of the attention to detail that was clearly evident throughout the even. Every aspect, from traffic management to the awards presentations, ran like clockwork. The location was clean, comfortable and large enough to display all the participating cars--more than a hundred--without crowding. The judging process was well organized, fair and efficient. Amenities included good food, clean rest rooms, interesting entertainment, and a host of other things most of us would never think of until we got to the show. Fortunately, Mike Brown and the Southern California Cougar Club DID think of all these things well in advance and the result was one of the best organized and most enjoyable classic Cat events I've ever attended.

While photographs can't begin to begin to convey the enjoyment experienced by those of us who were fortunate enough to be there, we've done our best to hit some of the visual high points in this report. So, without further ado, we give you the 2000 Nats West.