The Spring Riot took place on the evening of Wednesday, May 8, 2017. The Ace’s two Riots – the other being the season-closing ‘End of Summer Riot’ – can usually be relied upon to deliver a full house of cool Yanks and customs, with every square inch of the car park covered by the cars and hordes of enthusiasts, while later arrivals are forced onto the road outside.
Sadly, that wasn’t the case this time around, as discouraging showers kept a lot of people indoors. Nevertheless, the rain came to an end while the night was still quite young, and attendance increased steadily to see a varied mix of around 50 or so rods, customs and classics decorating the old transport caff. Despite the relatively small turnout, several of the cars that braved the pluvial nastiness were real rarities, from a ’59 Rambler Six Custom with a nice patina, at one end of the spectrum, to an immaculate ’79 Cadillac Miller-Meteor hearse at the other.
Away from the cars, Lewis Chamberlain and his Band had set themselves up on the Ace stage (having just unloaded themselves from their 1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer wagon), so anyone who’d had enough of standing around in the cold and damp car park could head inside, grab themselves a mug of Ace tea and set their feet tapping to some good old-time rock ‘n’ roll. One thing’s for sure – whatever the weather, there’s always plenty to keep you busy at an Ace Riot, but let’s hope for clear skies in the future anyway!
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Words & Photography: Zack Stiling
