.jpg)
The First Annual Motor Mile Classic Car Show – Downtown Asheville, North Carolina
- Heath Towson
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
On Saturday, May 30, downtown Asheville’s South Slope neighborhood brought history back to life with the Motor Mile Car Show on Coxe Avenue. Coxe Avenue, originally home to Asheville’s first “Motor Mile” or zoned automobile district was THE place to buy a new or used car back in the day. In addition to car sales, the side streets of Buxton and Banks Avenue adjoining Coxe avenue were filled with machine shops, tire retreaders and automobile repair facilities. Many of the buildings that line Coxe Avenue date back to 1924 when this auto district was created. We have several blogs about the creation of this auto district HERE and the evolution of automobile culture and infrastructure HERE, as well as some of the early auto dealers HERE
The show was held in conjunction with the Chrysler 300 Club International Spring 2026 meet in Asheville. The 300 meet brought 102 Chrysler enthusiasts from around the country and the world to tour Asheville for four days. The show was hosted by the 300 Club and Mountaineer Motor Tours. The costs of producing the Motor Mile Show, which included permitting through the City of Asheville to close Coxe Avenue, security by Asheville Police and marketing materials were covered by the following local businesses and non-profit organizations:
The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, The Chrysler 300 Club International, Inc., Working Wheels, Gould Killian CPA Group, P.A., Renew Protect detailing supplies, Mountain Breeze Heating and Cooling, Bimmer Logic, Chemist Spirits, Smoky Mountain Motorsports, Swannanoa Cleaners, Elk Mountain Motors, Apple Tree Honda and Acura, Fields Mercedes-Benz of Asheville, Jan Davis Tire Store, Tribute Properties and Drive Minded Automotive Consulting.
The show was held on Coxe Avenue, with participants getting to park their cars on the Avenue, between Hilliard and Banks Avenues. This allowed spectators to stroll up and down Coxe Avenue, taking pictures and even getting to sit in some of the cars! The Gould Killian CPA Group parking lot at 100 Coxe Avenue (in the former Sawyer Motor Building) hosted the vendor area for several of our sponsors to showcase their businesses.
The event was free for participants entering their classic cars in the show and for the public. Although the morning started with an overcast sky and light rain, this didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the event. As soon as we opened the gates to Coxe Avenue, a line of cars appeared! After a while, the rain moved on and the sun came out, creating a beautiful day! It was wonderful to see families and friends milling about on the street sharing their own car memories! The Motor Mile drew over 100 classic cars and many hundreds of attendees. We hope to see you again next year! If you missed the show, see our photo gallery below with photos from local photographer, Camilla Calnan.
Comments