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Better leave the Prius at home for this one.

On Saturday, June 20, the parking lot of the Ambassador Building at Kansas City International Airport will become a full-scale shrine to the automobile from 4 to 8 p.m. for the bi-annual KCI Cruise Night, a free event that should draw more than 400 car enthusiasts from the area.

Jerry Barham, owner of Missouri Poster in North Kansas City and a regular at the cruise night, will be in attendance with four of his classic cars, including a rare 1970 Plymouth Superbird Roadrunner and a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle.

The Chevelle, said Barham, holds a special place in his heart because it’s been in the family since 1967 when his brother bought it just one year before being killed in Vietnam.

"If I could only keep one car, it’d be (the Chevelle)," he said. "Even though I love all of my cars, I would keep this one because it belongs in my heart."

Classic cars, said Barham, are like time capsules to another era, and they’re a good way to remember the past.

They’re also just a good hobby.

Barham owns three other classic cars, and he said he collects them and spends the time to keep them running as a hobby, just like someone else might play a sport.

For Mark Brauninger, another Northland auto enthusiast and regular at the cruise night, restoring classic cars is more than just a hobby. It’s a way of life, and it all started with a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang, his first car.

"I wished I had a car and then it dawned on me that God gave me the ability to have the car that I wanted, I just had to build it," he said. "So I bought it wrecked and put it back together."

He doesn’t have the Mach 1 anymore, but he’s always kept that passion for restoring vehicles and he has about 14 classic cars in various states of repair.

Brauninger, who also owns Certified Car Care Clinic of America, a shop specializing in fixing up classic cars and hot rods, will bring six classic cars to the cruise night, including a 1957 Chevrolet convertible and a 1967 Dodge Charger, both of which he built.

"I hear that this is a rich man’s hobby, but I don’t think that’s true at all if you have a love for cars," he said. "You’ll make your own destiny if you love cars, just like if you love religion or anything else."

Admission to the cruise night is free, and vendors will be selling bottled water and hot dogs. All the proceeds go to Kansas City’s Combined Charities.

KCI CRUISE NIGHT DETAILS

The cruise night is a free car show from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at the Ambassador Building, 12200 N.W. Ambassador Drive. Hot dogs and bottled water will be available for purchase, and the proceeds will go to the Kansas City Combined Charities.

Staff writer Michael Westblade can be reached at 389-6636 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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