By Clyde Noel

Fall Fe`‹¿al 2000 Schedule

The ninth annual Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival, set for this weekend, will feature as its visual centerpiece the annual classic car show in the South Plaza parking lot.

This year’s featured cars are 1950 model year cars, with the Town Crier sponsoring trophies for the most authentic models displayed. Los Altos mayor John Moss will present a trophy to the best 1950 car on both Saturday and Sunday.

Among those planning to show off their cars are Al and Mary Jackson of Los Altos Hills. Al, who retired four years ago from a large Santa Clara Valley corporation, bought a 1930 Model A Ford Roadster a few years ago and will be displaying it at the show for the fourth time.

“Someone told me if you want to get into restoring old cars, you should buy your first car fully restored,” Jackson said. “That way when you start to restore another vehicle, you have one to look at.”

The Model A Ford received a second place award at the National Model A Club of America contest in Reno, where 400 people entered their Model A cars.

Jackson and his wife Mary have gone beyond just owning classic cars. They are also into vintage clothes from the 1930s, which they plan to wear this weekend at the show.

“Driving a classic car is fun, because there is no road rage; everyone waves, honks or smiles and they give you the right of way,” Mary Jackson said. “I don’t really know why I get excited when I’m in old cars. I just do. There’s just that great feeling of stepping back into your youth, like when you first started driving.”

According to Bob Mape, chairman of this year’s car show, 45 vintage cars will be on display Saturday and another 45 cars on Sunday.

Judges for this year’s car show include Moss, Los Altos police chief Lucy Carlton, Los Altos High School principal George Perez, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District superintendent Rich Fischer and San Jose Mercury News automotive writer Gary Richards.