FROM BLUFFTON ICON - Once upon a time gasoline was leaded, 30 cents a gallon, or cheaper.

Really.

Those days are gone, but many of the vehicles hooked on that gas survived. Over 200 of them return to Bluffton on Friday for the 49th Bluffton Festival of Wheels cruise-in, sponsored by the Bluffton Lions.

If luck prevails, you might catch glimpses of some gone-but-not forgotten heavy metal cruisers that once roamed Main Street Bluffton.

These included strange names like: Plymouth, Studebaker, Mercury, Edel, VW Bug, Woody, Oldsmobile, DeSoto and Packard.

Wheels is open to antique cars, classic cars, trucks, tractors, golf carts, fire engines, motorcycles and Cushman’s, according to Dennis Morrison, show chair.

This year’s show opens for parking at 2 p.m. and registration for vehicles is from 2 to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

Judging begins at 5 p.m. with trophies awarded at 7:30 p.m. A cruise down South Main Street begins at 8 p.m.

For more show information go to: www.blufftonlionsfoundation.org Vehicle registration is $12.  

Top winners from 2015 show:
• Mayor’s choice: John Rindfuss – 1955 Sunbeam Aipire
• Sponsor choice: Jim Hickerson – 1955 Chevrolet Impala
• Best of Show: Jim and Betty Rhoden – 1964 Mercury Marauder
• Lions choice: Bob Zimmer – 1955 Ford truck C-750

Proceeds from the festival benefit the charity work of the Lions, which includes:
• Bluffton, Pandora-Gilboa and Cory-Rawson High School graduating senior scholarships
• Sure-Sight Eye screening for 300 area pre-school and Kindergarten children
• Bluffton Boys’ and Girls’ State
• VOSH-Ohio (Pandora, Ohio, eyeglass sorting center)
• Pilot Dogs
• Ohio Sight/Hearing