An episode of will be filmed at the Peach City Beach Cruise in Penticton.
Hosted by Dennis Gage, the weekly TV show is featured on MAVTV reaching over 100 million households said Peach City Beach Cruise organizers. The handlebar mustachioed host captures people鈥檚 love affair with automobiles.
Peach City Beach Cruise, held in Penticton June 23 to 25, draws in thousands of people to view the coolest cars and hottest rides from all-over the Pacific Northwest.
Gage said his own passion for vehicles started young, he bought his first car a 1959 Ford Thunderbird for $100 and learned a valuable lesson.
鈥淣ever buy a car at dusk. I woke up in the morning and there was this pink car out there-flamingo pink. So I鈥檓 15, a farm boy, with a pink T-Bird,鈥� said Gage.
Gage, who has filmed an episode of My Classic Car before in Penticton in 2008, has a interesting background starting with going to college, working as a handyman, playing a pedal-steel guitar with a successful country-rock band Mad Foot, getting his Ph.D. in chemistry and working for Procter & Gamble in research and product development.
It was at Mead Johnson that he met Brad Kimmel who, although Gage didn鈥檛 know it at the time, was his partner-to-be in My Classic Car. The pair met in 1994 when Gage, on a lark, took a bit part in a TV commercial Kimmel was producing. Walking to their cars after the shoot, Kimmel told Gage how he wanted to create a show about America鈥檚 love affair with the automobile, and asked Gage if he was into classic cars. Kimmel needed a character conversant in cars, and Gage fit the bill.
In February of 1995, Gage took a crew to interview a friend who owned a Shelby Mustang. The pair filmed a pilot for their hoped-for series, airing it on two local TV stations. Almost as an afterthought, they flashed one station鈥檚 800 phone number on the screen. The phones at the station lit up, and after 300 calls they had to shut the line down.
Armed with caller data, they approached TNN, and on Jan. 3, 1996, the pilot episode of My Classic Car aired on national cable television. Viewers went wild about the show, and TNN agreed to fund 13 episodes, premiering in January 1997. The show moved from TNN to the Speed channel in 2000, and is now watched by more than a half million viewers every episode.
The Peach City Beach Cruise kicks off on June 23 with the parade of show cars down Penticton鈥檚 Main Street. Outdoor stages feature DJs and live music through the weekend including Marty Edwards, a Kenny Rogers tribute artist, Bobby Bruce, a Neil Diamond tribute artist, Elvis tribute artist Jeff Bodnar, Cassie Jean as the Legendary Ladies of Music and other other bands.
The Mackee Classic Car Auction takes place on June 23 and 24 as well there is a outdoor beverage garden, vendors and more to check out at the vintage and classic car show. For more information visit .
