By Bernard Martin

Few cars have left an enduring legacy as profound as the Mazda Miata. With its sleek design, responsive handling, and a commitment to the pure joy of driving, the Miata has become a symbol of innovation since its introduction in 1989. This year, the spotlight is on the Miata as it takes center stage at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's 2024 Rock N Rad Show, scheduled to rock Highmark Stadium on June 15.

Reviving the Spirit of Roadsters
The Mazda Miata, affectionately known as the MX-5 in some regions, burst onto the scene in 1989, redefining the roadster segment. At a time when sports cars were becoming increasingly complex and expensive, the Miata brought back the essence of classic roadsters – simplicity, agility, and an open-top driving experience. This was at at time when no compnay was introducing drop tops and the entire idea of a convertable was thought to be dead forever. Its compact yet stylish design captured the attention of enthusiasts worldwide.
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Setting a New Standard
What made the Miata truly revolutionary was its commitment to providing an affordable yet exhilarating driving experience. The lightweight construction, rear-wheel drive, and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution contributed to its nimble handling, making every drive a thrilling adventure. The Miata wasn't just a car; it was a statement that driving should be about pure enjoyment.
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According to ConceptCars, the Miata "was conceived in the United States at Mazda's design headquarters in California and built in Japan. It made its first debut at the February 1989 Chicago Auto Show where it was an immediate success. Powering the MX-5 Miata was a four-cylinder dual-overhead-cam engine offering 116 horsepower. It had a fully independent suspension with dual wishbones, coil springs, and anti-roll bars. At all four corners were disc brakes."

Influence on the Automotive World
The impact of the Mazda Miata on the automotive world cannot be overstated. It inspired a new generation of sports cars, and its influence can be seen in various models across different brands. The Miata's success demonstrated that a sports car could be both affordable and fun, challenging the notion that high performance came with a hefty price tag. Its timeless design and spirited driving experience continue to attract enthusiasts, maintaining its status as a classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED
We've had the conversation over and over again, that car shows and concours need to stop ending eligibility at 1973 or 1975 or whatever year in the 70's someone picked a long time ago. Cars become eligible for vintage plates in many states after 25 years. 

But more importantly, it's about personal memories. Back in the day I heard stories about "My grandfather put me in a rumble seat just like that."

That's wasthe emotional hook. 

In order to capture the next generation of auto aficianados we'v got to keep rolling what we call "vintage" forward. That's why we chose to highlight the Dodge Viper, at the inaugural Greenbrier Concours d' Elegance, for this very same reason back in 2018. Let's get the next generation involved!

The time has now come to recognize the significance of the Mazda Miata. Back in the late 80's when automobile writers were lamenting the death of the ragtop, with no new convertibles being made, along came Mazda. They captured the spirit of the sheer joy of the open top roadster. That's the next generation's emotional hook and we're going to embrace it at this 2024 #ROCKNRAD show"
~ Bernie Martin

Our Inaugural Rock N Rad show was held on August 29, 2021. We chose Hartwood Acres in Pittsburgh, PA to launch this 80's & 90's Car Show.  

​We chose the iconic DMC DeLorean as our poster car and focus for our first year of the event!  

Back in May 2021, the The Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) had announced the newest car to be acknowledged in its National Historic Vehicle Register, an inventory and collection of documentation of historically significant automobile, was the DeLorean DMC-12.  And not just any DeLorean, but the DeLorean time machine car from the well-known sci-fi movie “Back to the Future”. 

Because of Covid, our inaugural event was delayed by more than a year, so all of these things: The HVA designation, the DeLorean "screaming" and 80's & 90s vibe and us getting "back the the future" is why we featured special DeLorean display smack dab in the center of Rock N Rad 2021! 

What we came up with was that If the vehicle model was sold in the 1980's or 1990's an didn't have significant design changes prior to or after that period, then we would welcome it to Rock N Rad.

​The Trans Am Gen 2 shown above was  sold in the early 80's before the Gen 3 was introduced.  The Gen 2 underwent several facelifts and that's where it gets a bit tricky.  Ideally we wanted 80's and 90's cars in the show but if it's on the edge or the model has not have any significant changes from an earlier or later period, then it is welcome to be in the show.  ​

Creating a first year event is always tough because you don't know what you don't know so we really wanted to incentivize early registration and keep our costs under control.  

Folks who  pre-registered online for by midnight Wednesday August 25th for the inaugural Rock N Rad event on Sunday August 29th got the VIP treatment!

For starters, Gates opened at 11am for parking tor Pre- registered cars ONLY . Pre-Registered vehicles will got some of the prime parking locations for the show, the concert, AND exiting after the concert!  

Here's some other things that the early birds got:

• Gates open at 11am for parking tor Pre- registered cars ONLY
• ONLY Pre Registered vehicles will get ONE Rock n Rad T-Shirt
• The first 100 registrations will get a Rock n Rad Rubik's cube
• The first 200 registrations will get a Rock N Rad Retro Specs
• The first 250 registrations will get a Rock N Rad window sticker
• The first 300 registrations will get a Rock n Rad Poster

All registrations, both pre-registered and on-site WILL get ONE Door prize ticket.  We've got a lot of cool door prizes that will be awarded at the top of each hour!

For anyone driving up for on-site registration, the gates will open at NOON for parking NON-Preregistered Show Cars for parking.  That means that if you have not registered by Wednesday August 25th at midnight, you will not get a t-shirt

Do you realize that you can now get antique plates for cars made in 1994? 25 years may not seem that long ago to some, but to others it's by-gone era with the growing following.

Several people in local Western Pa and West Virginia Car Clubs had been interested in attending a Rad er car show but discovered that that many where not friendly to out-of-town guests: There was not a host hotel or any help for visitors.

Bernie Martin, from Concours LLC, was asked if he was interested in lending a hand with planning and that's how Concours LLC got involved.

"Thats what we set Concours LLC up to do. Develop new automotive events!" according to Bernie.

"We're using the Doubletree Hilton in Cranberry Twp, PA as our host hotel.  We just used the same facility last summer for the Alfa Romeo Owners Club 2020 Convention and they really work well with automotive events."

"We then turned to Allegheny Country Parks which hosts a series of free concerts on Sundays in the Summer at Hartwood Acres.  We suggested we wanted to bring Rad Era cars and park in the grassy parking area used for the Polo Matches. We asked if they could book us a Rad Era band for the evening."

"In other words, lets have an 80's - 90's themed car show in the afternoon and let the audience hang around into the evening and put down their blankets in the natural amphitheater of Hartwood Acres. The team at Allegheny County Parks was excited and enthusiastic to make it happen and things really just fell in to place from there!" said Bernie

Arrangements have already been made to install a second stage just for the Rock n Rad event and there will most definitely be Rad Era music all day.

Other things in the works include awards and some special display cars. 

Pre-Registration is only $20 per car and will include some special collectible gift bag items.

Sponsor tents are available.  The tents are uniquely situated to be at the crest of the Hartwood Ampitheatre bowl which is also the crest of the hill for the car show as well.  It presents a very unique opportunity to entertain your customers for an entire day at very unique event. Contact [email protected] or call him at 412.996.5700 for more information.

Concours LLC is very excited to have been invited to help plan and organize this inaugural event.  Let us know if you plan to be there.  www.rocknrad.com