Lenny Shiller, the club’s president, and the owner of several dozen historic cars, described the turnout this year as “pretty good” — about 300 cars and the attendant phalanx of starry-eyed enthusiasts. He pointed out that the show was free for both participants and visitors, giving the public a rare opportunity to behold a large collection of historic cars and trucks — a few in museum condition — beneath the warm summer sun.

Children and adults alike flocked to the show, and the gleam in the eyes of some of the younger attendees made it clear that the seed had been sown to ensure a healthy yield in the next crop of automotive enthusiasts.

The unusual Airflow attracted a small crowd, but the rows of Ford Mustangs, Dodge Chargers and Chevrolet Chevelles also did their work in drawing attention. There were even a few older Japanese cars this year, a presence that has been growing in recent years as a generation that grew up driving Toyota Corollas and Datsun sedans comes of age.

“Floyd Bennett Field is probably the best venue for a car show in Brooklyn, because it’s close to the Belt Parkway and there’s a lot of parking, both for participants and spectators,” said Shiller, a Park Slope resident. “Plus it’s a historic location — all the famous aviators from the history of early aviation flew out of Floyd Bennett at one point or another.”

Shiller said the club had been holding the show there since 1997. He also pointed out that although the summer show at Floyd Bennett is its biggest of the year, the organization provides cars for many events around the city. On Saturday night, for example, look for a collection of old cars in the annual Pride parade on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. Those are club members’ cars. They will also run cars in the Independence parade that runs along 13th Avenue, from Bensonhurst to Dyker Heights, and will field 70 or 80 attention-grabbing classic vehicles at the street fair in Gerritsen Beach in August, Shiller said.

“They call us because they know the cars are a welcome addition to these events,” he said, adding that a many of the shows in which the club participates are fundraisers for charitable causes. “We get calls constantly.”

Shiller said the club would bring antique car star power to several charitable events this summer, including a fundraiser for children with autism — to be held in Howard Beach this Sunday. Members also bring their cars to a special series of shows held at nursing homes around the borough.

The Floyd Bennett show is our biggest event of the year, but we do all sorts of other events, anytime we’re asked for cars,” Shiller said.

Aside from being free, unlike other shows, the annual Floyd Bennett gathering solicits spectator input to pick winners. This year, best in show went to a mint condition 1928 Plymouth sedan, out of nine people’s choice awards.

For more information about the Antique Automobiles Association of Brooklyn, club officers can be reached by phone at 718-788-3400, or by email at [email protected]. The club’s events calendar can be seen here.

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