She received the car as a gift from her husband when she returned from Iraq in 2007.

It wasn't just any old car but rather, a 1965 Ford Mustang coupe, painted the color of a fine red wine with a personalized plate.

The Mustang was the perfect extension of Kelly Samuelson's persona, and she played it up on Saturday morning at the annual car parade.

"It's a little head turner," she said, grinning behind the wheel. "I've always wanted one."

The coupe purred alongside a host of classics ranging from custom-built hot rods to a 1957 Chevy Impala, on sale for the bargain price of $40,000.

The event, which kicks off the Memorial Day weekend, unfolded under a blistering spring sun, attracting fans both young and old.

Spectators lined the parade route, recalling a day when Pontiacs ruled the streets, or were at least manufactured.

"I've had this for a long time," said Ralph Warnstrom, relaxing in his '57 Chevy Bel Aire. "I had it painted, replaced the bumpers, polished the stainless steel."

Painted a tropical turquoise blue, the car glistened inside and out. The rarity boasted a fuel-injected engine and upholstery sewn to match the paint scheme.

"They only made 85 fuel-injected convertibles in '57," said Warnstrom, a snowbird who spends his winters in Arizona. "It was the first year for the 283, and the first year for fuel injection."

Chevys ruled the day, though other models rumbled down the Walking Mall, including Mustangs ranging from the boxy Mach I to a newer Shelby GT.

A vintage Army Jeep received cheers, and a family of Japanese tourists snapped photos of the flame-riddled roadsters that rumbled by.

Ken Neumiller and his wife, Janet, showed off their 1962 Chevy Impala -- a car that, for Neumiller, brought back memories of high school.

He found his dream machine on e-Bay, placed up for bid by a North Carolina tobacco farmer.

"I had a '62 Chevy just out of high school," said Neumiller. "I had always liked this car style. When this came up, I had to have it."

And have it he did.

While Neumiller lost the initial e-Bay bid, a little wheeling and dealing earned him the prize.

"I had to do a little work to get it, but it's worth it," said Neumiller. "We drive it whenever the sun shines and the pavement is dry."

Not to be outdone, Dan and Stacy Purdom sat with their kids, Titan and Mickenzi, in the family's newly rebuilt 1978 CJ-5.

Custom modeled from the ground up, the off-road king was a rarity in Saturday's fleet of muscle cars and Mafia-style tanks, like a 1976 Chrysler New Yorker with roll-back headlights.

"I found it in a junkyard," said Purdom, holding his dog, Diesel, on his lap. "This Jeep was all in pieces, and I built the whole thing up from the frame. I took about three months."

"I didn't see him at all during that time," his wife added, laughing.

Reporter Martin Kidston:

447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com