Michael Sharpe calls himself "The Cowboy", and believes in arriving in style, and in character. That's why his ride of choice is a custom built rat rod that he had custom built on the TV Show "Vegas Rat Rods" by Weld-R-Up-Garage.
"I believe in paying things forward, not just with money which disappears over time, but with smiles," said Sharpe who greeted the SST Car Show crew at the Fleetwood Country Cruize In in London Ontario at the Steve Plunkett Estate on Elviage Drive.
WATCH THE FULL "SST CAR SHOW" INTERVIEW WITH
"THE COWBOY"
OWNER OF "THE CLOWN CAR"
- PAY A SMILE FORWARD -
Sharpe's custom rat rod was a favorite with the crowd and a feature attraction at the car show. It's style is 100-percent carnival, and as SST Car Show reporter Jessica Killoran noted - "It's one wild ride".
The car has a carnival theme inside and out. It's based on an early 1935 International Truck, but there are parts from all kinds of different cars, and the big block V8 engine produces "over 700 Horsepower", according to Sharpe.
The fun thing is, the car doesn't even have to move for it to have a positive impact on people. Families, and kids especially gravitated toward the car and were eager to sit on the ferris wheel rumble seat, while "The Cowboy" simply sat in the driver's seat and revved the living daylights out of his engine. It was loud, and while he did that carnival music bellowed from the car's horn and external public address style speaker system.
"I plan to take this car to hospitals and share it with sick kids, and hopefully make them smile" said Sharpe.
When asked how much it cost him to build the car, he reported the custom rat rod ran him a cool 75-thousand dollars U.S.
Custom art work adorns the vehicle front to back. It has flashing carnival ride lights, a trumpets for air intakes, and the blower puts the horsepower over the top.
Sharpe owns a car dealership in Mt. Brydges Ontario, and the car will no doubt generate publicity not just for the dealership, but also for the man, who has become something of a lovable character come to life.
"I live by the Disney philosophy," said Sharpe. "Always arrive in character!"
Jessica Killoran's full interview with Mr. Sharpe will be broadcast on the SST Car Show in approximately two weeks on television as part of a full SST episode. Sections of the interview can already be seen on the SST website at www.sstcarshow.com, and on the SST Car Show social media channels on Facebook and Youtube. Sharpe says he will be taking the car to automotive events throughout Southern Ontario especially around the London and Mt. Brydges area this summer so a lot of people will get a chance to see the car up close, and there is no question it will generate more smiles for miles at every one of its stops during the 2017 car show season. - SST CAR SHOW NEWS.
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