Street Rod Nationals roll into Louisville for one of America's largest car shows

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The rumble of engines and gleam of polished chrome are rolling into Louisville as the 56th annual Street Rod Nationals kicks off this week at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The four-day event, considered the largest car show in the country, officially begins Thursday and is expected to draw more than 10,000 classic cars and street rods—and more than 50,000 fans—to the city.

Mario Fortin made the journey from Montreal for the event, as he has every year for more than four decades.

“For the car show I drove every year — that's 43 years I drove this car,” Fortin said.

His car, which has 262,000 miles on it, often doubles as his bed during events. “Normally the trunk opens on this side and every time I hit my head,” he laughed when talking about how it saves on hotel costs.

The annual kick-off procession drove through the streets of downtown Louisville Wednesday morning, with Fortin’s car taking a prominent place in the lineup. The 45-car lineup then ended with a display at Fourth Street Live.