The smell of exhaust and gasoline hung in the muggy air at Chattanooga State Community College on Wednesday during Hot Rod magazine’s Power Tour.
As the tour made its fifth stop on a seven-day, seven-city journey, not even the occasional downpours pelting the campus could rain on the parade of chrome, rubber, vintage fenders and flashy new paint jobs.
By 1 p.m., thousands of cars, from antique muscle cars to cutting-edge utility vehicles, were backed up from the Chattanooga State entrance off Amnicola Highway.
The tour persuaded car lovers such as Gary Britt, 52, and his brother George Britt, 63, of Jackson, Fla., to return for their fifth year as part of the tour. This year, Gary Britt brought his 13-year-old son Houston along in a station wagon — a change from their usual Chevrolet El Caminos.
“It is very family oriented,” said George Britt.