VISTA -- Thousands of North County residents with a passion for vintage cars flocked to downtown Vista on Sunday to peruse 1950s Woodie Wagons, 1960s hot rods and many other shiny roadsters that have been well-preserved or thoroughly restored by dedicated owners.

"These are exquisite and very expensive cars," said Poway resident Steve Lesberg, who was examining a chrome green 1969 Dodge Coronet RT. "This is the best collection I've seen in a long time. We're looking at many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cars."

Lesberg, who was attending the annual Vista Rod Run for the first time since it was established 17 years ago, said the event compares favorably with other car shows.

"It's not just about bringing your car and parking it out here," said Lesberg. "At many car shows, people just bring their 10-year-old car out with a new polish job. But many of these are museum pieces."

Lesberg's comments were echoed by Oceanside resident Tonya Welch, another first-timer.

"The quality of the cars is higher here than in Del Mar, which is the car show I usually attend," said Welch, who was taking pictures of cars that caught her eye. "A lot of the entries in Del Mar just kind of show up to show up."

Officials from the Vista Village Business Association said another factor in the event's popularity is Vista's demographics.

"Vista's a little more rural and country, and that's the reason why an event like this is such a big hit," said Mario Carrillo, chairman of promotions for the association. "Vista people love their cars -- obviously. Most of these people come year after year."

This year's event attracted 215 cars and several thousand people, who also visited many of the 30 vendor booths selling food, drinks and merchandise. The outdoor patios at Hennessey's Tavern and Curbside Cafe were full throughout the day. Hennessey's owner Leroy Tardy said his business spikes about 50 percent on the day of the car show.

Event Chairman Tom Fleming said the breezy and mild warm weather on Sunday helped boost attendance.

"Saturday was hot as a son of a gun and I was worried, but today, there is a nice breeze and it's not humid at all," said Fleming.

Car owners said it was a gratifying experience to answer questions about their prized antiques.

Vista resident Thierry Hosig said people asked him about the size of the motor on his Dodge Coronet and other questions about the restoration process.

Eddie and Jessie Alvarado said they were looking for ideas that could help them jazz up a 1977 Monte Carlo they recently acquired.

"I'm looking at paint schemes and what kind of engines they have," said Jessie Alvarado. "I don't want to copy anybody, but I'm looking for something new."

The event was also enjoyable for people with very little car knowledge. Cat Womack said the wood paneling of a 1951 Ford Country Squire caught her eye.

"It's got a unique look and it reminds me of the paddy wagon movies like 'Beach Blanket Bingo'," she said.

Some proceeds from the event will benefit the Vista Boys & Girls Club. The club got $1,000 from last year's show, and they are hoping for about the same this year, said Lori Butler, the club's director of development.

Rod Run organizers gave several awards, including Best of Show for Barry Penn's 1958 Chevy Corvette and a People's Choice Award to Terry Gonzalez for his 1932 Ford roadster.

Other awards were: best custom motorcycle, Will Stone; best Woodie, Rich Craven; best graphics, Jim Wayman; best upholstery, Dennis Docey; best paint, David Lewis; and largest club participation, Country Gents.

Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 761-4410 or dgarrick@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.