Our 5 Favorite Custom License Plates from Down on Main

For some of the 360 cars enthusiasts who came out on Saturday to the 15th annual Down on Main Car Show, a custom license plate is like icing on a tasty cake.

We've given you the winners and some generous Clawson Patch readers have shared their photos from the event (check them out by clicking here and here). Now, we're sharing five custom license plates with cool stories behind them.

1. "COL AL" is the license plate which adorns a gorgeous 1929 replica Mercedes Gazelle, owned by Al Terwilliger of Clawson. "Colonel" Al was named as such in 1992 by the Governor of Kentucky, Brereton C. Jones, for his contributions to harness racing. Terwilliger is known throughout the harness racing world for his inventions, which are used widely in the sport.

2. "MY70SS" Like many at Down on Main, Art Meyer is a proud veteran of the United States military. Together with wife Dianna and other family members, the Meyers, of Clawson, celebrate Art's Navy background on a Chevelle El Camino Supersport (SS) 396, which was purchased new in 1970 and maintained in stunning condition.

3. "RMAGDON" Henry Ruiz of Warren is not likely to forget the 2012 phenomenon any time soon. Not only was Dec. 21, 2012 the date that he finished five years of work revitalizing his 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, it was also the alleged date of a foretold cataclysm that never came to pass. "My wife told me that we'll never get it done, not until hell freezes over," Ruiz joked. "I told her she was almost right." 

4. "HPY4NOW" Jim Bommarito of Troy does not mind if his taste in cars can be fickle, as long as he's happy. He loves his 1966 ERA Cobra for the beautiful blue paint job and powerhouse engine and he has had it for about three years. However, he says with a smile, he'll only bring it out to the show "until something better comes along."

5. "SAYUNCL" If you see Brian Austin of Sterling Heights driving in his 1988 Ford Mustang and have the thought to race him, think again. Austin has brought his car up after buying it 15 years ago for a mere $1,110 and turned it into a speed demon. Austin added that he's been to every Down on Main: he said, "it gets better every year."

Stay tuned this week for some of our favorite photos from Down on Main.

Down on Main is the centerpiece of the Lions Club yearly fundraising efforts to benefit local charities. For more information about the local branch, visit clawsonlions.org.