The annual Oblivion Car & Culture Show provided something special this year in addition to the usual outstanding collection of cars from the 80s and 90s. The event, which took place August 12 at Country Heritage Park in Milton, began in mid-afternoon and ended in twilight with iconic 80s and 90s images, such as Wayne Campbell of Wayne’s World, and music shown on a screen to create an outdoor Drive-In Theatre motif.
Organizer Justin Sookraj and his team curated more than 250 vehicles, and also had indoor displays, vendors, food merchants and arcade games. There were also appearances by actors from the Canadian TV show Degrassi High.
Prizes were awarded in different categories from the collection of cars. Prizes were also given out to people who dressed up in 80s and 90s themes.
Several DeLoreans were on display paying homage to the movie Back to the Future. Sookraj restores DeLoreans at his business Wells Auto in Milton. One of the cars was owned by Sarnia businessman James Dubreuil, who bought a DeLorean from Sookraj 2½ years ago and has turned it into a replica of the Time Machine in the movie.
But nostalgia wasn’t just in the sight of the cars — it was in the smell from our memories. That mix of gasoline, leather, and yes…cigarettes. It was the scent of an era, one that clung to the back seats and our memories. Messy, rebellious, unforgettable.
For women like me, these weren’t just “cars our boyfriends drove.” They were status, culture and freedom wrapped in steel and horsepower. We remember joyrides with the music blasting, the thrill of sneaking out after curfew just to feel the wind in our hair, and the way a car made you feel unstoppable. It was License to Drive come to life — slipping into the driver seat of something you probably had no business being in, chasing adventure simply because it was there. It was Sixteen Candles — that dream moment of Jake Ryan waiting outside with his shiny red Porsche. The car wasn’t just a ride; it was part of the fantasy. And it was Adventures in Babysitting — when Chris discovers her boyfriend Mike’s shiny red Camaro with its “SO COOL” license plate parked outside a fancy French restaurant, catching him cheating and proving that sometimes the car was as much a red flag as it was a status symbol.
Oblivion captured that feeling perfectly. The crowd was a mix of lifelong enthusiasts, curious newcomers, and people like me — reliving the soundtrack of our youth through the cars that defined it. The show’s retro “drive-in” feature added an extra layer of authenticity, proving that Oblivion isn’t just about chrome and horsepower, but about community and connection.
What makes this event special is how it bridges the gap between generations. For the men who once spent hours polishing their dream cars, and the women who not only remember who drove what but proudly drove them, too. Oblivion is a love letter to a shared past. And for younger visitors, it’s a lesson in what made this era of automotive culture so iconic: design that was daring, technology that was just beginning to push limits, and cars that carried more than people – they carried stories.
Oblivion reminded us that cars are more than machines; they’re cultural markers, tied to who we were and who we dreamed of being. And for one weekend, stepping into that neon-soaked world again was, in a word, unforgettable.
Farah Mohammed is a seasoned automotive industry expert with over 15 years of experience in media relations and public affairs, compliance, stakeholder relations, dealer education and consumer education. She is the founder of Their Auto Source, a consulting firm helping drivers make informed car-buying decisions and serves as the Director of Media Relations and Partnerships for Beepzz, Canada’s largest executive recruitment firm in the automotive space. Farah is also the first woman of colour to sit on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Automotive Museum, a published writer, and an instructor of automotive law and ethics at Georgian College. With a career built on expertise, influence, and a passion for cars, Farah is a recognized leader and true BOSS in the automotive world.
