Car Culture, Rust Reborn

The Rusty Knuckle Torque Club's Revival of Patina Passion

Photography By: Rob Lutz, Hara Gabriel, & Abram Waldrop

“It formed initially as a sort of fan league for patina cars,” said friends Scott Bollinger and Ben Bogan, reflecting on the early days of their car group, The Rusty Knuckle Torque Club. A lack of antique patina shows in the area was instrumental to the group’s formation. “When we first established the club, it mainly came from a desire to have an old-style car exhibition in the area,” they agreed when asked what sparked their journey nearly a decade ago.

“We wanted a show that celebrated the lost art of working on older vehicles—and showcased what these so-called relics can still do.” With few shows to attend, Bollinger said they wasted no time planning one of their own—a display of the passion that got the club up and running in the first place.

According to the duo, the group became active around 2016, launching the club and organizing the
car show they had long envisioned within months. “With a lot of hard work, less than a year after forming, we’d already hosted our first 25–30 car event at our friend Mike Evers’ place on Crayton Road—and kept going from there.”

The club continued hosting larger events at Evers’ mock Texaco station over the following years, until his untimely passing. Despite the growth, the group maintained a relaxed, local-friends vibe—one that made their shows memorable and special. “When it comes to the cars, we love all kinds,” the duo joked about the events they enjoy attending and hosting. “While we have our preferences—especially older models—we like to bridge the gap between car groups, where different circles of friends can share their love of the hobby.”

With rising popularity and a strong sense of community, it wasn’t long before Gallery Night Pensacola approached them to organize an event with the city.

“When we did the first Gallery Night car show, there were only around sixty cars,” Bogan said of the art walk night they’ve co-hosted with the City of Pensacola. “Now we’re up to one hundred and thirty—with thousands of spectators.” Bollinger added, “This show, more than some of our others, is open to more eras of vehicles—from antique to modern—which draws a wider audience. They’ve told us it’s the most attended night of the year.”

Even with the broad appeal of Gallery Night, both autophiles agree their favorite exhibition by far is the Rusted Relic Revival—a show dedicated exclusively to patina cars and ratrods, a subject close to the club’s origins. Recently moved from August to December 6th at The Handlebar music venue to take advantage of milder weather, the event is now part of Downtown’s active holiday season.

Working closely with Chris McKean and Robert Goodspeed of The Handlebar, the show features live music, cocktails, and— of course—a wide display of vintage autos and motorcycles along Tarragona Street. It’s been a crowd and owner favorite for the past three years.

“We normally have the road closed off by the railroad tracks and really lean into that old, ratrod street gathering kind of feel,” Bollinger said of the popular event. More selective than Gallery Night, the automobiles here are generally older, more patchworked, and proudly unpolished—patina autos through and through.

“Out of everything we’re doing with the club, we’re most looking to evolve the Rusted Relic Revival and turn it into a bigger draw for Pensacola,” Bollinger emphasized. “Entering our third year, we’re used to getting sixty or so vehicles, though we aim to increase that to eighty or one hundred very soon.” He even mentioned ideas like swap meets and other innovations the club hopes to implement in the coming years.

The Rusty Knuckle Torque Club is in full gear—with big ideas for future shows and a packed schedule already underway. For the friends who started the group nearly ten years ago, it’s a far cry from where they began. Still, no matter how large the shows get or how the events expand, they’re certain of one thing: as long as the club continues to celebrate the lost art of working on older cars, the rest will fall into place.

With an initial membership of just six close friends—bonded over a shared love of old powerhouses and rebuilt ratrods— they could have left it at that: a small, personal gathering. Instead, this group of auto enthusiasts built a community—and with it, the ability to host some of the best vintage car shows in Northwest Florida.