When Phil and Kim Santoro hit the highway in their shiny 1965 Shelby Cobra replica, some gawking is expected.

But occasionally the attention gets a little dangerous.

"It's almost scary," Phil Santoro says. "People are hanging out of the window, taking pictures with their camera phone."

And it's not just passengers snapping shots of the Cobra, with its polished aircraft aluminum finish.

Drivers do it too.

On Saturday, pedestrian admirers circled the Mohnton couple's distinctive ride, one of hundreds on display at a fundraising car and motorcycle show at Long's Park.

The Lancaster Sertoma Club and Vagabonds Rod and Custom Car Club co-hosted the second annual show, billed as the county's largest. The event riased money for community charities, including Long's Park and Hospice of Lancaster County.

Vehicles from a 1925 fire truck to a 2009 Corvette blanket the amphitheater lawn, hoods propped open and chrome gleaming in a brilliant sunshine that followed two overcast days.

Santoro lovingly polishes his prized possession with Windex, while fielding questions from camera-toting spectators.

"I never get tired of looking at it," he says of the Cobra, believed to be one of only seven identical models in North America. "But the big thrill of owning it is driving it."

The car show, free for attendees, grew out of Sertoma's efforts to launch a new fundraiser in challenging economic times.

Matt Zacharias, Sertoma's car show co-chair with Jon McDonald, says the event drew significantly more car owners and spectators than last year.

"These guys love to show off their toys, and help a good cause as well," says Zacharias, who brought his own 1969 Camaro. "If you have a nice car, you live for showing it off."

Zacharias estimates that some owners spend as much as $200,000 to fix up their cars, which range from a flame-bedecked low-rider to a truck jacked up so high that buffing it requires a ladder.

"You'll see everything here, from a car your grandmother would drive to a car your grandmother would fly in," he says.

A restored World War II-era jeep, owned by John Dobish of Strasburg, draws a crowd of admirers. So does a 1970 Saab that Lancastrian Brandon Hollinger converted to run on electricity.

Car and motorcycle owners paid a $15 to $20 registration fee, and food sales raised additional funds. The show had several corporate sponsors.

Dave Olsen, show chair for the Vagabonds, says club members share a commitment to their cars — and  community service.

"I want to be part of something bigger than me," Olsen says. "My car [a 1933 Willys] allows me to do that."

Al Fischer, of Marietta, brought a 1929 wood-paneled Ford station wagon that belonged to his father. Fischer and his son, Terry Weber, of Maytown, completely restored the car over a challenging 4 1/2-year period.

Now that it's roadworthy, Fischer drives the Ford every Sunday. He still feels giddy every time he starts it up.

"The new [cars] are all right," he says. "They're just not the same. I like my original."

Nearby, Anton Spinelli and his 11-year-old son Auston, of Landisville, check out a purple 1970 Dodge Challenger. The two are nearly done fixing up their own '65 Dodge at home.

"It needs some tweaking here and there," Spinelli says.

Long's Park needed some serious TLC in 1952, when the Lancaster Sertoma Club formed and adopted the park as its chief charity.

Lancaster city owns and maintains the 70-acre park. Sertoma donates up to $100,000 annually toward equipment and upkeep.

The club has spearheaded numerous park improvements, including construction of the amphitheater in the 1950s and the 20,000-square-foot Kids Place playground in 1992. Sertoma's most recent major contribution, a $300,000 nature trail, opened in 2007.

The club holds its signature fundraiser, The World's Largest Chicken Barbecue, at — where else? — the park.

Sertoma president Paul Rovnak says  last May's barbecue raised $80,000, a  solid number given the economy but down from recent years.

In 2008, the club lost another major source of funds, when the Fallfest country-music concert moved from the park to Overlook Community Campus. Sertoma usually raised about $15,000 from food and drink sales.

That's where the car show idea came in.  

Besides the park, proceeds benefit Hospice and other Sertoma/Vagabonds causes, including  summer camps and after-school programs, luncheons for new citizens and holiday parties for nursing-home residents.

As a "cause," Long's Park sometimes gets overlooked, Rovnak says.

"We're not raising money for world peace," he said. "However, it is a peaceful setting for Lancaster County. It's our contribution."

Both clubs hope the car show will continue to grow until it fills up the entire park.

Olsen watches appreciatively as a steady line of head-turning cars roars up the amphitheater hill.

"If we don't support our community park, where are we going to do this stuff?" 

mschweigert@lnpnews.com