Cult Classic 2022

It’s hard not to find events like Cult Classic endearing. Now in its sixteenth year, this small-town enthusiast show goes out of its way to entertain the community in an always authentic way. It’s family focused, with an emphasis on much-appreciated cars and lovingly designed award trophies sure to delight the lucky winners. That it’s in the middle of a community park just a short stroll to a local roadside homemade ice cream institution doesn’t hurt the vibe either.

That Cult has garnered the level of love and respect from attendees for now sixteen years is a testament to its founder. By day, Josh Paashaus is the owner of Nothing Leaves Stock in Coopersburg, PA. In what free time he and his volunteers have this time of year, they can be found prepping for Cult Classic. His dog Lolo (#nocarelolo) is always part of the team.

Coopersburg is about 50 miles north of Philadelphia, placing Cult Classic within easy weekend commuting distance of a big section of the Audi community in the northeast. Given this, it draws a robust crowd with an eclectic mix of cars.

Vendors range from aftermarket shops such as New German Performance to local dealerships. Audi Allentown had their new RS 3 sedan demonstrator, likely the first new RS 3 anyone had seen in person.

The show itself is almost as casual as a cars and coffee. With an affordable registration fee and an efficient gate of entry, most join the judged show field whether they plan to just drop in for a few hours or stay to the end for the awards.

By the end of the day, winners are notified of their victory and invited for a group photo shoot underneath the park’s baseball scoreboard. The awards were replicas of the more exotic ice cream dishes sold in the nearby parlor. In this case, they’d been fabricated in resin and painted in a fashion that might fool the casual passerby. For those who get into amassing a wall of trophies, these are standout pieces that make a win at Cult Classic as memorable as the show itself.

This isn’t a concours, and the fact that it’s run by one of the region’s top modifier/car builders is evident in what tends to make the winner’s circle. There’s an appreciation for the built and the unique, and extra appreciation for cars that have been built by a proud owner… at least an appreciation by the judges. Lolo doesn’t care. She’s chosen sleep in the shade cast by the big old American spec bumper of an ’85 Audi ur quattro, which is maybe the best award of them all.