Italian cars come to Harbor East with children's benefit

The roster has some of the biggest names in high-end autos: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo. On Sunday, dozens of shiny Italian cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each will roll into Harbor East for the Viva Italia Concours D'Elegance. Now in its fifth year, the car show raises money and awareness for the Children's Guild, an organization that helps children with emotional disabilities. Patrons can get up close and personal with more than 70 of the most powerful cars and motorcycles ever made and enter a raffle to win a Toyota Yaris. A few models will be on the scene, but they'll be wearing a decent amount of clothes, said Lori Trumble, a member of the board of trustees for the Children's Guild and co-chair of the event. "We like to keep it PG, because it's for a school," Trumble said.There is no admission fee to see the cars, but visitors can sign up for VIP registration, which includes a breakfast and lunch buffet, a gift bag, and access to a hospitality lounge. The Viva Italia show started with a handful of cars on display in Annapolis several years ago. It moved to Baltimore's Little Italy and more recently made its way down the street to Harbor East. "We outgrew [Little Italy]," Trumble said. "The problem with Little Italy was, the streets were really, really narrow. ... It's so much more residential. It just didn't work."Harbor East, on the other hand, better suits the show, Trumble said."It's the right environment," she said. "The money's there." When Trumble first got involved with the show, she wanted to go for a ride in one of the cars. She quickly learned that upscale rides have their own rules. (Trumble drives a Saab convertible, which is no minivan, she says, but it's not a Ferrari either.) Even simple things, such as climbing in and out of the passenger seat, have their own procedure in a high-end auto. After all, the last thing a passenger wants to do is scuff the leather seat of a shiny new Ferrari. "You have to open the door, turn so you're at a right angle to the seat, put your butt in, legs up," she said. "It's nuts. These cars are probably cleaner than most of these people's houses." If you happen to be standing on the street as the cars are being parked, you'll definitely hear them coming, Trumble said. But not if you're inside one."For as much noise as they make, they're pretty quiet inside," she said. "And they're really tight. They handle really well. You can go 100 and it feels safe." Not that she's gone 100, or anything, Trumble said. Well, maybe she has. Just don't tell her kids. If you go The Viva Italia Concours D'Elegance comes to Harbor East 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free, but donations accepted. For more information, go to viva-italia.org.