‘Tique of the Week is an Austin-wide search for unique and interesting antiques. With dozens of antique shops around Austin, one-of-a-kind items from the past are not in short supply. Each week we’ll find a new favorite item and feature it as our “Tique of the Week.”

Austin has a way of taking old things and building upon them without compromising integrity. Keeping with that tradition, the city recently held the 10th Annual “Lonestar Round Up” for hot rods and custom cars. This festival takes place from April 1–3 and is held along South Congress Avenue.

Any student out on the town probably saw many of the festival’s participants lined up and down South Congress in lawn chairs next to their hot rods with painted flames and antique pick-ups.

While the “Round Up” may only be 10 years old, many of the cars showcased are bona fide ‘Tiques. We picked out two of our favorites cars from April 2, the second day of the show.

First was the 1953 Chevrolet Styleline. Its signature whitewall tires first became popular in the 1930s and were considered a symbol of luxury. The Styleline name was introduced in 1941 as a classic sedan.

The one parked on South Congress was a two-door, sportier model that appears to be a work in progress. The chrome window trim and “spear” on the side mark it as a DeLuxe Sports Coupe. Ads from 1952 marketed the Chevy Styleline as a high quality car for a “pleasant price” of just $1,726 for a new model.

Our next pick for our two-part ‘Tique is the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. Bel Airs were produced from 1950 to 1975: this particular full-size vehicle is part of the second generation, when the Bel Air was still the top of the Chevrolet line.

The 1955 Bel Air had the first V8 ever offered in a Chevrolet and modern chrome detailing. Thanks to restoration and a little TLC, the Bel Air we saw during the show looked like it had just been driven off the lot.

With crowds of car fanatics packing the street during the three-day weekend show, it’s obvious that these 1950s vehicles have a fan base that’s here to stay in Austin for years to come, making it our ‘Tique of the Week.