They don’t make ’em like they used to. That’s for sure. However, this Sunday, at the 15th annual Antique Autos show in San Jose’s History Park, you’ll at least be able to see how it used to be done.

Part of Hands-on History Days, the immersive car show will display stock models of cars built before 1945 and unearthed vehicles not seen in generations, such as the 1922 Elcar—a luxurious artifact with wide running boards, a reclining boxy body and a chrome tipped snout dotted by two wide-eyed lights and built by a company that went out of business during the Great Depression.

“I had not heard of an Elcar,” admits Allan Greenberg, a volunteer with History San Jose’s restoration shop, who started the Antique Autos show 15 years ago with the help of his Model T Club. “I had to look it up on the Internet. We do get a lot of Model T’s and Model A’s, because there were so many of them built. We get Lincolns and Packards, and so many different brands.”

The event has swelled in size since the first year. In addition to the Model T’s and Model A’s, the car show attracts cars of all types and stripes. “We probably invite close to 100 antique clubs, plus many antique car owners,” Greenberg says. “It’s gotten to the point where we’re getting between 180-200 antique cars.”

The featured brand of this show will be Cadillac—the subject of a six-car demonstration showcasing the progression of the luxury American auto maker between 1905 and 1940. Other attractions include a dixieland band, performances from Charlie Chaplin and FDR impersonators, and a chat with Luke Rizzuto, who drove around the world in a 1928 Plymouth Roadster tracing tracks from several historic, long-distance car races.

“This is not your typical car show, where you go and park your car in some church parking lot, and after a few hours you go home,” says Greenberg.

Modern emphasis on safety and aerodynamics has saved countless lives and oceans of gasoline, but stifled creativity in design. Back in the day, automakers had the freedom to pursue more whimsical forms.

“The styles are completely different on the old cars, unlike today where it’s hard to tell a Toyota from a Honda,” Greenberg says. “There wasn’t any commonality. There weren’t any restrictions back in the old days. Whatever got you from point A to point B without breaking down too often was desirable.”

Antique Autos is at at History Park on Sept. 13. More Info.