The phrase “active aging” didn’t just apply to the competitors in the 2025 St. Louis Senior Olympics. During the opening ceremonies at The Hub STL at The District in Chesterfield on Sunday, May 4, a special exhibition featured vintage cars. Two of those cars owned by Jewish St. Louisans won medals.
Second place went to a 1929 Pontiac two-door sedan owned by Tab Cohen. The blue coupe has been in Cohen’s family since 1965, but he’s only owned it for the past four years. During that time, he lovingly restored many parts. The car has a 60-horsepower engine and a single barrel updraft carburetor.
“I was generously given this car from my uncle and daughters,” Cohen said. “It was a rust-bucket and I worked on this car as boy. When I turned 16, I even took it out on a date, and it broke down. Eventually my uncle took the car back and restored to thin of beauty.”
Eventually, the car sat up on blocks and 35 years later, Cohen’s uncle’s family asked if he was interested in having car.
“It took me about two and a half years to get it back up and running,” he said. “It has been a wonderful way to go out and make friends. When the weather is nice, I’ll bring up to the J and offer rides to anyone who wants to take a spin.”
Just down the row of classic cars from Cohen’s Pontiac sat Harold Sanger’s 1979 jet black Corvette, which won third place.
“I bought it in 2003 online,” said Sanger, who served as mayor of Clayton from 2013 through 2019. “I was looking around and this one caught my eye. It’s been garaged more than it’s driven. It’s showing 54,000 miles, but I’m assuming it really has 154,000.
“I’ve pretty much always been a car guy,” he said. “I’ve documented all my cars. It’s a good hobby.”
