THE LAB, which stands for Legends Auto Boutique, is an auto body shop located in North Haven, CT. THE LAB does a series of services that range from selling your car, buying a car, detailing your car, modifying. People can also stop by to look at the showroom. They even have monthly giveaways.
What makes THE LAB such a unique auto body is its popularity. In the previous months, there were a series of car shows hosted and held at THE LAB in North Haven. Over the summer, these shows were held almost monthly. Each one was more anticipated than the last. What’s better than cars and enthusiasts flooding the highway and streets on a scorching summer day? Seriously, the highways and streets are practically shut down JUST for these shows. The question is, what makes these shows so popular? What sets them aside from other car shows, and what’s the inspiration?
Sophomore, Nick Maenza, who attended the show believes the real hype behind this is solely based on the fact that “There is nothing better to do. People get bored.” At these shows, there are people with their friends, climbing and running. Even young children attend the shows. People look under the hood of the car, asking questions or taking pictures.
Morgan Alumnus 2023, Ariana Franco said, “In the past year, the media has portrayed the car scene as a zoo, so I feel like older people are hesitant to go to car events in fear it will end badly or people will be out of control. The LAB is a business, so people can trust the property because they know it’s under control, and there is heavy police presence. When at the shows you can also check out their business where they sell accessories for your car.” The car scene has been very hectic lately, and many people stopped attending events due to poor behavior of spectators. The LAB offers perks many events don’t, making these meets not only more enjoyable, but safer too.
One significant factor is their huge following with around 99k on Instagram, 5k on Facebook, and 67.5k on YouTube. Not only this, but THE LAB has a 4.9 star rating on google, so they are credible.
Morgan Alumni Darren Abbott said, “The lab markets their meets super well, and it makes it look like a movie-like event the way they present their meets.” Darren Abbott, is a well-known car enthusiast. He said, “You always know that super cars will be there, and honestly, any car you can think of.” The LAB has a huge following due to its expertise in auto body work. Because of this, when they promote these car shows, with a flier posted with the date, location, and time, a HUGE number of people respond, including people not familiar with them.
The status of showing your car at the event also creates hype, but with that comes competition and requirements.
These requirements are not that hard. All it takes is a quick message to THE LAB where they will review your car and most likely let you know whether there is enough room on the lot. The lots surrounding THE LAB are reserved for the spectators, and usually get filled before the show even starts. Additional lots are at least a quarter of a mile away.
On Wednesday, September 27, at 7:00PM, THE LAB held their first nighttime show “Stars and Cars”. There was non-stop posting and promotion for the 2 weeks before.
Attending Stars and Cars
I left my house at around 5PM, I knew I still had 2 hours left, but I just wanted to collect myself beforehand. Sitting in my car, I couldn’t decide whether to be fashionably late or not. I ended up being late regardless of arrival time. I left for North Haven at around 6:15PM. The LAB asked nobody to arrive until after 7 PM. When I left Target at 7 p.m., there was a line down the road of dead stop traffic. I ended up not arriving til around 7:40 PM, parked about half a mile away (because all the other lots were already full). There were police and traffic directors present to assist everyone in parking. When entering the car show, I was immediately greeted by a pack of BMWs’ and Toyota Supras (Mostly mk5). After a few minutes, I captured my first shot of a Nissan 350z, one of my favorite cars.
There was such a versatile group of vehicles there between lifted trucks, lowered sports cars, muscle cars, glistening low riders, motor/street cyclists, and literal race cars. The shared love of this hobby brought many people together. Conversations brewed, people made new friends or even enjoyed talking cars. There were families there, couples, and older people all with similar interests.
Nearing the end of the event, people began to leave from the main lot. The crowd lined up down the street where they could get a view of the cars as they pulled out. The crowds were intense.
Eventually, an Audi pulled forward to the exit of the lot. The driver saw my camera. People moved, and he inched closer. Once I finally had the perfect angle, I took the shot, but, to my dismay, the flash was a little too bright. The guy driving made a funny face, and you could feel the shared awkwardness between us.
As the crowds moved towards the parking lots, I recorded the line of cars ranging from vintage, to brand new or even imported. Seeing the variety once again, but this time much more eccentric, was almost breathtaking. This is when I realized the hype behind these meets is not about who’s the best or whose car is the fastest, or about money. It is truly about the sense of accomplishment shared among every car enthusiast, who is proud of the cars they show, regardless of price, speed, and even appearance.
If you or someone you know has an interest in attending these meets, they will hold their season closer on Saturday, October 28th, from 12 PM-4 PM. If you would like to enter your car into the lot, it will be $15. You may have a chance of winning the competition, which is a new aspect of their shows. Spectators will be charged to attend this time, but it is a great way to get involved with the car scene.
