Tony Divino Toyota

Iggy Garcia saw an opportunity to create a community.

And he did just that with the TDX car show in the parking lot at Tony Divino Toyota in Riverdale, Utah.

“We just wanted to connect with the local community and get to know some of the people,” says Garcia who is the dealership’s internet director. “Some of our customers mentioned that there wasn’t any kind of Toyota/Scion meet-up event in Northern Utah.”

So, Garcia filled that void in 2015. Initially, the show was designed for Scion and Toyota sports car owners. But, in a region as mountainous as Riverdale, Utah—about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City—plenty of off-road vehicles found their way to the show. So, the tCs, FR-Ss, MR2s and Supras were joined by plenty of Tacomas, FJs, 4Runners and Land Cruisers.

This year, Garcia focused on off-road vehicles. The show drew in about 100 vehicles, including a wide range of specially modified vehicles, as well as customers interested in the expedition lifestyle and sponsors who specialize in off-road products.

The area’s abundant acres of backcountry are an off-road playground for diehard rock crawlers and mudders who seek out extreme trails or take their vehicles into the water. They build out their vehicles with bumpers, bars, bigger tires and lifts. A less extreme group enjoys expedition-style trips with their families to access great camping and fishing sites off the beaten path.

“There’s a good mix of both of those communities,” says Garcia, who worked closely with influencers to create a buzz for the show.

“It blew up our social media,” he says. “We probably had more traffic that weekend on Facebook and Twitter than we do in an entire month. People were definitely engaged.

“Now, these folks who are active in social media groups see there is a dealer that supports them, and provides a place for them to get together and connect,” Garcia adds. “That is key to building community relationships. We can’t wait for next year’s show.”