Central Valley Classic Cars - Car Shows

Monterey Car Week Engines

2010-08-17T19:07:00Z

At this years, events, I found myself snapping pictures of engines this year. Had I put any thought into it a head of time, I would have gone out of my way to get important engines from each of the great marques. But I didn’t. So here’s a somewhat random collection of the expensive metal that was on the Moneterey Peninsula for the 2010 events.

Quail 2009

2009-09-05T00:10:00Z

Unless Ben get’s himself out from under his Europa distraction and writes something up, this will be our last report on Monterey Car Week 2009. Pretty amazing year. And big THANKS to Les Ellis for all the photographs from so many of the best events.

Without further ado, the Quail…

From Les:

The Quail is the most expensive show during car week and has restricted tickets to 3,000 each year. I’m not sure they sold out this year, though they have for the last 3 or 4 years.

It has wonderful cars but is becoming more manufacturer oriented (Jag, Lambo, AMG, Prosche, all on hand). That’s understandable as this is the best spot for them to contact their potential clientele. Quail is also moving to “lifestyle” (fashion, food, cigars, wine, etal.) rather than just cars. Still its great as limited attendance means the CHANCE to get a photo.

And photos he does get… though he seemed to manage just fine at the more crowded events too.

As always, when in the area, the best place to pick up grand Les Ellis prints is at Woodies at Crossroads in Carmel. When not in the area, you can always contact us for more information via email at infoATcv-classiccarsDOTcom.

PG Rally 2009

2009-09-04T22:55:00Z

More from Monterey Car Week 2009. Lower profile, yet no less loved, the Pacific Grove Rally was documented my Les Ellis. Included here are some of his favorite pictures.

Quote from Les:

Friday afternoon of car week, when all the serious car auctions have just started, Pacific Grove (PG) holds its very unserious rally which may be the most fun event as it is NOT judged and is open to almost anyone who has made a reservation to participate – many do year after year.

The result is an astoundingly diverse set of owner-maintained hobby cars that are what the hobby started out as. Its just plain fun.

And check out the scenery. Yes, that’s the rugged yet majestic Pacific Ocean in the background. If you’ve been to Woodies and checked out the prints available there, you know that Les specializes in special cars in special locations.

Gathering of Ferraris

2009-08-20T16:44:00Z

Car Week is always jam packed with stuff for the car enthusiast to see or do and Les Ellis goes all out to make sure he covers the best of it, including the Ferrari Club of America’s Pacific Region Meeting.

From Les:

This year as part of car week, the Ferrari Club of America had their Pacific Region meeting at Chateau Julian on Carmel Valley Rd.

The event was choreographed by Paul Reps and implemented with the help of many volunteers and the active participation of Ferrari.

On Wed, there was an”informal” gathering of 20 or so cars at the CrossRoads shopping Center in Carmel, and then Thursday was the main event at the Winery.

The setting was marvelous, the day was VERY sunny, and everyone was having a great time despite the ash falling from a wildfire North of Santa Cruz – 50 miles away (which the judges said they would ignore).

From the pictures, you can see that there were quite a few fine italian specimens on hand. Most popular color? Ferrari Red, of course!

Pebble Beach Tour 2009

2009-08-17T18:00:00Z

Just when you thought the CVCC fun of Monterey Car Week was over for another year, we surprise you another fun collection of Les Ellis photos.

From Les:

The Pebble Beach Tour is one of the neatest events of Car Week.

The Pebble Beach cars are all “invited” to rally around the Monterey Peninsula. The “carrot” to accepting the invitation is that if two cars on a class are judged to a tie and one participated in the tour it wins (tie-breaker). The public find viewing spots along the route and get to see some of the rarest and neatest cars in the world for free.

The Cars with Green Decals on one headlamp are the “official” participants, but, as you can see, some really neat “spectator” cars join in.

Many thanks to Les for sharing his great photos with us. You can find high quality prints at Woodies at Crossroads in Carmel. Or contact us for more info.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2009

2009-08-17T04:07:00Z

Keeping with tradition, Les and Ben attended this year’s Concours d’Elegance, closing up Car Week in Monterey with the utmost in style.

Thanks to Les for the pictures highlighting the event.

It looks like another great year, including one of the seventy seven Aston Martin One-77s to be built.

Les provided some background on the Mercedes in the second picture:

“The Black Tandem is street legal in Europe and they are trying for US homologation. A V12 Mercedes in a car that weighs about 2500lbs (mostly engine). Seats two tandem style.”

Don’t forget to swing by Woodies on your way out of town to check out the Les Ellis prints available there.

Carmel Concours 2009

2009-08-12T16:30:00Z

Les took some more great pictures at the Carmel-By-The-Sea Concours on the Avenue

Here are Les’s introductory remarks about this event:

“This one is free admission in Downtown Carmel. They close Ocean Ave (Main Drag) and have about 150 cars. The show is only three years old, but has a lot of local support and eclectic cars as you can see.

The spectator cars are also fun. Try a Ferrari 275, Aston Martin Convertible and a 36 Ford Pickup with a ROOSEVELT bumper sticker.”

Coincidentally, Pete Stout, editor of Excellence, the magazine about Porsche, was on hand for this event too, serving as an official judge of the competition.

As always, when in Monterey, the best place to find high quality prints by Les Ellis is at Woodies at Crossroads in Carmel

And So Begins Car Week 2009

2009-08-11T18:00:00Z

Les Ellis captured these sights of historic racing automobiles getting ready for this year’s Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca.

This year’s featured marque is Porsche and on hand was Pete Stout, editor of Excellence, the magazine about Porsche, who will be racing a 911 RSR Sunday afternoon. That’s him, in the opening shot, in car 68.

Car Week is going on now. The Historic Races are this coming weekend (August 14-16, 2009) at Laguna Seca. For more info, check out:
http://www.montereyhistoric.com

And if you’re in Monterey for car week, be sure and stop in to Woodies at Crossroads in Carmel and check out the collection of Les Ellis prints available there.

Excellence Magazine can be subscribed to here:
http://www.excellence-mag.com/subscribe.php

Atwater Fall Festival 2008

2008-09-26T19:30:00Z

Who say’s there aren’t any classic British cars in the central valley? At the smallest “car show” I’ve been to all summer, I found two.

The Saturday before the “Super Sunday Car Show” in Merced, the family and I strolled down to Ralston Park in Atwater for the 2008 Fall Festival. The festival isn’t really a car show, but there were a handful of cars and motorcycles being shown on one edge of the park.

And to my surprise, after finding no Jaguars or other British cars at the summer car shows in the valley, I spotted two Great Britain representatives: an MG and a Rolls Royce!

Concours d'Elegance!

2008-08-29T04:37:00Z

The exclamation point is due to the fact that this was my first time at the very prestigious event, and I was honored to get to attend.

‘Get to’ can be accomplished by anyone though, so long as they’re willing to pay $150. And for all the hoopla, I was surprised at how small the show actually was. Only 150 cars (so a dollar per car) were invited.

That’s right, invited. This means there aren’t any run of the mill 79 Firebirds taking up lots (though if someone has taken the effort to keep a 79 Firebird in a giant tupperware container since the day it rolled off the factory floor you might see one there, one day). Its rare and valuble metal (or wood or fiberglass or carbon-fiber as the case may be) as far as the eye can see.

The car list then is very prestigious, but more than that, these were cars that the average person (including myself) will probably never see anywhere else. I was privileged to see one of the oldest remaining examples of a car (a 3 wheeled german thing), as well as Jay Leno’s Tank engined hot-rod and of course the usual smattering of Rolls Royces and Ferraris.

What struck me most about the cars though was, surprisingly, how I could relate to them. I’ve never owned a Duesenberg or an Aston Martin and lets face it, never will. But I could see that despite their names, prestige, and obviously large monetary value, the cars were, well, old cars. The paint around the edges of sheet-metal wasn’t perfect. Different parts didn’t always line up exactly. Little quirks in both the original craftsmanship and those picked up in the near century that has passed in their lifetimes, revealed to me that the owners of these cars and I have had similar experiences in restoration, repair, and up keep.

Don’t get me wrong; nothing I’ve ever worked on has been worth the price of the paint job these cars must have had. But no matter how exotic a car seems, its still a car.

I wasn’t expecting that.

Nor was I expecting the even bigger display of purchasable cool metal on the way into the Concours. From current concept cars to old British racers; these cars were for sale. Not that that matters as their prices, for the most part, require more money then I will ever make in my life. But it still made for a great display. Check out the photos attached.

And if anybody is shopping for me for Christmas, I could use a topless Bugatti Veyron.

Connecting Point, Denair, Car Show 2008

2008-08-26T00:09:00Z

The Connecting Point Church of the Nazarene hosted its 8th Annual Classic Car Show in Denair, just east of Turlock, on Saturday, August 16th.

I was back in the Central Valley for the weekend, so while car week boiled to a froth in Monterey, I decided to join the local car enthusiasts in Denair. It was a small show, as one would expect, considering the competition not too far to the west, but with no shortage of beautiful classic cars being exhibited by the regional torch bearers.

It was just my son and me on a tight time table, so we didn’t hang out too much, but I got a few quick pictures. People were friendly and relaxed; a good youth representation. Seemed like a good place to learn about following the carpenter from Nazareth.

Connecting Point Church of the Nazarene 3200 E. Monte Vista Avenue, Denair, CA, 95316 (209) 668-4080

Car Show in the Laguna Seca Parking Area

2008-08-15T19:15:00Z

It’s always fun to see the cars driven by people who enjoy cars. When the Historic Races teams are in the paddock or out on the course, the cars they got to the track in sit patiently for the ride home.

So, what do the mechanics, owners, drivers and supporters (both personnel and non-personnel) drive themselves around about the countryside in? Attached are some of my favorite examples.

Don’t See Anything You Like Here?

My pictures are unmistakably amateurish. My Uncle Les’s pictures are not. Well, he’s not really my uncle, he’s my dad’s cousin’s husband, but he really is a great car photographer. If you’re in Monterey for car week, be sure and stop in to Woodies at Crossroads in Carmel and check out the collection of Les Ellis prints available there.

For the Love of Enzo; Ferrari Challenge

2008-08-13T05:55:00Z

I’m going to buy an Aston Martin hat.

Not because I love Astons so much that I feel the need to proclaim it to the world with overpriced merchandise (though I do.) But because last weekend, Ferrari upset me and I want to show my angst in the same way a child does when he/she holds his/her breath in protest (and just as pointlessly).

Every year, friends and members of my family come together at Laguna Seca Raceway, just outside Monterey, to watch the most amazing collection of vintage racers the world has ever known. It all goes down in the middle of August during Monterey’s ‘Car Week’ which features the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as well as other world renowned car shows. Its on most car magazines lists of things to see before you die. But being in our back yard, geographically speaking, we’ve been going every year for almost 10 years.

Before the official shindig week starts the entrants to the Historic Races are given the opportunity to take some practice laps at the feared track of Laguna Seca. It’s something I’ve been privileged to attend, with the help of a photographer I know, for a number of years. We’ve even had lunch with some of the drivers and owners, meeting them at the BBQ stand in the middle of the paddock and, having gotten to know them, rooted for them when their race began.

That was before this year. Before the dark times. Before Ferrari.

I can’t blame them for wanting to get in on the inordinate amount of money and car aficionados in the area during this week, but I can and will blame them for what they did to the practice races.

Somehow Ferrari secured the racetrack for the same weekend as the practice sessions for one of their Ferrari Challenge events. This is a ‘fun-day’ for wealthier Ferrari fans to get some track time in cars ranging from F430’s to old Formula gear. So instead of getting to walk the paddock and see the greatest cars of all time, we were restricted to the sidelines and got to shake our fists at what you could either call brave or ham fisted (probably ham fisted from holding all those bags of money) amatures (depending on your disposition) tossing their (and occasionally breaking their) rented prancing ponies all over the track.

Don’t get me wrong, if given the chance I’d join them and let other people shake their fists at me. But I haven’t been given that chance, so I want to hold my breath. I mean buy a hat.

I witnessed more contact in one hour of those 430’s going around than I’ve seen in almost a decade of watching the Historic’s. And . . . wait. Is that a bad thing? Seeing Ferrari’s bounce off each other? Actually it was pretty cool.

Don’t read that last part. I’m supposed to be ranting.

Maybe instead of an Aston hat I should find a McLaren-Mercedes hat. But I don’t like Mercedes (it’s tough being opinionated). Now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn’t spend my money on a hat, but save it for my next car. And just to stick it to Maranello, I won’t buy a Ferrari. Yeah, that’ll show em.

And So Begins Car Week in Monterey, 2008

2008-08-11T08:00:00Z

It’s Car Week in Monterey. Don’t miss next weekend’s Historic Races at Laguna Seca!

It’s a long standing family tradition to head to the coast to escape the Central Valley heat of August. Car Week is about as good an excuse as you can get to head west over the Pacheco Pass.

We stopped in at Laguna Seca on Saturday to get a glimpse of the historics taking practice runs around the track. Changes in the setup meant we weren’t able to get the team prep photos I was hoping for (apparently we weren’t supposed to be there this year). In a show of solidarity with the faithful, many teams had abstained as well.

I did get pictures of the cars present make their way down the corkscrew. I wasn’t really prepared to be taking action shots, and most of my pictures came out grainy (I cheated and put the camera in auto-sport mode).

Still, my favorites are attached.

Some might complain about the presence of the Ferrari Challenge track usurpers, but I found it a fun surprise to get to see them chew up the coarse as well. Especially the F430s. They’re such beautiful beasts, even with the silly racing stickers and paint decor.

Good fun. Great cars! And you haven’t missed your chance yet. The big show is the 15^th~17^th.

Linguica Run 2008 - Gustine Classic Car Show

2008-07-14T00:35:00Z

On short notice this morning, my dad Doug, my son Micah and I piled into my dad’s mustang (not the 67, but a recent year, everyday driver, that’s really my mom’s) and headed out to Gustine to catch the 29th Annual Linguica Run.

We pass through Gustine often on our way to San Juan Baptista or to Santa Cruz, and we pass by a nice, green park with a large pond in the middle surrounded by ample open space and adequate tree shade. I just assumed this park was our destination. But when we got there, there were no cars, and the sign said Harry Schmit Park, not the expected “Henry Miller Park” stated on the flier.

A friendly local pointed us in the right direction and we quickly made our way over and found a parking spot on a tree lined street just outside the park.

Friendly Small, Westside Town

The Linquica Run is hosted by the Westside Auto Club and you get the sense that the participants are a strong representation of the Central Valley west side. People are friendly and seem to know each other. The green and well shaded park is not large and was packed tightly with cars – not so tight that moving around was impaired, but tight enough that snapping pictures was a little challenging. The small town friendly vibe was at full amplitude and the lack of pomp was refreshing.

Car selection was similar to what I found at the Springtime Reunion in Atwater, with adjustment to the noted era cap at 1976 (classics only, nothing younger than 32 years). Again, I searched in vein for an E-Type representative. No Jaguars at all. And again, the showing was clearly domestic-centric, though I did spot 5 Volkswagons. But also again, I got the sense that these cars were cherished and cared for. Some maybe people’s first cars, or a similar model, or maybe the car they really wished they had in high school. Many customized, ranging from the exhibitionist to the subtly refined.

Some Really Old Cars

Also interesting were the showing of pre-WWII cars, at least one predating the First World War. Again, nothing really exotic, mostly assembly-line Fords, but anything that old is pretty special to encounter. My dad speculates that many of them are probably family cars… Grand-dad’s old buggie that was back in the barn under hey for years.

A Very Nice ‘67 Mustang

Not more than 10 paces into the park and my dad spied a friendly face. It was Donny Baker whom my dad knows from doing business with San Benito Glass in Merced. Dad had tracked Donny’s restoration of a 1967 Fastback (see the first 2 pictures with this article). Donny’s got pictures of the process that he had on displace with the car. I’m hoping he’ll let me scan them and post them here with a story on the project.

Hub of the Show

There was a bunch of extracurricular activity happening at the center of the north end of the park. It looked like the administrative hub was in the area, but also ongoing raffles and barbecue pits. A stage was set up with sound wired to PA speakers throughout the park. The announcers were smooth and professional and highlighted other upcoming shows in the valley for people to take note of. Oh, and the food smelled delicious. We had to head out before lunch, so I can only assume that everyone who remained ate really well.

For more info on the event, check out the WestsideConnect article.