Record attendance, more than 1,000 displays highlight classic auto show

 Grand Marshall Award—Chip Foose’s 32’ Ford 5 Window Coupe

(March 21, 2018) LOS ANGELES — Record attendance with over 30,000 enthusiasts, displays of more than 1,000 rare and vintage cars and the presentation of 25 awards highlighted the second annual Classic Auto Show, which took over two floors at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Classic Auto Show showcased an extensive selection of vintage cars from private collections, museums and Southern California car clubs, spanning virtually every imaginable automotive genre.  Offering a virtual timeline of the progression of the automobile, the event’s popular Grand Boulevard display ran through the heart of the show, showcasing more than 50 rare cars spanning the past 100 years.

Grand Marshall Steve Moal officially opened the show and showcased six vehicles from his collection including “Gatto” and Tim Allen’s 1955 Ford Triple Nickel, which greeted enthusiasts at the entrance to the show.   VIP ticketholders got a personal tour with Steve Moal and a special inside look at all the cars.

An awards presentation on Sunday, March 4 culminated the three-day celebration, recognizing standout vehicles as determined by a judging panel.  Honorees included:

    Award of Excellence—Grand Boulevard: 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia from the Mullin Automotive Museum
    Award of Excellence—Car Club:  Lifestyle Club (pictured at right)
    Grand Marshall Award—Chip Foose’s 32’ Ford 5 Window Coupe
    Best of Show Foreign Car Club— Rare Vintage Air VW Club
    Best of Show Domestic Car Club— Orange County Mustang Club
    Best of Show Foreign—Aaron Weiss’ 1936 Mercedes Benz 290 Cabriolet A
    Best of Show Domestic— John Teberg’s 1930 Duesenberg
    People’s Choice Grand Boulevard— Chuck Schauwecher’s Ford A Tudor Sedan
    Kids Choice Grand Boulevard—Petersen Automotive Museum’s MACH 5
    Best Creative Display Domestic Car Club—Early V8 Club of America
    Best Creative Display Foreign Car Club—Mini Owners of America, Los Angeles
    Best in Show Lowrider— “Still Water” Imperials Car Club   
    Best in Show Japanese— A 1966 Toyota Corona, OJCM Oldskoolerz
    Best in Show Hot Rod—Kathy Garner’s 1932 Ford Cabriolet
    Best in Show Women ‘n Wheels—Ford Mustang Mach 1
    Best in Show 4x4/Off-Road Car Club— Jeep Addicts So-Cal
    Best in Show Truck—1957 Chevrolet Pick Up Step Side owned by Ricardo Lopez
    Best in Show Roadster— Don Lindfors’ 1932 Ford Roadster Pickup
    Best in Show Detailing—Rick Abate’s 1967 Cadillac DeVille
    Best in Show Upholstery—Sew Cal Rods
    Generational Award—A 1957 Chevy Beauville nine passenger wagon
    The Car that Stole Our Hearts Award—Russ DeBie’s 1960 Pontiac Bonneville
    Most Outstanding Pre-War Award— Fred Lax’s 1934 Auburn V12 Phaeton Salon Convertible
    Most Outstanding Post-War Award—1952 Siata
    Best Combination of Car and Costume—Crazy 8’s Car & Social Club

The event also featured special appearances by well-known automotive celebrities, including renowned car designer Chip Foose, Dave Kindig of “Bitchin’ Rides”, Mike Brewer of “Wheeler Dealers”, Donald Osborne, Classic Car Appraiser, and host of the “Assess & Caress with Donald Osborne” on Jay Leno’s Garage, and Wayne Carini of “Chasing Classic Cars.”

 New faces also included Stacey David of “Stacey David’s Gearz,” Dennis Gage of “My Classic Car,” Bogi Lateiner and Rachel DeBarros of “All Girls Garage,” Kevin Mack and Mike “Horny Mike” Henry of “Count’s Kustoms” and “Counting Cars,” and professional wrestler and automobile aficionado Bill Goldberg.

“The passion that Southern Californians have for automotive history was certainly evident, based on the tens of thousands of enthusiasts who came out to see our show,” said Michael Carlucci, senior vice president at LeftField Media, the show’s producer.

“We worked hard over the last year to provide an immersive experience for every type of enthusiast, from getting more car cultures involved, to rubbing shoulders with your favorite auto celebrities, to hands-on restoration and auto detailing tips. We look to build on this momentum by offering Angelinos even more when the show returns next year.”

The Classic Auto Show returns to the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center March 23-24, 2019.  Expect new features, new cars and car clubs, along with the same caliber of high-quality entertainment and an iconic display of classic automotive beauty.