As much as I love Pebble Beach, it’s far away and it’s expensive — it’s a commitment, and hardly a family affair; finding hotels is a nightmare. The good news is that there’s a miniature version of it called the San Marino Motor Classic, held just east of LA in Pasadena’s neighboring small city of San Marino. I attended this show this past weekend; here’s what it was like.
First, I attended the Symphony of Cars Gala with my cofounder Beau. Basically, this was a dinner next to a big ramp/stage upon which a bunch of beautiful cars drove, shooting unburnt fuel from their exhaust pipes, through the air, and into our open mouths about to intake a swig of mocktail or bite of salmon.
Did I probably lose a few months of life expectancy from the exhaust of an old Packard V12? Yes; but it was worth it. Here’s a look at that Gala:
View this post on Instagram
And if you’re not an Instagrammer, here are some stills:
Here’s my wife (I still cannot believe I have an actual wife; it’s freakin’ awesome) and me; she’s having a great time, as you can see:
[Editor’s Note: She’s clearly having a great time. One look into those big yellow eyes and huge grin will tell you that! – JT]
My arrival to that Gala didn’t go smoothly, as I took my wife in the CrossCabriolet with the top down. The valet required the top to be up, lest someone on the street try messing with the car. I knew it’d be a risk putting the top up given these tops’ reputation, but I went for it, and it failed spectacularly:
I eventually bailed on getting the top up, and though I was able to shove the lid down a bit farther than the image above, it didn’t shut evenly. I just told the valet not to worry about it. “Your windows won’t go up either,” the driver told me. “I don’t care; just park it. It’s fine!”
They kindly parked it front and center, where they could keep an eye on it.
Anyway, let’s get to the “Mini Pebble Beach” — the actual San Marino Motor Classic, which took place the following morning, Sunday:
View this post on Instagram
The show takes place in Lacy Park, in the nice Pasadena neighborhood of San Marino, former home of General George S. Patton Jr. There’s a big loop that goes around the park, and on either side of the path are cars, organized into classes:
Check out the police class next to the VWs:
There were, of course, many Porsches (this is California after all, where the “car community” starter-pack comes with an old 911):
Here you can see a judge asking an owner to fire up their Porsche’s engine:
In the very back were a few Ferraris:
There was this ridiculously beautiful Ferrari Daytona SP3, which costs many millions of dollars (one sold at Pebble Beach for $26 Million!)
There was even that Chrysler Special we saw at Pebble Beach on the lawn!:
Look familiar?
View this post on Instagram
And there was a D-Type Jag, which I was told was actually real and not a replica:
There were all sorts of great American and Japanese and British cars; here, let me just show you:
Plus, the show wasn’t so elitist so as to leave out one of the most iconic brands in auto history:
One thing I’d have liked to see more of were less polished cars. Yes, there was technically a small “preservation class” (see below) but there are so many amazing cars out there that are drivers — ones with patina and scars. Those are becoming more popular in the car scene; it’s time to make sure they have a bigger place at car shows, because they are no less historically significant. Flashy, shiny, mint-condition cars that nobody can afford are, to some people, less appealing than rough-around-the-edges cars that one could actually buy oneself.
$45 entry is a bit much for a cheap bastard like me, but it goes to charity, and kids 12 and under are free, so there’s that. Otherwise, the San Marino Motor Classic is great. I’m going again next year, as step 1 in a 146-step plan I’ve put together to brainwash my infant child into becoming a car enthusiast.
Lazy David didn’t even bother to take photos of the car from the front.
Have you noticed that too many photographs of cars are taken from the front? Let’s see the rest of a car: rear, profile, instrument panel!
“sir it appears someone messed with your car and there appear to be the keys to a Rodius inside”
Welcome to the 626
https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9lY8mZWg/1998-suzuki-jimny-4×4?utm_source=autotempest&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=at_search
The next entry to Pebbles for David, though it would be a good daily for him as well.
Hey man, you got any more of that D type? You know, that type I NEED? C’mon, I’m good for it. Just a couple more pics? PLEASE?!
This is a lovely car show, but unfortunately fewer and fewer cars seem to attend every year. Mostly because holding it in an open field in August means it can be brutally hot. But there’s always some interesting stuff. Like that Wanderer that showed up this year. The forgotten Audi ring.
There are some excellent shows of this type during Monterey Car Week that The Autopian hasn’t yet explored. Maybe next year, when the Pebble Beach Concours happens on the first weekend of Car Week, some intrepid Autopian journalist(s) can hang around for a few days more to cover these shows, which are favorites of locals even if they don’t get glamour publicity.
Concours for a Cause, in downtown Carmel, had everything from 1908 horseless carriages to unusual marques like Bitter and Rometsch. I heard from several participants (including one showing his Ferrari 275 GT) that this is their favorite show of Car Week. While lots of cars are concours quality, there are many preservation-class cars (or just daily drivers).
The Little Car Show in Pacific Grove is for cars >25 years old with engines 1.8 liters or smaller (plus a few special interest exceptions). Every year there are a few surprises, like cars from Peel, OSCA, Vespa, Crosley, Austin Bantam, even Kei fire trucks. Conditions range from concours down to “rescued from 30 years in a barn and not reconditioned.” Some cars have been in the same family since new (70 years in the case of one Beetle). And they get driven. One immaculate Porsche 912 had over 240,000 miles on it (220,000 from the current owner). Probably won’t see that at Pebble Beach.
I think some appropriate clothing would help Adler (Not His Real Name) on his path to being a little car dude:
https://www.gearhead-kids.com/
(they’re local to me, and they’re cool people).
And we thank you for this. I use pretty aggressive script/site blockers and everything Meta is on that list, so the insta posts are blank for me.
Same for me!
(I have to assume that Insta pays the best for clicks, so that is why the Autopian uses it!!)
David, can you not go ANYWHERE nice without causing mechanical mayhem? I imagine you and Elise (NHRN) on a nice relaxing Mediterranean Cruise. Where is David? He is down in the engine room elbow deep in grease teaching the ship’s engineer how shaft packing glands work and how his failed.
Never change.
I’d forgotten about the California Special Rampage that had the Shelby Charger appearance package (although not the extra power).
I was wondering what the blue ute thing was! Figured it was a Mopar but that was as far as my brain would go.
I really like ENHRN’s glasses in that pic. I can’t quite tell though, are they tinted? I could love to find some sunglasses like that!
No wonder David fell in love with her, what a stunning face!
…she really hasn’t aged much! Ha ha
Let the sunshine in.
I’ll take the red Karmann Ghia convertible, unless Jason and the Borg have assimilated me. Then it will have to be a California Porsch.
Wasn’t there a time when David would have dropped off his date (theoretically, as at that time David wouldn’t have had a date, but no doubt he would have been chivalrous enough to drop her off if he did) and then self-parked for free a few blocks or miles or towns away?
Guilty as charged…
I have made it to age fifty only having valeted a car a number of times that will fit on the fingers of one hand, or at most both. LA might test me, but it wouldn’t best me.
Always trust a man wearing an Urban Sombrero. Elise, are you OK? Blink twice if you need help. So many nice cars but that Dodge Rampage caught my eye.
It’s a great car show, except for the hot weather. One year, we won best in class with our car, which was a nice surprise. 2nd place car had a full restoration that was not correctly done. In particular, the door panels and upholstery were completely wrong. Our car had been repainted but otherwise it had a lot of original interior, trim, and mechanicals including its original leather dash & door panels. Boy was the second place car owner pissed!
So which food truck did you choose for lunch? Or did you have another lunch with the highfaluting folks?
Yeah, August in the greater LA area can be pretty hot. But at least it’s a near certainty that it won’t rain.
Curious, what kind of car did you get your best in class in? I’m sure the words “leather dash” narrow it down somewhat but too lazy to dive down that rabbit hole. And congrats!
1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SL.
After the year we won, they opened up the class to include the 190 SL and definitely the trailer queens won that year.
Wow, those are sure nice looking cars!
It’s the “pagoda top”
model.
I know that I am nitpicking your great story, but San Marino is its own town, not a neighborhood of Pasadena. And neighboring South Pasadena is a separate town, too.
San Marino has been a separate town for a long time. I believe General Patton’s father was its first mayor, although I may have that one wrong.
Beat me to it. San Marino is a very upscale town, right next to Pasadena (and just south of my alma mater). Back in the day, we got the impression of a snooty old money town that was not that thrilled when scruffy college kids would go for walks there.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens are in San Marino and are all spectacular and well worth a visit or ten if any of what they have to offer interests you.
Those pics of the befuddled valets around the befuddled Murano. Effin classic.
There are worse appetizers. 🙂
Thank you for listening to us non-instagrammers! Looks like a fun time.
Uh, in the picture of you and your wife, is the barn door open or uh, hopefully part of a shirt? Napkin, I’ll give you napkin…
Corner of the chair, at least that’s what it looks like to me.
Nlpntis right – it’s the corner of the chair.
So it’s not a power bulge?