It was a dark and stormy night, the kind of night that tests men’s souls, the mettle of their courage, and the strength of their convictions.
Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. Actually, it was an overcast day, which has a similar effect on Southern Californians. I could tell by their expressions as they wandered around the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance last month, bewildered and fearful of what might come next. It was disturbing, till I got to the VIP tent for a couple of single-malt energy drinks.
Although it's not uncommon for La Jolla to be socked in with fog, I'd never experienced it before during the La Jolla Concours. Even the cormorants were grounded due to a low cloud ceiling.
The paint and detailing on this Harley were just stunning.
Although these cars were of the same era, they are hardly of the same type.
When I think of a Rolls-Royce, this is what comes to mind, not the boxy sedans they are producing these days.
Clearly, this driver prefers a Mercedes.
There were even some kit cars at the show, albeit outside the main gates. This one is about as striking as they come. They feature custom fiberglass bodies on a conventional production frame.
Here's a late '50s Thunderbird that only Liberace could love. Maybe he even owned it once. The owner was a bit dodgy on the subject.
The vehicles in the photos above can all be seen outside the gate, and are well worth a trip to La Jolla. But if you want to see the multi-million dollar vehicles close up inside the fence, you’ve got to pay the substantial entry fee to get through the gate. To me, being able to see cars like this 1929 Model A Duesenberg close-up makes it well worth the price of admission. This car from Beverly Hills got my vote for best of show.
Another impressive vehicle was this 1941 Mercedes-Benz 770K touring wagon. I'm told it was Hitler's vehicle of choice, although it was never revealed whether this was an actual vehicle he rode in.
The height of automotive Art Deco fashion is exemplified by this 1937 Talbot-Lago Type 150-C-S. I loved everything about it; the color, the interior, and the over-the-top styling. The only thing that annoyed me was that I didn’t own it.
Like Woodies? Here was the only one at the show, complete with surfboard.
But it’s a stunner, considering this 1929 Olds is coming up on 95 years of age. We should look this good.
The interior looks like it came fresh out of the showroom.
If you care about your offspring, you’ll order the optional child safety seat.
This 1926 Lincoln Model K LeBaron features a V12 engine. The K line was only produced during the Depression years from 1931 to 1940.
This 1934 Packard Speedster has two things in common with the Lincoln above. Its body was also built by the LeBaron company, and it has a V12 engine. Packard installed factory-produced V12s starting in 1916.
Even car engines were works of art during the Art Deco period.
When the kids got tired of looking at cars the seals were only a few steps away.
Despite the cloudy weather the grounds filled up during the afternoon.
Our editor has a passion for Corvettes, so I felt obligated to include some Corvette photos.
This 1960 model is my all-time favorite.
Of course, we can't disappoint the Ford guys, so here's a gorgeous 1966 Mustang GT convertible. As a high school student, I would have traded half my manhood for one of these.
Here's a stunning row of Lamborghinis for the Italian car people, featuring a 1966 400 GT coupe. I have a friend who has one and though it's gorgeous, it's not user friendly. It's noisy, rides like a truck, and takes some gymnastics to get in and out of. Let's not even broach the subject of maintenance.
Here is an Italian car of a different kind, a 1926 Lancia Lambda.
To the left is the Ferrari lineup, featuring in the foreground a 1959 250 long-wheelbase Spider. The owner brought it all the way from Chicago. It's a privilege to be able to see all these fantastic cars in one location. The German car lineup is to the right.
In public school I would have donated half my manhood for this 1955 Mercedes 190 SLR convertible. Good thing my juvenile wishes weren't granted or I'd have been singing soprano at my high school graduation.
I have no idea why I took this photo other than I was allured by her smile. Beats the hell out of the Mona Lisa, doesn’t it?
We haven't forgotten the British car people. This line-up features a stunning Aston Martin from the '60s. In college I'd have given half…never mind. (I was out of parts anyway.)
Here's the perfect car for the guy who has lost all his parts. It has no back seat for girlfriends or kids, so he'll never need to explain why he doesn't have any.
And now for something completely different. Those who weren't attracted to any of the cars above may be interested in this staff car. It wasn't used in the European theater, or in the Africa campaign, or in the Pacific. It was used in the circus where it caused many casualties, leading to its demise.
Hospitality tents are critical to a large events like the La Jolla Concourse d’Elegance, as it takes hours to really appreciate. They allow attendees to take a break and rest before the second shift.
It's amazing that there are people willing to take all the trouble to make an event like this happen. Imagine the logistics of bringing all these amazing cars together in one location for our enjoyment. If you get the chance, go see it. This isn't your average fairground car show.
As an aside, last month I watched a PowerPoint presentation featuring photos of a riverboat trip down the Rhine. I was so impressed with the graphics I asked the presenter which camera he was using. I expected him to tell me he was using a large format Nikon or Canon DSLR.
He told me all the photos were taken on his cell phone, a Samsung Galaxy s24 Ultra. The next day I bought one and what you see in this article was my first attempt to use it. It's what I'll be using for all my event coverage this year. What a joy not to have to carry a bulky, heavy camera around my neck.
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