Yes, we hear (some of) you asking how many times can you cover the same event? The answer is: “as long as the event keeps rotating which cars and people appear, contributor Wallace Wyss will cover it.”
In the absence of formal organized car shows, it’s all we’ve got. And Malibu isn’t the worst place to be on a Sunday morning.
Don’t forget this is Monterey Car Week – at least it would have been if not for the coronavirus.
Mike Gulett, Publisher and Editor
Yes, we hear (some of) you asking how many times can you cover the same event? The answer is: “as long as the event keeps rotating which cars and people appear, contributor Wallace Wyss will cover it.”
In the absence of formal organized car shows, it’s all we’ve got. And Malibu isn’t the worst place to be on a Sunday morning.
Don’t forget this is Monterey Car Week – at least it would have been if not for the coronavirus.
Mike Gulett, Publisher and Editor
by Wallace Wyss –
Photos by Richard Bartholomew –
This was again at Malibu Village starting about 9am and ending at about 10:30am on Sunday August 9, 2020. This is a run-what-you-u-brung cars & coffee, no organizer, no entrance fee to show your car, and free to spectators.
The car that made a significant entrance this time was a Cizeta Moroder, a car built by former Lamborghini test driver, Claudio Zampolli, originally with the financial assistance of a musician named Moroder. At some point Moroder pulled out leaving only a handful (possibly 8-9 complete.) The engine I saw in the prototype years ago was two Ferrari 308s working together but I am not sure of the final engine. Let’s just say it was a response to the Countach, and its styling is still dramatic but the headlights really date it.
Cizeta Moroder
Cizeta Moroder
The owner was a man who runs a storage place for collector cars in Beverly Hill. He found the car at a movie studio in good condition but he had a lot of changes to make in the hoses, gaskets, etc, that had dried up, before he could drive it around.
There were many more Porsche 356 cars this time and one replica 550 Spyder. In prewer cars there was a Bentley and some Mercedes open sports car that was lighter and friendlier looking then the 540Ks we usually see see, this type being an Mercedes economy roadster of the prior period maybe competing with the BMW 327 and 328.
There were also at least three Mercedes Gullwings and at low speeds coming or leaving they ran with the doors open which is always dramatic. There were two short wheelbase Ferrari 250GTs which is surprising because they are so valuable no you don’t see them that much.
Prewar Mercedes has some elegance, sort of a little brother to the 500 and 540K.
This was the first time I saw an Aston Martin four door (Rapide), not the older Bill Towns-designed all-flat-lines Lagonda version. I was of two minds about it, I like the smoothness of the design but I think it is dated already.
Though I have warned if Japanese cars come they will overwhelm the parking there were two of the current hot model (Supra?) which, if you equate exotic with muscular bulges, it qualified as exotic.
And there were a handful of Lincoln Continentals including a mint ’56 two door Continental coupe and a four door open car.
Jay Leno in his McLaren
Jay Leno made an appearance, driving a McLaren. He also owns a McLaren F1, which has become a much sought after collector car.
I told Jay Leno about my anthology of car fiction but he looks dubious…
This event appears to dissipate fast at about 10am so I have hopes it will last and may be able to do the job of filling in for a car show. It will last if the participants are smart enough to get out of the way of the regular patrons of the shopping center just as they start arriving.
More photos are in the slide show below.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is putting the final touches on an anthology of fiction short stories set in the world of collector cars. He is actively looking for a film scout to market it. He can be reached at photojournalistpro2@gmail.com.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Richard Bartholomew is an artist and photographer based in Southern California. Visit his YouTube channel here. He is open to interesting consignments and can be reached at zeroagenow@aol.com
This young lady fit the Wallace Wyss jacket with an Alfa Romeo theme
Cizeta Moroder Engine
Great stuff. Keep these coming, please. An interesting Jensen, there. Whilst I was aware of the Cizeta, I didn’t know about the engine. – it’s good to see a pic of one under way, too, as opposed to in a book, at a show etc.
Love the caption to the Leno/Wyss pic!
The Jensen was the one featured in that movie series that’s all about chases. It looked better on film, but still makes you realize how Jensens have been overlooked by modifiers. It had totally modified interior. It was for sale but unlike the actors won’t be in the next sequel.
WALLACE; CAN/WILL YOU, GIVE US A, THREE WEEK ,HEADS UP, AS TO WHEN AND EXACTLY WHERE, THE MALIBU CAR GATHERINGS, WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE?
As far as the one in Malibu Village, at PCH and Highway 1, it has been happening each Sunday at about 8 am to 10:00 a.m. when it starts to break up.But bear in mind there is
no sponsor
no organizer
no tickets
no barring of any vehicle
so there’s no website to check on if it’s still on. It’s taking a chance to drive too far and find the store owners got it cancelled. I drive from an hour inland but it’s a pleasant drive at early morning so not too inconvenient. . The more exclusive show I can’t say what their plans are but the big free one still has 75% of the same cars anyway, even million dollar ones, so to me it’s worth going, I even split the gas so the total journey cost me $6. Monterey Car Week always cost me $1000-1500 and that’s counting the free media passes