Text by Wallace Wyss and Curtis Bien – photos by Geoffrey Horton from 2015
OK the formula sounds familiar. Seaside location. Tourist town. Plenty of sunshine. Pebble Beach? No. La Jolla, a posh suburb of San Diego.
The 19th Annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance, presented by LPL Financial, returns April 25–27, with the concours itself on Sunday, the last day. Comparing the two shows, I’d say the La Jolla one is about one third the size and doesn’t have as many cars in each category but still has some world class cars.
Mercedes 300SL Roadster – 2015
The theme this year “Mascots in Motion,” spotlights the legacy of automotive mascots—the iconic emblems (baby sculptures, really) that once graced the hoods of the world’s luxury cars for over a century.
The reason they list 3 days is that there is a lot of preliminary events such as the Jolla Concours VIP Soirée, hosted on the Concours field at Ellen Browning Scripps Park. It’s a party with gourmet cuisine from over 20 of San Diego’s top restaurants, and live music. A few concours cars will be there as well.
Then they have something called the Tour d’Elegance, which begins with visits to private car collections, followed by a scenic drive through San Diego, before concluding with a luxurious luncheon at a private venue to mingle with fellow automotive aficionados.
On the day before the concours, on Saturday evening, there will be all kinds of Porsches, in the show called Porsche & Power on Prospect, set against the vibrant energy of La Jolla’s iconic Prospect Street. This event is free.
The Concours d’Elegance itself takes center stage on Sunday from 9 AM–4 PM at Ellen Browning Scripps Park, right by the ocean, with over 200 rare and vintage cars promised. And San Diego being a military town, there will be a vintage flyover along the coast!
Jaguars
Adjacent to the prestigious La Jolla Concours d’Elegance, which cost a little over $100 for one ticket, the La Jolla Motor Car Classic is a free car show featuring a stunning array of classic, luxury, and vintage automobiles. This year’s will focus on the Ford vs. Ferrari match-up in the Lower Motor Car Classic, showcasing the legendary rivalry between two automotive icons.
For those who are taking guests (like your boss?) there’s VIP tickets offering exclusive perks, including a dedicated check-in line and access to the expanded VIP Lounge.
I have been to this show several times and think it’s well worth it, sort of a preview of what you would see at Pebble Beach but within a couple hour driving distance from Los Angeles. And I even like looking over the fence at what the seals and walruses are up to…
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Geoffrey Horton and his Jaguar – 2015
Sunset in La Jolla
More photos from 2015 are in the slide show below.
Wallace,
A few hours back, I just left The New York International Auto Show, a show I have been attending annually since 1978. I have to say, unfortunately, that might be my last year attending. Besides being less than half of its old size, due to the absence of brands, except for classic Japanese tuners in the basement pavilion, it featured nothing of an interesting nature from the auto manufacturers. Bloated SUVs, boring crossovers, and oversized SUVs and especially pickups, which would be great if I needed to move tons of electrical wiring cable and drainage conduit to a road drainage conduit to a construction site
There were no “WOW” cars there, not to mention no BMWs, Mercedes, or Cadillacs.
I am not sure what the future holds for the auto industry, but looking to the past for inspiration seems to be a more encouraging to me at this point.
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY