Urban Expositions, organizers of Los Angeles’s inaugural Classic Auto Show, has announced that the show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center January 27-29 has set an impressive precedent with over 20,000 motoring enthusiasts and car lovers attending to see hundreds of the most valuable, soulful and rare classic cars in the world.
“We are thrilled with the turnout for our first year!” said Michael Carlucci, SVP, Urban Expositions. “From concept to execution, we felt the industry, collectors, and Southern California fans truly embraced what we were trying to achieve, and were eager to be a part of getting a successful event of this magnitude launched in the U.S. We worked really hard to create a fun, immersive experience where motoring enthusiasts could connect, see the cars they love, meet the celebrities they follow on the Velocity network, and shop products and services to help them care for their cars. We achieved that and built a solid foundation to grow the event in 2018 and beyond.”
The show’s activities included a ribbon cutting opening ceremony by iconic private collector and Grand Marshall Bruce Meyer; the Grand Boulevard showcasing breathtaking cars lined up in a chronological history of autos; and live demos from sponsors and vendors showcasing the latest in vehicle improvement technology. More than 600 cars and 50 car clubs displayed their finest restorations, and the Celebrity Theater drew scores of fans for Q&A’s with some of Velocity Network’s biggest automotive stars.
It wouldn’t be a car show without some healthy competition. The Velocity Star Panel, consisting of Chip Foose, Dave Kindig, Mike Brewer, Wayne Carini, Chris Jacobs and Mike Phillips, acted as judges for the vehicles on the showroom floor, alongside attendees and young enthusiasts who voted for the People’s Choice and Kid’s Choice Awards, respectively. Top honors went to the Orange County Mustang Club which won Best of Show – Car Club and Bruce Meyer’s 1962 Shelby Cobra which won Best of Show – Grand Boulevard.
A full list of award winners are listed below:
Best Car Club Display – Domestic | Road Kings of Burbank | Best Racing Vehicle – Foreign | Citroen Bonneville, Jerry Hathaway |
Best Car Club Display – Foreign | The VW Syndicate | Award of Excellence, Car Club | Citroen Owners of Southern California |
Best Car Club Modified Award | Kronies Club, Buick Riviera, Steve Quesada | Award of Excellence, Grand Boulevard | 1925 Rolls Royce Phantom, Petersen Museum |
Best Passion Award | Karen Hart of San Gabriel Valley Mustang Club | Best of Show, Car Club | Orange County Mustang Club |
Best Racing Vehicle – Domestic | 1962 Lesovsky ‘Sarkes Tarzian SPL., Malloy Foundation, Inc. | Best of Show, Grand Boulevard | 1962 Shelby Cobra, Bruce Meyer |
The Car That Stole Our Hearts Award | Chrysler Barrowback Woodie with Canoe, Mike Malamut | 2017 Kids Choice Award | 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom, Petersen Museum |
Judges Choice, Grand Boulevard | 1936 Packard DC Phaeton, Earl Rubenstein | Best Original Restored, Grand Boulevard | 1931 Marmon V16 Coupe, Gary Severns |
Judges Choice, Car Club | 1956 Chryser New Yorker, Mike Porto & Gary Carr | 2017 People’s Choice Award | 1956 Austin-Healey 100, Bill Hoyt |
The Classic Auto Show returns to the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center March 2-4, 2018 and will take up both levels of the South Hall. Expect more cars, car clubs and new features, along with the same caliber of high-quality entertainment and an iconic display of classic automotive beauty.
ABOUT THE CLASSIC AUTO SHOW
Presented by Autogeek.com & McKee’s 37 and the Velocity Network in tandem with Urban Expositions, Leftfield Media and Clarion Events, the 2018 Classic Auto Show will take place on March 2-4, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center: South/Kentia Halls. For more information please visit www.theclassicautoshow.com.
The Classic Auto Show is supported by media sponsors including: duPont Registry; Historic Vehicle Association; Old Cars Weekly; Vintage Road Car|Vintage Race Car; ClassicCars.com; Auto Round-Up; SoCal Car Culture and Los Angeles Magazine among others.