For Thanksgiving weekend, I offer the CC faithful another sunny California car show report. I recently ran down to Orange County for a Cars and Coffee gathering. Set in the parking lot in front of Mazda’s LA offices, this is one of the original California parking lot car shows, and every Saturday morning several hundred cars show up. These parking lot shows randomly fill the spaces of a parking lot with the old, rare or unusual. As usual, I tried to focus on the unusual, rather than those show queens so typical of organized events.
These shows often present interesting vehicle contrasts sitting side by side. This pairing of a Pontiac Trans Am and Audi Quattro demonstrate the difference between a European and US factory hot rod.
While this Aston Martin and Shelby GT350-H (Hertz) shows the same contrast applied to specialty coupes circa 1965.
The Orange County Cars and Coffee typically leans toward European Exotics, rather than American Muscle cars. To make that point, here’s an Italian redhead. I included this show queen to help establish the feel of Cars and Coffee, but in the spirit of Curbside Classics, I’ll try and focus on the more uncommon exotics.
First, feast your eyes on this Maserati Merak. The “Little Lambo” of that era, it shared a body with the Bora, and a V-6 engine with the Citroen SM. It probably deserves a separate write up, but for today I’ll just share this taste of its lovely lines.
Next, a McLaren MP4-12C. The driver pulled away before I noticed its presence, but I wanted to catch a picture of this brand spanking new exotic driving on public streets, just as if it were your neighbor’s unwashed silver four door Camcord.
Our final exotic is a Maserati Bora. Looking at the dent in that left front fender, you can see that this mid-engine classic establishes that a member of the Curbside Classic contingent is here at the show- Drive it on the streets, park it in public.
The show also featured some mid-priced European classics as well. This Saab Sonnet II starts the parade, and shows few wear marks despite of its lengthy life. Perhaps that reflects an easy life spent here in SoCal, but more likely it recieved a Souther California style make over somewhere along the line.
This Jaguar will turn a few heads, and may be in even better shape than the Saab. I’m not sure if it’s an XK120 or XK140, but it reminds us all that Jaguar has been turning heads for over 60 years, and helped defined the essence of English sports cars.
Conversely, this Jensen Interceptor reminds us that at one time England delivered an incredible variety of sports cars, and provided a unique incubator for exotic hardware such as the Ferguson Four Wheel Drive system (applied to the Interceptor platform, but not present on this car).
For those who harbor VW love, here’s a mid-sixties bug. I didn’t check all the details, but the bumpers and lack of Wolfsburg crest place it in the 64-67 range. Frankly, these Bugs are a dime a dozen, but the condition of this one caught my eye and I decided to include it here.
To go with the Bug, how about a French take on basic transportation? Renaults are a bit prosaic, so let’s go with Citroen’s version, the 2-CV. I’m willing to bet you did not see this at your last car show…
I’ve avoided buying an Italian car for 52 years now, but if someone wants to buy this Alfa Romeo GTV and then place my name on the title, give me a call.
I have the same thought regarding this Type 34 Karmann Ghia. I remain mystified why this car never made a more of a splash here in the US.
While it looks very fifties, I think it out-styles the standard Ghias, which also looked very fifties right into the mid seventies.
Oh look, here’s a Borgward Isabella. Doesn’t every car show have one of these show queens? So boring and expected…
Wrapping up the European representatives, here’s this week’s Mercedes Gullwing. Our owner broke car show convention, and left the gull wings closed. Despite that oversight, I find this image mesmerizing.
OK, let’s move to the Far East. California has a reputation as a stronghold for Japanese performance, and this gathering of six…
I mean eight Nissan GT-Rs reinforces this impression. Despite the Nissan turnout, this particular Cars and Coffee was not dripping with Japanese product. Still there were several cars more interesting than this line up of modern Japanese muscle.
This Corolla caught my eye more for its owner’s impunity than for its style. If you had pointed to this coupe in a Toyota showroom back in 1984 and said it would one day appear in a car show alongside Ferraris and Lamborghinis, the showroom would have echoed with laughter. Of course, it’s also the last of the rear wheel drive Corollas, and could provide BMW like performance with the right engine upgrade under the hood.
We don’t have to guess what’s under the hood of this Integra Type R. This is the holy grail of Acuras, and uses the storied B18-C engine. I’ve known two people who owned a Type R, and both owners lost their cars to theft. Because of that, I’ve never see a Type R on the street, but folks will bring them out for a car show. I have noticed though, that they tend to stay pretty close to their cars…
I’ve saved the Japanese car with the most Curbside Classicness for last. This RX-3 wagon includes rotary power, clean flanks and the factory wheel covers. Delicious!
Moving on to US cars, I’ll start with this 1936 Ford. In my opinion, this two door coupe brings the right color, lines, and stance to the show.
Here in the Golden State, many of these cars have modern drivelines and suspensions, but a close-up of this wheel and hub tells us this Ford uses period correct pieces.
Moving forward in the automotive timeline, we find this ’59 Skyliner. Per official car show protocol, the owner parked the car with the roof half way open.
I also captured two of the most iconic shapes from the early sixties. First this Lincoln Continental.
Followed by this Buick Rivera. Neither car requires comment, but both demand inclusion.
The next two cars represent mainstream models with unusual body styles. First, this Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler, a long wheelbase version of the CJ-7 we all know and love.
While this full sized Buick rocks the wagon body style, complete with vinyl top and wood grain sides. The living embodiment of unapologetic excess!
Finally, to wrap up today’s posting, here’s an early sixties GMC pickup. Look carefully at the grille badge, and you can spot an unusual feature.
That’s correct, this truck includes Cummins power. I’m not sure which generation of the B series Cummins this GMC is packing, but the installation is “Professional Grade.”
I see someone in the back wants me to note there were no El Caminos in today’s posting. They’re right- While El Caminos appear to be everywhere in the South Bay area of LA, they’re not as common down here in Orange County. Despite that, I hope you found our photo tour worthy of Curbside Classics.
The Beetle is a 1967 and as far as the Type 34 Ghia, like the Type 3 Notchback, it was never sold in the US. Every one that made it here was brought over personally from Europe or Canada.
The irony is that today, the majority of the surviving Type 3 Ghias are here in a country in which they were never officially sold.
“as far as the Type 34 Ghia, like the Type 3 Notchback, it was never sold in the US.”
I was going to chime in with this, but Adam beat me to it. From what I understand, VW was concerned that American consumers might not see any meaningful differentiation between the Type 1 and Type 3 cars (to Americans, they were all just “little economy cars”) and as a result felt it didn’t make sense to sell both lines here. Also, the Beetle’s popularity was increasing explosively in the U.S. at that time (as opposed to its situation at home, where based on past discussion on this site it was coming to be seen as a bit dated), so there was no need for a second line here; the presence of the Type 3 on the U.S. market was felt more likely to cause consumer confusion or eat into sales of the Type 1 than to accomplish anything constructive.
As a result of all this, the Type 3 cars weren’t sold at all in the U.S. for the first few years they were built. Later, only select body styles were imported, just those that added something new and didn’t really overlap with the Type 1s at all (the sporty Fastback, the station wagon Squareback).
With the Type 3 KG in particular (Type 34), it’s my impression that it wasn’t a big sales hit worldwide, as the Type 1 KG ended up outlasting it. That couldn’t have encouraged VW to go out of their way to sell it in the U.S.
Maybe with Canada’s heavier slant towards lower-priced/economical cars, VW had greater market penetration there, and it made more sense to sell the Type 3 KG. Was the Type 3 notchback sold in Canada as well?
That’s the kind of thinking that led VW into its own 1970s malaise. If they have an interesting car, why not sell it for heaven’s sake! Type 34 is the sharpest air-cooled VW, and one of the best looking rear-engined cars ever.
“Sporty Fastback” ?! That’s the first I’ve ever seen or thought of a VW Fastback and “sporty” at the same time. “0 to 70 in 28 seconds!”
Maybe “sporty” isn’t the right word (“high-performance” certainly isn’t), but I was thinking it tied in with the mid ’60s fastback craze in the U.S. As the ad illustrates, VW saw it as different enough from anything in the Type 1 line to differentiate it.
VW was in a really unique position in the U.S. in the early-to-mid ’60s. They were experiencing runaway growth based almost entirely on a model whose design was a quarter cenury old (and which was seen as perhaps a little bit past its prime at home), yet no other car like it was selling in anywhere near its numbers (other European imports had receded after the 1958-60 import boom ended, the Japanese didn’t yet have any more than a West Coast toehold, and the domestics probably controlled 90% of the U.S. market). I think they were scared to deviate from the formula that had got them there, even just a little, for fear that it would upset whatever balance had lead to their success and cause the gravy train to end.
True, the VW Fastback is about as sporty as a Rambler Marlin.
I think you’re right about VW’s curse of success. You know the party will end, you just don’t know when, but you can’t stop partying now!
The real reason VW didn’t import the Type 3 for several years was that they were production-constrained. The Type 3 was being built in one plant, and its main purpose was to supplant the Type 1 and expand VW’s model line upwards in the European market. The Type 3 was considerably more expensive than the Type 1.
VW could not have properly supplied the huge US market (over 1500 specific local US markets then) with the Type 3 at the volume levels it would have taken, without having to cut back Type 1 production. The Beetle’s sales were still growing, so there was no rationale in doing that.
After VW’s big new Emden plant came on line in 1965, VW then had the capacity to properly supply the US market with the Type 3. And it was only at that point that the Fastback model was added, presumably with a bit more pizaazz visually than the notchback, which did look a bit dated by then already.
Fascinating. And if they were afraid of when Americans would finally get over Beetle-mania, they’d hate to take on more production capacity.
I don’t remember the type 34 at all and have never seen one but it’s a very attractive car
Attractive? All I see is a Mercedes Pagoda with a Corvair rear end and a 61 Plymouth front. And no heater.
I like Edsels,Ford Zodiac/Zephyr Mk4 and 70 Dodge Coronet/Superbees.My Dad reckons I like ugly cars as well!
ROTF… Corvair beaten with the ugly stick came to mind immediately.
Funny enough, there was a Citroen 2-CV at the last car show I was attended…This summer in Saratoga, NY.
Yeah me too, a Charleston version in Fort Collins, CO
What a great selection of classics,Spoiled for choice but I like the Jensen most,I’ve been a long time fan of American V8s and European bodied exotica.
The Jensen Interceptor was powered by a Mopar big block, either a 383 or 440. The Incerceptor FF, in addition to the four wheel drive system, also had one of the earliest ABS systems.
I have a set of valvecovers from an Interceptor. If the rest of the car was made with the same attention to detail as the casting of the valvecovers, it’s no surprise these vehicles are rare today.
The Maseratis remind me a lot of the DeTomaso Pantera and AMX/3.
I can’t see enough of the engine in the “GMCummins” to attempt to guess what generation of engine is in it.
Love the Lincoln, Riv and Buick wagon too. Great variety at this show!
I read of a Jensen owner buying a parts car and finding the panels from the parts car not fitting his other car.While the build quality was not the best it was a great looker and the car for rock stars and playboys
The Jensen FF’s antilock system was the Dunlop Maxaret, which was first developed for aircraft. (I think its first use might have been on Royal Navy carrier aircraft in the ’50s.) It was a very primitive mechanical system, but Ferguson adding it to the FF was really ahead of its time.
Later Interceptors had the 440 (and there was a rare SP version that had the 440 Six Pack), but I think all the FFs — which this car is not — still had the 383. (The easiest way to tell an FF from an Interceptor is that the FF had two grilles behind each front wheel rather than one, a way of covering the FF’s 4-inch wheelbase stretch to accommodate the 4WD hardware.) At a guess, I think the car in the photo is an Interceptor III, which would mean the 440 and RWD.
Good variety there. I’m liking the 36 Ford coupe, and the Jensen, and maybe the 914 as well.
I’ve seen that Aston before, I believe it sold for $440k a few months ago, which is approximately 29 times my budget for an old car.
That’s funny, $440k is about my budget for a house.
Dave, thanks for showing us a sampling of the wide variety of cars at this show; there’s something for everyone. Especially that ’67 Beetle. And thanks to Adam and MCT for teaching me something new about vintage VWs. I didn’t know anything about the type 34 Ghia. Saw them as a kid on rare occasions, but certainly didn’t know until now that they were based on the type 3. I also was unaware that this Ghia and the notchback were not sold in the US, but each was imported individually. The notchback was relatively easy to find on the street 40 plus years ago.
The Alfa GTV just gets more beautiful as time goes by.
The shot of the Shelby GT 350 and the 1957 Aston Martin DB Mark III makes for a fine pairing, but there’s closer to a decade of difference in their ages. But one can rightly say that cars like that Aston were a very real influence on the Mustang
Needless to say, the Type 3 KG was influenced by the Corvair, and was commonly called the VW Monza or Corvair in Europe.
It was also (interestingly, given the previously discussed similarities between the original Karmann-Ghia and the Chrysler D’elegance) styled — at least in part — by Virgil Exner, Jr., who was then working for Ghia.
In an alternate universe the Type 34 is Mopar’s answer to the Porsche.
Wow, what a great assortment of cars! I am having a hard time picking a favorite, but I think I have to go with the Jaguar XK fixed-head coupe. What a beautiful car. Perfect color and wheel selection too; I much prefer those disc wheels to the wires on these early XKs.
Fantastic variety – are you sure this wasn’t in New Zealand? 😉 Borgwards are always nice to see, as are Interceptors. I’m not overly familiar with the Type 34, but it’s very handsome – I normally object to rear-engined cars, but I’d happily make an exception for that good looker! Something else that caught my eye is the Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. I haven’t seen one before, but what a great stance it has. My faves of the pictured cars though are definitely the two Maseratis – such divinely good-looking cars, so smooth and ahead of their time. Thanks for posting these Dave!
If the show had nothing other than the Jensen Intercepted and the Mazda wagon, it still would be worth going. Amazing variety.
What a show — the variety is amazing. My favorites are those old Maseratis: they are beautiful to me. The Gold Riviera and Estate Wagon would be the ones I’d want in my driveway though.
+1 The Estate Wagon is lovely!