San Marino Car Show, August 25, 2024

Jay Leno’s Monteverdi

Story and photos by Joe Duray

What Makes the San Marino Car Show Special?

Hopefully as a car enthusiast, you have many local car gatherings to attend. Southern California is particularly blessed with a plethora of such events. These can range from being held in a carnival to an informal setting (or anywhere in between) that contain a mixture of various time periods, design styles and manufacturers. Some events range from simply one-make to ‘bring-what-you-got gatherings.

The annual San Marino Car Show is special, as it is a bit of a mixture of the best of all above. It is well organized and impeccably managed.

The rules governing car admission are not too fussy; the cost reasonable; and judging is optional. So, you can take the ‘high’ road to immaculately prepare your car, or the ‘low’ road to just clean up your driver to show in one of over 35 class categories. This choice makes showing your car with less effort and more enjoyable. This also brings out hundreds of cars to view, a treat for everyone.

The gathering place, Lacy Park in South Pasadena, is a wonderful location for a car show. Imagine a football-sized grass oval field surrounded by a drive way. This is then surrounded with trees giving plenty of shade. The show was held on August 25, 2024 (usually on the weekend after the Pebble Beach Concours). (Driving your car into and out of the park takes about 15 minutes each.)

When you walk in you see the following sign that indicates the breadth and inclusion of this show:

Soon to your right is the brass era corral, no matter what the sign says:

Followed by the VW corral:

Lamborghinis were well represented:

As well as the British contingent:

At such good times as these it is usefully to be reminded of one’s mortality. What a better way to go but in a 1959 Cadillac S&S Park Row Funeral Coach, curtesy of Forrest Lawn Cemetery:

Perhaps these vintage police cars will trigger some memories:

On the green itself were the Mercedes (plenty of 300 SLs):

The CCCA uses the San Marino Show as a regional judging event, and this gathers some great pre-war classics:

Muscle Cars were not neglected:

Alfa Romeos were in abundance (including a TZ):

Corvettes as well:

And my favorite, Maserati. It is not too often one might see a Sebring, 3500 GT and a Ghibli all side by side:

Closely followed by the Ferraris of course:

And let’s not neglect the Porsches:

Many of our local automobile museums are represented. The Peterson Museum here in Los Angeles was gifted several amazing cars after Peter Mullins passed away. It was nice to see these actual cars running on their own power. Here is a 1939 Delahaye Type 165 ‘World Fair’:

And a 1937 Talbot Lago Type 150 CS (tear-drop):

The Motor Classic was started in 2011 by co-founders Aaron Weiss, Ben Reiling and Paul Colony. It is the successor of the Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance. The show combines the Classic Car Club of America Grand Classic with a contemporary Concours d’Elegance. It is fully supported by the local city, police and fire departments. Proceeds raised from the event benefit the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA and the Rotary Club of San Marino.

So as you can see, the San Marino Car show is special, and would be worth your attendance next year.