A 1931 Duesenberg Model J took the Award of Excellence: Grand Boulevard Walk of History honors at the 2019 Classic Auto Show. The award wrapped up the weekend celebration, held at the OC Fair & Event Center, which boasted record attendance thanks to the display of more than 1,500 rare vintage cars.
The festival, two days long and on its third annual incarnation, started off with a special appearance by Grand Marshal Adam Corolla, who chose two vehicles from his private collection to display: Paul Newman’s Championship Triumph TR6 and the Datsun 510 “Different Drummer” Trans Am. Also featured were interviews with automotive celebrities Dave Kindig, Wayne Carini, Mark Worman, Mike Finnegan, Bogi Lateiner and Lyn St. James. In honor of St. Patrick’s day, which ran on Sunday during the festival, the usual selection of antiques, classics, pre/post war cars, hot rods, muscle cars, lowriders, Japanese imports and more was joined by a new “40 Shades of Green” collection.
One highlight was the awesome display of 30 historically important vehicles, including the 1931 Model J Duesenberg, 1962 Fiat Jolly, 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, a 1941 Tatra T87, 1915 Pierce Arrow Model 48 Seven Passenger Suburban, 1976 Bricklin SV1 – the Canadian version of a DeLorean – a 1956 Cadillac Limousine 7533 used under the dictatorship of Generalismo Francisco Franco and more.
“The well documented love affair between Southern Californians and their cars, vans and trucks was in full-force this past weekend,” said Michael Carlucci, senior vice president at LeftField Media, the show’s producer. “Thanks to our relocation to this new venue, we were able to offer show-goers an unprecedented selection of priceless vehicles and other attractions, all under sunny skies and perfect temperatures. We look forward to returning to the OC Fair & Event Center for years to come.”
The Classic Auto Show wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with an awards presentation recognizing standout vehicles determined by a judging panel of celebrity guests.