Here are my many photos from last Saturday’s Rods and Roses Classic Car Show in Carpinteria. The show extended several blocks down Linden Avenue and included cars from the early 1900s on up to the 1960s and beyond. Over 200 cars on display!
A lot of hard work, craftsmanship and artistry went into these detailed restorations. And a lot of the fun of the show was in the details!
Check out this goat on the air cleaner under the hood of a Pontiac GTO!
No matter how many times I see this classic Chevy with the diner waitress and the hairy legged mechanic it still makes me smile.
Probably the oldest and most valuable entry in the show was this 1912 Oldsmobile Defender Special Speedster. Merlie took this photo of me with the proud owner, Gary Wales. Wales explained to me that this car had been in storage for 80 years, hence its pristine condition. He noted that each of those headlights would cost about $30,000 to replace now.
You may remember Wales from my article four years ago about the Montecito Motor Classic at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club.
https://www.edhat.com/news/montecito-motor-classic-car-show/
It wasn’t all cars at this show. Here the Carpinteria High School Warriors cheer leading team did some cheer leading.
This was also the run-up to the Independence Day celebrations. Young Soleil Perry gave an impressive a cappella performance of the National Anthem. Here she kindly posed (center) for a photo after her performance.
Back to the cars! I have over 90 photos in my gallery, so please check them all out. But I will offer some more standout picks below.
I think this is a 1960 Corvette.
This is a 2023 Corvette “Marilyn”.
Yes, a 1940 Packard.
A classic Ford.
A 1956 Ford Thunderbird.
My favorite part of all of this: Real knobs and switches! No stinking touch screens!
A 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
A classic MG (Morris Garage). MG was founded by Cecil Kimber in the 1920s and is now owned by Chinese state-owned company SAIC!
A 1931 Ford Phaeton Model A
1930 Plymouth sedan.
A 1955 Chevy with very interesting engine access and rear-hinged “suicide doors”.
I am not a dog person, but this lady and her dog in a stroller made for a striking parting view for us as we left the show!
We also passed this interesting art piece that reminded me of the La Brea Tar Pits.
Most people know me as a promoter of sustainable transportation. But I can appreciate the art of these classic cars. Perhaps if we separated out the art and romance of cars from what we use for daily transportation, we and the environment could all be a bit happier!
Here is more information about the Rods and Roses show.
– Robert Bernstein
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