Editor’s note: Follow all of the action and updates on our special Monterey Car Week page.
For years, British car fans have found something lacking during the vast myriad of shows, auctions and events that crowd Monterey Car Week in California every August, and that’s a full-scale car show dedicated to the vehicles of the U.K.
Bill Hiland, the owner and operator of On the Road Again Classics of Morgan Hill, California, has been working to fill that void, and this past week got approval from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to hold the Rule Britannia Concours starting in August 2019.
The event will be held at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on Monday, August 12, 2019 at the start of the week that culminates in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Hiland told the ClassicCars.com Journal. All British cars, vintage and modern, will be welcomed to attend.
Hiland and the other folks working to put together the Rule Britannia Concours were hoping to get it approved for this year, and had already secured the Golf Ranch for Tuesday, August 21, but the supervisors would not give the go ahead for that date.
Instead, the group plans to host a British car party at the golf club this August 21 in lieu of the car show. The event will serve as a preview for next year, Hiland said.
“Basically, we’ll going to have a big, fat party Tuesday to announce August 2019,” Hiland said. “It will be an upscale cocktail party with classic British cars, plus new models from Jaguar, Aston, Rolls, Bentley, whoever chooses to step up. Maybe McLaren.”
For more information about the 2019 Rule Britannia Concours and the upcoming launch party, visit the event website.
Packards return home
Cars ‘R’ Stars @ PPG returns to the historic Packard Proving Grounds at Van Dyke and 23 Mile Road in Shelby Township, Michigan, on Sunday, June 10, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the opening of the facility with a special lineup of significant Packard cars from the early 1900s through the 1950s, entitled with the brand’s famous slogan, “Ask the Man Who Owns One.”
Hundreds of collector cars of all makes are expected at the annual show, focusing on those that are set benchmarks in their eras.
“The goal of the Cars ‘R’ Stars Show at the historic Packard Proving Grounds is to honor the role of vehicles in our collective history,” Don Sommer, event board member and Packard Motor Car Foundation trustee, said in a news release. “By featuring some of the most unique cars in automotive history, we are telling a fascinating part of that story. In addition, it is quite significant to be able to highlight the history of automotive testing at the Proving Grounds.”
For more information, visit the event website.
Antique car stampede
More than 500 classic and collector cars are expected Saturday for the Antique Automobile Club of America’s annual Grand National Meet & Car Show in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, a national event hosted by the local Western Pennsylvania Region AACA.
This meet showcases the best-of-the-best cars, trucks and motorcycles that have won multiple awards at AACA events. Every year, 15 to 20 national meets and tours are held by this premier car club, which includes more than 60,000 members and nearly 400 local regions and chapters.
Among the vehicles that will be on display, according to an AACA news release, are a 1908 Sears J Runabout, 1976 Citicar Electric coupe, 1910 Harley-Davidson C motorcycle, 1948 Whizzer Pacemaker motorbike, 1928 Auburn Boattail Speedster, 1930 Marquette X351 Phaeton, 1936 Hudson Terraplane Panel Delivery truck, 1929 Riley Ardent Alligator race car, 1965 Lotus Super 7 Roadster, 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1967 Opel Kadett coupe, 1954 Kaiser-Darrin Roadster, 1973 Mohs Safarikar convertible and 1976 Checker Taxi. Eleven Packards, 15 Studebakers, 20 Cadillacs and 28 Corvettes are signed up for the awards competition.
For more information, visit the event website.
LA Roadsters
The LA Roadster Show and Swap Meet, one of the major events for hot rod enthusiasts, returns to the Fairplex in Pomona, California, on Fathers’ Day weekend, June 15-16.
Founded in 1960 and still staged by the LA Roadsters car club, the annual showcases a huge gathering of hot rods, roadsters and custom cars, as well as the world-famous swap meet featuring rare classic parts and memorabilia as well as project cars ready for restoration and customization.
For more information, visit the event website.
More concours and events
The FCA Design Cars and Coffee returns this Sunday, June 3, to Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center, Parking Lot 25, in Auburn Hills, Michigan, for a free event for all makes and models. A special feature will be a display of the concept Jeeps built for the 2018 Easter Jeep Safari. The first get together of the season goes from 9 a.m. to noon.
The legendary cars of Briggs Cunningham, an appearance by former race driver and TV commentator David Hobbs, and the “World’s Fastest Indian” will be among the highlights of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance held Friday through Sunday at the Roger Sherman Baldwin Park overlooking the harbor on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. For more information, visit the event website.
Eighty of the world’s fastest cars and motorcycles of their eras, ranging from the early days of motoring to the latest supercars, will be assembled for the first time during The London Concours 2018 to be held June 7-8 at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, England. For more information, visit the event website.
The Elegance at Hershey Concours tales place June 8-10 at Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. The three-day event includes a vintage race car hill climb, a public Cars & Coffee gathering on Saturday morning, and the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, featuring a display of exquisite collector cars in a grand garden setting. For more information, visit the event website.
The Goodguys’ Rod and Custom Association hosts its 25th annual Summer Get-Together on Saturday and Sunday at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, featuring hundreds of local and national street rods and custom cars on display. For more information, visit the event website.
The Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place Sunday at the Huntington Beach’ California, Central Park. For more information, visit the event website.
The Colorado Concours d’Elegance and Exotic Car Show will be held Sunday, June 10 on the grounds of Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado. For more information, visit the event website.
The Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance happens Sunday, June 10 in the formal gardens of Ault Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit the event website.
The San Marino Motor Classic takes place Sunday, June 10 at Lacy Park in San Marino, California. For more information, visit the event website.
It’s great to hear that there will be a British car show at Monterey next year. It’s too bad they picked the wrong date. August 19 is not the beginning of the Monterey car week, it’s the Monday AFTER the Pebble Beach Concours!
Thanks, Chris. That’s fixed.