I've been attending for 30 years. My overall impression this year is it's been changing and this year crossed the line. The main tent is now filled with all kinds of stuff - fur coats, rolex watches, fly fishing trips, supercar clubs and tracks, jacuzzis and saunas. There's still some spots highlighting car lifts or car bubbles, but the manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and some custom builders that take new cars and just modify the crap out of them like this New Bronco called Maxlider Bronco ($224,000) have taken over the entrance tent. The main car tent is now split in 4 parts, first 25% is McLaren's, Ferarri's, Lambo's, some Ford GTs (the 2005's and the 2020's), Newer and some high end 80's Porsches, and a ton of C2 Restomod Vettes. Then some high end custom vehicles. Then it's more selling to the rich boats, furniture, face lifts, and bathroom makeovers with high end tubs, then food court, then more high end restorations of rarer type cars - COPO Camaro, 427 C2/C3 Vettes, Boss Mustangs, etc, then some of the nicer "upgraded" muscle cars and trucks. Sprinkled into this section were at least 8 Bently GTs, and a few late model Rolls Royces plus a Rolls Royce SUV. WTH? Along with a couple of Fast and Furious movie cars. Not the close up versions, the beater versions with the fake motors in the back and the fake blowers. The second and third vehicles sold this year were a couple of BMW mini coopers. Out in the tents (where there used to be 4 giant ones) there were only 2 this year. There were some of the cars you would expect, like some driver quality older <=1970 Camaros, Chevelles, Darts, etc, but a lot of post 80's cars. Jaguars, BMW, Mercedes, some unremarkable camaros, firebirds, pickups, VWs, with the occasional 2018 or newer upper optioned Camaro. Then the Jeeps. Tons of ridiculously lifted Jeeps.
My overall take it's it's moved into very high end exoctics and custom house built vehices, a subset of nicely restored rarer muscle cars, some restomods (mostly Broncos and C2 vettes) and the rest is junk or driver quality anything goes. There's not nearly the number of cars there used to be. It's become a circus. A distraction for rich folks and those trying to sell them products and services. The cars are secondary.
Since I litterally live down the street from it, I'll probably continue to go. I went on a Tuesday morning this year, it was senior discount day. I usually go on a Wednesday afternoon where there's typically less crowds. It was a mistake. SO many little electric scooters it was very difficult to move around. I'll pay the extra and go back on Wednesday. I noticed I didn't stay nearly as long as I usually do. I go for the cars and there's just not that many worth looking at anymore. Very sad.
. Please post away! I won't be able to make it this year until Saturday and it will probably a full day so I'm not sure I'll get to see everything or not. Thanks for the preview!
