Amazing Rides From the Most Interesting Car Show You've Never Heard Of

Southern California is known for its vibrant car culture, but it still amazes me just how many different events there are, especially during late summer and into the fall. It's cliche, but there really is something for everyone, from basic neighborhood cars-and-coffee gatherings to snotty single-marque club outings and messy swap meets. But one of my favorite events has always been the Pasadena Art Center Car Classic held every October on the Transportation Department campus in the Pasadena hills, overlooking the whole valley. Now in its 14th year , the Car Classic features one of the most diverse fields of cars you will ever see together. And I really mean that. Shows like Pebble Beach and The Quail have some seriously world-class cars, but their breadth doesn't compare. This year, within spitting distance, there was a 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, Tucker Torpedo, Hispano Suiza Xenia, 1974 Countach, The Hirohata Merc, and three significant concept cars from General Motors, Nissan, and Hyundai. That's just a sampling. It's such automotive schizophrenia that even hardcore car geeks are likely to find something they've never seen before.

Such an odd and eclectic range of cars shouldn't be all that surprising, though, because the Art Center has been producing some of the world's top automotive designers for decades. The Center's Transportation Design department chair, Stewart Reed, has a deep appreciation for the outliers and unsung heroes of automotive design, and it's his taste and knowledge that are key to the show's curation.

This is far from a formal concours. While the judges are industry rock stars such as Chris Bangle,  (former BMW design chief), Freeman Thomas (Ford's strategic designer director), Frank Saucedo (director of General Motor's advanced design studio), and Merk Djordjevic (designer of the Rolls-Royce Phantom), the judging criteria and class categories are design-oriented and fairly loose. (Full disclosure: I have served as a judge for five years, so maybe not all rock stars). For example, two of the classes this year were called Bold American Design and Out of the Box. This is probably the only show where you'll find a 1967 Alfa TZ-2 judged against a Mercedes CLK GTR in the wonderfully-broad Competition Class.  That's part of the fun.

What also makes this show so special are the people. Alongside  luminaries of the design world are major collectors and passionate restorers, and they all invariably have wonderful stories to share with showgoers and design students milling the grounds. These are some of my favorite entries—and stories—from this year's show.

1937 Hispano Suiza Xenia

A one-off by coach-maker Jaques Saoutchik. There are so many novel features to this car, which inventor, olympian, and war hero Andre Dubonnet built for his wife and named after her. When he remarried, Dubonnet's new wife wanted nothing to do with the car and ordered it to be destroyed (imagine that!). Fortunately, he hid it in storage nearby.

Dubonnet used the Xenia to showcase his new suspension design, and it sat on an H6C Hispano chassis (not so novel at the time). The suspension has a spring and dampener on a pair of rocker arms, which is then all attached to a fixed axle. So it's still a solid beam axle, but has independent suspension—pretty advanced yet elegantly simple. This suspension innovation was licensed to Alfa Romeo and used in the late 8C cars and many more for years. GM also used the design from about 1938 through the 1950s.

A few years ago this car went to the Retromobile show in Paris. On the way home it broke free from its pallet and the underside of the car was destroyed. Peter Mullin, the owner and one of the country's most prolific collectors, did not blink an eye and had the car fully restored again. "Oh well, let's fix it," he says was his response. 1954 Kurtis 500M

Jonathan Ward

Designed and built by SoCal race legend Frank Kurtis. You might recognize his name from Kurtis Craft, his company that delivered midget racers that dominated the tracks from the '30s through '50s. Towards the end of his career, Kurtis started dabbling in road cars. This is just one of  20 he completed. 

It runs a 331-inch Cadillac V8 with a hydromatic automatic transmission. Kurtis started building this car in 1952 originally with a four-cylinder, but that didn't fly. In fact, it barely moved the car. Apparently Kurtis took inspiration from the small-displacement sports cars popular in Europe at the time. However, the reality of his car's weight eventually led him to the V8. Problem solved.  

Kurtis's son, Arlen, who now owns the car, came out of the Army in '56 and says he remembers servicing this very car in his dad's shop. The original owner was animator Milt Kahn of Walt Disney Studios, and he had grabbed one of the first vanity plates in California when they became available: KURTIS. Arlen saw the car a few times over the years and yearned for it, but eventually he lost track of it. 

In 1977, Arlen's daughter told him that one of her high school teachers was selling one of grandpa's cars. The car was in Pasadena, so Arlen went over to check it out.  It was in fairly rough condition, but it was this exact car, license plate and all. 

The seller originally wanted $1200 for the car, but when Arlen got there she suddenly said $2000. By the time he was ready to pull the trigger, she'd sold it—for a grand! "Wish I had offered her the $1200, but I did not want to offend her," Arlen says.  Years later the car showed up again at a swap meet. This time he didn't hesitate and paid $33,000 for it on the spot. 

Two years ago he tore it apart and did a full restoration on the car. Now it's as pristine as when his dad first built it.  For Arlen and his wife Carol, it's important to keep the story of his father's designs alive. Good thing, too, because most of the design students had never even heard of a Kurtis.  

1907 Jewel 

Jonathan Ward

Restorer Morris Dillow has owned this car for four years. The market for single-cylinder cars isn't exactly huge, but Dillow really wanted one for some reason. It has a 4-inch bore, 4.5-inch stroke, and runs on a 40-to-1 gas-to-oil ratio. "Just like a weed whacker!" he says. The top speed is 17 mph and it makes a total 9 horsepower, but that's only "with a tailwind and a bit of a decline." 

The Jewel Car Company  only existed from 1906 to 1909, and this little runabout was priced new at $400. Dillow found the car in Ohio (it was manufactured in Massillon) and hauled it home to Arkansas, where he restored it by himself in just 110 days. He hopes to eventually run the New London to New Brighton rally with the car. Slowly. 

Jonathan Ward

1967 Alfa Romeo/Autodelta Works GTA 1600 Corsa AR 613.883

Jonathan Ward

This little beast has had such a rich race history. A factory-campaigned Alfa, it is one of—if not the—most successful and documented GTAs in Alfa Romeo/Autodelta Works history. It won first in class at the 1967 Spa 24 Hours and took podiums for Alfa Romeo/Autodelta and Scuderia Monzeglio at some of the biggest FIA Group 2 events from 1967 to 1971. 

"I was well aware of this car's rich history, but was surprised that almost nobody else was," owner Brandon Adrian says. "So I spent years amassing race records and paraphernalia related to the car. When I was finally able to buy it, I grabbed it immediately". 

After 47 years, the car was reunited with and driven by Nanni Galli (Ex-Alfa Romeo/Autodelta factory driver, Ferrari F1, Williams F1, Techno F1, March F1) at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. 

Then, on October 4th, 2015, Adrian raced it to a first place finish at the Alfa Romeo GTA 50th Anniversary Race at Sonoma Racetrack, a throwback to the car's glory years when it ruled professional FIA European Touring Car (ETCC). 

Jonathan Ward

Significant first-in-class wins for the GTA: 

-1967 Spa 24 Hours (first in class, second overall).  FIA European Touring Car Championship (entered by: Alfa Romeo, Autodelta, SpA) 

-1968 Trento Bondone (first in Class). FIA European Mountain Hill Climb Championship (entered by: Alfa Romeo, Autodelta, SpA).

-1968 Coppa Alpe del Nevegal, Belluno (first in Class) FIA European Touring Car Championship (entered by: Alfa Romeo, Autodelta, SpA).

-1971 Targa Florio (first in class) FIA European Touring Car Championship (entered by: a Scuderia Monzeglio).

-2015 Alfa Romeo GTA 50th Anniversary Race (first place winner), CSRG Sonoma Raceway. (entered and driven by: Brandon Adrian)

1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser

Jonathan Ward

A wild car from the end of the era of excess. Merc's Turnpike Cruiser features an extensive variety of trim, materials, and details, but somehow it all works. Well, at least it works in the context of 1950's garish flash and excessive ornamentation. 

Jonathan Ward

I used to own one of these cars, and that power rear window is a feature that should be alive and well on modern car designs. It solves the eardrum-deafening buffeting that happens in modern cars when air travels over an open side window. 

1959 Tempo Matador Mikafa "Land Yacht"

Jonathan Ward

An aluminum-bodied, coach-built custom on a Tempo Matador 1500 chassis built in Minden, Germany for Count Anthony Szapary of Hungary. It was used for European road tours in 1959 and 1962, and then shipped to the U.S., where it continued to be used for royal family fun. It was eventually parked in 1971 with only 13,000 miles. 

When an ancestor of the family mentioned they intended to sell it, a friend of owner Randy Carlson tipped him off. He scooped it up and brought it to California for a thorough preservation-approach restoration. Here it's shown with all of the Szapary family's camping gear, as found.

The layout of the cabin and efficient use of space could teach Airstream a few lessons. The low-slung chassis creates tons of headroom. 

1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

Jonathan Ward

Now this is how you arrive in style. The transporter that delivered the CLK GTR was fantastic in its own right, but it didn't distract from the main attraction.  Mercedes originally made the GTR for the 1997 FIA GT Championship Series, and as was necessary for this series, the carmaker had to have homologated road-going versions. The first prototypes went from sketch to the track in only 128 days. The cars did well and were modified for LeMans in 1998 before being discontinued in 1999. Since then they've quickly become cherished collectibles. 

Jonathan Ward

This fine example is number one of 25 street cars built and in impeccable condition. Totally ready to go. Perhaps one of the more extreme supercars of its era, the CLK GTR is rarely seen anywhere—except here. 

1967 Alfa Romeo Giula TZ-2

Jonathan Ward

Designed for Alfa by the immensely talented Ercole Spada at Zagato, this was the factory team car and competed in the 1969 Targa Florio. The owner, David Syndorick, is a known Zagato collector, and he says that this Alfa is so rowdy and single-minded in its design that it remains his favorite of all the cars in his fleet. It's often shown at top events around the world and is the last TZ built (chassis #750117). 

Jonathan Ward

2015 Blade

Jonathan Ward

This little car is a design exercise that expresses many emerging manufacturing capabilities, including a printed aluminum chassis. It is basically a 3D-printed car generations ahead of any previous efforts I have seen. Local Motors recently debuted its 3D-printed Strati, but it looks more like a 1960s topographical map than a car. 

Built by Divergent Microfactories under the lead of CEO Kevin Czinger, the Blade uses 3D-printed aluminum nodes that interlock with off-the-shelf carbon tubes to create the chassis structure. This technique drastically reduces the time and complexity of chassis assembly. It also reduces weight and minimizes conventional industrial waste. 

The Blade's chassis is made up of interlocking 3D-printed aluminum nodes.

Jonathan Ward

The Blade is beautifully executed, with a narrow track width, a large greenhouse, and tandem seating for two. Divergent says the car is capable of 0-60 time in 2.2 seconds and has a power-to-weight ratio two times that of the Bugatti Veyron. Weighing in at 1400 pounds, it's powered by a four-cylinder, 700-hp, bi-fuel motor running on either gas or CNG. According to Blade, it has one-third the emissions of an electric car and one-fiftieth of the capital investment of traditionally manufactured cars. The car has been so well received that the company is now considering building them in low volume.

Jonathan Ward

1938 Buick Y-Job

Jonathan Ward

A legend. Considered the first concept car in the automotive industry, the Y-Job was designed by GM's visionary designer Harley Earl and was his daily driver for several years until it was returned to the Henry Ford Museum for restoration and preservation. Apparently it was called the Y-Job because Ford had always called their experimental cars X, so Early simply went to the next letter in the alphabet.  

This car  is one of those outstanding designs that stands the test of time. It has a sense of motion and speed even when it's still. Graceful, simple lines flow evenly through the belt line, and the limited use of trim and ornamentation compliment the form. The boat-tail rear even works despite the car's significant scale. 

Jonathan Ward

2015 Bowlus Road Chief

Jonathan Ward

This SoCal-based company has revived the original Bowlus aluminum trailer design from the 1930s. Bowlus  predated Airstream, and the company arguably had higher design value. The Chief was originally designed in 1934 by aircraft designer William Hawley Bowlus, who also worked on the Spirit of Saint Louis—note the rivets. Expertly executed in aluminum with top-quality materials and conveniences, these new 42-foot trailers only weigh 3000 lbs. . 

The history is a bit fuzzy, but Wally Byam, who founded Airstream, helped sell and market  Bowlus's trailers. When Bowlus went bankrupt in 1936, Byam supposedly bought either some of Bowlus's manufacturing tools and plans or the whole the company. Either way, you can see a lot of the Road Chief in an Airstream.  

According to the owner and company revivalist, Helena Mitchell, the idea to resurrect Bowlus came during a transcontinental family journey in a Tatra (really). When the family came home, the idea lingered, so they decided to go for it. Mitchell's daughter even made it her graduating thesis at Wharton for her MBA. Originally from Canada, the whole family moved to SoCal and started the business. They now have a two-year backorder on these functional sculptures. "It is always interesting to just quietly sit back and listen to the design students marvel at the Bowlus," Mitchell says. "Always makes me smile." 

1961 Facel Vega HK 500

Jonathan Ward

These hand-built cars represent a varied range of influences and partners, including a Bentley-designed dash and interior, Dunlop floating disc brakes as used by Ferrari, French ownership and construction, and a Chrysler Hemi V-8. As hard as it is to believe, this weird mishmash actually made them ideal touring cars. The mid-20th century was an interesting time for niche automakers, which had an excellent range of resources to choose from and no costly safety or efficiency standards to comply with. 

This car is owned by Raphael Bertolus. Bertolus was born in Pasadena, and he moved to France to when he was a child.  His grandfather was a wealthy French industrialist but conservative with money. So while granddad had boring little pedestrian cars, his best friend had a bit more flair, including a Facel Vega. Bertolus says he loved taking Sunday rides in the Vega and blowing the doors off of all the little four bangers in Paris. 

When he returned to the U.S. as an adult, the memory of the car haunted him. He befriended the Facel Club president and made him aware of his interest in owning one. After several missed opportunities, the club president called him and demanded he be in Eagle Rock, California the next day—no excuses. Turns out the club president had found a Vega supposedly owned by Ava Gardner (she had a few). Better yet, it had been sitting in a garage untouched since 1976. 

Now, according to what the garage owner told Bertolus, Frank Sinatra bought Gardner the car after their divorce. Apparently he was still quite smitten with her. Too bad Gardner was notorious for being a terrible driver. When the Vega first arrived at the garage, it had been banged around a fair bit. With the body shop unable to find the proper parts to fix the car, the insurance company had to settle the claim and offered the Vega in lieu of payment. The garage owner eventually fixed the car up and drove it before parking it in his garage in '67, where it remained safe from the elements. After buying the car in 2010, Bertolus did a full restoration. "Each and every time I drive this car, I relive those childhood memories," he says. "Even just the smell of the interior takes be back to Paris in my youth." 

Even his granddad would have to appreciate that.