Agreed. Some of the organizers are "collector buffs" and I think that's what's really driving this new direction. These shows if they catch, on just mushroom and it doesn't take long for the word to get around and eventually things get spoiled. Seems like the nature of the beast for a popular, impromptu show.
Seems like C&C is going thru some growing pains. I live one exit off the 133 and maybe go once a month for the last couple years. Yes it gets crowded and last week my friend in his F430 could not get in. Its been pretty common when its 7:15 with the weather nice that your going to be too late. Seems like some of this started when a few TV spots regarding C&C where aired last fall. About then we got a larger influx of people from Los Angeles County. I think a rule about a club/group that has planned to crash the meet with more than 10 cars should need to register. But I am going to be major disappointed if my Late Model AMG is going to get the "boot" while some old POS Oldsmobile Station Wagon is admitted. Turning this event into a "Classic Show" will eliminate the original spirit of the show. C&C is where many times I get to see first hand the latest Exotic or Hard to Get car. Some Manufactures bring some early releases. SL65 Black Series. Audi R8. The latest Aston Martins. And personally all the "F"cars and the Lambo`s reving it up as they pull in. For me thats the spirit of this show. Not some old partially restored Volkswagon Beatle or some rusted hulk with a milk crate for a front seat. How many Mustang`s should be let in every week ? How many Millions were made ? Just does not seem fair to be excluded under some new rule with a 1978 cutoff.
C&C was supposed to be the solution to the Newport Coast gathering which WAS all exotics, specialty and classic cars. C&C should carry that same theme forward and expand on it with club gatherings in the corral and/or specialty marques being represented from time to time. All the b.s. of leaving it a free for all ruins the spirit of the original show. The spirit of the original show WAS exclusivity - not Mustangs, Civics, and a bunch of 3 series. Instead of using 1978 as the single determining factor to gain entry I would expand on the description a bit to include classics, exotics, supercars, and specialty cars. It could truly be a special show if these guidelines are followed. I believe alot of great cars don't bother showing up simply because of the current nature of the gathering.
Jeffrey, I have to say the last couple of times at the show was a big disappointment, as others have stated, how I miss the original Crystal Cove show.
I have to admit, I would not go if my "new" '98 550M was not able to get in. Going to C&C was a great excuse to take her for a spin hang out with fellow car buddies, see some great cars, new and old and have some Zen time. Where else do you get to see an 8C? I think there was quite a bit of interest when it showed its pretty face! I think there needs to be segregation of the more common cars (I cannot believe that someone here said that Ferrari's are as common as BMW's in an earlier post!). To be sure the event needs to be open to somewhat rare or interesting cars. How about letting in only a certain amount of any make/model of car and the over flow is initially sent to the adjacent lot and then to spectator parking. I can see the day however where there will be a lot of spaces left in the lot and then a similar uproar over the inability to park in the display area when there are spaces left. JC
Can you please enlighten us as to your definition of "Special Classic Automobiles"? I would like to understand what types of cars are included in this category.
Entitlement, party crashing, boorish behaviour, drama and BS have now overtaken what used to be a pleasant way to spend an hour. Enjoy the sandbox, I think I'll use the extra time to exercise the fleet(ironically,nearly all of which qualify under the new "rules").
I agree Tony. Crystal Cove was in a class by itself. Too bad it can't be duplicated somewhere else ....
With a wink and a secret handshake... perhaps so. We have a little car meet in La Canada that is more old school than exotic (but a nice showing) and the exotics are starting to show up. So for us LA area folks... (just don't tell anyone... shhhh...)
Yeah LC is growing little by little. It will never be CCove or C&C, but that is nice, when I used to go, I knew everyone. When I first started going to CCove, the small atmosphere soon gave way to the circus.
Some videos from the Crystal Cove show http://www.speedandmotion.com/pages/videos/CC071505.html http://www.speedandmotion.com/pages/hdinmotion/index.html
i have a friend who goes to that meet in a black granturismo..i'm moving black to glendale in a few months so i'm definately excited to start going to a meet that's only ten minutes away from my house(c&c is about an hour drive)!
It's been a couple years since Crystal Cove. I say we all one Saturday show back up (for old times sake) and take over the Crystal Cove lot again. In fact, it'd be fun to do that once every 3 or 4 months, and set a date just a day or two prior. This way they're not prepared for it, and we're gone never to return so they can't plan for it.
Been wanting to do something like that for a long time. Count me in! Never got to go to Crystal Cove, stopped right before I was about to make the trip down there.
We thought about this in the past, but nobody had everyone's info and when I was starting a text "flashmob", I got sidetracked. We need a clear leader. At that early in the morning most of us are drones and a break in the routine may mess with us and part of the time people come out oince or twice, heaven help us if an off-shoot started and it happened on a morning we get mattress-itis and can't get out of bed. Anybody remember the NB beach/pier meet right after CCove died?
Isn't this exactly the same problem that happened last Saturday? You're sounding like the S2000 guys.....
Dare I go out on a limb here and say the Ferrari crowd is more mature and well behaved than our S2000 (as an example) brethren? I mean strippers and adultery aside...
for anyone in SD or willing to drive (I know drive a car...ewwww) there is always the cbad event that is once a month but a few of us have been talking about turning it into a weekly deal: http://www.auto-focus.us/forum/showthread.php?t=8 similar to Crystal Cove but not across the street from the beach, same easy freeway access as C&C, nice size car lot, shopping center with plenty to eat and drink in the morning before the stores open, not dusty and it will forever be open to any and ALL types of cars (especially since it is self governed and so far most people just coming to spectate park in the adjacent parking as they did with Crystal Cove) as long as you are an ENTHUSIAST you are welcome to come have some fun with other enthusiasts. We have a good mix of cars every month and you never know what will show up; from time to time we get something really cool. That said it is sad to see Cars and Coffee in Irvine having problems.
Ban the Mature drivers and our expensive high end cars and let in more of the Older Classic Guys and there Kit Cars. Priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLqCxa4ee0
Yes, there is a big difference between fifty Hondas and fifty Ferraris showing up, on any given Saturday in southern California you could count fifty plus S2000, but how often due you see that many Ferraris, let alone all together in one place. Exotics have an excuse, and isn't that the point of CandC anyways, to see a large group of exotics and other rare cars all in one place?
I can see this as being a problem if a certain group shows up in mass numbers each and every single week, but from time to time who cares? Its no different then an entire row of porsches or old mercedes, or f430s and 360s. I wasn't there to see all of these S2000s but I'd be willing to bet that there was more diversity among that group of "normal" cars than there would be in any group of F430s; and Im not a Honda fan. Personally I dont care what the car started out as, I am interesting in seeing unique things. Either the car itself in its stock trim is unique or the owner has taken the time to make it their own. For example I would spend more time looking at a modified S2000 than I would a bone stock F430; in fact I usually just walk past most of the Ferraris and Lambos when I go to Cars and Coffee, especially if there is nothing that immediately jumps out at me because I assume (and perhaps wrongly so) that it is no different than any other Ferrari Ive seen before. I am a Mustang fan and to be fair I do feel the same way when I see a group of relatively stock mustangs in a row as I do about seeing a row of new ferraris; "who cares?" enters my mind. I dont know if its a sign of we are spoiled and blessed to be in area that has an abundance of exotic cars and we should be thankful for that, or if we should be sad that perhaps its Ferrari and Lamborghinis fault that they seem to have lost their exclusivity appeal. I dont know the answer to that, I prefer to think we are blessed to be living in this area though. then perhaps try organizing a Ferrari only event, I always thought that CC and C&C were about being a car ENTHUSIAST, not having enough money to buy a $250k car...I could be wrong. I dont recall either event being started and highlighted or promoted as an "exotic" car event. Hell Cars and Coffee is held at one of those "normal" manufactures buildings. And, again I could be wrong here, but I'd bet that if you were to publicly shun the "normal" cars and not allow them to attend that you would have the exact effect that you are predicting if the exotics were to leave; the owners of these "normal" cars have just as much fun looking at other "normal" cars for the most part. In fact I have been to C&C a few times where there were hardly any exotics and the lot was still full. So I guess if your goal is to have the lot for Ferraris and Lambos only then go ahead, you may get what you want; but then again why not create a Ferrari and Lambo only event? Oh wait there are those events.
well then I guess Im fortunate to live in an area where I see more Ferraris on the road than I do S2000s...good thing too since I dont like S2000s haha. And since I didnt go to that C&C where all the S2000s showed up I still havent seen 50 S2000s in one place...I have seen 50 Ferraris in one place though; several times. Isn't socal fun?
