Memory Lane

by Juliet Porton

April 26, 2012
in Feature, Monthly

What embodies the spirit of family fun more than summer days and classic cars? We can’t think of a thing.

What’s the lure of classic cars? Is it the distinctive lines, the speed, the memories they evoke of times gone by? What makes grown men (and many women and children, it turns out) eagerly spend an afternoon wandering lines of vintage cars inspecting fenders and upholstery, while others stake out a prime spot on the sidewalk just to watch them drive by?

Whether you’re looking for an elegant afternoon of Ferraris and fine wine or a family-friendly night of hot rods and hot dogs, this summer, there’s something for every level of car enthusiast in the North Bay. Here’s a look at some of the high-profile events, as well as a few local collectors willing to explain the allure. With so many vintage car gatherings taking place this summer, though, why not go find out for yourself?

Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance

One of the first classic car events out of the gate this season will be the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance, taking place May 18-20. Now in its fourth year, the Concours was founded by former Ross mayor Charles Goodman and a dedicated group of car lovers who wanted to share the history and beauty of vintage cars with the community.

The Concours has expanded to include three main events, starting on May 18 with a Chairman’s Dinner and Auction to be held at Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma. On May 19, a limited number of cars will participate in the Tour d’Elegance, a 90-mile driving tour that begins in Larkspur and winds its way through the backroads of West Marin, culminating in a catered lunch at Keller Estate Winery in Petaluma and a rare tour of winery owner Arturo Keller’s stunning automobile collection.

The Concours itself will take place May 20 at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael. A variety of vintage automobiles and other vehicles will be on display, including many exemplifying this year’s theme of “French Coach Builders and Italian Design Studios.” One of the stars of the show this year will be a 1947 Cisitalia 202 Cabriolet once owned by Argentinean president Juan Peron and his wife, Eva.

Similar to the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other events that share its name held around the world, the Concours draws competitors and visitors who enjoy seeing fine automobiles in elegant surroundings. The suggested attire brings to mind a summer garden party, with hats and gloves for the ladies and blazers and khakis for the gentlemen.

This year, the role of event chairman has been passed from Goodman to John Nirenstein of Tiburon. Nirenstein, a Marin native, achieved great success working in Silicon Valley and then moved back to Marin in 1999 to raise his family and devote himself to other interests, including cars. Besides the year-round job of organizing the Concours, he’s also an instructor in the automotive technology and auto body program at College of Marin, passing on his knowledge and enthusiasm to the next generation.

Nirenstein describes the local classic car community as large, friendly and exceptionally giving. “Like the Concours, almost all the auto-related events that happen in Northern California are charitable events,” he says. “Whether someone has one car that’s their baby or they have lots of cars worth millions, it’s all done in the same spirit.” The Concours itself has raised nearly a half-million dollars since 2009 for local charities. This year, proceeds will benefit Hospice by the Bay and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties.

Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival

Infineon Raceway in Sonoma will be transported back in time June 2-3 when it plays host to nearly 400 classic cars for the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival. The weekend includes several events on and off the track that not only give visitors a chance to see museum-quality cars up close, but also to watch them do what they do best: drive.

The festival opens with a classic car cruise on June 1, starting with lunch at a local winery and arriving at Infineon for a kick-off event. What follows is two full days of racing, with cars competing in 10 divisions on the 12-turn course. On the evening of June 2, 30 classic cars will be on display in the Sonoma Plaza for the Historic Race Car Festival, where guests pay a separate admission to enjoy food, wine and cars under the stars. Proceeds go to the Speedway Children’s Charities, which provides grants to youth groups throughout Sonoma County.

The unique nature of the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival may appeal to those who don’t already consider themselves racing fans. “It’s all about the history and beauty of these vintage cars,” says Jennifer Imbimbo, manager of media and community relations at Infineon. “Even if you don’t know a thing about racing, you can come out here and appreciate them.” Visitors have the chance to enter the open car paddocks, talk to many of the racers and owners and get a glimpse of the raceway. Included in admission is entry to the Wine Country Pavilion, where guests enjoy free food and wine samples from some of Sonoma and Napa’s best-known purveyors.

And because these aren’t your typical hot rods, the races may appeal to families looking for flash over crash. “These guys don’t come out to beat and bang on each other’s cars,” says Imbimbo. “It’s sort of gentlemen’s racing, where there are a set of rules.” Admission to the festival is free for children 12 and under.

Tom Price: A caretaker to history

One familiar face at events like these is classic car collector Tom Price of Belvedere. Price is the owner of Price Family Dealerships, a company that includes multiple luxury car dealerships, including the Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar outlets in Corte Madera. For him, cars aren’t just a hobby, they’re a way of life. His private collection includes approximately 30 vintage cars, from makers such as Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.

As a collector and experienced racer, Price is a regular visitor to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and has been a supporter of the local Concours since its inception. He says he enjoys not only getting to see a group of beautiful cars up close himself, but also watching others get excited about them and interested in their stories. “A large part of my interest in classic cars is learning the history of a given car, who owned it or raced it or what life it’s had,” he says. “We’re just caretakers of these cars as they’re passing through history.”

For Price and many other collectors, being part of the local car community also provides endless opportunities for conversation and friendship. “A big part of the fun of classic cars, at this point in my life, are the friends my wife and I have made,” he says. “We’re fortunate enough that we’ve met people from all over the world to share this with.”

While Price claims to know “just enough to be dangerous” about getting under the hood himself, his true love is getting these cars out on the open road, an interest he shares with his wife and sons. “We really enjoy getting two or three cars together and heading up the coast, stopping near Fort Bragg and driving back along some of the backroads,” he says. “Northern California has some of the most beautiful, wide-open roads you could ask for.”

Father’s Day Invitational Auto Show

For those of you looking for something special to do with the dads in your life this Father’s Day, consider taking a Sunday drive to Yountville on June 17 for the 22nd Annual Father’s Day Invitational Auto Show. Originally conceived as a way to draw visitors on a slow shopping day, the free event now hosts more than 150 cars and other vehicles, spanning nearly 100 years of production, and has become a tradition for many Napa Valley families.

The Father’s Day Invitational is held at V Marketplace, a collection of upscale shops, restaurants and galleries housed in the 142 year-old Groezinger Winery complex. Laurel Johnson, marketing and events manager of V Marketplace, says she works with car expert Jerry Wuichet of Collector Car and Appraisal in Napa to present a new and interesting display for visitors each year. “The oldest car we’ve shown was a 1913 Model T owned by Francis Ford Coppola and driven by Robert DeNiro in ‘The Godfather 2’,” says Johnson. Beautiful examples of cars like Packards, Cords, Shelbys and Ferraris are often included, as well as military jeeps and vintage motorcycles.

In addition to the three restaurants on-site at V Marketplace, several nonprofits will be selling food and refreshments at the show. The grounds offer families the perfect spot to gather for a picnic or a glass of wine after strolling through the cars.

Peggy Sue’s Cruise

If you close your eyes and try to imagine the scene at something called “Peggy Sue’s Cruise,” odds are you’d be right on the money. Rock and roll is playing, engines are revving and the American car is king. And if the car is king, Peggy Williams of Santa Rosa is queen.

It all started one night 10 years ago, when Williams and her husband, Rich, were up late watching a doo-wop concert on television. It was a scary time in our nation’s history, but as Williams watched, she saw people of all ages laughing, dancing and forgetting their troubles for a while. “I thought we needed something like that to bring everyone together and give them something positive to talk about at work on Monday, and I thought a car show could do that,” she says. “Never did I realize, 10 years later, with 800 cars participating each year, people would be talking about it all year long.”

Everyone has a favorite activity during the four-day event, but the spirit of fun and family run throughout. It all begins on June 7 with a Cruise-in at A Place to Play Park in Santa Rosa, where cars register, live music plays and friends reconnect. On June 8 is the “Poker Run,” a 100-mile scenic drive stopping at several wineries and other attractions around Sonoma County, and a Chili and Pasta Cook-off with more music, beer and wine tastings, and some serious food.

The cars and enthusiasts meet up again on June 9 for a “Show and Shine” event at A Place to Play to eat, shop, listen to more live music (Pablo Cruise will headline this year) and prepare for the evening’s main event, a cruise through downtown Santa Rosa. Spectators line the streets for blocks to wave at the parade of cars. “People tell us that they bought their first classic car after watching the cruise downtown and that it’s given them something fun to do as a family,” says Peggy. On the final day, June 10, cars meet up again for breakfast, a swap meet and an award ceremony.

The Williamses work year-round, along with a dedicated board of directors, to ensure that a good time is had by all. They also belong to the Redwood Empire Antique Auto Club of America and the Redwood Empire Classic Chevy Club and enjoy heading out on interesting drives with their club buddies in their own 1931 Chevy. According to Peggy Williams, “Car people are just good people to be around.”

Bruce Cohn: Restoring a lifelong passion

Bruce Cohn of Glen Ellen may have traveled the world managing rock bands and garnering praise for his wines, but he’s never been able to outrun the car bug that bit him as a boy. When he was 16, Cohn began building racecars and running them out at drag strips around the Bay Area. After an ugly accident at 195 miles per hour when he was 19, he put racing aside and got busy with life.

That life has brought him success in many areas. Cohn has worked since the 1970s managing rock bands, such as the Doobie Brothers, is the owner of award-winning B.R. Cohn Winery & Olive Oil Company in Glen Ellen, and raised a family in the house that now acts as the winery’s tasting room. It wasn’t until after he opened the winery in 1984 that Cohn realized he missed working on those old cars.

He’d always dreamed of owning a Woody station wagon and, in 1986, he bought one that had been used as an Embassy vehicle in the Philippines. Cohn customized the car, giving it a new engine and air conditioning system but retaining the classic exterior details. He spent 18 years working on a 1933 Willys Roadster, tracking down authentic parts from all over the world. As his collection has grown over the years, Cohn has enjoyed bringing them to car shows up and down California, often coming home with top honors. He’s also part of the local car club scene and belongs to a group known as “The Jokers” that meets once a month to share meals and talk cars.

Cohn’s love of cars has also begun to play a prominent role at the winery. He produces a series of wines called “Classic Car Wines,” with names like “Drag Racer Red” and “Woody White” with labels depicting his vintage beauties. Car sculptures by Sebastopol artist Patrick Amiot dot the winery grounds. And, when the weather’s nice, Cohn often parks some of his collection outside the tasting room for visitors to enjoy.

B.R. Cohn Winery is well-known for its Fall Music Festival, but it also hosts a Charity Car Classic in July and a series of car exhibits it calls “Classic Car Cruise-ins” on the third Sunday of every month from May to October, except in July. Cohn’s own vehicles, as well as those of other collectors, are on display on these days. Day trippers and car clubs come from all over to view the vehicles, buy lunch and other items from vendors onsite and take in the views, with a portion of all proceeds going to a local charity.

California car culture

Whatever the appeal, classic cars are now as much a part of the California culture and landscape as redwoods and surfboards. “I’m not sure what it is that triggers that fascination with cars,” says Nirenstein. “Some people are mechanics and some just love to collect them for the pleasure of owning rolling art. For me, it’s all about being a grease monkey.”

Cohn has a good theory for why people become so invested in their vintage cars. “Car culture is really a representation of people’s tastes and personalities,” he says. “It’s like an artist doing a painting or a sculpture, but in this case you start with an old car and make it into whatever you want it to be.” Whatever it is, Cohn shows no signs of giving it up again. “I’ve been doing it since I was 16, me and hundreds of thousands of people all across the country,” he says. “It’s hard to stay away.”