Beneath sunny skies and triple digit temps hardy car buffs from six different clubs converged on beautiful Mason Regional Park, Irvine, CA, to celebrate the best of Detroit iron and enjoy not only great cars but also a fantastic potluck picnic.
The annual Big 4 meet which began as a salute to luxury brands Lincoln, Cadillac, Imperial and Packard that are often neglected at traditional shows, did not disappoint. Plenty of gorgeous mid-century favorites graced the tarmac and trundled in from as far away as Yuma, AZ, San Diego and Palm Springs, battling both an unusual heat wave and high gas prices. 🙁
Hosting for 2026 was the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club (LCOC) aided by, the Southern California Cadillac & LaSalle Club (CLC), Earle C. Anthony Packard Club (ECA) and the Southern California Imperial Owners Inc. (SCIOI) This year the Antique Auto Club of America and Classic Car Club of America added to the glitz.
More than 50 attendees circled this event on their calendars month ago and found their way to Irvine. Some went home with far more than they planned as raffle prizes donated by LCOC and CCCA including club hats, a fender protector and collector books were carried off by lucky winners.
What was billed as a leisurely hour of tire kicking followed by the potluck quickly morphed into an immediate dining experience, as hungry guests huddled under the shelter’s roof and began to dig in. An amazing array of treats from stuffed mini peppers to a wide assortment of salads, a huge shrimp tray, baked beans, plenty of fried chicken and sandwiches satisfied all. Lots of drinks and ice kept everyone cool and desserts from fresh fruit to brownies, to chocolate cream pie added a final sweet touch. Our sincere thanks to all who made the buffet a universal winner.
No event like this can escape the unexpected and this year’s Big 4 was no exception. A steady breeze left us more comfortable but also kept blowing the name tags away faster than people could register and grab them. Yikes!
Jeff Frank and family, including our youngest car fans, celebrated Jeff’s birthday at Irvine and arrived in their own fleet of three Lincolns with a yummy tray of cooked salmon, but went home with their own mini Lamborghini which Jeff won as a surprise raffle prize! See below.
Although the weather deterred a few folks and their collector cars from attending, this year’s Big 4 must be considered a huge success. Our thanks to everyone who joined in the fun and mingled with old friends and new to enjoy our two favorite activates—-cars shows and breaking bread.
See you all at Irvine next year!
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