The hot rods, customs and classics streamed in by the dozens from near and far as love of autos as art united all comers at the 35th Huntington Beach Concours held Aug. 1 at the Huntington Beach Central Park. LCOC members and their cars were there to soak up the sunshine, socialize with new and old friends and enjoy the extensive variety of eye candy on wheels.
Bryan Burns’ stunning 1971 Mark III is the cover photo of this post and joined nine other Lincolns and Marks of many eras. They ranged from the Jordan family’s custom 1939 Zephyr to Loren Kalin’s classic 1956 Mark II to Ron Cressy’s 2016 MKZ Hybrid sharing the field with Lincoln beauties from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, as well as more modern models from 2000 onward.
To no one’s surprise Don Torrence snagged a first-place-in-class trophy with his 100-point 1970 Mark III and Bazil LaRoche and Russell Harmon also were class winners in their first LCOC competitive show with their 1967 Continental sedan. Other class winners included Ron Cressy with his 1982 Mark VI, Jim Ayres with his 1988 Mark VII. Bill and Debi Waldman with their 2002 Blackwood, the Jordan family with their custom 1939 Zephyr and Elayne Bendel in her 2012 MKZ Hybrid. Halsey Posadas received a 2nd place award for his Mark IV.
Some Lincolns and Marks were just displayed and not judged. We beg forgiveness if you were awarded a trophy but not recognized here. The list of winners will be published on the H.B. Concours website so you will definitely get your due.
Bazil and Russell’s ’67 sedan was a class winner. Halsey Posadas’ parents bought this Mark IV new. Ron and Elayne’s MKZ Hybrids. Rare 2002 Blackwood truck. Jim Ayres’ Mark VII
A huge contingent of Rolls-Royces and Bentleys (examples below) vied for top honors in their own meet-within-a-meet and this event attracted entries from LCOC members Jim Davidson and Casey Lesher who also own some of the British-built luxury vehicles.
It is not uncommon in the auto world for certain design cues to influence other brands. Could anyone miss the elegant side sculpture of Loren’s ’56 Mark II as it reappeared slightly modified in Casey Lesher’s ’82 Rolls-Royce?
Loren Kalin’s 1956 Mark II
A large Packard contingent occupied much of the center exhibit area and they were crowd pleasers.
Corvettes and Chevys as well as British sports cars held their usual prime display sections and what California show would be complete without vintage Ferraris and Mercedes front and center?
Antique and custom motorcycles were displayed as well as a wide variety of “woodies” from bygone eras—mostly from the ’40s and ’50s, but some even older.
A few Model Ts and other very old vehicles including a Reo truck and a 1924 Ford fire chief’s car were prime attractions.
Some one-of-a-kind customs simply defy description. But the silver 1936 “Beerster” below did have one feature I recognized, a circa-1950 Buick hood ornament. These are only some of the numerous collector cars at the show. Next year’s plan is to resume the event’s 2-day format the first weekend in June. So mark your calendars. This is a concours you won’t want to miss!
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