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Huntington Beach, California--Adams Avenue Donuts
is the happening place on Saturday mornings,
as it has been for over 20 years. Hot rods, stock,
collectibles & classic cars all
converge on a Surf City strip mall in what's
billed as "The Oldest, Best Free Car Show in America".
Adams Avenue Donuts, (714) 962-8921, 9015 Adams Avenue , Huntington Beach , CA 92646
This Classic California beach car show
(approx. 3 miles from the beaches of
Huntington Beach) began with the Donut Derelicts, a group of four or five car enthusiasts who met at a donut shop each Saturday morning
starting in 1986. Co-founder Rick Finn died in 2006, but is honored with a contest at the annual Huntington Beach Concours d'Elegance
Car Show.
Up to 300 people can show up on Saturday
mornings around 6 a.m. to show off their new
paint jobs, trims, and rare, collector or
hot rod cars, driving them to a Huntington
Beach parking lot for a three hour car fest.
There's never a fee to attend, no club
organization, officers or membership dues.
During the week it's just a strip mall with
an Ace Hardware store, Zubie's Pizza, a
Goodwill store, and other businesses. Located at the corner of Magnolia and Adams Avenues in Huntington Beach, the nondescript lot quickly fills up with standing room crowds on Saturdays when the donut shop opens.
Hotrods, muscles, pickups, woodies, sports and race cars, all jockeying for prime parking spaces to flip open their hoods and show off their engines
are sometimes about just showing off, but
there's an entire audience of Europeans who
come to this event to acquire automobiles
and sell them to buyers seeking classics.
These cars fetch a pretty penny when
purchased and shipped to Europe.
Petersen Automotive Museum director Ken Gross, Hyundai's chief U.S. designer Joel Piaskowski, Pikes Peak Climb champion Jeff Zwart, drag racer Art Chrisman, hot-rod builders & designers Chip Foose and Little John Butera are a few of the people who frequent this event.
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The public can attend the free event, where
proud owners of the classic beauties feel
there are not dumb questions. When you're
looking for something to do on a Saturday
morning, drive over to Huntington Beach to
watch the Stingrays come out....not at the
beach, but just a few miles down the street
on Adams and Magnolia. What's in' Trim,
detailing and quality paint. If it shines,
it better be flawless. Seen passing through:
'32 Ford; '60s Shelby Cobras; 1942 Plymouth
Savoy; 40 Ford coupe; 1949 Packard
convertible; hellacious '69 canary Camaro;
'55 Chevy; '71 Plymouth Fury; '64 Pontiac
Banshee; Firebirds, Panteras, cruisers and
bruisers--you name it! Can women and girls
come' You bet! Men do not discriminate
against girls. Just be prepared to stand
around and talk about car engines, paint
jobs, etc.
Where & When: Location: Magnolia Ave & Adams
Ave in Huntington Beach, CA Saturdays 6 to 9
a.m. Cost: Free, it's informal. For donuts,
try Adams Avenue Donuts, (714) 962-8921,
9015 Adams Avenue , Huntington Beach , CA
92646 Getting there: Adams Avenue Donuts and
the Saturday morning car show are a few
miles from the San Diego - 405 Freeway. Exit
Brookhurst Street and head south for several
miles. Take a right on Adams Avenue and go
two stoplights to Magnolia Ave. The parking
lot is on the right hand side of the road
before the stoplight. adams ave donut shop
map
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