The Best of France and Italy Car Show Once Again Shuns Europe’s Crap
This past Sunday I arose to a sky that portended rain. That didn’t bode well for the Best of France and Italy Car Show, the tenth annual gathering of brie and bravado at Van Nuys’ Woodley Park. Thankfully the skies didn’t open up until early the next morning, and the foreboding weather didn’t seem to scare off many of the participants.
There were representatives from most of modern era manufacturers of each country, including seemingly all the Citroën in Southern California, and both a classic Peugeot 403 and a modern 206 – the latter happening to be for sale. Check out the slide show after the jump for some of the highlights, including a work in progress Fiat 131 Mirafiori Rally Car that’s going to be pretty cool when complete, and a Ferrari 400i that finally has a fitting engine for its THM400.
Related posts:
Holy crap… it's been a year since I went to that show? Wow. Time flies.
I'm thinking the same thing…!
A whole year already. I had a great time meeting up there with you and Johnny (and Knuckles) and Rob and Tom and Tom's dad. I was sorry to have missed meeting Tim and Phil.
So much has happened in one year…!
What do you mean "shuns Europe's crap?" I see lots of Alfas.
Uh-oh. I see torches and pitchforks being handed out. I will say that the brown Alfa Six turbodiesel sedan looks like a nicer-than-usual Moskvich.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Moskvich_2140_(1500_SL).jpg" width=400>
I'm intrigued by that diesel Alfa but man, what a challenge. It's difficult enough keeping a U.S. market Spider on the road. You'd have to learn Italian just to find parts for that sedan.
Maybe it's a typo for "shines."
Oh, hot stuff! So long afternoon!
Crap. I saw a red Iso Grifo and Lancia Fulvia heading south on the 405 that afternoon (on my way to somewhere else), and realized I must have missed it.
Things that don't happen in Calgary, Alberta:
1) "I saw a red Iso Grifo"
2) "and Lancia Fulvia"
On the other hand, I'm gonna bet "heading south" is a popular pastime.
sad jeremy is sad for forgetting france and italy…
Sad Tomsk is also sad about this.
I went two years ago and there were two Tatras.
There was a Trabant in the parking lot outside the show. I couldn't find Bono, though.
(I took my 19-month-old son; I didn't think it was possible for a human being to say the words "don't touch" more than 7000 times in one day.)
Were you that human being?
Yes, I was. The kid needs to learn proper car show etiquette at an early age!
Wow, a Peugeot 504, with the truncated trunk. Haven't seen one of those in awhile.
It is a show for French and Italian cars ONLY. Have to ask Rob what he means by "crap" We all have our own definitions .
Thanks for the coverage. For the record this was number 16! Mark your calendars now for November 6, 2011.
Ciao
There were at least two Tatras at the show in 2009, *and* a Bugatti Atlantic Type 57 Coupe was an esteemed guest of honor as well. I do not think they turned anyone away.
Why would there be any question of turning away a T57 from a French and Italian car show?