Hot Rods and even hotter classics, sexy Italians and stiff upper-lipped Brits ruled Rodeo Drive last week, and that was just the spectators!
Last week was kind of nuts so I didn’t get a chance to report on this year’s Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, which took place on the tawny Beverly Hills strip on Father’s Day.

While the honoured marque was Jaguar, Ferrari ruled the north end of the Drive in true russo fashion. The Rodeo Drive show was one of the first major U.S. outings for Ferrari’s new 458 Italia, which shared the red carpet with the drop-top California. Bellissimo!
But it was a bunch of slinky cats that you could find prowling the opposite end of the street, including a brace of XKs, a stunning D and the 1998 XK-180 concept that still looks fresh today. A pre-war SS coupe proved that Jaguar’s lineage for sporting machines goes back to before Clark Gable made the XK-120 famous here in the states. Of course, the XJ-220, courtesy of the Peterson, demonstrated that Jag needn’t rest on past glories, and in fact the company brought out their latest wares and offered test drives.

The crowds were heavy, making the viewing of many of the cars a piecemeal affair, and of course at an event like this,  tactile interactions are a no-no, and all the cars were cordoned off with plastic chains. The scope of cars was extremely broad, encompassing the aforementioned Euro-class, as well as American iron from yesteryear, Hot Rods and custom low riders, celebrating the eclectic personality of the region. That diversity makes the Rodeo Drive show – now in its 5th year – one of the most inclusive, something you might not expect in the 90210.