La Jolla Concours Brings Another Amazing Year of Cars

Are you one of those people to whom the much-hyped world of driverless cars doesn’t actually sound all that great? If you actually love the feeling of control you get from driving your own car, adore the sound of the engine purring beneath the hood, and turn your head to watch as some foreign luxury machine drives by you on the road, then mark your calendar for a true celebration of old-fashioned car enthusiasts. 

From humble beginnings as a community car show back in 2012, the La Jolla Concours car show has risen to become one of the most prestigious events for automobile connoisseurs on the West Coast, and this year looks to be another continuation of that grand tradition. From April 8-11, the La Jolla Historical Society will be holding their annual La Jolla Concours car show at the Ellen Browning Scripps Park at 1133 Coast Blvd, La Jolla. Presented at the show will be a wide array of vehicles, including originally-preserved horse drawn wagons, the height of French car making during the Roaring 20s, and even today’s most luxurious rides. All of this will be surrounded by the picturesque beauty of immaculate white sand beaches and the roaring Pacific Ocean.

The car show is broken into several exclusive events all spread out over the course of the weekend. Celebrations start at 7pm Friday with the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Contemporary Classic Cocktail Party. This very exclusive event will allow enthusiasts to enjoy a private soiree. There will be a chance to talk, get to meet fellow guests, and enjoy a wide array of live entertainment, delicious snacks provided by nearby restaurants, and an incredible selection of wines, champagne, and cocktails, all while surrounded by some of the best cars in the world: the Rolls-Royce collection. Guests who are lucky enough to attend this event will party surrounded by a stunning lineup of cars from the company’s more than 100 year-old pedigree. Tickets for this event start at $150 a person; event organizers encourage interested guests to book early, as this event sells out fast.

Starting bright and early Saturday morning is the BMW Tour d’Elegance. Attendees begin their day at 7 am at the Chuck Spielman’s Only Yesterday Museum, which features a fine collection of vintage cars from the 1930s onward. From there, guests will drive as a group to the USS Midway, where a special behind-the-scenes tour will be offered.

This tour will allow attendees to see military automobiles from the First and Second World Wars, as well as great historical pieces such as the original orders given for the D-Day invasion. From there, guests will be taken to the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where another exclusive tour will be offered. This tour includes glimpses into archives of the museum that are not viewable by the general public. Once the tour of the museum is complete, guests will have a lunch reception at Il Fornaio, ending at around 3:30. Prices for this event are $195 per car, which allows for one driver and one passenger. 

That is not all the fun on Saturday however! The Aston Martin San Diego Exclusive Saturday Evening VIP Reception starts at 6 pm. This is a chance for enthusiasts to meet the sponsors, judges, and exhibitors of the show, all while enjoying a wide selection of food, wine, and cocktails from local restaurants. Like the Rolls-Royce event, this reception offers the chance to see highlights of the spectacular Aston Martin lineup. This event will run $200 per person.

The main event however, is Sunday: the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance and La Jolla Motor Car Classic. From 9 am to 4 pm, guests are invited to walk among the grass, admire more than 300 incredible automobiles, peruse the wonderful vendors, and just enjoy themselves. General admission is $60 on the day of the event; tickets bought in advance are $50. Additionally, for $150, guests can enjoy a VIP ticket that includes a lunch, signed poster from the official artist of La Jolla Concours - Scott Jacobs - as well as an exclusive lounge for cocktails, beer, and wine.

The La Jolla Concours car show has a lot to take in and a lot to do. If the choice is overwhelming and all the events are calling out to you, a VIP pass can be purchased for $375. That gets you access to all of the events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

More information can be found at La Jolla Concours.