MICHAEL ECKERSON February 21, 2023 All Feature Vehicles
Just the thought of South OC Cars and Coffee and Cruisin’ For A Cure combining forces for an event was very exciting. I’ve been waiting for this for a while. I haven’t been to a car show in well more than a year (thanks pandemic!) so I was really ready for this one.
The drive down to South Orange County was snarled with a pretty heavy load of freeway traffic. This would play into the event attendance, as I would later find out.
A thick coastal eddy would make for cool temperatures and deep overcast conditions. I arrived just after the start at 8 am as a steady stream of car show vehicles were being guided into their spaces by the Cars And Coffee staff. Finding spectator parking close to the event was easy because of the large parking area normally designated for shoppers going to the Outlets of San Clemente.
…this event is pretty much a cool grab bag of different kinds of cars.
There is some direction given by the staff to the drivers as they all stream in at about the same time. Some of the exotics were stabled together, as were the Ford F-100 crews. Overall, this event is pretty much a cool grab bag of different kinds of cars. In attendance are every type: from exotics, to rat rods, trucks, classics, motorcycles, Euro, JDM, American muscle, and air-cooled examples lined up neatly between the parking stripes in the lot of the Outlets of San Clemente. Row after row, they stretched on with barely a nod to order or grouping.
As I paced the rows, I walked past a brand new Polestar EV parked near a Lamborghini, across from a vintage Packard, and just down from a classic Shelby Mustang, it was apparent this car show was about the celebration in the unique differences and not as much the intent to group like-brands together. It is nice to experience the undulation of brands as you wander through the gathering. You never knew what would come up next.
The outdoor event was relaxed and there was plenty of room to move through so the recommended 6-foot rule was easy to follow.
Lots of spectator interest in learning about what Cruisin’ For A Cure is and all they accomplish. I saw many donations and purchases of official CFAC gear. All of the proceeds go directly to prostate cancer research. Be sure to check out the CFAC website listed here so you can feel good and do good.
Cruisin’ For A Cure will be back at the OCFair and Event Center September 24, 2022 even bigger and better.
I spoke with Simon, co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee. Simon shared that he expected nearly 2,500 vehicles but the closure of the freeway due to an accident earlier in the morning kept some of the participants away. There were certainly a lot of great vehicles that made the event worth experiencing. My guess is that this event had every bit of 1,500+ vehicles in attendance. Pretty good amount and as I mentioned the diversity makes it even more special.
Be sure to check out this event. Come early, have a donut, and dig on the cool rides.
…this car show was about the celebration in the unique differences…
South OC Cars and Coffee was founded by a group of car-loving friends, who were looking for a place to hang out and talk about cars after the iconic Cars and Coffee in Irvine was shut down. The original location was Target in San Clemente, however with over 100 cars attending weekly, Target became nervous, so they were forced to move.
Around the same time, Cars and Coffee Aliso Viejo started, and it was apparent that it was a more suitable location, so South OC Cars and Coffee hosted cruises from San Clemente to the new location to help bolster numbers.
Soon after, Wehr decided to host 50 mile Saturday evening cruises (like they do in his homeland of Australia) … and what better location to start than the brand new Outlets at San Clemente. The Outlets were very supportive and the cruises were a huge success and included coastal drives to Long Beach and Del Mar and Mountain Drives to Old Town Temecula.
The Outlets at San Clemente continued to support the event, so when rumors started about Aliso Viejo being closed down, Wehr approached the center management to see if a South OC Cars and Coffee could be restarted at the new location.
The rest is history; Simon and his son James now run South OC Cars and Coffee, with the help of wife his Sarah, and a group of exceptional volunteers and photographers.
Between 1,500 and 3,500 vehicles attend each week, including hypercars, supercars, exotics, vintage, classic, muscle and sports cars, hot rods, rat rods, pickups, 4x4s, and motorcycles. There is no registration required and spectators are welcome!
South OC Cars and Coffee is now the biggest weekly car show in the world!
southoccarsandcoffee.com
Cruisin’ for a Cure was started in 2000 by Debbie Baker whose husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cruisin’ for a Cure is the world’s largest one-day charity car show with over 3,000 vehicles on display and over 200 vendors and exhibitors. Participants get to cruise through the OC Fair & Event Center along the designated 1.5-mile route and/or just park and display their vehicles.
Cruisin’ for a Cure is a registered non-profit California organization. The logistics, marketing, and organization of the show are all handled by volunteers dedicated to our cause of saving our men from prostate cancer. Participation in the event and any donations go directly to prostate cancer research to find a cure!
 Call (949) 353-7353 for more info or visit cruisinforacure.com
Cruisin’ For A Cure returns September 24, 2022 at the OCFair and Event Center
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