A highly opinionated blog about music and the automotive world from Jim Motavalli
A Balmy Caffeine and Carburetors
As MC Peter Bush, my partner in the WPKN Old Cars in the Driveway podcast, regularly puts it, nobody gets an award, and nobody is in charge–it’s the perfect formula for a successful auto show. Caffeine and Carburetors, in downtown New Canaan, Connecticut, brings together 1,400 or so cars of every possible description, from million-dollar supercars to handmade whimsy.
For instance, there was some kind of tacked-together car built on a Chrysler chassis for a Daughter of Bonnie and Clyde movie that was never released, McLarens. Rolls-Royces, Minis, art cars, a turqoise-and-white Metropolitan convertible with modern Mazda power, and anything else you could imagine. There are Porsche 911s for miles. Here’s a few highlights from the September 18, 2022 event:
This is a Ford GT, a descendant of the GT40 that famously won Le Mans. A guy standing next to it was telling the owner, “When I sold my Generation Five Viper….”This Mercedes-Benz art car drew a lot of interest. Parked next to the Benz was this over-the-top Buick Skylark. The owner has been working on it for 18 years–will it ever be finished? The Kaiser Darrin, with doors that slide into the bodywork, sold in tiny numbers and are rarely seen. This example was beautifully restored. A gorgeous Maserati 3500 GT convertible fronts a pair of Rolls-Royces. (You can’t see the Corniche, but it’s there.)This Morris Mini Cooper had such go-faster accoutrements as wire headlight covers, leather bonnet hold-downs, and Minilite wheels. The 1963 Dodge Polara had 426-cubic-inch Ramcharger power. I owned a 1963 Dodge, too, but it had a Slant Six that was half the size. The only Saab I saw was this very nice 99 GL.
This is an ultra-rare Toyota Century, a Japanese-market-only executive car. They came with lace draperies for the seats.
This Valiant wagon from…1962? was on the move. The action starts early–and starts to break up early, too, around 10:30 a.m. or so. The place was mobbed.
The next Caffeine and Carburetors is in Waveny Park in New Canaan, Connecticut October 23. It’s worth a trip from anywhere.
Territorial Imperatives 