The classics of Honolulu…Avenue that is. The avenue in Montrose, California where the 2018 Montrose Hot Rod and Classic Car Show took place, drawing crowds from near and far.

Sorry, this has nothing to do with a tropical adventure to Hawaii. Honolulu Avenue is the street along which an impressive variety of unique automobiles have assembled for the annual classic car show in the city of Montrose – The 2018 Montrose Hot Rod and Classic Car Show. Montrose is just a few miles from Pasadena, California, but has a cool small-town vibe with local one-of-a-kind shops and trendy eateries.

One of the problems with summer car shows is, needless to say, the weather. Sometimes, high temperatures can make walking around looking at block after block of cars a bit unpleasant. This show, however, has been cleverly paired with a farmers market so it is very easy to stay cool by grabbing a cool bottle of fresh juice or enjoying an ice cold, fruit-flavored snow cone.

Another problem with car shows is that some of the same cars seem to appear at every local show. Today, there are enough unique vehicles to make this show really interesting and enjoyable. A couple of my personal favorites at today’s show are a 1972 Panther J.72 and a 1991 Nissan Figaro. The Panther J.72 is a British-made luxury roadster produced between 1972 and 1981. 368 were produced and, not surprisingly, a number of them were owned by celebrities.

The Nissan Figaro was produced in Japan for only one year, all were made with right-hand drive. It has a retractable top and is equipped with leather seats and a CD player. It is a super cute little car that looks like it would be tons of fun to drive, and it’s unique, stylish appearance is attracting quite a bit of attention at today’s show.

Aloha from Honolulu…Avenue!

Words and photos by Reed Berry