Show opens doors to all

Luke Fratello has one of only three stainless steel, hardtopped Ferrari Daytonas in the world.

While showing it at a past Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance, he sat on the grass talking shop with Chris Young, who opted to show his bright yellow Volkswagen camper, complete with 23 windows.

Their incongruous exchange delighted show founder Bart McGrath, who welcomes anyone who wants to exhibit his or her car to his show.

Most other car shows have strict entrance requirements, but McGrath balks at that system.

“I personally think everybody should have the opportunity to show,” he said. “I think people who really care about automobiles are not in it for the status, but because they like mechanical things.”

The event benefits the Huntington Beach Library Children’s Resource Center, so it offers many opportunities to engage youth.

At McGrath’s show, he even invites high school and college students to bring in project cars from their auto shop classes.

The Concours also holds an annual youth art competition.

“We started four years ago to go out to every high school in Orange County’s art department to encourage them to send in from their students their idea of the car or motorcycle of the future,” McGrath said.

The Ferrari dealer gives a $500 first prize for the winner; judges from the design and automobile manufacturing industries select the winning pieces.

“I have to say, some of what those kids have done has been very first-rate,” McGrath said. “If we receive them, some of those people might have enough talent to design for an auto manufacturer or go to art school.”

Movie car designer George Barris, whose works have included iconic vehicles from “Rebel without a Cause” and the Batmobile, will judge the kids’ artwork as well as the vehicles on display.

He decided to offer his own award at the event, McGrath said. Barris will also show a new Magnum made by his company on Saturday.

Saturday’s feature will be a tribute to early Fords and woody cars, along with street rods and muscle cars.

Sunday will salute Corvette, Ferrari, and Harley-Davidson and BMW motorcycles.

McGrath was first inspired to hold the event in 1985, when he went to the Huntington Beach Public Library.

“I just happened to notice that the children’s section in the library seemed to be shrinking,” he said.

He asked a librarian about his findings.

The woman told him teens and college students had become the priority at the library — the squeaky wheels that got the grease. Young children and the elderly were the most likely to be underserved.

McGrath had been mulling over the possibility of a car show for some time with a colleague, but never wanted to start one just for the sake of holding a car show.

The plight of the children who went to the local library inspired him to act.

He met with the then-acting director of the library, Ron Hayden, about holding the event on the park grounds adjacent to the library.

Hayden was excited about the event, but McGrath’s subsequent meeting with the city attorney left him disheartened: He was told the fledgling car show would need to take out an insurance policy that would hold the city harmless for the duration of the event, which proved to be quite an expensive request.

McGrath also began pounding the pavement on Beach Boulevard, talking with car dealers about sponsoring the event.

While there, he looked up at Huntington Plaza — the area’s newest, tallest building, a high-rise built by Mola Development Corporation — and had an idea.

After repeated attempts, he was put in contact with the company’s founder, Frank Mola, who invited him to hold the event in the plaza’s quadrangle and open parking structure. Plans quickly progressed.

The show organizers invited Huntington Beach’s mayor at the time, Jack Kelly, to hand out trophies to the winners.

Kelly told McGrath he was impressed by the event and asked why they didn’t hold it on the library lawn.

“‘It’s funny you should say that,’” McGrath told him, then proceeded to explain the predicament.

“‘I’ll go down and talk to the city attorney,’” Kelly told McGrath. “‘You will be able to do it on city property next year; you take my word for it — or my name’s not Jack Kelly.’”

The event has been on the library lawns ever since.

The organization now pays licensing and permitting fees to the city, although neighboring cities like Fountain Valley give grants to their own car shows, McGrath said.

“I’ve never asked the city to come up with anything to help us with the event, but that’s one thing that surprises me,” McGrath said.

McGrath said the event wouldn’t be possible without the host of volunteers who have worked with him for years.

“I owe them a debt of gratitude, and I’m very thankful,” McGrath said.

The show’s chief judge, Ken Thomas, began volunteering at the very first concours; Bob Shaw, who helps coordinate the vendors, has been with the show for about 15 years.

Loren Frease of Baldwin Park commutes 80 miles round-trip for each meeting, and has helped with logistics for about 15 years.

Local Joe Drucker helps with trophies and signage; accountant Judy Dildine handles all funds raised.

Bob Amaral of Garden Grove serves as liaison with area car clubs.

McGrath spoke highly of volunteers Roselle and Tom Bailey; the latter, with his arm in a sling due to a fractured wrist, is still preparing his Cadillac to be in the show this weekend.

The team is rounded out with Bicycle Competition Coordinator James Connor and Mike Moon, who handles the motorcycles.

McGrath also thanked Harold Kie, George Garrett, Chris Firth, Don Slauson, Allen St. Jacques and other people who have made the event a success.

The event also has many longtime sponsors, like locally-based Mother’s Polishes, Waxes and Cleaners.

McGrath especially cited the help of Barbara Holloway, the wife of the company’s late founder.

“She’s the mother of ‘Mother’s’ in the best sense of the word,” McGrath said.

He also is in debt to her sons, Jim and Dennis.

“They’ve been really terrific,” McGrath said. “I don’t know if we would have been able to keep it going over the past 20 years without their support.”

Other regular partners include the Newport Auto Center, Ferrari of Newport Beach, Maserati of Orange County and Long Beach BMW Motorcycles.

IF YOU GO

WHO: Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance

WHAT: classic car show

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Central Park, 7111 Talbert Ave.

COST: Spectators $10 per day or $15 for two days; seniors 62 and older $8; children younger than 12 get in free with adult

INFO: (714) 375-8414

HIGHLIGHTS

 Dave Kunz, K-ABC’s automobile specialist, will appear with the first Nissan GTR to be seen in a car show.

 Dick Guldstrand will be the grand marshal Sunday; the race car driver started his own custom Corvette dealer decades ago.

 Several vintage Packards, a 1902 fire engine, a 1934 Bentley and a 1938 Mercedes will be on display.

CANDICE BAKER can be reached at (949) 494-5480 or at [email protected].