Drive Tastefully: Barker Hangar Was A Celebration of Speed & Style

Photography by Afshin Behnia, Chris Gonzalez, Jonathan W.C. Mills

Above all else, Petrolicious is a celebration of driving—and on Saturday, the Drive Tastefully: Barker Hangar Rally was the place for enthusiasts to explore some of the most exciting roads in California.

The third Petrolicious driving event (and my first), the rally featured more than 80 vehicles, with some participants traveling as far as seven hours away, from Arizona. Beginning in Malibu, the lineup of cars was spectacular—and soon filled the start line with jaw-dropping classics.

As I was to be riding shotgun for the duration of the event, it was soon apparent it’d be difficult to choose which driver and car to run with. Right away, it was evident that everyone was at the event to appreciate each others’ cars, with many both surprised and delighted at what had shown up.

From heavy-hitters like a Ferrari 250 GT “Lusso”, Lancia Flaminia Super Sport by Zagato, and Magnus Walker in his #277 Porsche 911 Carrera, it was also a chance to get up close and personal with some oddball vehicles. The Petersen Museum brought two atypical selections, the Volkswagen Bus from Little Miss Sunshine, as well as Steve McQueen’s daily-driven Hudson Wasp!

In the cars-you-don’t-see-often category, look out for photos of a beautiful orange Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.6 HF (with a number of ex-Works parts!), two Morgan 3-Wheelers (one of which was driven by Alex Roy), and three Facels!

Which one sounded the best, you ask? I was partial to a stripped out, rally-prepared Lincoln Capri that not only sounded incredible but was—amazingly, considering the narrow roads—one of the quickest cars on the event. Equally cool, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, was a stunning green Austin Mini Cooper S that looked like it’d just been rolled out of a Manchester showroom.

So who did I ride with first? With Jurgen, who’d driven all the way from Arizona in his daily driver, a 1978 Porsche 911 Targa. With the flat-6 behind our heads and period classics in front, it felt for a few hours like we were taking part in some sort of game of cat-and-mouse on the thrilling canyon roads.

After the first rest stop, I realized that Edward’s Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF lacked a passenger—and so I hopped in for both a thrilling drive and a great conversation that, inevitably, quickly turned to the world of cars.

Once underway, I think many would describe it as either the most tasteful moving concours in California or a car show that stretched across exciting ribbons of asphalt for miles. Many cyclists on the route stopped to stare and take pictures, fellow motorists were amazed at being caught up with a seemingly endless line of interesting vehicles.

Most importantly, for a few hours, at least, Petrolisti were able to share an enthusiasm for the classic car hobby among friends, both new and old.

We’d like to extend special thanks to all of our participants, as well as our event sponsors, Auctions America, Classics & Exotics, and Classic Car Capital.