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Photography by Alex Sobran
Living in Los Angeles is one of the best ways to spoil yourself with cars. It’s a city where being homeless means you have a front row seat to an F40 hauling ass through a tunnel, and if you’re willing to wake up a little early on the weekends, there are countless car shows to make it worth your while. Automotive events dot the map like gas stations every Saturday and Sunday, but one of our local favorites is the monthly Cars & Coffee held at Trancas Market in Malibu.
It’s a Sunday I look forward to because it’s the kind that consistently delivers a good “car day.” It begins with a groggy drive toward the Pacific Ocean and then a quick shot up the coast, with the traffic here consisting of cyclists, crossing surfers, and at least a few other cars heading to the same place you are. Arriving at Trancas any time after 7AM means you’re on the late side, and with each iteration of the morning meetup this unofficial start time seems to get earlier. It starts so early because there are far more cars than parking spaces. Size-wise, it’s in the sweet spot where the event is still gaining popularity, but the venue’s neighbors haven’t declared it too big or loud or crowded yet. It’s either attracting new cars or the same people keep coming back with different ones, but either way it means each month is bound to include a new roster of machines from all disciplines and decades and places.
After taking a few laps around the various pieces of the overall parking area and long bouts of waiting for the forest of legs to exit the camera viewfinder to get some shots of the popular stuff, it’s time to complete the day with a drive through the tangle of canyon roads. There are countless, all leading up from the beaches into the dusty garrison of mountains that rise up from the water and then reconnecting and splintering off from each other further inland. You can likely spend days in this area without getting bored or repeating the same road. Anyway, that’s my routine for Cars & Coffee, what do you do to make yours special? What is it about your routine that hoists you out of bed when the sun’s still asleep?
Yeesh! People need to lighten up and stop being so offended by everything. I’ve been homeless before, even had to live in a 930 Turbo with a car cover as shelter in Venice twenty years ago. I didn’t even notice the remark till I got to the comments. This is a website where the cars and events are the real topic. Speaking of, this is a great unspoiled event and if you don’t like it stay out of Malibu Lebowski!
You know, I spent many years coming to the skid row district of downtown LA to study homelessness and I can attest that there’s absolutely nothing admirable about it. When I read these words I shrugged it off as written in want of something witty to write. It doesn’t work.
Good pictures and article, otherwise. Keep up the good work.
“It’s a city where being homeless means you have a front row seat to an F40 hauling ass through a tunnel”
Did you really just say that ? Why don’t you try living under a bridge for a night and see what you think ? Ever hear of Prophets of Rage ? Listen to their song ‘Living on the 110’. Really listen to it, read the lyrics if you get a chance. I think Chuck D and Tom Morello would love to hear your comment.