Photography by Bryan Fuller
What comes to mind when you hear the words, “cars and coffee?” Does it render a scene of expansive blacktop parking lots whose grid of lines house rows and rows of the varied mix of cars that never fails to materialize on weekend mornings around the world?
The relatively recent surge of popularity and enthusiasm toward these events is arguably one of the best things to happen to the nebulously defined “car culture.” And the generalization that leads to things like the seemingly useless phrase “car culture,” is exactly why it’s so great: because it’s not another niche event, it is a generalization of sorts. You don’t need to join a club, know the right people, have the right car, none of that. Basically all you need is a will and means to physically move yourself to the location in order to enjoy vehicles from almost every niche, not just one.
That being said, it is also true that these types of events are going to reflect the population surrounding the venue; because there are just so damn many of these (not a complaint) happening all over the place, it’s not like you’re required to drive extreme distances to get to the only one of the year. They tend to embody the local area for obvious reasons then, and so not each one is an exact mould of the other.
Atlanta, Georgia’s monthly show, referred to as “Caffeine and Octane,” is certainly one of these that has its own identity. Kicking off the 2017 calendar at the state’s scenic Jekyll Island with a special weekend-long event that included much more than just the car show, I think that you’ll agree that for one, the venue is leagues prettier than any mall parking lot. The stuff on display wasn’t hard to look at either though, with some interesting American metal that surely doesn’t exist everywhere. Take a look for yourself!
