Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar:
The next Caffeine & Octane is set for 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at The Avenues mall at 10300 Southside Blvd.
Gentle reminders – All vehicles parked in the Central Lot must remain in place until the show concludes. If you cannot stay until then, please park in the exhibit lot. Those parking in the Exotics Lot and the Porsche Corner are free to arrive and leave at any time
The annual C&O toy drive for Wolfson Children’s Hospital – more than 500 new toys were collected to benefit Wolfson Children’s Hospital, loaded into Santa’s sled – a Jacksonville-built Ford Model A from the 1920’s:
The Mercedes-Benz Club of America Southern Stars was the First Coast Car Council Car Club of the Month for December, with its own Xmas tree and gifts to give:
Recent events:
Mandarin Athletic Association Car Show: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. last Sunday, at 3750 Burnett Park Road – a 19 68 Chevrolet Chevelle won Best Of Show.
Upcoming events:
Boring Car Meet: 6-10 p.m. Saturday at O’Reilly Auto Parts, 3842 Sunbeam Road. Christmas gift drive for Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Fort Clinch Vintage Cars and Cannons: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, at the historic fort state park at 2601 Atlantic Ave. Pre-register at fortclinch.org for $50 per show vehicle. You must pay for admission to the fort to see the show – $6 per visitor vehicle.
Third annual Revved Up! Car, Truck and Bike Show: 4 to7 p.m. on Saturday, January 4, at GW Truck at 4930 Spring Park Road.
9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam and Car Show: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds at 5840 Florida 207 in Elkton. Spectators are $10 per person, with free parking – www.jimmyjambbqslam.com.
Eurofest St. Augustine: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine. Free for spectators and any European vehicle on display.
Down at the Bay Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 25, at Cedar Bay Baptist Church, 11553 N. Main St. Free for spectators and $20 per show vehicle.
Kruisin’ 4 Kidz: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Dinsmore Baptist Church, 10500 Old Kings Road. Spectators are free, and pre-registration is $20 per show vehicle.
The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.
All the Cruise-ins…
Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.
Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.
Cars & Gars: noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Allusions, 5045 Soutel Drive. Free monthly show held the same time on the first and third Saturday of each month.
Mod Talk Tuesdays: 5 p.m. every first Tuesday at Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant at 10915 Baymeadows Road. For car, truck and bike enthusiasts.
Sunshine State Chevelles: 4 to 7 p.m. every third Monday of each month at 1937 Spirits and Eatery, 1842 Kings Ave in the San Marco area.
Players Grille Mandarin at 10140 San Jose Blvd., 4 to 7 p.m. every third Wednesday.
New – Fernandina Beach Car Meet: 6 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month at Famous Quick Lube, 1707 8th St. Fernandina Beach.
Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 5 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month, now at Townies Pizza, 819 T.J. Courson Road.
Jax Beach Classic Car Cruise: Postponed in December – resumes in the New Year – 4 to 7 p.m. each fourth Tuesday at the Seawalk Pavilion at 75 1st Street N. in Jacksonville Beach.
Classic Car Cruise-in at Orange Blossoms Beach Boulevard: 8 a.m. to noon each third Saturday of the month at Orange Blossoms, 14329 Beach Blvd.
Caffeine and Gasoline: 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, and each first Saturday of the month at J-Tech Institute at 8813 Western Way in Jacksonville. House rules – “respect the property.” And J-Tech will be holding events to coincide with C & G with staff on site to give tours of the campus.
New location – North Florida Domestic Car Club’s cruise-in 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on each first Saturday of the month at Culhane’s Irish Pub, 9720 Deer Lake Court off Southside Boulevard.
Wings & Wheels Cruise-in: 2 to 6 pm. each first Saturday at Dicks Wings & Grill at 6055 Youngerman Circle.
Rides and Coffee: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every fourth Sunday at Detail Garage, 9390 Arlington Expressway.
First Coast Car Council: All cruise-ins postponed.
Callahan Cruisers: 4 to 7 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan. The next cruise-in – Sat. Aug. 10 – is the event’s 10th anniversary.
Downtown Kingsland Cars & Coffee: New summer hours – 8 to 11 a.m. each second Saturday at the Historic Downtown Kingsland Homegrown Market at U.S. 17 and Georgia 40.
Cruise Fruit Cove: The Sunshine State Chevelles’ cruise-in hours are 1 to 5 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.
New cruise-in: 1 p.m. every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.
Yulee Cars and Coffee: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every third Sunday at the Sonic Drive-In at 463939 Florida 200 in Yulee.
Brunch with Cars: noon to 3 p.m. this and every third Sunday at Pink Salt Restaurant and Wine Bar, 1567 University Blvd. W.
Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd.; 3 to 6 p.m. every second Saturday at Tom & Betty’s in Orange Park. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every third Saturday at Mr. Chubby’s Wings at 2349 Village Square Parkway in Fleming Island; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Hooter’s/Miller’s Ale House at 1756 Well’s Road – replaces Freddy’s; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.
Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday. Both cruise-ins are at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.
Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 8 a.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at 2310 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.
New cruise-in: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Mission BBQ, 8440 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, hosted by Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville.
New cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every fourth Saturday at the Rockin’ 50’s Eatery at 3501 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine.
Show and Tell: 6 to 9 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Advance Auto Parts at 10014 Atlantic Blvd.
Azalea City Cruisers: Monthly cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Velchoffs Corner, 105 N. 2nd St. in Palatka.
Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.
Wait, there’s more…
Photo courtesy of The Brumos Collection/Facebook
Automobile lovers are mourning the loss of legendary writer/editor Jean Jennings, who died earlier this week at age 70. A legendary writer who made history – and wrote epic pieces at Car and Driver magazine, she went on to be an editor, then publisher, finally president of Automobile Magazine. She was also a regular attendee at The Amelia concours d’Elegance, as well as judging. And she made a major, local contribution: she researched assiduously, then wrote up the descriptions of every car displayed at The Brumos Collection in Jacksonville. That work was posted on iPad-like digital kiosks next to the cars with everything from its engine specifications to action shots.
She told the Florida Times-Union during the collection’s grand opening in 2020:
“I just want to cry, standing here, because I have been working on this collection for a year,” she said. “I’ve done the research, writing, finding the photos. This is such a remarkable and important collection of racing history. I can’t stress it enough. ”
Farewell Jean…say hi to David E. Davis for all of us.
Honda today announced an all-new hybrid-electric Prelude sports coupe will be introduced next year in the U.S. market, returning one of the brand’s most iconic nameplates to the lineup. The stylish new Prelude will also mark the debut of Honda S+ Shift, an innovative new drive mode.
“The return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports model demonstrates our continued commitment to offer a variety of exhilarating products to meet the needs of our customers,” said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales. “The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids.”
The hybrid-electric Honda Prelude Concept made its first North American appearance at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show following its global debut at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, 45 years after the first-gen model entered production in 1978. The sports coupe consistently introduced innovative new technologies to the Honda lineup across its five generations, including four-wheel steering (4WS) and torque vectoring Active Torque Transfer System.
Automotive News says those who go to the Detroit Auto Show on Jan. 10 to 20 will see vehicles from 22 brands, including new participants Rivian and Ineos. A new test track will also be on site on the 723,000-square-foot Huntington Place show floor. Tesla won’t have any vehicles, AN says
The official show site says Alfa Romeo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Ram, Toyota and Volkswagen will be part of corporate-supported vehicle displays. Adding to the mix of brands for visitors to explore and “shop” will be dealer-supported vehicle displays representing BMW, Honda, Hyundai, INEOS, Mazda and Mercedes-Benz.
Courtesy of The Amelia/Hagerty
The Amelia by Hagerty celebrates 30 years of global motoring excellence as it returns to Golf Club of Amelia Island and The Ritz-Carlton Resort from March 6 – March 9, tickets at AmeliaConcours.com.
And The Amelia announced that Hélio Castroneves will be the honoree for 2025, continuing the event’s longstanding tradition as “the racer’s concours.”
Castroneves’ wide-ranging racing and competition experience includes:
- 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021 Indianapolis 500 wins
- 2020 IMSA championship with 4 victories and 4 pole positions with Acura Team Penske
- Minority partner and co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing
- Season 5 winner of ABC television series Dancing with the Stars in 2007
He was chosen as honoree for The Amelia in 2025 based on his dedication to excellence in racing as well as his unwavering competitive spirit that has made him one of the most successful drivers in IndyCar history.
The concours’ featured classes include:
- Corvette at Sebring.
- Alfa Romeos of the 1930s.
- Formula 1 Cars 1950-Present.
And don’t forget – register your bucket of bolts for the Florida Concours d’Lemons on Friday, March 7, as part of the Classic Motorsports Magazine Amelia Kick Off Party at Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach. Awful cars, great view of the ocean and our signature janky trophies.
And returning to The Amelia – the Broad Arrow Group’s annual auction.
Since its inception in 1996, The Amelia has donated more than $4 million to deserving non-profit and charitable organizations. In keeping with past tradition, The Amelia will continue to support Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, local Shop with Cops programs, and Community Hospice and Palliative Care.
A lot can happen when building a race car for less than $2000–so Grassroots Motorsports is making it easier than ever to plan your entry into our annual low-buck motorsports festival, the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge Presented by Tire Rack, set for March 29-30 at Gainesville Raceway. Now when you register for the $2000 Challenge, your payment information will be saved, but you won’t be charged until a few days before the event – you can cancel up until three days before the start of the $2000 Challenge to get a full refund.
For more information about the $2000 Challenge, visit 2000challenge.com.