Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar
Caffeine and Octane
The next Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville rumbles into life from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, at The Avenues mall’s Southside Boulevard parking lots.
But you can also catch some of the very popular event’s past action as it is featured at 10:30 a.m. ET, Saturday, May 28 on MotorTrend TV. If the street-legal IndyCar there wasn’t enough, here’s another video tease of what’s coming on Caffeine and Octane’s national TV show from Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville.
An estimated 1,000-plus cars, trucks and more usually come to the all-makes, all-models free show, with all parking spots first come/first serve. Cars should start arriving by 7 a.m. that June 11 Saturday to the Southside Boulevard side of the shopping mall, the best way in through Malabar Boulevard.
As always, there will be a Porsche section, and an exotics area at the June 11 C&O. And look for literally hundreds of vintage and classic cars, muscle cars and so much more.
Official Caffeine and Octane merchandise is on sale at all Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville events.
Now the Car Shows:
Third annual Hot Rodz 4 Kids Car and Bike Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Callahan, 449648 U.S. 301. Proceeds go to children’s medical, educational and nutritional needs.
Lorenzo’s Memorial Car Show: 3 to 8 p.m. onSaturday, June 4, at South Point Community Church, 7556 Salisbury Road, in collaboration with Kindred Impulse. Spectator admission is $5 per person, and $10 for show vehicle display. Proceeds will benefit his family.
Third annual Duval Car Club Cancer Awareness Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at BJ’s Steakhouse at 15022 Max Leggett Parkway. Show vehicles are $20 day of event.
Rockabilly Car and Bike Show: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, at Adamec Harley-Davidson at 8909 Baymeadows Road. Co-presented by Callahan Cruisers of North Florida, it is free to spectators and $20 registration for show cars, trucks and motorcycles from 1989 or earlier.
Conviva Callahan Car and Truck show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at Conviva Care Clinic, 449621 U.S. 301 in Callahan. Presented by Callahan Cruisers of North Florida.
Summer Volksfest – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the Car Museum of St. Augustine at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine. Free for spectators; show vehicles registration is $20, which includes one museum entry.
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
First Coast Car Council, Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.
Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.
First Coast Car Council: Beaver Street Farmers Market first Saturday cruise-in suspended. The second Saturday cruise-in continues from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Medical & Merchants Center of Mandarin, 11701 San Jose Blvd.
Jacksonville Caffeine and Gasoline: Cancelled
North Florida Domestic Car Club’s new cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month beginning June 4 at the PDQ at 4816 Gate Parkway.
The Part’s House/The Brothers Banter Podcast Cruise-in: The renamed White Brothers Auto Parts Cruise-in at the same time – 5 to 8 p.m. every second Friday at 405 Lane Ave. N.
Callahan Cruisers: 5 to 8 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan
Auto Legends Amelia Cars and Coffee: 9 a.m. to noon every second Saturday at Mocama Beer Company, 629 S. 8th St. in Fernandina Beach.
Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd. The Cruzers’ other events: At 3 to 6 p.m. on the second Saturday, the cruise-in returns to Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.
Johnny Angels: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Friday at Johnny Angels diner at 3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.
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.
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 at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.
Cruise Fruit Cove: 3 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.
Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach.
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 Missions 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.
Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.
And finally…
Local car collectors Mark and Hilary Becker took their stunning 1942 Chrysler Royal to last weekend’s AACA Grand National Meet in Virginia Beach, and came home with a Grand National Award. Becker, also Director of Entrants and Judges at The Amelia concours d’elegance, took the coupe to the Antique Automobile Club of America event, which was hosted by the Tidewater Region AACA at The Founders Inn in Virginia Beach. Only vehicles with AACA Senior Awards are eligible to participate.
So you may remember seeing the 2023 Nissan Z at the last Caffeine and Octane at The Avenues.
Well, the folks at Hagerty Media and Jason wondered – How fast is the new Nissan Z compared to a Toyota GR Supra 3.0 and Ford Mustang Mach 1? The 2023 Nissan Z had a 9-speed automatic transmission, vs. the 10-speed Mach 1 and 8-speed Supra. I won’t spoil it for you – here’s the Hagerty Media story and video report.
It has graced The Amelia concours d’elegance, and was the prime transportation in its day of famed Mercedes-Benz driving engineer Rudi Uhlenhaut, aka the father of 300 SL.
Image courtesy RM Sotheby’s
Now one of only two Mercedes 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut coupés” created in 1955 has been sold at a private May 5 RM Sotheby’s auction for a stunning $142 million to a private collector, the auction house to donate the proceeds to establish a worldwide “Mercedes-Benz Fund” for long-term educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science for young people.
That makes it the world’s most expensive care. Our friends at Hagerty broke the news; now they have posted another piece about driving it. Actually, Andrew Frankel did, earplugs and all – here’s his detailed piece.
And here’s something you need to fire up the speakers for – The Brumos Collection got some hydrocarbons fired up with a recent run of its 1968 Porsche 908, which is normally exhibited at the museum at 5959 San Pablo Road S. The museum likes to exercise their cars, this time the 908 being warmed up and flown low in advance of the Highlands Motoring Festival, Thursday thru Sunday, June 9 to 12, in Highlands, NC
This particular 908, with drivers Jo Siffert and Vic Elford at the helm, won the Nürburgring 1000km in 1968.