One of the best car shows in California isn’t held on a golf course overlooking the Pacific Ocean or a large convention hall, but rather on the campus of a design school in the sleepy hills of Pasadena. The ArtCenter Car Classic continues to bring the wildest and rarest cars from the renowned design school—drawing an eclectic gathering from pre-war vehicles, and hot rods to multi-million dollar hypercars.
1. 1958 ICON Rolls Royce Derelict
ICON is known for their through restorations of vintage 4x4’s. In recent years, they've expanded their expertise into a "Derelict" line, creating what they like to call “modern rides with vintage vibes.” Derelict's retain their exterior patinas, while the real work is skin deep.
We joined Jonathan Ward with ICON, to spend an evening with another Derelict, read about it here.
Under the hood, this ’58 Rolls Royce packs a LS7, along with updated suspension and Brembo brakes to back up the increased horsepower.
Just like the exterior, the interior is very unsuspecting. Again, don't be fooled–modern technology and amenities are lurking behind that original-looking facade.
2. Faraday Future FF ZERO 1
The Faraday Future FF ZERO 1 is what happens when you ask designers to create an unrestricted vision of the future. Clamshell cockpit, wild fins, spoilers and diffusers–the FF ZERO 1 looks like something straight out of an anime.
Penned by the same designer as the BMW i3 and i8, the 1,000 hp electric concept takes design to the next level.
3. Infiniti Prototype 9
The Infiniti Prototype 9 was inspired by the Grand Prix race cars of the '30s.
Underneath the sleek aluminum body and “drum brakes” is an all-electric powertrain and modern disc brakes.
4. Callaway Corvette Aerowagen
Two door wagon? Corvette with a tall hatch? Corvette Shooting Brake? Whatever you call it, call it amazing. Callaway replaces the C7 Corvette’s stock rear hatch with a slightly taller one. The extra room makes enough space for 3 golf bags.
The Aerowagen isn’t all party in the back though. Up front, Callaway strapped on their GenThree Supercharger bringing the Aerowagen’s horsepower up to 757 hp.
5. 1927 Lancia Lambda 7th Series
The Lancia Lambda 7th series was a car ahead of its time. It was one of the first cars to have a unibody chassis, independent suspension and shock absorbers.
Unlike cars of its day with their square rear ends, the Lambda 7th Series had a sloped one. And, not to take away from rear seat passengers headroom, the rear passenger-area roofline had a raised area.
6. Rick Dore Customs Shangri-La
Rick Dore creates another elegant roadster—combining classic French design with American hot rod style.
The exterior panels were hand-formed from sheets of raw aluminum.
7. Citroen DS
Like the Lancia, the Citroen DS was another car far ahead of its time, due to its unique design features and advanced engineering—it truly looked like nothing else on the road!
8. Blastolene Brothers Creations
The Blastolene Brothers, including Mike Leeds and Baron Margo, turn cars & motorcycles into rolling works of art. Their style is an eclectic mix of steampunk, rat rod and whatever else might strike their imagination.
These wild creations are based on production cars and can be driven on public roads.
