Our Friday 15th of August evening during Carweek was dedicated to the Paddock Monterey 2025 inaugural event with Radwood. For those who do not know Radwood, they are the premier automotive festival which specializes in cars and style from the eighties and the nineties. Although their SoCal events are usually quite large, their signature Carweek event is more intimate, yet as quirky as one could be. It was organized on the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Club, just before the famed Concorso Italiano the next morning. Text & Pictures: Mickael B.
I arrived around 6:30 PM, quite exhausted after a rather long day already, having covered the Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, the Porsche Werks Reunion, and the Gooding & Co Auction. So the Paddock Monterey was my fourth car event of the day, something very ordinary for Carweek. The light was almost perfect for photography, although the sky was covered with grey clouds. At the center of the event, Radwood had a selection of 50 curated vehicles, from the eighties and nineties, while others were dispatched around the field of the golf course.
I started around the one close to the entrance of the Bayonet Golf course. There was this Lamborghini Huracรกn Super Trofeo, built for Lamborghiniโs one-make racing series. Its aggressive aerodynamics, with a massive rear wing and diffuser for maximum downforce still impresses me. The car is powered by a similar naturally aspirated V10 engine than the road car, just developing 620 horsepower. Designed purely for racing, with no compromises for road comfort or practicality, you can clearly see the Sesto Elemento inspiration. Knowing that a high performance team like Lanzante could make it road legal, would you do it? I would love seeing one on the streets, driving in traffic.
Radwood had cars and styles from the eighties and nineties at the Paddock Monterey 2025
This white Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV was next to it. The Evo IV represents a key chapter in the Evolution lineage. Powered by a 280 horsepower turbocharged 2.0L engine and paired with advanced all-wheel drive, it delivers outstanding traction and response. Its bold design, defined by a prominent rear wing and wider stance, reflects its rally-bred roots. Renowned for sharp handling and explosive performance, it became an icon in both motorsport and street culture. Today, the Evo IV stands as a highly desirable JDM classic among collectors and enthusiasts, but I would rather prefer the more refined and modern Evo VI, the ultimate Evo in my opinion. Maybe I am just biased by the Taxi 2 movie though?
What to think and what to say about this weird third-generation late eighties Fox bodied ยซย Hotboysย ยป Ford Mustang convertible? Between the rather special paintwork, decals, and sticker, the low rider rims, and the tan interior with red piping, and red steering wheel, it was surely a treat for the eyes. I am glad though that finally the Fox bodied Mustangs are getting the attention and love they deserve, getting back to their formal glory, either restored, preserved, resto-modded or fully customized like this example.
A typical sight from the eighties, that I would have loved to see alongside a Buick Grand National, another of those same period muscle car. Oh wait! There was just a bit further another tuned Fox bodied Mustang along side a Chevrolet Montecarlo SS, which Iโve always love the resemblance to the Grand National. The Mustang Coupรฉ, was in much more subtle uni-black color but with a huge spoiler, quadruple exhaust tips, and bigger rims, while the Montecarlo was simply stunning in its dark brown color shade.
Next up was this Mercedes-Benz 300 SD W126, which I found interesting just because of its number plate, ยซย Quick Dieselย ยป. This is something I always appreciate while in the US, or in countries such as Belgium where you can customize number plates and write messages that match your car. I am not a fan of the 300 SD, as I normally prefer the rather more powerful 500 SEL and 560 SEL, with the respective petrol 5 and 6 litres V8. There were, lucky for me, quite a few C126 in either widebody 560 AMG form โ brought by Blakley Leonard from the Mercedes-Benz market โ or even convertible 500 SEC form at the Radwood Paddock.
I have fond memories in a C126 500 SEC widebody storming through the streets of Lausanne, Switzerland
Although Mercedes-Benz never produced officially convertible versions of the C126, I am still amazed by the number of people who did and still are converting these cars to enjoy them without a roof. I canโt imagine, specially given their sheer size that without the structural integrity from the roof they would be very nice cars to drive. I have fond memories of a friendโs 500 widebody SEC, the only one with a manual gearbox, driving through Lausanne, Switzerland, windows opened.
I just love the badass look from the Coupe, both in standard or widebody form, something the convertibles clearly lack. Itโs a bit the same with those who added gullwing doors on 500 SECs, such as Sbarro. It may certainly look very eighties, but I donโt think they have aged very well. Quite the opposite of the widebody Coupes, which seem to pass through the ages keeping their grace while remaining a car that I still imagine as a perfect one for an italian mafioso.
A Radwood event wouldnโt be a Radwood event without an Acura NSX
First generations NSXs have as well climbed the ladder in the collector appraisal, and gained much deserved attention and value.ย After all wasnโt the NSX one of Ayrtonโs Senna favorite cars? It might have gained too much value, certain people might rightfully argue, as they are ยซย justย ยป a Honda, or Acura, depending on which side of the pond you are. This example coming from Nevada was a pre facelift NA1, equipped with the 270 horsepower mid-mounted 3 litre naturally aspirated V6.
There were quite a few Porsches at the Paddock. The first ones I noticed was this red combo of 911, from the 964 (left) and 996 (right) generation. Although there is less than 10 years that separate these two generations (the 964 was introduced in 1989, while the 996 was introduced 1997) and actually less than 3 years the last 964 to the first 996, there are some significant differences between the two.
The main obvious one is that the 964 is air cooled while the 996 is water cooled. It still surprises me how many people tend to forget the 964 generation, always prefering the 993. 964s were amazing cars though, specially in the Turbo models. The 996 has always divided enthusiasts, both due to the major technical change and the design change.
There was then a set of two rather interesting Dakar-style modified Porsches. The first one was this 928, wearing the iconic ยซย psychedelicย ยป purple and green and white livery originally introduced on the Porsche 917 Chassis 043. We had the privilege to see this 917 over 10 years ago and again in 2023 at the Simeone foundation, where it resides (link). Very few people know that the white and green psychedelic decals were only added after Gรฉrard Larousse and Willi Kauhsen qualified first at the 1970 24 hours of Le Mans. Although not my favorite livery for a Porsche, it is a striking one, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice it fitted this 928.
What would you choose a 928 Dakar inspired or a Cayenne Arctic Circle?
The other ยซย Dakarย styledย ยป Porsche was this second generation (E2 92A) Facelift Porsche Cayenne Turbo. I had mostly seen pre-facelift and facelift first generations Cayenne, such as the one sold by Artcurial during their Saint Tropez sale in the summer of 2024. This example was actually modified not to cross the tough desert environments and arid steppes of Africa, but to storm through snow and ice to reach the Arctic circle during a four day, 2700 miles plus roadtrip. Impressive! I just loved, the heightened ride, the wide off-road tyres, the smaller, strengthened rims and the plethora of bonnet stickets on this car. Find more of this
There were three additional very interesting Porsches: a racing 993 GT2, a custom 964 Restomod, and a 964 Ruf Rturbo. Letโs start with the 993 in its ultimate and most powerful version from this generation, and hence of all air-cooled Porsches. The GT2 is easily recognisable with its plastic flenders and bolt-on flares, as well as the huge rear spoiler with integrated air intakes, something only the GT2s had.
The 3.6 litre flat-six engine was pushed to 430, and later even 450 horsepower thanks to bigger KKK turbochargers. Although originally based on the Turbo version, it is a much lighter, and extreme version to drive due to the loss of the four-wheel drive system, having all power only going to the rear wheels.
This custom 964 restomod passed by just after the 993 GT2 and was a big surprise for me. I couldnโt even recognize whom had built this car. It looked like neither a Singer nor a Gunther Werks. It had multiple elements reminiscing of the RUF SCR, such as the lights and ducktail, although the front bumper and single lug rims did not match the SCR. It didnโt have as well any RUF logos anywhere, which RUF owners usually are quite proud of displaying in lieu and place of the traditional Porsche emblems. The build itself looked super clean and well done. If you have any information on this car, please contact us at contact@a-e.li.
RUFs are in 2025 a testimony of the american marketโs interest in high quality custom made Porsches
RUFs received tremendous interest during Carweek 2025 and the auction results demonstrated it well. Two CTR Anniversary edition (out of the 50 ever produced) sold for over 3 million US $ each at Gooding & Co and RM Sothebyโs. A Lightweight CTR1 Yellowbird even sold for over 4 million US $, showing the appreciation specially from the US market for high quality custom made Porsches. This ยซย narrow bodiedย ยป RUF RCT Evo conversion, chassis WP0AB296XMS410428 was another testament to this, having sold in March 2025 on Bring a Trailer for over 660โ000 $ after its transformation completion by the german manufacturer and tuner in 2024!
One of the show stars of this inaugural Paddock Montery event was this Isuzu Vehicross. Originally produced from 1997 to 2001 but only for the Japanese and US market, I could not remember ever seeing one in the flesh although I had heard of it. With its very quirky 2-door mini SUV styling, production numbers were very limited and less than 6000 units were ever built. The big innovation of the Vehicross was combining a computer controlled all wheel drive system with 12 sensors to detect wheel spin and redirecting power for on-road use with a low-gear four wheel drive transmission still available for off-road use.
This allowed the Vehicross to be extremely safe on roads, specially in wet and icy conditions, while still maintaining very good off-road capabilities. It even finished as the runner-up in the ยซย Four Wheelerย ยป magazine ranking of the best SUV in 2000. Who here even remembers the four-door and roadster versions presented at the Los Angeles Motorshow in 2000 and later sadly destroyed?
Quirky SUVs paradise at Paddock Monterey 2025: 6-wheeled Range Rover by Carmichael or Isuzu Vehicross?
In the other very quirky vehicles of the Paddock Monterey was this famed six-wheeled Land Rover Range Rover by Carmichael, previously owned by Ed Bolian, who sold it for 31โ000 US $ in December 2023. As many of the 400 examples converted by the british coachbuilder in the seventies, Chassis 35522156D started its life as a two-door UK-specification (and hence right hand drive) model.
It was converted to the six-wheel version still maintaining its original four wheel drive setup, meaning the rear axle is unpowered. With later minor modifications done by a french antique dealer and collector in Paris, it was then imported in the US in 2022 by Ed Bolian, converted to left hand drive and used for his Youtube series Car Trek.
I think the BMW M1 has for too long remain in the shadows of other eighties or nineties supercars. It never gained the icon status such as the Countach, the Testarossa from the same period, nor the same aura than a similar german branded 300 SL Gullwing has achieved for its era. I wonder why and have some hypothesis.
The design, and architecture, although being a clear rupture with traditional models from the bavarian manufacturer, were nothing revolutionary for the time. If you were searching for a mid mounted engine berlinetta, there were already plenty of choices, from the main brands as from smaller manufacturers. It never as well acquired the interest from the social elites and celebrities. And finally, it was, as the DMC Delorean, underpowered compared to its competitors.
The preparations for the next day Concorso Italiano were well on the way already during our visit to the Paddock. The show field had thus a few sneak peaks of the italian supercars and collector cars we would see again in the morning. Since I did not know exactly if they were here for the Paddock orย the Concorso, I couldnโt resist the temptation to look at a few of them, such as this 1952 Siata 208 CS, one of 61 ever built.
This car, chassis SC052 was sold at the 2009 Quail Lodge Auction for 1.6 million US $ and has a very significant history. It was the 1952 Turin autoshow car which was later raced during the Mille Miglia driven by Tullini and Rossi, but did not finish. The other Siata finished 11th, a testimony for their ultra light racing body by Stabilimenti Farina, and Fiat Otto Vรน V8 performance. What was even more special was that it was not the only one at Carweek as Jonathan Segal had brought his 208 CS Balbo Coupรฉ, Chassis 072 at Pebble Beach Concours dโElegance and won his class.
The Aston Martin Ownerโs Club had brought a few cars, but the car from the british manufacturer which stole the show was Kevin Kay Restorationโs James Bond DB5 tribute, in the appropriately matching right hand drive configuration and Silver Birch color, of course. Based on an original DB5 it incorporated most of the exact gadgets from the movie which the team at Kevin Kayโs were proud to demonstrate. This car had the rear deployable shield, the front and rear extendable bumpers, the hidden between the blinker lights guns, the rotation number plates, but was missing the hole in the roof to fit the ejectable passenger seat.
The Siata 208 CS SC052 has a significant history: it was the Turin Autoshow car which later raced the Mille Miglia with Tullini and Rossi behind the wheel
There were a few youngtimer Ferraris in a rather interesting display in the field. A 308 GTS with some special optical illusion black and white decals, a red first generation Testarossa, a black body black rims 355 GTS, and an Argento Nurburgring 512 TR. If I had to choose one, it would clearly have been the 512 TR. To me, they are the most beautiful version of the Testarossa, especially in non-red hue.
I think they were the rightful evolution, just before the more controversial 512M, which dumped the pop up head lights and went back to circular rear lights whose integration in the design wasnโt the most subtle. The 512 TR brought all the significant evolutions necessary to make the Testarossa more enjoyable: updated suspensions, brakes, and weight distributionย contributed to a sharper and more balanced driving experience, while the sleeker interior meant you had a bit more space and a more practical interior.
The 308 GTS and the 355 Spider were the perfect representation of the first and last prancing horse berlinettas with aluminum body and that iconic Fioravanti design. Although the 355 was not designed by Leonardo Fioravanti himself, but by Maurizio Corbi, I always assimilated its design with the ones of the 308, 328 and 348 as the design changes on the 355 were minor compared specially to its successor, the 360.
There is one other reason why Iโve always considered the 355 as being very similar to the 993 Porsche at the prancing horse brand: the last of its generation. It was the last one with a steel design just before Ferrari switched to full aluminium. While the 308 is the Magnum intemporal icon, I always found it lacked power and never provided that exponential feeling along the rev cycles. This is something the 355, thanks to it 5 valve per cylinder setup and its 8200 rpm redline does marvelously well.
Testarossa VS 512TR, and 308 GTS VS 355 Spider: pick your two Ferrari garage
At the time where Porsche was on the verge of bankruptcy in the eighties and the Zuffenhausen company was desesperately looking for cashflow, their managers had the somptuous idea to see if their neighbor german manufacturers needed some help. From these strange collaborations, two of the most amazing cars ever designed took birth. The Audi RS2, which still has some descendants today in the RS4s and RS6s, and the Mercedes-Benz 500E.
The 500E was, in my opinion the grandmother of all high-performance sedans. Although there had been already in the past fast sedans, which could rival the best supercars from their time in top speed, there was none which could compete in the handling sector. The 500E W124, with its big 5.0 litre 326 horsepower engine, bigger breaks, refined suspension and chassis settings was the first sedan that could drive fast in a straight line and still rival the best supercars of its time in the corners.
Two very rad cars from the eighties were up next in my radar on the field. A Maserati Shamal and a Mazda RX-7. The Shamal with its ungodly unreliable reputation, is probably one of Maseratiโs most controversial designs. Or is it really, as I come to think about the weird 5000GTs by Frua and their front engine awful nostril? This might be very subjective and my friend Florent, who was as well at the event, confirmed that on his side he really enjoyed their muscular compact Coupe design.
You can even notice some similarities with BMWโs latest second generation M2, and I would tend to agree since I do not appreciate its exterior looks as well. The first generation RX-7 on the other side, although probably as unreliable as the Shamal, had a much more common design, typical from the eighties japanese brands. Being as well one of the first Mazdaโs equipped with the rotary ยซย Wankelย ยป engine, it is a highly significative car in the history of Mazda, although not as highly appreciated as its more modern second generation sister, thanks to the Fast and Furious franchise.
Controversial opinion: Was the first super sedan the BMW M5 E28 or the Mercedes-Benz W124 E500?
There was a very interesting lineup of german thoroughbreds youngtimers, with some unicorns. Two matching E39 5 Series B10 Alpina, one sedan and one touring. Alpina offered on this third generation of B10, a choice of four engines in total. Two six cylinder inline engines, both based on the E36 M3, but one being pumped up to 3.3 litre and developing up to 280 horsepower.
For customers who wanted even more, Alpina offered an additional choice of two V8s, respectively a 4.6 and 4.8 litre issued from the 540i, but reworked to develop from 340 to 375 horsepower. This was ample enough to offer the E39 performances which would almost rival the M5. Interestingly enough the E39 was as well the first generation Alpina introduced the D10, with a modified inline six diesel engine from the 530d.
Then was a duo of Mercedes-Benz AMG, with a C Class AMG W202, and a 300 CE AMG W124. Both of them could (should) be in my garage, as those are cars I appreciate a lot. What I enjoy most of all is their true sleeper look. They literally are the definition of it. Almost looking like any boring taxi, but trying to hide as best as it can its subtle cues that this is no ordinary Mercedes.
Refined bespoke rims, lightly lowered ride height, and slight extended arches to fit the wider wheels. Nothing too fancy, but just enough to let any connaisseur know to moveย over to the right lane on the autobahn. And both cars were highly effective to do that, but the ยซย Hammerย ยป for sure would have won easily that contest, specially with its 6.0 litre V8, one of only 12 produced worldwide.
There was another interesting Ferrari 308 on the show field of the inaugural edition of the Paddock. In a much more classical Rosso Corsa hue, it was again a GTS, and its interesting point was is number plate. I mean how cool is that? Rad 80s. I remember smiling a lot when I stumbled upon it.
This Quattrovalvole version was the last of the 308, with increased power to 240 horsepower thanks to the four valve per cylinder setup from the 2.9 litre V8. It was a welcome improvement after the power loss due to emissions regulations when Ferrari changed from carburetors to mechanical fuel injection on the GTBi and GTSi in 1980.
Rad 80s number plate on a 308 GTS. How cool is that?
One of my personal highlights from this event was clearly the two Lamborghini Diablos. I knew I was going to see the lost Playboy SV the next day at the Concorso Italiano but it was great to see it one day earlier. And having a combo is always better, thanks to the black Diablo VT Roadster.
I am starting to appreciate more and more these early Diablos, from the Chrysler pre-Audi era. Their design was sleeker than the later 6.0 litre versions, and who doesnโt like pop-up headlights? Both cars had very special number plates of course, the Diablo SV matching its ownerโs reputation, Ed Bolian from Youtube channel Vinwiki, while the Roadster was matching its production year of 1997.
The Paddock and its Radwood exhibition was all about quirky cars, and this next duo was all about that. French cars in the US are a bit like seeing unicorns in real life. Even if you see one, nobody will truly believe you. Well, guess what? I even got a picture to prove it! Actually Iโve seen a few Peugeot 504s in the past when I used to live in Texas, and even a few Renault 5s or Citroรซn 2CVs but it was the first and only (so far) Renault Clio V6 that I ever saw in the US. I had seen this exact car a few days ago at the Little Car Show in Pacific Groves.
What was interesting is that the Renault was not the only french car at the event. In France, and even in Europe the Clio V6 has reached the icon status. I mean, how many mid-engined hatchback city car could there be? To fit the huge V6, they had to extend the wheel arches, and remove the rear seats. The short wheelbase and extra power made the car extremely sharp turning capabilities but as well very treacherous behavior. This was a first series car, recognizable by its optics.
Sitting next to it was a Z3M Coupรฉ BMW, another highly collectible automobile from the bavarian manufacturer. The Z3 was made famous in the James Bond movie Goldeneye while the Coupรฉโs unmistakable shooting brake design and much more structured driving confirmed it as the more desirable version compared to the roadster.
Who doesnโt remember the ยซย Back to the futureย ยป trilogy with the Delorean DMC 12 and of course the famous Outatime number plate? Although the company only produced this model, it certainly is one of the most famous car from the whole movie industry. With its unique brushed aluminum body, and design by Giorgietto Giugiaro it is certainly an easily recognizable car.
It is such a shame that the car was so underpowered by its V6, as its Lotus chassis has great capabilities. I wonder if someone out there has made an engine swap with something more powerful to see how it would really drive.
Seeing french cars in the US is a bit like seeing unicorns in real life. Even if you see one, nobody will ever believe you.
The main highlight of this 2025 Paddock was clearly the Spyker lineup. Spykers are already an extremely rare sight, since less than 290 cars were ever produced, so to see so many together was truly unique. There were 9 cars, so the equivalent of 3% of the total production from the dutch company was on that field. 7 of those were first generation C8s Spyder, including the pink and Louis Vuitton one from Ryan Fipke (Youtube channel), one first generation C8 Laviolette and one B6 Venator. There are so many details on Spyker worth mentioning, as the brand used heavy inspiration from the aircrafts industry.ย
I simply love the old four spoke ยซย airplane propellerย ยป steering wheel, the visible gear links that go through the whole interior, the missile launch switches, the interior brushed aluminum panels, the quilted leather, the scissor doors, the matching ยซย airplane propellerย ยป rims, the aluminum exterior air intakes, and I could go onโฆ Better even, the Spyders, introduced in 2000, are not only great to look at, they are as well very good cars to drive, with full aluminum space-frame chassis and the 4.2 litre Audi V8 proving 400 horsepower and 480 Nm of torque.
My personal main highlight of the Paddock Monterey 2025? 9 Spykers, circa 3% of the total production reunited together.
The Laviolette was a modified, fixed glass top version of the Spyder. Technically it was the same though, but for more demanding customers, the dutch company provided a Turbocharged option bringing the power to 525 horsepower for the Spyder T. Spyker as well did two special versions of the Laviolette, called the LM85 and the LWB (Long Wheel Base).
Only 14 LM85s (for Le Mans 85) were ever produced with a unique livery of orange and gun metal in honor of the brandโs participation at the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hour Race. The Long Wheel Base version was presented in 2008 and had a 100 mm increase of the wheel based, designed to offer a more spacious interior for customers which had been demanding it.
The B6 Venator is a concept car introduced in 2014, which dumped the traditional Audi 4.2 litre V8 seen in previous Spyker models for a smaller VR6 six cylinder engine from Volkswagen. The car was originally a Coupe but later converted by the dutch brand as a convertible to show what the whole line of this model would have looked like. The car stayed as a non-functioning show car until 2020 where the guys at Spykerenthusiast started working on the car to make it fully functional and finished the project in 2022. You can check their amazing work on the B6 Venator here.
There were two supercars from the prancing horse, and actually my two favorite ones. A 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, chassis 56653, owned by Dean Drako from the eventโs sponsor Drako Motors, and a 2003 Ferrari Enzo. The Ferrari Enzo was in its most classical specification, Rosso Corsa over black interior, similar to the one I used to have as a poster during my teenage years. Still wearing absolutely perfectly that original design by Ken Okuyama, I thought about how weird the car market is for those millenial supercars, with so many interests going on the Carrera GTs right now and so little on the SLR and the Enzo.
Ferrari 288 GTO #56653 was originally delivered to F1 World Champion Keke Rosberg
The 288 GTO had a very interesting history as it was the car originally delivered to Formula 1 World Champion Keke Rosberg, father of Nico Rosberg in Monaco and still wearing its original export plate EE 085 AK. This example had most of the desirable optional extras, such as power windows, air conditioning and full black leather (VM8500) interior. It was the 199th 288 GTO built and had the standard four exhaust pipes rather than the two sports tail pipes that I am not a fond of.
Rob Ida from Idaโs customs in New Jersey had brought his Jaguar XK 120 ยซย Black Catย ยป, one of his latest creations which looked tremendous with its single bubble glass roof. Since I found the XK120 and XK 140 Coupรฉโs roof too proeminent and out of proportion, I never really appreciated them to the fullest. On the opposite, this custom build reconciliated me with those Jaguar Coupes, having some very Aston Martin-ish 70/30 body / window height silhouette, and must be very special to admire when driving. I would be seriously considering contacting Rob if I wanted a unique XK 120 / 140 based on the roadster version.
The Paddock Monterey had some important sponsors and two special ones caught my eye: Shelby and Saleen, as both of them are tuners and manufacturers that we do not have in Europe. Shelby had brought a couple of their tuned Mustangs. Saleen on the other side were displaying a showcase in tribute of the mighty S7, the supercar that everyone forgot. Launched originally in 2000, equipped with a 7 litre V8 developing up to 750 horsepower mated with a 6 speed manual gearbox, and full carbon body it rivaled with the best of the best, the holy trinity: the Ferrari Enzo, the Carrera GT and the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR.
The S7 was well surrounded on both sides by one road version S1 and one racing S1 Cup Car. The Saleen S1 was presented originally in 2017 and is a mid-rear engine berlinetta, equipped with a 2.5 turbo inline four home designed engine developing 450 horsepower, weighing at just over 1200 kilograms, It must be quite the experience to drive, and I wish we had them in Europe.
The Saleen S7 rivaled with the best of the best, the holy trinity of 2000s supercars
One of the weirdest curiosities from this inaugural 2025 Paddock event was Chris Wollardโs Galaxy Glider, which actually went on to win Carweekโs most coveted ยซย Worst of Showย ยป award at the 2025 Concours dโLemons on the next day. This car, completely hand built by Chris himself, with what it seems from whatever was laying on his yard.
I could not identify even what Chris had used as a base car, nor what parts he had used to make the bodywork, or the interior. It was most certainly one of the strangest build I had ever seen, and for sure it could never have been homologated anywhere else but the US or the UK. From what I found on Chrisโs instagram, it looks like the build started its life as a three wheeler tubular scooter chassis.
The second french car of the event was an Alpine A110, a car that sadly was never imported in the United States, although I always believed it would have sold very well and gained a cult following here too. The Alpine A110 is one of those cars which I really loved, and was one of my automotive crush which reconciled me with modern cars. I had seen this car as well parked on the streets of Pacific Grove a few days before during the Little Car Show.
Parked alongside the latest Lotus Emira, which is one of its competitors, it made me wonder which one I would choose between the two. I am pretty sure I would still go with the Alpine though, even if the british car really outpowers the french one, but it is more poised, and funnier. You can read all of our original test drive of the Alpine A110 here.
Finally it was time to head back and snap one last picture of this custom Cherokee Chief, and to think back of how great this inaugural Paddock Monterey 2025 had been. In todayโs environment where Carweek events are getting bigger and bigger, I have to admit I appreciated the relatively reasonable amount of cars, which gave me plenty of time to focus my time on the ones I really wanted to see.
Not having to rush during Carweek is a privilege, and one that I deeply enjoyed. So clearly if youโre going to Carweek in 2026, you should already put the Paddock on your agenda. The only thing I hope? That it will be even more Rad next year, as I have some tremendous memories from a Radwood SoCal event in Long Beach which was even more wacky. And wackyโs very good in the so many stiff Carweek events.
Check out our full gallery from the 2025 Paddock Monterey here:
