Photography by Tiny Darkroom on Instagram; words by Vijay Sankar
Explore and/or purchase many more images from the event at this link.
The Bay Area car community is richly diverse in ways that are hard to encapsulate under the roof of one event. The cars, the drivers, the restorers, the artists, the curators and the collectors who carry the torch of this versatile culture deserve a stage to channel their passion.
VALT Auto Club’s events are ultimately here to create a melting pot for this passion and culture. To that end, the Golden Gate Cars & Culture meet on April 24 was a resounding success, aptly celebrating the aforementioned diversity.
Unity in diversity
The grounds at Golden Gate Fields that morning were blessed with representation from every corner of the automotive world map. Lines blurred between value propositions, rarity, perceived elite-ness, historic significance and sheer pecking order to bring together a truly eclectic collection of cars reliving their glory days. In this moment, the joy they all experienced was in parity.
Why do we ever bother building walls?
Any vehicle was game–from a clapped-out Toyota Pickup circa 1985 to grandpa’s barnyard special hot rod to a Pebble Beach Concours-grade Ferrari. No allegiance to brands; no bar too low. This was abundantly clear when you could see a miniscule Abarth 500 microcar parked next to massive American Muscle, flanked by Italian exotica with all their drivers engaged in fervent chat over coffee (provided by Peet’s, of course).
Hagerty Drivers Club also graced the event supported by Napa Vault, witnessing 600+ examples of metal made beautiful in attendance.
Over time, you could notice cliques taking shape–there was the uber-cool BMW group that rolled in together, the Alfa Romeo mafia, the air-cooled P-car pack, your elderly Datsun and JDM folks, the Detroit Iron band, the British roadsters, and even some Italian microcars. Our friend Tiny Darkroom has done a stellar job juxtaposing these contrasting hunks of metal sculpted in different corners of the world, through his lens.
We loved seeing some young enthusiasts apparently getting their first few samplings of car culture at the event, too.
Detail, details, details
In getting close to the subject to capture the ornate mechanical details of a Shelby Cobra engine bay, the patina on a well-worn Citroën 2CV, or the artistic flourishes of a Zagato-bodied Alfa Guilia, these images celebrate car culture in a fitting way. Thanks to everyone who made it a great time all round.
On a different note, we’re chuffed to know that the footwear game of the event attendees wasn’t shabby either. See you at the next one!
Explore and/or purchase many more images from the event at this link.
