27th Annual Rods & Roses Auto Show

The 27th Annual Rods & Roses Auto Show was held on Saturday, July 6, in Carpinteria, on Linden Avenue and its side streets. There were 210 autos – from classics to exotics and somewhat beyond – showing and competing for trophies and awards. Many auto owners had the original car registration, dealer paperwork, car history, and one owner had mirrors underneath the car to show the detailed work done to restore it. 

The winners included the Michael Hammer Award to Ruben Ambriz for his 2002 custom Harley Davidson Deuce motorcycle; the Crown Choice & Exotics Award to Larry Schuss for his 1965 Mercury Cyclone; the Rods & Roses Hot Rod Award to Steve Augerot for his 1950 Mercury coupe; and the People’s Choice Award to Greg Camacho for his 1950 maroon Mercury.

Additional awards honored those who supported the event and community – the Wes Franken Memorial Award, Max Brown Memorial Award, the Barry Horowitz Award, Brotherhood of Carpinteria Motorcycle Club Award in Memory of Jerry Clemens, the Carpinteria Masonic Lodge #444 Jack Risdon Award, and the George Bliss Founders Award. Local retailers provided 50 Special Recognition Merchant Awards to the auto of their choosing – the Montecito Bank & Trust, Coastal View News, Clements Family & the Brotherhood, the Kelly Kids Ever-Bloom, STP, the Pangan Boys, Shade Farm Management, and others. 

Autos with plenty of fans talking to the owners were Bill Pitruzzelli’s rare Polyantha Red 1956 Porsche Speedster; Steve Kohler’s Inca Gold 1957 Thunderbird convertible, tricked out with fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror and the Hawaiian Girl doll on the dash; David DeLorie’s 1966 Austin Healey BJ8 convertible sports car in Healey Blue with white coves; and Tom Wong’s 1966 Triumph TR4A-IRS convertible in British Racing Green. 

Event Grand Marshall Michael Lazaro was assisted by a team of volunteers and his young nephews Silas and Leo sporting official backstage passes. Every year the Carpinteria Lions Club volunteers at Rods & Roses to help organize and park the beautiful cars that join the event.

Funds raised go to various nonprofits in Carpinteria who had booths donated by Rods & Roses organization to provide info, sell merch and raffle tickets. They included the California Women for Agriculture local Carpinteria Chapter, FFA organization at Carpinteria High School, the Carpinteria Rotary Club, Carpinteria Seniors and HopeNet of Carpinteria. Rods & Roses donates booth space on the day of the event to create fundraising and awareness opportunities for a variety of nonprofit and service groups.

411: www.rodsnroses.com