Saint Petersburg Florida Cars &Coffee

Having relocated to the Tampa Bay area of Florida from Las Vegas this past fall, I’ve been eager to get out of the house and do some sightseeing… especially to check out what the local car scene is like. A couple weekends before Christmas, I finally found some free time so I decided to check out the Saint Petersburg Florida Cars & Coffee.

Held every 3^rd Saturday of the month, this gathering of enthusiasts takes place from 7 am to 9 am at 3051 Tech Drive which is the headquarters of the show’s main sponsor, duPont Registry. Since the mid 80’s, duPont Registry has published a “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” auto trader style publication which features some of the most luxurious and exotic automobiles ever made, for the world’s affluent buyers & sellers.

I planned for a 7 am arrival not really knowing what to expect. It was a chilly morning (for Florida), totally overcast and threatening rain, and the sun hadn’t even started to come up yet.  The parking lot was overflowing as if people started arriving at 5 am! I estimated about 350 cars were present.  A truly impressive collection of muscle cars and exotics had filled the event space. Along with a pretty good turnout from the import/tuner crowd as well. Not too much for the antique car lover, but a few street rods were on-hand to fill the gap.

One thing that became apparent quick was, you better get here early, because this show doesn’t last long! By 8:30 am I think at least half the cars were gone. It’s a shame it doesn’t last a little longer because it was a truly impressive gathering.  The sun even came out and warmed things up a bit towards the end. I guess everyone had last minute Christmas gifts to buy- myself included!

As can be seen above, a few cars that stood out to me were a lime green Plymouth Cuda that was flawless, a 1969 Pontiac Trans AM, an AMC Mark Donahue SST Javelin, and a MINI! Yes, a real Mini Cooper, not the modern version. There were plenty of other great cars, a few trucks, and even a couple of impressive motorcycles as well. If you’re in the area, be sure to mark your calendar for the next Cars & Coffee at duPont Registry and check it out in person, I’ll see you there!

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Bernie Smith

Tampa Bay Florida based photographer, I have always been a huge fan of all forms of photography. It wasn’t until relocating to Las Vegas and digital camera technology evolved that I was able to fully realize my love for photography. Automotive, motorcycles, beauty, glamour, pinup, retro, swimwear, and fitness themes are all areas of particular interest.

60’s Muscle cars have been a part of my life since I was 14 years old with particular emphasis in Fords, Mustangs, and Shelbys being my specialty having owned and restored more than a couple rare examples. Having worked as a Ford Senior Master certified technician over 20 years has provided the means to stay current with cutting edge technology. A high performance late model fuel injected car has it’s own unique appeal to me, just as the old school muscle does. Motorsports and college football are also huge passions of mine.

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