California cars

Concours d' Elegance held annually at 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA  hbconcours.org

Adams Avenue Donuts, (714) 962-8921, 9015 Adams Avenue , Huntington Beach , CA 92646

Donut Derelicts Car Collectors Meet in Huntington Beach, California. Founded by a group of guys who have gotten together for over 20 years, co-founder Rick Finn, passed in 2006, but is not forgotten.

Each year the long-time Central Park Huntington Beach favorite, Concours d' Elegance meets one day to celebrate classic showpieces. The event expanded in 2007, however, to honor the Donut Derelicts co-founder, Rick Finn. Shown in the video above is Bart McGrath, the show's inveterate champion of fundraising for Central Library's Children's Wing located on the hill overlooking the car show. What a tribute! But Burt is always thinking about helping or commemorating others, and said that this was the impetus for expanding the car show to a two-day event. On day one, Saturday, each year the annual event held the first weekend in June will take time to hold a car show with less constraints for what types of cars can participate. That day will be dedicated to Rick Finn. Everybody loved him, said McGrath.

The first thing you notice when you go to the oldest free car show in Orange County, California, is that women and children are invited to look, and are treated with respect. Though it's most a buddies club to talk about pistons and engines, Donut Derelicts is made up of nearly 100 car lovers who show up on Saturday mornings to eat donuts, drink coffee and hover around their shiny cars, showing them off and admiring others.

One of the founders of this group that refuses to incorporate or become organized, Rick Finn, died of a heart attack in 2006 at the age of 52. He was well known as an automotive artist and was passionate about cars. His art  "Hot Rod Life," adorned T-shirts that guys and girls both wore but beyond the great souvenirs was the thing that people remember most about him--his smile.

Founded in 1986, four buddies who had been high school classmates years past, met at a small neighborhood donut shop at the corner of Adams and Magnolia Ave. in Huntington Beach, California. Their gatherings became the largest and most well-known hot rod events to attend. Donut Derelicts name was by Jim McCain and Rick Finn. To honor Rick Finn, the annual Concours d'Elegance car show in Huntington Beach has created a trophy in his name. A new element of the show invites street rods, classics and other customs to the first day of the car event, held on the first Saturday and Sunday in June.