Four car things to do in SoCal

UPDATED: Here are four things to check out if you live in or might be visiting Southern California soon:

1. Art Center Car Classic '11, Oct. 23: This great gathering of cars and car designers is held (almost) every year on the big lawn to the east of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena's main building. For several years the Classic was held in July, but car designers kept dropping like flies from the heat, so they moved it to October and it rained. What are the chances of it raining two years in a row? Come and see.

In addition to about 100 cars, trucks, bicycles and motorcycles there will be distinguished alumni giving panels and strolling about. Those designers include but are not limited to Peter Brock, Chip Foose, Chuck Pelly and Miguel Galizzi, the latter who designed a bunch of BMW motorcycles but is best known for his Ducati Monster. The Art Center Classic is also one of the rare collisions that will feature both Los Angeles car collector and fun-car-stuff organizer Bruce Meyer at the same place and time as Meyers Manx designer Bruce Meyers.

Tickets can be purchased at www.artcenter.edu/carclassic for $50, or they cost $60 at the door. Park at the Rose Bowl and take the shuttle up the hill.

2. Gala Tribute to Phil Hill at the Petersen: The Petersen Automotive Museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hill's world championship with an evening to remember. On Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., the museum will host a dinner, a live auction of neat stuff and a film of Hill's life. After that, great drivers who shared a track with Hill will take the stage for an evening of reminiscing. Among those invited are Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Jim Hall and Carroll Shelby. The $150 tickets are available at www.petersen.org or by calling (323) 964-6359.

3. Our friend Richard Parks reminded us that the California Racers Reunion will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Riverside International Automotive Museum. The Reunion features many drivers from jalopy, roadster, sprint and champ cars who braved the tracks of the Golden State after World War II. The event promises to be a window into pages of history turned long ago. The museum is located at 815 Marlborough Ave., #200, Riverside, Calif. Tickets are $45, and for that you even get lunch. Call (951) 369-6966.

OK, four things: The Best of France and Italy car show brings (up to) hundreds of exquisitely quirky, perfectly balanced and possibly unsafe little Italian and French wheeled masterpieces to Woodley Park in Van Nuys, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. If you have a Fiat that runs, or a tow truck to haul it on, bring it out and enter it. If you have a collection of Alfas, as one collector had last year, recruit friends and bring all 11 of them. See www.franceanditaly.com.

By Mark Vaughn