Coffee and Cars, or Cars and Coffee

W Christian Mental Ward
by W Christian Mental Ward

You don’t have to be interested in coffee to appreciate Cars and Coffee. You don’t even have to be that interested in cars. But if you haven’t attended one, you are missing one of the great grassroots events this grand land of ours has to offer. It is an unfettered melting pot of every gearhead facet of interest and a decidedly pleasant experience you can enjoy with the entire family.

During my recent years out of the country this was the event I missed more than any other. I pined for it more than track days, autocross and LeMons. The beauty of Cars and Coffee is the variation of the enthusiasts that attend and the non-competitive nature of the event. It is just folks talking about their cars and other people’s cars. There are exotics, classics, off roaders, drifters and racers. You will see works in progress, back yard hot rods, billet fans, bikes and lowriders.

The original started in Irvine California as a group of folks with cool cars just started getting together back in 2005. That earliest gathering has grown to a regulated event with over 500 cars at each hosting.

But more importantly, it was the seed that has spread nationwide. Google Cars and Coffee, usually the local one will pop up on the first page, or search for Cars and Coffee and your hometown on Facebook. Sometimes, its Coffee and Cars.

I discovered the Oklahoma City version in 2011. It was close to my house, at a Starbucks located at the end of a retail center. In my absence, it grew too large for that space and has relocated to an older mall a few miles away. No coffee, but sometimes an enterprising youth organization will show up with Krispy Kremes as a fundraiser.

The OKC Cars and Coffee is the first Sunday of every month from 8 AM until 10. This month it was the 6th and as luck would have it, it was the first nice Sunday of the year. It was pretty packed.

The new rumor is that the mall will soon ask us to go somewhere else.

That’s a shame, because a food truck is missing a golden opportunity. A few breakfast burritos and coffee that doesn’t suck and you’ll carry out some serious cash. The previous location would have the line at Starbucks out the door. I am sure their manager is missing that level of business once a month.

Earlier this year, I got to take my 7-year old nephew. His favorite was of course a yellow “Bumblebee” Camaro. It’s not uncommon to folks with their dogs. As I said, it’s a family event.

This is a great event, the variations of the attendees is fantastic. The early event timing does wonders to keep out the idiots, and the atmosphere is friendly. It’s almost always free. So as the weather starts to thaw, look for your local coffee and cars, get up early one weekend, grab the family and just enjoy some cars.

Enjoying the coffee is optional.















W Christian Mental Ward
W Christian Mental Ward

School teacher, amateur racer, occasional story teller.

More by W Christian Mental Ward

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  • ClutchCarGo ClutchCarGo on Apr 15, 2014

    "The previous location would have the line at Starbucks out the door. I am sure their manager is missing that level of business once a month." I'm not so sure. A once a month surge will irritate your regular customers who show up every day unless they're the kind who are compensated by a serandipitous car show.

    • Raph Raph on Apr 15, 2014

      8-10 on Saturday doesn't seem to be prime Starbucks business time and locally at the Hardees I mentioned in a post above the local hot rod scene that gathers in the evening was such a boon to business they opted to pave the parking lot to accommodate the impromptu car show that occurs ever Saturday there. Conversely years ago when the local hot spot was in a place called Heritage Square and started around 8 pm and lasted until 12 or 1 in the morning it had the only McDonalds I knew of at the time that stayed open past 10 pm. Then Food Lion moved into Heritage Square, demanded as part of its agreement that the car show be shut down rather heavy handedly (police harassing people with the slightest provocation to ultimately the owners of the property hiring rent-a-cops to take video and file trespassing charges on people who showed up again). The McDonalds shut down shortly there after and only to have Food Lion leave a few years later.

  • George B George B on Apr 17, 2014

    I like the variety at the Dallas area Cars and Coffee event. Exotics, hot rods, luxury cars, muscle cars, pickup trucks, low riders, Japanese tuner, military vehicles, an occasional Donk, and once a Lemons race car. Pretty sure every car was driven there because I don't remember any trailers nearby. My girlfriend likes Cars and Coffee and the crowd has a high percentage of women for a car event. Lots of families with children too. http://dallas.carsandcoffee.info/

  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
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