As a regular attendee of the world’s most celebrated concours, it’s easy to become as jaded as a shopping-mall Santa after decades of seeing the same old people and even older cars do what they have done every year since Harry Truman was president. With a morning Bloody Mary in hand, we dodge women clutching lap dogs and listen to announcers droning on about being “honored to announce the Earl of East Cummerbund and his immaculately presented Avoirdupois Phaeton,” as a lugubrious recording of Bach’s pipes over the PA like so much Muzak wallpaper. Clown suits and straw hats are the stuff of Pee Wee Herman, and yet we car people wear them every year, pretending that—like eating snails is preferable to a hamburger—we are where we want to be.
But what if you could put on a tee shirt, some blue jeans, and simply escape? Car lovers tired of the same-old-same-old will want to attend UpShift, a brand-new event on the calendar that debuts Thursday, August 15, at the SandBox venue in Sand City, just ten minutes from Monterey, Calif. Not your “usual” car show, UpShift promises a welcoming atmosphere and a fresh perspective on automobiles and the enthusiasts who love them. Presented by and Motoring Culture Club (MC2), UpShift is intended to “democratize car culture, build community, and bring people together to celebrate cars in all their forms,” according to UpShift’s official announcement.
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