Paso Robles welcomes Hemmings Motor Club Rally with mix of cars and culture
Photo credit: Chris Friske.
Weekend event highlights collector cars, community, and Central Coast routes
– Paso Robles became the center of California car culture last weekend as collector vehicles arrived for the Hemmings Motor Club Rally, a three-day event focused on driving, storytelling, and community connection organized by Hemmings, known as the originator of the collector car space.
Two convoys of drivers — one from Los Angeles and another from the San Francisco Bay Area — took to the backroads Friday morning and converged in Paso Robles, where they spent the weekend exploring the region’s roads, sampling local food, and sharing stories over coffee and cocktails.
The lineup of vehicles included vintage Alfa Romeos, air-cooled Porsches, and an orange Volvo 245 wagon equipped with a Corvette LS engine. High-end exotics, restomods, Japanese classics, and cruisers also participated, with the River Lodge, a midcentury motel turned retro resort, serving as rally headquarters.
Photo credit: Chris Friske.
Friday evening featured a poolside welcome reception where Northern and Southern California drivers met in person. On Saturday, participants drove a 230-mile route through Los Padres National Forest and New Cuyama, stopping for lunch before returning to Paso Robles for a fireside discussion.
Motorsports figure Brock Yates Jr., son of Cannonball Run creator Brock Yates and longtime organizer of the One Lap of America, joined the rally and took part in an evening conversation with Hemmings’ Mike Musto.
“The HMC Rally: Paso Robles puts great cars on great roads. These machines were meant to be driven, and the best way to honor them is to experience them together,” said Jonathan Shaw, president of Hemmings.
On Sunday morning, drivers traveled a coastal loop down Highway 46 and Highway 1 before returning to Paso Robles to conclude the event.
Art meets horsepower
The rally also featured the debut of Hemmings’ first artist collaboration, a limited-edition screen print by San Francisco illustrator Jeremy Fish. The design featured a late-1970s Ford Bronco blended with California flag imagery in Fish’s signature style.
“This illustration was inspired by my love and long-standing fascination with the volume of amazing classic cars that have survived in California,” said Fish.
“This collaboration marks an important moment for Hemmings,” said Dan Stoner, creative director at Hemmings. “Jeremy’s work captures the spirit of California in a way that speaks to both lifelong collectors and younger fans who are discovering classic cars for the first time. It shows how art and automotive culture can come together to celebrate tradition while creating something fresh.”
Following the success of the Paso Robles rally, Hemmings Motor Club announced plans to host additional events next year, including a possible return to Paso Robles.
For more information, visit www.hemmings.com.
