Caffeine & Carburetors started their 2023 season off with an incredible turnout in downtown New Canaan, CT on May 21. While the usual quartet of C&Cs was reduced to a trio this year, the lack of an April event did nothing to quell the momentum that late starts sometimes do. We covered their Waveny Park finale HERE and the downtown setting serves as the yin to the park’s yang.
Jose Alvarez brought out his 1980 Toyota Starlet. The 4-door Japanese hatch is a rare Lissé model, which was geared towards the female clientele. The exterior color is continued throughout the interior, with the seats and doorcards receiving matching treatment. Curiously enough, the Starlet has some of its specs printed on its rear door like it’s wearing its heart on its sleeve. Jose’s car has just 74k kilometers on it and presents in exceptional condition. It even had a car seat in the back to bring his young son along on outings.
The epicenter, or GPS destination, is Zumbach’s Coffee, where Caffeine & Carburetors originally began over fifteen years ago. The top of Pine Street is closed off to allow a curation of cars on the main drag. The booths of sponsors also line the parking lot and building fronts, ranging from waffle treats to banking. Closer to the coffee shop sits the automotive sponsors, including Miller Motorcars and 1600 Veloce. The former brought out a Bugatti EB110 that led an entourage of supercars, while the latter displayed a Verde Germoglio 1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB alongside a posh and polished Eagle Low Drag GT.
But don’t limit your wandering to just Pine. Up and over one block will bring you to Elm Street, filled with all sorts of treasures, including a classic fire truck waving the biggest American flag of the day. Behind the Mobil station is an entire parking lot filled with BMWs, where you can find E30 M3s rubbing mirrors (not literally) with G05 X5Ms.
A side effect to handpicking the main drag early is that some really machines that are fashionably late end up parked around the area like Easter eggs. There was a green Ferrari F40 nonchalantly parked amongst other attendees in a nondescript lot. A RUF BTR sat against the tree line between a 928 and an Acadia.
And by 11:30, the excitement and commotion all but evaporates so the town can proceed with its Sunday as if a few thousand cars and even more people didn’t just take up temporary residence in order to enjoy themselves amongst the company of other car people.
Caffeine & Carburetors returns in September to downtown New Canaan and we highly suggest being there to experience it.
Caffeine and Carburetors
Photos by Bryan McCarthy.