Monthly Car Show is a Win for Everyone

Tom Bustos remembers the day a car show provided a once-in-lifetime experience for a local woman. Back in 2022, a family cleaned up an old Dodge Dart that was exactly like the one their mom had back in her youth.

The family surprised the mom by taking her to the Cars and Conversation Merced show.

“They made sure the car was there before she arrived, Tom recalls. “She had no idea that this car was going to be part of their family that day. It was a joy to watch that reveal unfold.”

Personal stories like these keep Tom and his wife Emily putting on the monthly car show in the north parking lot at Merced Mall.

Cars and Coffee Merced started when Emily and Tom thought the time was right for a car show that was free, family friendly, and not too narrow in focus.

“There were a lot of shows, but they were very specific about car types or time periods,” Emily said. “We wanted a venue that was open to everyone, and any kind of car.”

From that basic concept emerged Cars and Coffee Merced. The property manager at Merced Mall offered the north parking area for displays, Merced Car Wash emerged as a partner to hold the events, and Jantz Bakery offered to provide morning coffee.

The couple use social media to let people know about upcoming car shows. Word-of-mouth has also helped spread the word.

On the first Saturday of every month beginning in March, Cars and Coffee Merced welcomes the cars, their owners, and the public for a few hours of nostalgia, reconnection, and car talk.

“We’ve been hosting Cars and Coffee in Merced since 2016,” said Tom Bustos. “We feel really blessed.”

The monthly activity provides all of the good things a car show can create and it helps community organizations along the way. The July event raises money for the Carlos Viera Foundation Race for Autism with a raffle for fireworks.

Other groups that benefit from the showcase of vintage cars include Cub Scout Pack 96 when the annual Pinewood Derby is staged on site alongside the automobile displays.

“That event includes a scavenger hunt where participants find cars with particular histories,” Tom said.

There are a lot of classic car enthusiasts in the Central Valley of California.

This monthly event provides the family friendly venue where everyone is welcome and any car can be displayed.

The Bustos get into the act with their two cars. One drives a Maserati and the other drives a Porsche. The other added bonus of Cars and Coffee Merced is the creation of new memories connecting people to a special set of wheels in their lives.

One car enthusiast shared a story about selling a classic car at a reduced price to a terminally ill friend so that the friend could enjoy it in what would be his final days.

Others can recall a specific type of car that was exactly like the car a close relative had back decades ago.

Still others just get a kick out of seeing all the cars.

Cars and Coffee Merced is held every first Saturday morning from March through October in the north parking area at Merced Mall.

There is no entry fee for cars and no admission charge to the public. A raffle helps generate enough money to provide some light snacks, pay for the event insurance, and purchase additional prizes.

The purpose is quite simple according to Tom: “The goal is just to bring motor enthusiasts of all kinds together.”

That goal is reached every month during car show season. Memories continue to be made month after month, wheel after wheel.