If there’s anything I’ve learned from being a car enthusiast for most of my life, it’s that the automotive community has a “family” feel to it. I’ve watched car-club friends raise children, land their dream jobs, and travel the world. The Honda network is an extended family to me, so visiting the American Honda headquarters’ campus in the Los Angeles area is a bit like visiting home and seeing relatives.
Honda hosts bi-monthly meetups called “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” at its campus in Torrance. Each occasion is themed around a specific topic—for example, a recent one was all about rugged off-road travel, and another was racing-focused. Here is a story I wrote about last summer’s visit in my 1989 Honda Prelude. This time, I made the six-hour, 400-mile trek in a car not nearly as classic: my 2013 Acura ILX.
Charitable cause
Honda has a long-standing history of community involvement when it comes to collaboration with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 1991, funds childhood brain cancer research to cure kids, support families affected by the disease, and advocate for policies that help those involved. For this occasion, Honda partnered with a charity called Ride for Kids. There was a special section set apart for the Ride for Kids attendees at the venue.
Stand-out vehicles
One cool thing about Honda’s event is that it’s open to any make or model. Here were some of the noteworthy cars that caught my eye at the June 21 event.
1964 Chrysler 300 convertible
While most of the vehicles on display were polished to perfection, I loved seeing this 300 in all its unrestored glory. In this car’s case, I believe the car on display was a more affordable non-letter version of the 300-K. Check out that interior!
1969 Chevrolet El Camino
Sharing underpinnings with the midsized A-body Chevelle, the unmistakable El Camino was Chevrolet’s “coupe utility” that combined the driving dynamics of a car with the versatility of a pickup. I especially enjoyed the red paint and the American Racing wheels on this one. Based on how clean the interior of the bed was, it hadn’t done much hauling recently.
1980 Toyota Celica GT Liftback
Speaking of utility, the Celica GT Liftback was a versatile car in its day, too. The “A50” version (produced from 1980 to 1981) received square headlights in place of the prior round ones. An available GT variant came with alloy wheels, honeycomb grille, and enhanced interior appointments. Power was provided by a “20R” 2.2-liter inline-four with a five-speed manual transmission. Love the window louvers.
1985 Honda CRX Si
Honda called this compact the “unexpected sports car.” While primarily designed with economy travel in mind, its lightweight construction (at only 1,840 pounds) and fuel-injected engine gave it some performance credentials. The CRX was a two-seater with a bargain retail price of just $7,999 when new. This example was on display inside Honda’s collection hall—likely an uber-low-miler!
1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL
My friend Bill showed me the process for folding down the blue soft-top on his clean R107 SL, and then he let me have a seat behind the wheel. The textures and controls oozed quality—even at nearly 40 years old. Bill told me the car was featured on Wheeler Dealers’ YouTube channel back in 2018. When it came to two-seat roadsters, the SL was well-known for its status—and the power from its 5.6-liter V8.
Plan your visit
Honda’s event always delivers fun and, as the company has shown, can also promote charitable causes. If you are ever planning to visit Southern California, the American Honda Collection Hall is located inside the lobby and is open to the public during regular weekday business hours. Honda’s campus is located at 1919 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90505.
The next official “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” event, themed around heritage, will be held on August 16, 2025. Stay tuned to the American Honda Collection Hall’s website for information.
It was great to reconnect with friends from SoCal and beyond! Join the fun next time.
