Concours d'Lemons 2017 / Lauren Joseph / Aug 25th, 2017 @ 16:05

  • Image may contain Human Person Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Funeral and Crowd
    Justin Kaneps
    01
    At the ninth annual Concours d'Lemons, 160 cars of varying levels of shabbiness compete for "worst-in-show" and bags of gag gifts.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Sunglasses Accessories Accessory Tire Pants Car and Automobile
    Justin Kaneps
    02
    Matt Morilo (kneeling) with judges Corky Coker and Dick McLure, and his class-winning 1965 Chrysler New York.
  • Image may contain Logo Symbol and Trademark
    Justin Kaneps
    03
    Where the fancier Concours d'Elegance values historical accuracy and "elegance" this show prizes absurdity.
  • This image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Drink Beverage Beer Alcohol Sleeve Transportation and Vehicle
    Justin Kaneps
    04
    In between crass jokes about altar boys, a wine-swilling man dressed as a priest explains his 1976 Ford Pinto works miracles: It has been rear-ended twice without catching fire.
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Accessories Tie Accessory Logo Symbol and Trademark
    Justin Kaneps
    05
    It may not be fancy, but the Concours d'Lemons does have its own kind of pageantry.
  • Image may contain Light and Headlight
    Justin Kaneps
    06
    At this show, the rustier the car, the better its chance of winning.
  • Image may contain Human Person Vehicle Transportation Automobile Car Sports Car Coupe Grass Plant Tire and Spoke
    Justin Kaneps
    07
    The prize for worst-in-show went to Randy Carlson's Civic with two steering wheels and two engines.
  • Image may contain Human Person Vehicle Transportation Car Automobile Convertible Driving and Face
    Justin Kaneps
    08
    “I don’t know who built it or why or what they were on,” owner Randy Carlson says.
  • Image may contain Grass Plant Human Person Tire Wheel Machine Clothing Apparel Car Wheel Lawn and Alloy Wheel
    Justin Kaneps
    09
    Guy V Colombe is all about saving old Chryslers.
  • Image may contain Furniture Couch Cushion Chair Interior Design Indoors and Car Seat
    Justin Kaneps
    10
    Remember, "absurdity" is the key word here.
  • This image may contain Machine and Spoke
    Justin Kaneps
    11
    Andreas Wietzke showed up with a Coca-Cola-branded Ford Mustang station wagon he bought on eBay.
  • Image may contain Rust Logo Symbol and Trademark
    Justin Kaneps
    12
    This 1972 Citroën DS completed a 2,400-mile rally drive before arriving in Seaside for the show.
  • Image may contain Human Person and Bronze
    Justin Kaneps
    13
    Along with gag gifts like boiled potatoes and cheap vodka, winners get pretty ugly trophies.
  • Image may contain Transportation Car Vehicle and Automobile
    Justin Kaneps
    14
    And where the Concours d'Elegance fetes cars with confetti, here it's Silly String.
Read More
The WIRED Guide to Shopping Prime Big Deal Days
Before Amazon’s October sale begins, learn how to investigate prices and track products like a pro.
Louryn Strampe
The Top New Features Coming to MacOS 27 Golden Gate to Try Out Now
Siri’s reintroduction takes center stage as Apple officially rolls out the latest version of macOS to download and install.
Luke Larsen
I Trained a Fly’s Brain to Generate WIRED Story Ideas
I used an open-source map of a fruit fly’s brain to vibe code a website called PitchFly. Its headline suggestions were delightfully bananas.
Will Knight
The 8 Best Movies to Stream This Month
The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Wild Robot, and Obsession are among the must-watch films arriving this month.
Matt Kamen
Chipotle Is Working With Palantir to Track Food Safety Risks
The burrito chain has enlisted Palantir for a platform that monitors pest incidents, employee illnesses, and other factors. The partnership comes after a nightmare summer for food safety across the US.
Kate Taylor
The iPhone 18 Pro Is for the Shutterbugs
Fun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.
Julian Chokkattu
Don’t Buy an Android Phone Until You Read Our Guide
Shopping for a phone can be an ordeal. That’s why we’ve tested almost every Android phone, from the smartest to the cheapest—even phones that fold—to find the ones worth your money.
Julian Chokkattu
Introducing the WIRED App
The app is the best way to read, watch, and listen to WIRED’s journalism.
WIRED Staff
Hackers Got Inside a Flock Camera. Its Data Shows How the System Really Works
A hacker collective pulled down a Flock camera and dumped its data. The files included thousands of videos and logs showing that the device captured 1.6 million images of 50,000 vehicles in 21 days.
Dhruv Mehrotra
The EU Plans to Ban Social Media For Under-13s
The bloc wants to curb Big Tech’s grip on children with its new EU Kids Act, but age checks, parental oversight, and privacy concerns could make its plan difficult to implement.
Isabella Ward
I Made Robot Vacuums Clean Up Cherry Juice and Cheerios. These Won
My hands-on tests reveal which models can scrub stains, reach difficult corners, and navigate a chaotic home.
Nena Farrell
Self-Driving Cars Might Change Crash Testing Forever
Lie down in a car, and you’re more likely to get seriously hurt in a crash. But a driverless future is forcing governments to revisit long-standing safety issues.
Aarian Marshall