The So Cal Car Podcast

On this episode of the So Cal Car Scene Podcast, we talk about the latest on Trump tariffs and their impact on the auto industry. Next we get into electric vehicles, solid state batteries, and the Jeff Bezos-funded Slate Auto Truck. We finish with a brief discussion on the Long Beach Grand Prix. 

 It’s Monterey Car Week — one of the biggest gatherings of  collector cars  in the world.

In this episode, we preview some of the standout cars, stories, and trends heading into Monterey 2026. We talk about what makes cars like the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Ferrari F50, Lola-Ford T70 Mk II, and Delage D8-120 S Aerodynamic Coupe so special, while looking at the broader collector-car market and what enthusiasts should be watching throughout the week.

From concours-level classics and historic race cars to some of the most desirable supercars ever built, Monterey offers a snapshot of where the collector-car world is today — and where it may be headed next.

If you love classic cars, automotive history, auctions, racing, and the culture surrounding the world’s greatest cars, this is your Monterey Car Week preview. 

In this episode, we discuss Tesla bringing the Model Y L from China to the U.S., the recent business success of Stellantis, the buzz around the 2027 Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale, and a Renault car that went 1,000 miles in the U.K. using only solar power .

 In this relaunch of the So Cal Car Scene Podcast, hosts "So Cal" Jay Morash and Dean Morash talk about the most pressing car topics of the day, including: - Arizona auction results from Barrett-Jackson, RM Sothebys, and more. We discuss the health of the collector car market -Rumors of a four-door Ford Mustang -Price Drop on brand new C8 Chevrolet Corvettes -The Woes of European Auto Industry - The increase in investment for trending motorsports like Formula1 and IMSA for companies like Cadillac. -and more. #arizonaauction #barrettjackson #sothebys #carmarket #collectorcars #corvette #audi #racing #formula1 

Joining us in "The So Cal Car Scene" is Linda Vaughn or, as many of your know her as “Miss International Raceway" at the young age of 18 and has acquired many other titles since then, including Miss Hurst Golden Shifter. She was also chosen to be the Queen of the Dixie 400 in 1961 and Miss Firebird. Vaughn has been a notable ambassador and promoter of various forms of American motor racing for decades. In 1979, Linda was awarded the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) “Person of the Year” and was inducted into the SEMA hall of fame 8 years later. She appeared in the 1976 film The Gumball Rally, and the 1983 film Stroker Ace. She was just recently inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2019. 

Enjoy this enlightening and hilarious conversation with Linda as she highlights her incredible life with the "who's who" of racing like Don Garlits, movies and notable entertainers like Dolly Pardon and Burt Reynolds. Linda is a fountain of energy and an incredible story teller with an infectious laugh...enjoy!

Tony provides a unique insight into the world of Finish Line's car condos with investment grade cars, car clubs, car reveals and car ride and drives.  Their car clubs are home to some of the finest collectible automobiles in Southern California. Tony is a principal and President of Westcord Commercial Real Estate Services and is a Co-Managing Partner of TR Funding, LLC. A thirty five year real estate veteran and top producer specializing in office properties for Westcord, Tony has handled in excess of eight million square feet of property, and recorded over 4,000 sales and lease transactions totaling in excess of $5 billion dollars. 

Tony is also Co-Managing Partner of T.R. Funding, LLC. which has developed and rehabilitated over 50 properties throughout the Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange County regions since 1994. One of their recent projects is the Finish Line Auto Club Condos and the third one was just completed this past month. It’s located in Costa Mesa adjacent to John Wayne airport in Orange County, CA. The Finish Line Club has some very unique characteristics, that include an area for hosting special events and gatherings and a two story 7,000 sf clubhouse with a bar, fireplace, gaming tables, dining, conference room and more. 

He is an avid car collector and his collection has leaned heavy on Porsches, but he has owned a few Ferrari’s including a Dino and a few muscle cars including a 66 Shelby.

Haugen Racing is all about drifting, celebrating the JDM culture, debunking myths about drifting and doing crazy car stuff! Matt Haugen owns and leads a professional race team, “Haugen Racing”. He also is a  SEMA car builder and a big time content creator. He loves drifting, comedy, off-roading, building cars, and making videos! Their youtube channel is his largest focus right now and content includes vlogs, reaction videos, how to drift content, video games, off-roading, and more. He has also created and sells automotive and japanese inspired streetwear and accessories. He is a SEMA show regular since he was 16, with 7 vehicles in the show over the years including his one off Liberty Walk Lamborghini Murcielago and his 1JZ swapped Rocket Bunny 350z, dubbed the 351JZ.  He fell in love with drifting and has been pursuing that professionally since 2017.  He first competed in ProAm with his Hyundai 1,000 HP Genesis Coupe powered by a CBM 4.0 Whipple Supercharged 425 LS3.
Matt and his team create some great content and his channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/MattHaugenRacing is popping with fresh content 5 days a week!

Terry Karges, Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum shares with us the incredible new and exciting developments and exhibits at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. With its re-opening just days away, Terry and his team are busy making for an immersive customer experience at the museum. Don't miss this opportunity to watch Terry and I discuss the legacy that is the Petersen and the car collecting industry as a whole.  Listen in as Terry shares the story of obtaining lead guitarist for Metallica, James Hetfield's car collection and the other awesome new exhibits like "Supercars, A Century of Spectacle and Speed".

As the Executive Director of the Petersen, Terry introduced vault tours, monthly cruise-ins, adult education programs, movie nights and specialty car events. He has helped to increase overall attendance, creating new events that engage the people of Los Angeles and the global automotive community. Throughout the pandemic, under Terry’s leadership, the Petersen has effectively launched digital Vault tours, educational virtual field trips, YouTube garage tours, and virtual global cars and coffee events to allow fans to connect with other car enthusiasts globally. 

Before joining the Petersen, Terry was a senior manager in automotive OEM motorsports and theme park entertainment divisions, including Disneyland, Marine World and Sea World. His leadership background with automotive manufacturing firms includes Roush Performance, where he spent 17 years helping grow the company into the largest specialty high performance car brand in the world. There he also managed sales, advertising, new media, web development and vehicle packaging.  Prior to Roush, Terry enjoyed ownership of Karges Sport where he emphasized motorsports marketing and ran his own race team.

#petersenmuseum #petersen #carmuseums #carcollecting #supercars #hotrods #thevault #collectiblecars #porsches #ferarris

Bud Brutsman, Executive Producer for BCII, joins The So Cal Car Scene to tell us all about an epic new show that launches on March 15th On Discovery Plus, "Expedition: Back To The Future". This show is a great mashup of Josh Gates "Expedition Unknown" and the original crew of the movie "Back to the Future" with Christopher Lloyd, Michael J Fox and Lea Thompson as they pursue the legend of the movie's hero cars, the Deloreans. Josh Gates and Christopher Lloyd is a hilarious talented combination that you can't take your eyes off. Bud Brutsman is a producer, entrepreneur, military buff, off road racer just for starters. He’s written 3 books on the Navy SEALs, created a special task force to rescue climbers on Mt. Everest and in Baja. He’s a high energy, type A personality, known also for producing hit series like Overhaulin’, Rides, Hot Rod TV, Extreme RVs, SCORE World Desert Championship, Dust 2 Glory, Animal Storm Squad, Flippin’ RVs to name a very few. He created the definitive event in mixed martial arts, King of the Cage and Shark Fights. He won first in his class at the SCORE Baja 1000 and was one of the 2008 Raptor development team drivers. Join us and enjoy the stories Bud shares with us on this incredibly new and excited show as well as all his Gold Standard car TV shows like Rides and Overhaulin and incredible car designers like Chip Foose and celebrities like Brett Michaels.

Join us for this great ride as we learn about Ricardo's emergence in the custom car scene and his great story as a 3rd generation car fabricator. Check out this video as Richard takes us into his shop to see all of the cool stuff him and his team are working on like a 56 Chevy Truck for his wife named "Monik", a 59 Chevy and a 64 Mustang. Ricardo owns and operates "Customs By Lopez" in Southern California in Los Angeles and makes some of the most incredible custom muscle cars in the world! Ricardo's story is a fascinating one as he immigrated to the US from Mexico in the 90s with his brother to pursue the American dream fabricating cars. He started his business in his garage along with his brother in 2002. He got his AA degree in Automotive Management Administration at Cypress College in So Cal and as they say, “the rest is history”. Since then, a string of honors and recognition has come his way from notable shows such as Top 40 SEMA's Battle of the Builders with his Hellanor Mustang, Good Guys Best Truck, Best of Show for 3 consecutive years at the Boyd Coddington Show and Drivers Best for his VW Bug in 2000. His rides have been featured in 50 plus magazine features with numerous covers to his credit.