Wekfest Los Angeles 2018: Best Car Show in the World?

For as long as I have been in the car scene I have always heard of Wekfest as the “Oscars of car shows.” Super Street Magazine even claims it as “one of the best car show series in the world.” This year, the event organizer celebrates its 10th anniversary and has expanded its tour to include nine domestic cities as well as one in Japan.

But is Wekfest indeed the best car show? In my opinion, no. 

Wekfest has preeminently been held in Long Beach, California but this year the show was relocated to the Los Angeles Convention Center. While the indoor aspect is appealing, I would have rather walked around in the muggy 100-degrees Long Beach most likely would have been. Visually, the event didn’t have anything to distinguish it from other indoor show series like Spocom or AutoCon.

The layout was similar to other shows held at the same location, and it also featured many of the same cars seen at Auto Enthusiasts Day, Raceworz, and of course, Spocom. Wekfest is known for its “show car” quality over quantity and vigorous prescreening which only adds to its allure and exclusivity, that said, how exclusive can it really be if a majority of the cars are the same as at the other shows held at the same venue.

To that effect, space was occupied by 400 European, Japanese, and Domestic aftermarket builds as well as 50-some vendors made of automotive and lifestyle brands. Rather than executing its tradition of making each exhibiting car and vendor its focal point, it was overshadowed by other theatrics. I would have liked to see cars given more space between them and less of the whole model/stage and DJ thing.  

But it wasn’t all bad. What I enjoyed about Wekfest is that it is designed for the true enthusiast, with diversity in mind. The organizer worked to emphasize the vast variety of automotive culture and promote it in a favorable light.

Additionally, Wekfest played host to a massive showing of Rauh Welt Begriff Porsche cars, and other highlights like the Chronicles 10 Year Photo Gallery, and a “VIP Car” exhibition presented by Autofashion USA & VIPFest.

One of the core principals of the show is that it serves as common ground for automotive enthusiasts to gather and share their experiences in an organized setting. This year, the organization was dismal which I can only attribute to the relocation. Car owners reported load-in and parking to be a nightmare.

The show offered over 80 different award categories for various makes and categories to honor the leaders of the community properly. Some of our awards include: Car of The Festival (Best of Show), Restomod of The Festival (New for 2018), GTVIP of The Festival, Craftsmanship Award, Nostalgic Car of The Festival (Pre-90’s), 90’s Car of The Festival, Livery of The Festival, Euro Car of The Festival, Domestic of The Festival, Import of The Festival, Crew of The Festival, and Best Engineered, among others.

The next event in the series will be held in New Jersey on August 26, followed by Houston on October 14.

For more event information, See Wekfest.