Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Coronado Speed Festival

Every autumn the naval base on Coronado island in San Diego plays host to dozens of vintage car racers for a festival of speed as part of Fleet Week, the largest military appreciation event in the country. The runways are a natural asphalt playground, and the Southern California weather never fails to provide plenty of sunshine. Nine separate classes of cars run throughout the weekend, from Pre-1941 Sports and Racing cars all the way to 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am cars. Our particular favorite were the 1955-1960 Sports Racing cars that included a stunning 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, a pair of Jaguar D-Types, Maserati T-61 Birdcage, and a beautiful Aston Martin DBR-2. Spectators could also take tours of the pit area, browse the Meguiar's car club corral, take Naval ship tours, and explore a display of modern military vehicles and planes. We didn't stray much from the track, however, so that we could bring you plenty of photos of all the different groups of cars. You can check out the pictures, all available in high resolution, in the gallery below.