Blackhawk museum again welcomes enthusiasts and their cars with coffee — and more

Turns out the famed Blackhawk Automotive Museum in northern California is interested in more than just its own collection of some of the world’s finest collectible vehicles. With the start of the new year, the museum began hosting a Cars & Coffee gathering for auto enthusiasts and their cars on the first Sunday of each month.

The museum was hoping at least 100 or so Bay Area classic and exotic car owners might turn out for the first one . But those expectations proved not nearly optimistic enough as 415 cars showed up, including everything from a Lancia Lambda, Lincoln Waterhouse and Packard Roadster from the late 1920s to the latest 2014 models from Lamboghini, Porsche and an F-type Jaguar.Things got so busy that the museum’s executive director Timothy McGrane got pressed into service directing cars to available parking spaces (see top photo).

The museum’s second First Sunday Cars & Coffee is scheduled for this coming Sunday. The event begins at 9 a.m., and participating car owners receive free museum admission for two from event sponsor Cole European, with Scott’s Catering providing coffee and pastries.

Since it’s Super Bowl Sunday, the museum suggests spending the day at Blackhawk Plaza in Danville, with brunch at the Blackhawk Grille and viewing of the game on the big screens at Fieldhouse Sports Grille & Tavern.

The new First Sunday Cars & Coffee is just part of the museum’s 25th anniversary, which continues through July.

A Speaker Series opens February 8 with automotive columnist, European correspondent and Formula One editor Andrew Frankl of Forza magazine making a presentation and talking about his book, Frankly Frankl: Life, Love, Luck & Automobiles. In addition to covering F1 for 50 years, Frankl is European bureau chief for the Autochannel and has driven nearly every new production car introduced since 1996.

On March 15, the speaker will be Jim Wangers, the former advertising executive whom many consider to be the godfather of the Pontiac GTO and the Detroit muscle car era.

The museum also launches a new Tours program with trips aboard the Snow Train and Fun Train to Reno to visit the National Automobile Museum (nee Harrah’s Collection). For details on those train trips, which run through March 11, visit www.keyholidays.com.

Also on the Tours schedule is a trip May 6-16 to the Monaco Historic Races and the Mille Miglia Tour. The trip includes a visit to the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Email [email protected] for details.

And the Music at the Museum Concert Series continues February 14 with contemporary jazz singer and guitarist Bobby Caldwell doing a Valentine’s Day concert.