Classic Cars West: Boutique vintage car dealership in the heart of Oakland’s Uptown Arts District
Classic Cars West: Boutique vintage car dealership in the heart of Oakland’s Uptown Arts District
January 28, 2019
Classic Cars West is a boutique vintage car dealership, restaurant and art gallery located in the heart of Oakland’s Uptown Arts District. They stock a unique inventory from European sports cars to American Muscle and prewar vehicles, as well as modern exotic and luxury cars that can be rented out for all manner of uses including photo shoots and movie productions.
If you’ve any time in Uptown Oakland then you know about its unique blend of car dealerships, garages, art galleries, and above average watering holes. The first Friday of every month turns Telegraph Avenue and Uptown into a block party for the entire city. For most Oaklanders this is the opportunity to bring together friends you haven’t seen in a while to catch up during a night spent eating, drinking, and dancing. These unique circumstances have helped to make Classic Cars West one of Oakland’s truly unique and hybrid spaces.
It’s hard to describe Classic Cars West in one word. In addition to its showroom full of vintage cars the space hosts a restaurant, bar, beer garden, and event space. You can have lunch with a 1968 Corvette Roadster or come back at night for a drink with your friends in the spacious beer garden. Its location right off Telegraph Avenue also keeps it hidden from people not curious enough to seek it out, meaning crowds are hardly an issue and there is ample room for large groups. So the next time your walking about First Friday in search of a drink without a line, remember to check where other people aren’t.
Another often-overlooked aspect of Classic Cars West is its support of the local arts scene. We at Fault Radio have been working with the venue to broadcast local DJs and producers, but the venue does so much more. It also curates art shows from local artists in their open room gallery and host food pop-ups from the community. When the summer months roll around expect the Classic Cars West beer garden to be full of local creative types planning out their next projects or gathering inspiration from the latest gallery installation.
Go over to our broadcasts archive to see the sets in their entirety.
Photos by Dundee Maghen and Brennan Ko Madden