Old World Motoring Show by Art Center StudentsMark VaughnIf you happen to like small sporty European cars of the late '50s and early '60s—and who doesn't?—this was a great and very cool show."Old World Motoring—A Curated Exhibition of Postwar Automobiles" presented by LeClub in Los Angeles was a production of Art Center students who just thought these kinds of cars were cool.It was put on by Hiram Ce Wang, who graduates in two weeks from Art Center, Yinghua Lu, who already graduated, and a guy who has taken classes at Art Center and is so cool he uses only one name: Sid.AdvertisementAdvertisement"We all agree that's our favorite era of car because it's so pure," said Wang, for whom English may be a second tongue but whose design passion speaks a universal language. "There's a lot of fancy stuff back in this time, it's something I miss a lot even though I wasn't born from that age. It's something we can't see, design-wise, every day now."But, we said, today you get crumple zones, rollover protection, and in a frontal crash, the steering column won't go through your sternum."Yes, but you get so much more. It was a great time."The venue for Old World Motoring was a small brick building in industrial East LA with just the right amount of gritty urbanity (there was a pit bull!) mixed with a perfectly curated collection of Alfas, Lancias, Porsches, and Ferraris. It was like they made an automotive salad with all your favorite ingredients. So scroll on and see if you like these.1) 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 Record Monza SS ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark VaughnHand built by Zagato on the later Fiat 600 D platform, the 850 embodied Carlo Abarth's philosophy of light weight and efficiency.2) 1994 Rover Mini CooperPhoto credit: Mark VaughnThis 1994 Rover Mini Cooper represents the final evolution of the classic Mini Cooper.3) 1969 Saab Sonett V4Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe lightweight fiberglass Sonett was primarily built for the US market. The hood bulge hides a Ford V4 engine.4) 1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 Touring SpiderPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2000 Spider was originally styled by Carrozzeria Touring.5) 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 BerlinaPhoto credit: Mark VaughnThis was Alfa's flagship sports sedan, believed to have been styled by the great Marcello Gandini during his early years at Bertone.6) 1962 Volkswagen 1500 Karman Ghia Type 34Photo credit: Mark VaughnBuilt on the Type 3 platform and styled by Ghia, it represented VW's attempt to move upmarket.7) 1961 Lancia Appia Series IIIPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAnother V4-powered entry, this Appia also has a four-in-the-tree transmission, along with suicide rear doors and no B-pillar.8) 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 Record Monza SS ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisementIn order to get the weight down as much as possible, this body is aluminum with Plexiglass windows.9) 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SprintPhoto credit: Mark VaughnDesigned by Franco Scaglione at Bertone, the Sprint sported an all-aluminum twin-cam engine, and its success set the standard for a generation of Alfas to come.10) 1973 Lancia 2000 HF CoupePhoto credit: Mark VaughnThe 2000 HF Coupe was the final edition of the Flavia. It sported Bosch electronic fuel injection, four-wheel discs, and front-wheel drive.11) Lancia Flavia ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark Vaughn"Still one of the craziest shapes ever built," said Mike Baum, who owns it with Bronson Page. "And Lancia sold 626 of them (but we are unsure on the correct number). This was a rather large production number for Zagato at that point. Was it a success?"12) 1964 Ferrari 330 AmericaPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 330 America was the first Ferrari to get the new 4.0-liter Colombo V12, giving it effortless performance with refined grand touring comfort.13) 1969 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 JuniorPhoto credit: Mark VaughnDesigned by Giorgetto Giugiaro when he was at Bertone, the 1300 Junior offered an all-aluminum twin-cam four, four-wheel discs, and a five-speed manual.14) ChickenPhoto credit: Mark VaughnThis very friendly dog belongs to the guy who owns the venue. The dog's name is Chicken. You gotta beef w' dat?15) Porsche 1500Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe Porsche 1500 sported a 1.5-liter that evolved into several legendary variants, most notably the 1500 Super and the track-focused, four-cam 1500 GS Carrera.16) 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 Record Monza SS ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisement17) 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 Record Monza SS ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark Vaughn18) Porsche 914/4Photo credit: Mark VaughnThe Porsche 914/4 was an affordable mid-engine sports car developed as a joint venture with Volkswagen. Produced from 1969 to 1976, it featured a Targa-style removable roof, pop-up headlights, and a VW-sourced flat-four engine. It was the volume seller of the 914 line, moving over 118,000 units worldwide.19) 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTPhoto credit: Mark VaughnWith styling by Pininfarina, the Dino became a sought-after car of its day by enthusiasts and Hollywood stars.20) 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 Record Monza SS ZagatoPhoto credit: Mark VaughnAdvertisementAdvertisement21) Porsche 1500Photo credit: Mark Vaughn22) 1962 Volkswagen 1500 Karman Ghia Type 34Photo credit: Mark Vaughn