Standing next to my favorite car at the show, the Imperial Speedster

As one of the editors of Hotrod & Restoration, I attend a lot of car shows. However, I can safely say that I’ve never been to a car show quite like the Muscle Cars at the Mansion event, which was held last Saturday night at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. If you look past the novelty of being on the grounds of such a legendary landmark, as well as the additional…um, eye candy…this show still has the most amazing collection of cars I’ve ever seen assembled in one place!

The front lawn of the Playboy Mansion was well-stocked with gleaming Chargers, Mustangs, custom motorcycles and many other rare cars. The Playboy Mansion fountain sits at the center of the lawn and is the place that all attendees are dropped off to begin their night. We were greeted by an impressive collection of vintage customized motorcycles, as well as a 1959 Imperial Speedster owned by Murray Pfaff of Pfaff Designs. Though it’s hard to pick a favorite out of this group of cars, I’d have to say the Speedster is the car I’d most like to drive through the gates and take home! With its Rolls Royce leather interior, 6.1 Hemi and customized body, this roadster (which ironically started its life as a four-door sedan) certainly caught my eye.

Another car that caught my eye was a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge. According to its owner, the car has been restored to its original glory and is completely stock. While this is all very impressive, the one thing that stood out the most about the car was its unique lime green color (the photos don’t do it justice; it’s really outstanding and unique). I was so impressed by this car, I decided to make it our November issue’s “Featured Vehicle!” (Be sure to check out the story about the car in our next issue!)

One of the coolest things about this show is that you never know who you’ll run into while roaming the car show on the lawn or the party out back. Although Hugh Hefner didn’t make an appearance, the “King of Kustomizers” George Barris, Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn,  “The Car Show” host Matt Farrah and many other celebrities were spotted at the party (not to mention a slew of Playboy bunnies and Playmates!)

This car show truly is every man’s fantasy come true: hot cars, hot girls and access to one of the coolest places in the country. The best part? The proceeds from this event  go to the It’s All About the Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of children through music and the arts.

Show attendees were also allowed access to Hef’s Game Room, animal sanctuary and, yes, the infamous Playboy Grotto (sorry, no photos allowed!)

Check out the rest of my photos from the event. (Click the thumbnail for a larger image.) If you’re interested in attending next year’s event, be sure to check www.musclecarsatthemansion.com for information.

All photos by Ashley Smissen, property of Hotrod & Restoration

Tags: 2011 Events, Best of 2011, Car Shows, Charities & Foundations, Editors Corner, Muscle Cars, Muscle Cars at the Mansion