1990 Los Angeles Auto Show pictures

Being from Southern California, I made annual pilgrimages to the LA Auto Show as a kid.  A Vector fan recently asked for a picture I took of the American supercar.  While searching for it, I found these four photos from my 1990 trip.

1. Mitsubishi 3000GT.  Funny story behind this.  My friend in high school was caught pilfering at a local supermarket.  Though he didn't get in trouble with the law, he got in a lot of trouble with his strict parents.  About a week after the mini-heist, his dad made him watch a video called "Temptation".  He thought it was a Vatican-sanctioned instructional video on the deadly sin of misdemeanor theft.  Well, it was actually a cheesy promo video for the 3000GT.

2. Mercedes 500SL.  With a shelf life of 17 years (1972-1989), I thought the R107 SL was going to be THE Mercedes convertible forever.  When the R129 came out, I was dumbfounded.  It was so... modern.  When I first read about it, the coolest feature was the roll bar that sprung up in the event of a roll over.

3. Bentley Turbo R.  I really do not remember digging Bentleys when I was a kid, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture.  But today, if I could have any Bentley, it would be this red Turbo R.  Maybe it dug its way into my subconscious.

4. Vector.  If there was any wedge shaped car that boys in the 1980s coveted more than the Countach, it was this Vector.