By Thursday, October 8, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 was showing no signs of slowing down. Five days into the 30th anniversary celebration, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was still crawling with hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks. But Day 5 brought a different kind of excitement, with smoking tires, collector cars crossing the auction block, and enough automotive treasures to keep any gearhead digging for hours.
By Wednesday, October 7, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 had hit its stride, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast was looking more like a rolling automotive museum than a vacation destination. Hot rods, muscle cars, customs, and classic trucks were everywhere, with thousands of enthusiasts making the most of the event’s 30th anniversary celebration.
Day 4 brought one of the week’s biggest attractions, the Biloxi Block Party, along with autocross competition, tire-smoking drifting, and an evening of celebrity appearances and live entertainment. If you couldn’t find something to get your motor running, you probably weren’t looking hard enough.
By Tuesday, October 6, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 was firing on all cylinders. With Sunday’s rain in the rearview mirror, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was crawling with hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classic trucks as the 30th anniversary celebration rolled into its third day. From Gulfport to Moss Point and Biloxi, there was no shortage of chrome, horsepower, and good old-fashioned automotive excitement.
After a soggy start on Sunday, Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 shifted into high gear on Monday, October 5. The skies cleared, the crowds rolled in, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast came alive with chrome, horsepower, and enough automotive eye candy to keep your head on a swivel. From the bustling activity at Cruise Central to the streets of Long Beach and the autocross course in D’Iberville, Day 2 delivered a little something for everyone. And with the 30th anniversary celebration just getting started, there was plenty more to come.
Thirty years, thousands of cars, and one heck of a good reason to head south. Cruisin’ The Coast 2026 rolled into Mississippi on Sunday, October 4, kicking off its 30th anniversary celebration with an army of hot rods, customs, muscle cars, classic trucks, and just about everything else with wheels and attitude. What started back in 1996 with just 374 registered vehicles has grown into one of America’s premier automotive gatherings. For eight glorious days, the Mississippi Gulf Coast became a rolling car show, with Highway 90 serving as the main artery connecting cruise-ins, entertainment, and thousands of enthusiasts who know there’s nothing better than putting some miles on old iron.
When Joe Samperisi acquired this ’61 Chevrolet Impala, he knew he wanted to make some changes even before the money exchanged hands. Regardless of how much work has been done to a vehicle, a new owner will make changes to suit his or her taste. Sometimes these changes are subtle, but there are times when a new owner decides that a complete makeover is in order. Joe Samperisi’s ’61 Impala is no different. While a great deal of work had been done to the bubbletop, Samperisi felt that he could make some improvements. Judging from what we see, he made all the right moves.
Meet Charles “Charlie” Tunnell, retired racecar driver, industrial engineer, street rod builder and armchair philosopher. Now take a look at Charlie and Lavelle Tunnell’s all-steel, ZZ4-powered 1927 Model T Ford roadster. This machine has more than 45 years’ worth of Tunnell family history tied up in it, and that’s a lot of living life at the fullest with the bugs in your teeth and the wind in your hair!
Now in its fourth year, the Triple Crown of Rodding had given builders and enthusiasts plenty of reasons to circle the calendar. The 2026 edition added another impressive lineup to that reputation, bringing together cars and trucks whose appeal went well beyond a polished exterior. These were builds that rewarded a closer look, with craftsmanship, creativity, and thoughtful execution giving each its own identity.
It seems that everyone with a talent for building something is finding a career in television these days. Channels that were once dedicated to the preservation of rainforests and historic perspective have turned their attention to various forms of reality shows centered on street rods, choppers and wicked creations that defy description.
HOT ROD brought the Power Fest name back for 2026, filling Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway with a weekend of fast cars, cool builds and nonstop action. Held August 28–29, Power Fest transformed the NASCAR facility into a giant automotive playground with drag racing on pit road, an autocross course, a huge car show and a manufacturer midway. Classic muscle, traditional hot rods, modern performance cars, trucks and homebuilt street machines were all part of the mix.
