Freak of the Week returns to Topanga with prize display at LA Auto Show

Motorhead Mama is bringing Freak of the Week back to Topanga on Sept. 19 with a free, family-friendly car show that celebrates unusual vehicles and the people who drive them. Winning vehicles will also be displayed at the 2026 Los Angeles Auto Show, giving the event a bigger stage.

Why it matters: - Freak of the Week rewards creativity and individuality instead of horsepower, price or perfect paint jobs. - The winning vehicles will move from a local community event to display space at the 2026 Los Angeles Auto Show, one of the industry’s biggest stages. - The show is designed to be accessible to families and people who are not car experts.

What happened: - Motorhead Mama, the automotive personality also known as Amelia Dalgaard, is bringing Freak of the Week: Where The Weird Ones Win back to the Topanga Community Center on Saturday, Sept. 19. - The event is free and family-friendly. - The show will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a locals’ vehicle meetup from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. - The event will take place at 1440 N Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90290.

The details: - Freak of the Week spotlights unusual vehicles and their owners, from a fully bedazzled sedan to a hand-painted school bus with horns. - Dalgaard said the event is built for people who may not consider themselves car fans. - The inaugural show drew more than 450 attendees from across Los Angeles. - Organizers said 60% of attendees were families and 40% were women. - Judges at the first event included representatives from MotorTrend, ABC7 and Edmunds. - Angelyne’s pink Corvette also appeared at the inaugural show. - Last year’s winners included Nicole Fonseca’s floral Chevy Impala and Sandro’s “Donut” 4Runner. - Several of those winners will return in 2026, some with new vehicles. - The 2026 lineup will also include Joe Magliato’s “Trinity,” a Hot Wheels Legends Tour winner, a specialty vehicle by car builder Gary L Wales and one of Kenny Scharf’s original hand-painted cars. - The Topanga event will include a silent auction benefiting Topanga Elementary School. - Auction items will include a private tour of the Los Angeles Auto Show, personalized car-buying advice and automotive memorabilia.

Between the lines: - Freak of the Week is positioning itself as a culture event as much as a car show, using humor and self-expression to broaden the audience. - The move toward the Los Angeles Auto Show suggests the event is gaining credibility with a wider automotive audience while keeping its offbeat identity. - Dalgaard has spent more than 15 years building automotive experiences that aim to be entertaining, family-friendly and approachable. - Her background includes work as a juror for Women’s World Car of the Year and as president emeritus of the Motor Press Guild. - Freak of the Week began as a social series and became a live show in 2025.

What's next: - Selected winning vehicles from Freak of the Week will be displayed at the 2026 Los Angeles Auto Show. - Organizers are inviting locals to attend the Topanga event and bring vehicles for the meetup window. - Social accounts tied to the event are @motorheadmama and @freakoftheweekcarshow. - More information is available through Motorhead Mama’s social profiles, including Amelia Dalgaard’s LinkedIn profile, Motorhead Mama on Instagram, Motorhead Mama on Facebook, Motorhead Mama on YouTube, Motorhead Mama on X and Freak of the Week on Instagram.

The bottom line: - Freak of the Week is turning oddball cars into a community event with a growing profile and a prize that puts winners in front of a much larger audience.