Palm Springs 85th car parade with Nancy Sinatra

Palm Springs celebrated its 85th year with a classic car parade. This is the first of its kind where 85 cars are presented from 1938 until present-day vehicles. Each year, there was one car for a record, possibly a Guinness World Record. Each vehicle carried a local celebrity, former and current mayors, council persons, radio and television personalities, and local leaders and merchants in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

The cars were impressive, immaculate, and very shiny.

The iconic Nancy Sinatra was the Grand Marshall of this parade of cars. She rode in a 2001 white Rolls Royce convertible with J. R. Roberts, car owner Henry Janssens and her daughter Amanda. Nancy Sinatra is the daughter of Frank Sintra and has been very supportive of events in Palm Springs. She spent many of her early years here in the Desert.

Hundreds of people converged on the parking lot area by the Palm Springs Convention Center. People took photos of these illustrious automobiles, many from yesteryear and some very rare but in perfect condition. Celebrities riding in the cars included Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, supermodel Beverly Johnson, Tennis star Rosie Casals, and BNP Paribas founder Charlie Pasarell. Local leaders like Harold Matzner and former mayors. Grant Fuhr and Gino Lamont from the new Firebirds hockey team. It is hard to name all the 85 people riding in the cars.

This all-day affair kicked off at 1:00 with the parade to the downtown park. Next, cars were displayed by the Forever Marilyn Monroe sculpture. People from all over Coachella Valley came to this free event. The celebration continued with a car show, D. J. Joe Kay, and an Elton John tribute concert at the Palm Springs downtown park. This was a