Time-capsule town

Frank Sinatra was the first celebrity to build a home in the desert town in 1967, and with his endorsement, Palm Springs soon became a secluded playground for the rich and famous. Now a ‘resort’ town and oasis for the wild and wonderful, especially those two weeks of the year when the Coachella music festival rolls in, the Californian town is a retreat for all things retro — automobiles included.

With the arrival of the Paradise Road Show on 20–21 January, lovers of American hot-rods and choppers united for two days of family-friendly fun. With the mid-century Ace Hotel at the centre of the event, petrolheads talked shop between the Chevy Corvettes, pickup trucks, Harley-Davidsons, and Indian motorcycles, while families went swimming in the hotel’s pool, visited the vintage shops, and took pictures in the old-fashioned photo booth at the hotel’s reception. In keeping with the retro theme, Johannes Huwe knew there’d be no better camera to capture the event than his Leica M — check out all his images in the gallery above.

Photos: Johannes Huwe