Imagine a relaxing picnic on the Palos...

Imagine a relaxing picnic on the Palos Verdes Peninsula with a clear view of Catalina Island. Parked on the grass and arranged in a palette of rainbow colors is an entourage of the most exotic and historic cars you’ve ever seen.

That’s the picture that will be painted today by the Palos Verdes Art Center and the Rotary Club of Palos Verdes Peninsula as they co-sponsor the first Palos Verdes Peninsula Concours d’Elegance, an exotic car exhibition featuring about 100 collectible cars.

The daylong event will take place on the 20-acre Portuguese Bend Playing Fields in Rancho Palos Verdes, about 15 minutes from the art center. Parnelli Jones, the former Indianapolis 500 champion, will serve as honorary chairman.

“There’s a love affair with the automobile in Southern California that certainly rivals Detroit,” said Vincent Beggs, executive director of Palos Verdes Art Center. “These cars are the tops in automotive design. Rarely do people get the opportunity to see so many automobiles of this caliber in one location. This is certainly the first time it’s ever happened on the peninsula.”

Vintage race cars, ranging from the first rear-engine car ever to compete at Indianapolis, to exotic Italian Ferraris valued at $3 million will be shown. American and European classics, including two 1964, two-seater Shelby Cobras, will also be on display. The Cadillac, symbol of the American luxury car, will be showcased in a tribute called “Six Decades of Cadillac,” featuring a 1940 seven-passenger V-16 model.

Steve Tillack, owner of an exotic car dealership in Redondo Beach that specializes in Ferrari sales and restoration work, will bring eight of his cars. Tillack’s collection includes a 1952 Ferrari.

“It really is a family event and people who know bring a picnic and lay it out on the grass,” Beggs said. “It should be very exciting.”

For those who do not prepare their own lunch, however, there will be a variety of food from three South Bay caterers: Chez Melange, J’Adore and Plaza Catering.

The exhibition will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The admission of $10 for adults and $6 for children over 5 will be donated to a variety of nonprofit and community charities. The soccer field is located off Palos Verdes Drive between Hawthorne and Western.