It was a great day to look at small sports cars.

Hundreds of people flocked to a Danville parking lot Saturday to attend the 17th annual "MGs By The Bay" classic car show.

Eighty of the popular, vintage automobiles were on display in the Danville Livery lot on Sycamore Valley Road.

More than a dozen types of MGs circled the lot as people stared at the engines and admired their shining beauty.

"The event is simply to get people out so they can enjoy these classic cars," said Mike Jacobsen, a member of the MG Owners Club, the Northern California group that sponsored the event.

The MGs were made in England by the British company Morris Garages. They began to be sold in the United States after World War II. They became popular quickly and were imported until 1980.

There are plenty of the small, sporty cars still rolling down America's roads. Their owners are die-hard fans.

Larry Logan bought his 1933 J2 for $10,000 in 1998. He still drives his MG along the country roads near his southern California home. He transported the car to Danville in a trailer all the way from Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County.

"I love this event," said Logan. "It's wonderful here and I love the people."

Patti Brennan purchased her 1971 midget MG for $1,400 when she was a student at U.C. Berkeley in 1974. The Lafayette real estate agent still drives her tiny auto every day. Among other reasons, she said she likes the looks she gets, and 34 mpg is hard to beat.

"It's cute. I love it," she said. "It's the simple things in life that are the best."