All posts by Albert S. Davis

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Highlights from the 2015 Boca Raton Concours

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1930 Cadillac V16

This past weekend, I found myself getting a small tan in sunny Florida, while my cohort in the Northeast froze like a Popsicle. 80 degrees, plenty of sun, and low wind make great bedfellows with classic cars on a golf course, and with palm trees abound, the 2015 Boca Raton Concours was a sure thing. This was the first time I’ve attended this show, and I was suitably impressed.

Now in its 9th season, this show is very close in terms of timing to Amelia Island, but takes place much further south, just 60 miles north of Miami. The show is held on the grounds of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, one of the best establishments in South Florida. The show was on the golf course and featured Cadillac products, as well as anything related to the Ford Mustang, to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Best of Show was a familiar face and a familiar car–the same car that won Best of Show at Greenwich last summer, a stunning Minerva owned by Joseph Cassini, won the prize at Boca this weekend. Please enjoy this gallery of fine automobiles–features will be coming very soon of a stunning Ferrari 275 GTB NART Spyder, as well as a few gorgeous old Mopar muscle cars. Enjoy, all! Continue reading Highlights from the 2015 Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows

Mind Over Motor is Headed to Boca!

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Logo for the 9th Annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance

Ah yes, Florida. The land of sunlight, warm temperatures, and lots of rich people who love to buy nice cars. Okay, I’m not talking about all of Florida. I’m talking about a place I’ve been to so many times I practically lived there for a week every year as a little kid–Boca Raton. My paternal grandparents have lived there, more or less, since I was born, and my maternal grandmother lives there half the year. This makes going down there for a Concours event far easier than it does for, say, Amelia Island or Pebble Beach. For the first time in its history, this website will be providing coverage of the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance, held at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, right in town. This year’s featured marque at this event will be Cadillac.  Stay tuned for the best from Boca, as only MoM can bring you.   Continue reading Mind Over Motor is Headed to Boca! →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail

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Hemicuda Front Quail

Just because we feature a car here on Mind Over Motor doesn’t mean its fifteen minutes of fame should end. A year and a half ago, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda with Chrysler badges was making its first-ever appearance at the Greenwich Concours, and took home the Chief Judge’s Award last year on its debut. Fast-forward a year, and the ‘Cuda was back in action, after spending a bit of time in France–the country where it made history.

This is not a normal Hemi ‘Cuda. Most of them are designed to look good and race along Main Street between Maple Avenue and Pine Street against a Chevelle SS-454 (and win). This one fought for space alongside Porsche 911 racers and BMW 3.0 CSLs all over France–one of just four E-body Chryslers to ever do so. Nowadays, it’s retired, but it spent time in France on some of its old tracks during the past year or so. I can only imagine the sound of that thundering big-block V8 ricocheting across the French countryside, both getting everyone’s attention and ticking off the locals, who probably would rather not see such a brash American messing around their French roads. I personally wish that it happen more often. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail →

Cars We've Seen

1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA

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1957 Ford Thunderbird Curbside Front

The day before the Concours at Monterey Car week is a busy day. Laguna Seca is running races all day, the Concorso Italiano is in full swing, and Nick and I are running around town covering as much as humanly possible before dropping on our faces at the hotel later in the evening. Luckily for the both of us, there’s plenty of great cars out there to satisfy even the most finicky car enthusiast.

Exotics are aplenty, but American classics are always out in full force–some, like this Skymist Blue ’57 T-Bird, are even for sale. This particular car is almost identical to a model of a ’57 that occupies some valuable real estate on my desk at my office. In fact, the only difference is that the toy I have has wide whites, while the car on the streets has skinny whitewalls. Either way, it looked rather handsome on the streets of Carmel in the evening hours. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA →

SHOWCASE

What a feeling…Miata!

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Miata Front

I’ve got announcement for you, dear reader.  The mild-mannered, straitlaced side of the Mind Over Motor duo has let his hair down a little bit.  A few months ago, after a few stiff drinks and a hangover to rival Dionysus, I made the executive decision to get an NA Miata.  I bought one so I could get better at driving stick (I wasn’t bad when I bought it but this is the only way to improve consistently when you haven’t driven stick your whole life), as well as to have a second car to drive around when I want a go-kart for the road.

It’s in great shape–far better condition than the last Miata Nick had.  It’s a 1993 model with a new stereo and a new clutch, and it needs a little work. It’s a great car so far.  While the little 1.6L DOHC four isn’t a ball of fire, 2200 pounds make life easy for it off the line and it feels sprightly up to 75MPH.  The brakes are effective and the clutch feels very strong–it’s more than up to the abuse of a driver who’s new to manual transmissions (I hope).  No real leaks, and the only issue is that it’s lacking a limited-slip rear differential.   It also needs tires–the all seasons occupying the little 14-inch wheels need to go.

Flip up headlights, bright red paint, and a chassis and transmission to die for?  It’s going to be an interesting ride.  Stay with us, as a full review is coming this summer when the weather warms up. Continue reading What a feeling…Miata! →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the River Edge Car Show

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1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Front

While finishing up my stint at the River Edge Car Show, an aqua Ford Mustang Mach 1 showed up. While I’ve seen plenty of 1969s in my time, this one looked almost too familiar, and it hit me pretty fast. When I was 17 years old, a friend of mine asked me to help judge a classic car show in Parsippany NJ and this car was the Best of Show winner. Seven or so years later, and it was back–and I was more than happy to not only see it again, but to be armed with a camera to photograph it again.

This particular car is a single-owner vehicle. When we’re talking about a 1969 Mustang, that’s pretty special in its own right. The owner, Douglas Hakes, bought this car on a low-interest loan thanks to his stint in the Navy and he never looked back. More than 130,000 miles later, it’s been restored and has been a fixture at Mustang events and at North Jersey car shows (it’s based apparently out of Morris County) for some time now.

This one’s not your typical Mach 1–it’s not a big-block ground pounder with bright orange or white paint and psychedelic strobe stripes running down the sides. This one is Gulfstream Aqua, and it’s equipped with the 351 Windsor V8, a four-speed manual, and the Sportsroof body type (fastback body). It’s absolutely stunning, and although it came too late to this show to be judged, I would love to see it back next year to compete in its class and win a trophy to add to its rather large collection. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the River Edge Car Show →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda at the 2014 River Edge Car Show

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1970 Plymouth 'Cuda AAR Front

When it comes to homologation specials, Plymouth is not the first name that should pop into anyone’s head. However, when all three major American automakers, plus American Motors, were participants in the Trans-Am racing circuit, they all had to produce something to homologate the engine and the body of the car they chose to race. In the case of the Plymouth ‘Cuda, the AAR ended up being the car to take that burden. Unfortunately, not that many were sold in this era of big engines, big personalities, and bigger insurance policies. Only 2,724 were produced and sold in 1970, and they all had a few things in common. All of them sported a flat-black finished hood, black strobe stripes (white was available) down the sides, chrome in the grille, and a set of mean looking side pipes. Side spoilers on the front bumper and a duck tail spoiler rounded out the trim. The look was loud and mean–just the right look for the Plymouth “Rapid Transit System.”

What wasn’t visible to the naked eye, however, was a screaming Chrysler L.A. small block V8 sporting 340 cubic inches of anger, topped off with three deuces–that’s three Holley two-barrel carburetors, for those of you that are not initiated. A four-speed manual was standard, while the three-speed A727 TorqueFlite automatic was an extra-cost option. With better handling than the standard ‘Cuda, the AAR was a corner-carver in a time of straight-line performance–a true rarity coming from an American automaker of the time. This particular car sports a bright paint job (appropriately deemed Vitamin C Orange) with a black interior and the all-important four-speed manual transmission. Everyone knows about the Hemi ‘Cuda. More people need to know about its wild sister. Enjoy the photos from River Edge. Continue reading 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda at the 2014 River Edge Car Show →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours

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1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible Front

The Tri-Five Chevrolets are icons of the 1950s. In 1955, Chevrolet finally gave their lineup the shot in the arm it deserved via a flurry of bright color options, great new styling, and a new set of engines. 1955 would be the first year for the V8 option in Chevrolet’s passenger car line, and it set the precedent for the next few years. While the 1955 and 1957 models are the most iconic and valuable–for being the original, and the most outlandish (respectively), the 1956 model sometimes gets left out of the mix. This particular ’56 is a Bel Air convertible, possibly the most expensive way to buy your Chevrolet in 1956. It sports the 283 cubic inch V8 with a Powerglide automatic, but the appearance is straight as an arrow. The chrome, along with the neat two-tone blue exterior and interior, stood with the clear blue sky and almost seem to blend into the daytime light. The 1956 models were the middle child–with none of the middle child drawbacks. Enjoy the photos from Radnor. Continue reading 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours →

Cars We've Seen

Classy, brashy 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz spotted in Pebble Beach, CA

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1960 Cadillac Front Right

The first day Nick and I were at Pebble Beach this year, we spent a lot of time relaxing at the Inn at Spanish Bay gawking at the cars coming in and the money rolling in. After walking around the RetroAuto collection (and grabbing a few golf balls for a co-worker), we left the Inn and headed for the auction tents. Right before getting in the car, I noticed an enormous American hunk of iron sitting next to it–this classy old Cadillac. The Eldorado Biarritz was the top-of-the-line Cadillac droptop in 1960 and stayed that way until 1964. This example is one of only 1,285 made in 1960 and one of only a few I’ve seen since we started this site. It’s a real treat to see someone driving a car as big, brash, and beautiful as this one, anywhere.

Continue reading Classy, brashy 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz spotted in Pebble Beach, CA →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1936 Chrysler Imperial C-10 Airflow at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours

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Imperial Airflow Front

The Chrysler Airflow was the first time, and not the last time, that Chrysler Corporation would build something that was so ahead of its time aerodynamically that the design ended up being a sales failure despite its innovation. In the mid-1930s, automakers were not necessarily looking at aerodynamic styling outside of motorsports applications. Chrysler, however, decided that even without a big racing program in the Depression, that the theory of streamlining the panels on their new mainstream model, now called the Airflow, could be a success. They weren’t just wrong, they were far enough off the mark with the American public that the endeavor nearly killed the company by 1938, and the more traditionally-styled models were quickly pressed into service to bring sales back to normal levels. Not many Airflows sold thanks to the radical, streamlined styling (with influence by Orville Wright) and seeing one at a Concours event, while not unheard of, isn’t a common occurrence. This gold example at Radnor looked incredible, with only 60,000 miles since new. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1936 Chrysler Imperial C-10 Airflow at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Porsche 959 at the 2014 Scarsdale Concours

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Porsche 959 Front Angle

When anyone wants to find the origin of where modern supercars came from, the Porsche 959 is not just a great place to start looking. It is the only place to start looking. In 1985, when Porsche put the 959 on the market, most of its technical equipment wouldn’t have been out of place 25 years later. All-wheel drive, traction control, adjustable ride height, and twin-turbocharged propulsion were all on the standard features list, and almost all of those features can be found on today’s 911 in some way, shape, or form. It was a groundbreaking car not only for Porsche, but for the entire automobile industry–and it was so good that Porsche didn’t lend the NHTSA examples for crash testing, so the Reagan administration disallowed its legal sale in the United States. Luckily for us, it’s been 25 years since then, and the 959 is now fully legal on our shores without having to go through the Show and Display Act proceedings of years prior. Only 337 of these were made, and I’ve seen 3 or 4 of them since 2011, although this was the first one I’ve seen in silver in some time. In the sunlight of Scarsdale, NY, this 959’s time had come to shine for the public. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Porsche 959 at the 2014 Scarsdale Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours

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1959 Cadillac Series 62 Front

We’ve said this a few times here on Mind Over Motor that the 1959 Cadillac is an incredibly handsome machine, in so many words. Of course, we’re going to say more every time we see one. The convertible might be the best way to show off the ’59’s enormous features, such as the too-tall tailfins, ostentatious chrome, and sharp (both to the eye and to the skin) taillights. The Series 62, unlike the Eldorado Seville we featured a few months ago from Greenwich, is the base series of the Cadillac lineup for 1959 and continued in that role until 1965. This car has the tallest tailfins ever made, coupled with the perfect body style, a noticeable color combination, and a set of gorgeous wire wheels to go with the look. In 1959, no other car would do for an executive that wanted to buy American and get noticed at all times. A red Series 62 Convertible is not a car for those with low self-esteem, and that’s perfect for standing out at a Concours event. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours →