When it comes to wagons, the faster they are, the more interesting they become. I was born into a wagon-owning family. It wasn’t so flashy, just a 1989 Pontiac 6000 in blue–but it was gone in a flash when a few lowlifes stole it in Jersey City. Since then, I’ve been a fan of station wagons, for their practicality and better handling characteristics (usually) than SUVs and crossovers. Mercedes-Benz’s slowest selling car happens to be the one you see here–the E63 AMG Wagon. This wagon packs a twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8, packing over 580 horsepower and all-wheel-drive standard. Last I checked, they don’t sell more than about a thousand per year of these, and with good reason–it’s a small market. That said, here at Mind Over Motor, we are glad they see the need for them. When this black one pulled up, Nick yelled to me from across the Ocean Avenue junction to turn around, and I found myself face to face with it. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon spotted in Carmel, CA→
When walking around Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week, anything and everything is possible. This includes simply showing up at the Lodge to check in for the weekend and pick up some media passes, walking downstairs to check out the area, and finding ourselves face to face with one of the showstoppers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ferrari’s 365 GTB/4 was the last front-engine, V12 flagship the company produced until the 550 Maranello launched in 1996, a full 20+ years after the end of the 365’s production. Both the hardtop and the convertible (pictured here) are some of the best examples of what the late Sixties had to offer the public in terms of pure exotic flash, and even today they are highly sought after. Only 122 Spyders were produced by Ferrari between 1971 and 1973, as compared to 1,024 berlinettas. Nick and I spent a long period of time just gaping at this little red number and the time felt well-spent. This was the first car we spotted in Pebble during our time there, and it was a terrific way to kick off the festivities. Enjoy the photos, and from both Nick and myself here at Mind Over Motor, we would like to wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday. Continue reading Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder spotted at Pebble Beach, CA→
Alfa Romeos are always welcome in the sun-kissed, blessed land of California. Carmel is full of fantastic cars, and this wasn’t the first Alfa I saw that caught my attention, the other being another Guila (a 1300 Junior Zagato just downhill from this intersection). This navy blue example was fighting for attention among Vipers, 458 Italias, 599s, and the odd Lamborghini Gallardo, but I don’t need a classic like this little number to fight–it had my attention immediately. The dark blue finish stood out starkly from the gray pavement and drab rental cars surrounding it during Monterey Car Week. The little lines and gorgeous headlights accentuate this particular car’s finish. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce spotted in Carmel, CA→
White and Ferrari sometimes goes really well together, and other times doesn’t. Luckily for us all, this time, it goes incredibly well together. Clearly, it goes so well together, someone was willing to pay more than fifteen times as much my parents’ house’s worth in northern New Jersey for this magnificent convertible 250. Only 40 of the Series 1 Cabriolets were made, and this one, chassis 0759-GT, is the eighth one out of the factory and was featured at the Turin Auto Show in 1957. It made its way initially to Venezuela, but eventually was added to the Maranello Rosso collection (a feature at the Bonhams auction this year at The Quail) in 1991. The final sale price was a cool $6.9 million dollars–quite a sum for a non-California Spyder droptop 250, but a price well-paid. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet at the Bonhams 2014 Quail Lodge Auction→
When it comes to the Rockefeller family, it’s hard not to think of money, prestige, fame, politics, and limousines. This particularly extravagant limo is a 1960 Imperial with a body by Ghia and an interior to die for. 17 of these Ghia-bodied limos left the factory in 1960 and this is the only one ordered without the third set of rear-side windows (making this a 5-window model as opposed to a 7-window). Nelson D. Rockefeller ordered this car when he was elected Governor of New York back in 1960 and outfitted it with emergency lights, a fabric rear seat, and vinyl half-roof. Governor Rockefeller rode in genuine style from his inauguration in 1960 (in this car) and until the end of his time in Albany, and had a penchant for Imperials, using this and another later model in the late Sixties. To make this an even more exclusive type of vehicle, there was actually a sister Ghia-bodied limo like this one, but it was owned by the one and only Jacqueline Kennedy. Rarefied air, indeed. It’s fit for a Rockefeller, it’s fit for a Kennedy, it’s probably even fit for royalty. Enjoy the photos of this regal official car. Continue reading Rockefeller’s Imperial Limo at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours→
When it comes to the low and lithe 250 Testa Rossa, few other Ferraris have the same combination of sex appeal, speed, and freakish good looks. Paint one yellow and red, and a Concours judge will pay attention for quite a while. It got my attention too, considering I had to fight people tooth and nail just to get a few good snaps of this one. Pebble Beach was happy to feature the 250 Testa Rossa this past year and dedicated the end of the 17th fairway to a fleet of them for all to see and adore. This yellow and red example owned by Harry Yeaggy and Willis Murphy, Jr won 2nd in class and had ownership of an incredible history–this was a customer car, raced for an extensive period of time. It lost its engine and had to race with a Chevy V8, but 19 years ago was reunited with its original engine, which is now back in the car for the first time since this Testa Rossa was delivered in 1958. “Stunning” isn’t the right word. “Terrific” better covers it. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Scaglietti Spyder at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance→
When it comes to the VW Beetle, I’m not the biggest fan in the world, but I tolerate them. Of course, one that’s been modified in some amusing way will keep my attention for a good amount longer. This little white Beetle had some turquoise tape stripes (clearly made of tape), cool Minilite-style wheels, and some writing on the back window. It’s nowhere near the caliber of any other car that I saw running around Carmel that evening, but this unique little Beetle (which has a “turbo” and “1000 Horsepower” according to the written notes on the back end) has a draw and a charm all its own. Continue reading 1973 Volkswagen Beetle #69 Spotted in Carmel, CA→
When it comes to Fox Body Mustangs, most people think of the notchback Mustangs from the later era, along with stripped-out hatchbacks packing huge V8s (often with superchargers added in) screaming down the drag strip. They’re interesting cars for the era and are slowly becoming more appreciated in the Mustang community for plenty of reasons. However, this is no ordinary Fox. This Fox has been drinking steroids through an IV bag. Thanks to the McLaren body and success Ford had in racing the Mustang in the IMSA-GTO endurance class in the early Eighties, three street display cars resulted to advertise the new 5.0L V8 engine and a new set of Firestone tires. This is the second of just three built, and the only one remaining at this time. Although it’s not a normal car to see at a Concours event, it looked quite fitting on the bottom row of cars at Radnor last month, especially against the crystal-blue sky. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1980 Ford Mustang GT Enduro at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours→
Ruxtons were a featured marque this year at the Pebble Beach Concours, and what a great brand to feature at a show like this. These cars were built-to-order in a shop in Philadelphia and were incredibly expensive to buy. As the first front-wheel-drive American automobile for sale, these were exclusive in their era and very innovative for the late Twenties. The brand would sadly fail in 1931, but interest in the cars has been high in the recent past as orphan marques become more noticeable at Concours events. This particular Ruxton is the fifth Roadster built and features a truly breathtaking pink paint finish, something unique and stunning on a car from the Roaring Twenties. This car now resides in the Petersen collection and was right at the front of the line of Ruxtons in the middle row at Pebble Beach–a fitting location for such an eye-catching automobile. In terms of striving for attention, it does not get any better than this Ruxton for 1929. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1929 Ruxton C Baker-Raulang Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance→
When it comes to making lemons out of rotten lemons, Roadkill does quite a job. From supercharging a Chevy-powered Jaguar early on, to doing an engine swap on a ’68 El Camino in a parts-store parking lot in Reno, to dumping a motorhome-worn 440 Chrysler V8 into a rusted-out Dodge Charger shell, David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan work for Hot Rod Magazine and Subaru brought them a few Legacy sedans to compete against in three separate contests–a barrel race vs a beat-up Ford Ranchero, a rallycross race between a Legacy 3.6R and the “General Mayhem” (a beat-up 1968 Dodge Charger with a smog-choked 440 and worn-out axles), and a road race through an abandoned neighborhood against a turbocharged, Chevy V6-powered Datsun 240Z with more rust than sheet metal. I don’t want to reveal the ending–the video is worth watching. Go ahead, take an hour, and watch the video, it’s worth the time spent.
While Nick was busy walking to the rental car after we got done taking photos at Bonhams, I was busy trying to line up a shot of a rather humorous “YOLO” style plate on a Lamborghini Gallardo when one of my all-time favorite early-Seventies pieces of Americana rolled into view. These guys were a cool bunch, and when I asked them the most important question of “What’s under the hood?” they simply said it was running a 455 cubic inch big block V8. Frankly, when it comes to an early Seventies Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, a 455 is the most acceptable engine in a most classy way to transport your groovy Seventies clan. Combine that with a good looking light blue, wood simulation on the sides, and the great sunlight of Central California in August, and the recipe for fun is nearly complete. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser spotted in Carmel, CA→
In Carmel during Monterey Car Week, one of the best things to do to unwind after a entire day of chasing race cars at Laguna Seca is to find a nice spot on Ocean Avenue and take pictures of all the unique and exotic machines that come out to play during the weekend. Sometimes, while taking pictures, I end up with a two-for-one special, and when it’s a 1970s Alfa Romeo with Zagato lines and a first-series Mini, it’s hard to avoid attempting to get them in one picture. While the colors aren’t quite as striking as they might have been in their day, these classics stood out really well against the rip-snorting Ferrari 458s and Lamborghini Gallardos that dominate the evenings out here during the third week in August. Enjoy the photos of this original Mini and Junior Zagato, and take a good look at that license plate frame: “Kiss French, Drive Italian.” I concur. Continue reading Mk. 1 Mini Cooper S and 1973 Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA→
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