The French are not known these days for timeless, elegant styling. Wind the clock back 75 years, however, and they had the honor of calling companies like Delage and Delahaye home, two manufacturers that could lay claim to some of the most beautiful Depression-era automobiles ever produced. This particular Delage is one of the last D8s built before the Germans invaded France in 1940 and with its Vanvooren coachwork looks absolutely stunning. It is a shame that this striking car did not win any awards at Amelia this spring. Notably, it’s the only car I felt obligated to photograph after the rest of the show field had left for the evening at the close of the Concours. Although the starting rod failed, it did not have any problem making my heart skip a beat that day in Florida. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1939 Delage D8-120S Coupe at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance→
Back in 1934, this Rolls Royce Phantom II Streamline Saloon was the pride of Park Ward at the Olympia Motor Show in London. The car was a one-off that showcased a much more flamboyant design style, and it helped to cement Park Ward’s reputation as the premier coach builder for Rolls Royce motorcars.
An immaculate full restoration from 40 years of neglect in a barn, the Streamline Saloon took the award for third place in the Pre-War Rolls Royce class at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This car is known in restoration circles as “The Raccoon Rolls” because it was the home for a family of Raccoons during its four decades in the barn. In an interview with USA Today, the owner said that 80lbs of “refuse” was removed from the car prior to the onset of its restoration. So it went from raccoon den to Pebble Beach award-winner in the span of ten years, quite a story.
Jay Leno is a very lucky guy. Forget the whole successful comedian thing, that’s great and all, but he is the first American to take delivery of the new McLaren P1 hypercar. In this video, Jay goes for a ride with McLaren CEO, Mike Flewitt, and aims to show us what his new car is like to drive on real roads.
It’s pretty incredible to think that the P1 can go to a drag strip and run under 10 seconds in the quarter mile, and then cruise home in electric mode without making a sound. It also traps at around 150mph, so at many drag strips it may need a parachute fitted, and this is 100% stock! Not to mention the handling, which the P1 can do just as well as it goes in a straight line.
So enjoy this hands-on video of Jay Leno’s McLaren P1. It’s quite something.
Although this site tends to focus largely on performance cars, I feel that it’s time to give those who serve and protect a bit of time in the spotlight. At the New York Auto Show last month, the NYC Police Museum was grateful enough to provide a collection of cars, along with some privately-owned police cars, to put on display in the back of the basement room during the week. The quality of the cars gathered for the display was impressive, and all three of the Detroit Three were proudly represented, with examples of New York City’s finest chariots from the 1950s all the way up to 2014. Here are some of my favorites from the display. See the photos after the jump for a bit more information about each car featured. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Classic NYPD Patrol Vehicles at the New York International Auto Show→
Deusenbergs are an example of a truly bygone era when cars were truly built to order. There is an air of royalty to the history of this particular car, although it’s not just in the styling. Barbara Hutton, heiress to the Woolworth fortune, ordered this SJ, but not for herself. She was married to Alexis Mdivani at the time and actually ordered this car for her brother-in-law, Serge Mdivani. The Mdivani family was the Georgian royal family, which fled their home country after the Soviets indvaded, and indeed married well. Hutton’s generosity was apparent in giving this gorgeous automobile to her brother-in-law, who passed away after a polo accident a short time later. This is one of the most unique Duesenbergs Id have seen in some time and the dark red finish looked great along the golf course amongst its rivals. In fact, this stunning convertible won Best in Class this year. I hope to see more of this car at various Concours events down the road. I doubt I’ll tire of it. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1935 Duesenberg SJ 509 Roadster at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours→
Motor Trend got some brief quality time with the McLaren P1 hypercar at the Top Gear Test Track recently, and they managed to get some performance numbers that we’ve all been eagerly awaiting. Watch the video for the full effect, but they measured 0-60mph in 2.6 sec, 0-100mph in 4.7 sec, and the 1/4 mile in 9.8 sec @ 148.9mph.
So basically, to put things in perspective, the McLaren P1 does 0 to 100mph in the same amount of time it takes for a Subaru STI to reach 60mph, and it reaches the STI’s claimed top speed in around 10 seconds. There are fast cars, and there are hypercars. DAMN!
Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe is the first journalist to wield the new LaFerrari, and he brings up some very good insights about the car. I’ve seen a few of the other reviews now, as well, and the consensus seems to be that the LaFerrari feels a lot like a 458 Italia with an extra 360 Modena under the hood… just take a second to digest that.
I’ve been lucky enough to sample both a 458 and a 360, and both were quite rapid in their own right. Imagining the LaFerrari as being the sum of both is just mind-boggling to me. It must be an unbelievable experience. Enjoy the video!
It’s not often that I see a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur in a color as noticeable as this one. Most of them are muted grays, blues, or black, or a nice off-white. Not this one, though. This rather rare Mulliner Park Ward model is a crisp Carmine Red with a gorgeous magnolia white interior featuring offset piping. I spoke to the owners, who had on display their red daily driver, a St. James Red Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed. Red chairs, red Bentley, red Rolls, red shirts, red shorts. I’m not sure what their favorite color was, but I’m sure it’s not British Racing Green. Among the few Spurs I have seen in my years, this Silver Spur V looked fantastic and the red paint shined brightly in the blue, sun-kissed Florida sky. With blinding chrome, classic whitewall tires, and gorgeous solid wood trim on the inside, this Spur looks ready for the spotlight. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Rolls-Royce Silver Spur IV Mulliner Park Ward at Festivals of Speed Amelia Island, 2014→
Purple has never looked this intimidating before. This 1959 Corvette, in its purple and white paint job and black interior, was a mainstay in the SCCA-B Production racing class during the late Fifties and early Sixties. With mechanical fuel injection and a 283 sitting under the hood, this racer won all but one of the events it was entered in 1959. Nickey Chevrolet, a performance mainstay of the time, fitted the Corvette with heavy-duty racing parts such as a larger fuel tank, safety chains, and a roll bar, along with a smaller windshield. However, the rest of the car is as it was out of the factory, with factory stock heavy-duty suspension and the (by the end of that very season) race-proven Rochester fuel injection. It shined brightly amongst its ‘Vette companions at Amelia Island, with the purple paint job being about as subtle as a smashed grape on a white kitchen floor. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Purple People Eater 1959 Corvette at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2014→
Drive takes us inside Koenigsegg, this time giving us a look at the design and process behind their new One:1’s special carbon fiber wheels. As stated in the video, the wheels are one of the most important parts of a car to make light, but they also require a lot of strength. Carbon fiber seems the perfect material then. Enjoy.
Few cars can match the romance, beauty, or allure of the Ferrari Daytona. I have seen a select few of these over the years and this wasn’t the only one in the area that weekend last month at Amelia Island, but it was the first car that I found myself actually chasing down all weekend. The Daytona came rumbling out of the parking garage while Nick was busy driving the Viper, so I had nothing else to do but watch the streets for interesting cars. I’d say it was worth me breathing like a pack-a-day smoker to get some pictures of this classic V12 coupe. It was a balmy 49 degrees while I was gaping at the Daytona, so the engine was putting out smoke and making everything smell nice and old. The yellow color especially set this car off from the gray skies and the gray backdrops of the parking lots and the Ritz Carlton. There’s no reason not to want a car as pretty as this in any weather, anywhere. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona at Amelia Island→
Anyone can get excited about driving a viciously fast Ferrari or a swaggin’ Bentley, but the mark of a true car or driving enthusiast is their equal excitement at the thought of driving something quirky, like a Citroen 2CV. Chris Harris has one, and in this episode of his segment on the Drive Network, he takes us out in it to show us what the 2CV is all about.
Mind Over Motor 