Photo galleries from places we’ve been and events we’ve attended
If you love cars, then you have to love old Alfa Romeos. The Tipo 33 was a legendary racing platform for Alfa Romeo, and this Tipo 33/2 lit up the track at Laguna Seca this past summer. Such beautiful lines can indeed be functional for speed.
Enjoy!
-Nick Walker
I took extra time to take particular photos of some of the more interesting Cadillacs at the Boca Raton Concours this past winter, and the effort paid off. The first car I took a closer look at is sitting right here–it was in the back of the program, parked amongst its peers from the Fifties and Seventies. This ’68 Eldorado was the second year of the new-shaped model, an innovation machine on wheels of its time. Cadillac took their first stab at front-wheel-drive with these beasts, and laid on the swagger and chrome as if it was going out of style.
The late Sixties Eldorado is a snake charmer. It’s a massive car–the 120-inch wheelbase underpins a car that stretches out to 221 inches total–that’s less than 8 inches shorter than a new Rolls-Royce Phantom SWB. Despite being FWD, the engine is still laid out front-to-rear, a unique arrangement that Cadillac would use until 1985. Powering the beast is a 472 cubic-inch V8 hooked up to a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission–but the real jewel of the Eldorado, especially this one, was its condition. Shining paint, and gorgeous interior appointments, are the norm at a Concours–however, the real prize was inside the interior. This one happens to have an 8-track player, a novelty in the late Sixties, and a telephone. Bluetooth not required, nor needed. Enjoy the photos of this luxurious beast. Continue reading 1968 Cadillac Eldorado at the Boca Raton Concours
While perusing through the field at the Bonhams Auction at the Quail Lodge, we were stopped in our tracks by this incredible 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio. Red and Black is one of my personal favorite color combinations on a car. That mixed with the swooping Art Deco lines of this vintage Bugatti made it just perfect.
This Type 57 was actually pretty powerful back in its day, with a 170hp supercharged inline-8 engine. If a Bugatti represents the utmost in luxury automobiles today, it was surely just as true back in the pre war era.
This stunning Type 57 Stelvio was coach built by Carrosserie Gangloff of Colmar, France. And what a magnificent job they did with it!
This Bugatti is exactly the sort of thing I look for in an Art Deco era luxury car. It has all of that swoopy style you could want, and it had some high technology and performance for its time. You can get more info on this car here.
Enjoy the photos of this immaculate machine!
-Nick Walker
Tatras are machines of wonder and amazement, despite not being an exotic by definition. The rear-engined design dates back to the Great Depression, and they were quite radical. Eight cylinders mounted behind the rear axle, air-cooled, and styled as if in a wind tunnel, they were ahead of their time in a few ways. When the Nazis invaded the Czech Republic in the 1930s, production slowed until the war was over. Unfortunately, they were never sold in the USA–as the company produced cars from behind the Iron Curtain.
The 603 series was very popular with high-ranking officials in the USSR, and even Fidel Castro sported one (painted white, for some reason). They were sleek, had classy styling, and distinctly American motifs everywhere. Some of those motifs included contrasting roof/body color combinations (like the red and white on this particular example), lashings of chrome down the sides and around the windows, and heavy, chrome-plated bumpers. This particular car even included a bed, which could be set up by simply folding the front bench seat back. The general public was not able to purchase cars like this in the Soviet Union–these were reserved, similar to the GAZ Chaika, for high-ranking public officials and Communist Party members. This particular car hails from the Lane Motor Museum of Nashville, TN and was for exhibition only, but still looked stunning amongst its peers–as the Tatra model series was a feature at Pebble Beach last summer. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1958 Tatra 603 Aerodynamic Saloon at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours
While perusing the incredible machines at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, I came upon this very rare Jaguar XK-SS. Formerly Steve McQueen’s own Jaguar XK-SS, the car is now owned by the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA.
The XK-SS is a fascinating automobile, literally a street legal racing car. When Jaguar had finished racing the legendary D-Type in 1955 they had 25 unsold D-Type chassis left over. They decided to turn those Le Mans-winning race car chassis into road cars for sale to private customers. A fire at the factory destroyed 9 of the 25 chassis, but the remaining 16 survive to this day, and are each worth a fortune.
It is always incredible to see an XK-SS in person, it is a most proper Jag. See Steve McQueen in the car below.
-Nick Walker
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
The folks at Singer Vehicle Design used the Quail to showcase their newest engine available in their custom 911s. It’s a 4.0L Flat Six, and produces a mighty 390hp. In a car weighing only around 2,600lbs, that is quite a good amount of power. In terms of power-to-weight ratio, the new 4.0L Singer actually bests the current Porsche (991) 911 GT3. But unlike the new paddle shift only GT3, the Singer offers drivers the essence of the traditional 911 driving experience.
Because the Singer 911 is basically an old-school 911 that has been made brand new, I actually prefer it to new Porsches overall. Having said that, though, I should point out that you could have four 991 GT3s for the same money as a single bespoke-built Singer 911. But that isn’t my point. What the Singer proves is that there is still a demand for the old-school Porsche driving experience. That is something Porsche should really consider when developing their new products.
PDK is a great gearbox, it really is, but it dulls the driving experience. In the real world, sports cars are about fun, not lap times or performance numbers. And if I’m going to have a special car to drive on sunny days, why on Earth wouldn’t I want to be as immersed in the experience as possible?
That total immersion in the driving experience is what the Singer 911 offers. And the Singer does it in a manner that these new PDK-only Porsche models cannot ever hope to match. I don’t care how fast the new GT3, Turbo, or GT2 911s are, if they’re only available with PDK, then I’d take a Singer any day.
-Nick Walker
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!
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
“Classy” was the single word that came to mind when I came upon this stunning 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe at the RM Auction display in downtown Monterey. Classy on a level not seen in modern Ferraris, which are more ostentatious than anything at this point. I mean just look at the rich two-tone color scheme and that sumptuous interior, this is a 50s-era Italian car in its finest form.
The 1953 250 Europa Coupe was actually the first Ferrari to use the “250” nomenclature, which later would encompass the most sought after Ferraris of all time. It was also the first dedicated Ferrari road-car, the genesis for a lineage of Ferrari Grand Tourers that continues to this day. The Europa Coupe you see here is one of only 21 examples produced, and it recently won its class at the 2014 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
The 250 Europa Coupe’s performance was quite good in the 1950s and still would be respectable today. Its 3.0L V12 engine produced 200hp and was hooked up to a 4 speed manual gearbox. A Subaru BRZ or Honda Civic Si make the same amount of horsepower today, and those are pretty quick cars, but this old Ferrari is also lighter than both of them. So should any custodian of one of the 21 Europa Coupes like to use their car on the road, they will still find it easy to keep up with traffic. Stopping, however, is a different issue, as Ferrari was slow to adopt disc brakes. So yea, this thing has drums.
I remember seeing a 250 Europa Coupe similar to this one in a magazine as a kid. I was spellbound by its elegance and sheer beauty. It’s no wonder this classic Ferrari dropped the hammer at $2,750,000 this summer in Monterey. With Ferrari values going through the roof, this stunning example is likely to be a great investment. Read more on its history here.
-Nick Walker
I’ve seen a fair number of Mercedes 300SLs in my time, but this one has to be my favorite, by far. It’s color is not red, it’s color is not pink, its color is raspberry! It also has a rich tan interior with a bright white steering wheel, in true 300SL form.
I walked into the Gooding & Company Auction display at Pebble Beach to this stunning automobile sitting right in front of me, and my jaw crashed through the floor. A car like a 300SL is supposed to make a statement, and this raspberry example is anything but subtle. It looks incredible today as a classic, but just imagine how it looked back in the 1950s. Back then the Mercedes 300SL was the fastest road car in the world, with a top speed cracking 150mph. The glamour is almost unfathomable!
The appeal of this magnificent 300SL Roadster has clearly only grown over the years. Looking at it that day, I would’ve considered bartering my very soul for it. But even so, I’m not sure that would’ve covered the $1.7 Million that this thing dropped the hammer at.
One more thing to dream about, I guess…
Continue reading A Raspberry Mercedes 300SL Roadster at the Gooding & Company Auction
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
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