Category Archives: Car Shows

Photo galleries from places we’ve been and events we’ve attended

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille at the 2014 Greenwich Concours

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1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille Front

The year is 1959.  Your boss has just reviewed your assessment on setting up a new development of suburban homes near a major interstate highway in small-town America.  He’s very happy, closes his books, and gives you a 40% raise and promotes you to the head of your local developer office.  As you walk outside to your four-year-old Buick sedan, you realize it’s time for a change.  You’ve made it to the top of the heap in life, and you need a car to show your success.  Only a Cadillac will do, and you’re determined to make a statement.  So, you pick this one right off the showroom floor and show it to your wife and kids that night.  Everyone is overjoyed at your success and they all love the new Coupe DeVille you’ve just bought.

Back in 1959, Cadillac was a true success symbol for most Americans.  My great-grandfather had a few of them, and after my grandpa became a successful dentist in the 1970s, he bought one himself.  The 1959 models are considered by many to be the most grandiose of the postwar Caddies, with the tallest fins ever fitted to an American car, stunning chrome and a set of colors some could only dream of seeing in the late Fifties.  This particular 1959 model is a soft shade of pink with a  white top, known as Persian Sand.  This car is also equipped with an immaculate white interior and looked every single way of perfect.  The ’59 always has been and always will be a crowd-pleaser car, and this one’s no different.  Whether you fancy the chrome up front, the sky-high fins out back, or the hulking side profile, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy on the 1959 Cadillac, and there’s certainly enough space inside to carry every single one of them.  This car, as Jerry Seinfeld said on Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee not long ago about the ’58 Eldorado Seville, is “as thrilled with itself as you are.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille at the 2014 Greenwich Concours →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1935 Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor” at the Elegance at Hershey

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Duesenberg Mormon Meteor Special Speedster at Hershey

This is the “Mormon Meteor,” a one-off Duesenberg that set a world land speed record in 1935. Based on Duesenberg’s Model J chassis, it was commissioned by famed driver Ab Jenkins for the purpose of setting a land speed record. Much to the delight of his sponsors, who funded the build of the car, Jenkins set a speed record by averaging 135.47mph over a 24 hour period at the Bonneville Salt Flats in October of 1935. The record stood all the way until 1961, which is quite impressive considering the caliber of racing cars that came out between 1935 and then (Jaguar D-Type, Ferrari Testa Rossa, etc).

After setting the speed record, Jenkins made the necessary adjustments to the car for street use and drove it another 20,000 miles around his home area in Utah. This is a very significant automobile, and a real testament to the quality of Duesenberg’s engineering, because it was based on a production car, the Model J. Now obviously it wasn’t just a standard Model J with a body kit, no, it’s 420ci (6.9L) supercharged straight-8 engine was heavily tweaked to produce a massive 400hp, a huge amount of power for the day. Most road cars on sale today can’t even reach 135mph, let alone average that for a whole day, so the Duesenberg Mormon Meteor is really an engineering marvel. As pre-war automotive technology goes, this car might just be the pinnacle.

The Elegance at Hershey was my second encounter with the Mormon Meteor. It took best in show at Pebble Beach in 2007, which, incidentally, was my inaugural  visit to the events of Monterey Car Week. Naturally, if it can win Pebble Beach, then it can win other concours events, and it did just that by taking best in show this year at The Elegance at Hershey. All Duesenbergs are special cars, certainly the pinnacle of their era, but the Mormon Meteor may well be the the king of them all. It is a mighty impressive, and very beautiful machine, with the craftsmanship and quality to withstand the ages.

I just hope my photos do it justice, enjoy!

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Class: Of Course! Custom 1985 Pontiac Parisienne at the 2014 River Edge Car Show

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1985 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham Front

Michael Levy is the sort of guy who thinks differently from the rest of us car guys.  When we zig, he zags.  When we tell him that a mid-Eighties Pontiac isn’t a car we want in a collection, he begs to differ, then goes the extra mile.  This is a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham, a car from the mid-Eighties automotive toss-up that was General Motors’ full-size cars.  1985 was the final year for Pontiac to sell a big sedan on this platform (from here on out, it was just wagons, and only through 1990).  The Parisienne was pretty much identical in almost every way to the Chevy Caprice of the era, except that it was a Pontiac product.   Michael, however, has other ideas.  He took this Parisienne and made it his own, by making a number of changes.  The badges have been Frenched in (made flush to the bodywork), and the paint, despite being the right colors of the car from the factory, were redone in a matte finish, not metallic like the original.  The interior is still pretty much stock, but the Grey Poupon in the center console indicates that we’re not talking about a normal set of tastes.  Under the skin, he’s added sequential turn signals (a la the current Mustangs), a train horn, and even a shovel and tarp in the trunk–for those of you who owe him money.   It’s currently running a 305, but he did mention plans to put a 350 in it soon.  He’s painted the wire wheel covers to hide the center of the spokes, making a “floating” effect appear between the trim rings and the center caps.  However, the best modification to this Parisienne has to be the suicide doors–this was the one modification that was making everyone do a double-take, including me.  It’s done so well, it looks like the factory should have done it in the first place.  This is no Rolls-Royce, and it’s not a pimpmobile.  It’s a “class-mobile”, and I absolutely love the uniqueness of this car.  I enjoyed seeing this car in River Edge last week, and I’m sure you will all enjoy it as well.  Enjoy the photos.  Great car, Michael!

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Car Shows

Waterfest 20 Highlights

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Waterfest 20 Beetle with Bentley Wheels

The thunder of revving engines mixes with pounding dubstep to create an unexpected aural harmony, while exhaust fumes mingle with the pungent aroma of burning cannabis inside your nostrils… this is Waterfest, and it is wonderful!

We’ve gone to Waterfest pretty regularly over the past few years because it is one of the Mecca events for european car enthusiasts. It’s all about Volkswagen Group and their products, but they own many different companies, so you never know what you will see there. Obviously, it is predominantly a slammed car show, and stanceheads from all over flock to Englishtown, NJ so they can judge the “lowness” of everyone’s cars.

While I do like to poke fun at the stance car culture, I must say that I love going to these events because they are always very interesting. Sure many people have the same types of cars, but very few are alike. The stance culture is creative for sure, and it’s always awesome to to see how people deck out their rides. It’s mostly younger people too, members of the individualistic “millennial” generation.

This young demographic is coveted by many automotive marketers, especially GM, but Volkswagen seems to have it down to a tee. VW supports the event, and utilizes it to further build brand loyalty. They are fortunate enough to be at the center of a major automotive trend, and they have whole-heartedly embraced it.

Customization, both in terms of looks and performance, is at the center of this car culture, and Waterfest is as much a marketing bonanza as it is a car show or drag racing competition. Overall, it is one of the most complete events out there, and that is what sets it apart. Heck, Volkswagen even had an autocross course set up this year, and they were letting everyone run the new 2015 GTI through its paces… it was a blast.

So with that, enjoy the photo gallery of all of these fun and interesting cars!

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Highlights from the 2014 River Edge Car Show

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1965 Pontiac GTO Front Side

On Sunday, I attended the River Edge Classic Car Show in River Edge, NJ thanks to a tip from my aunt, who happens to live there.  I was expecting this show to be another small neighborhood car show in a small town in Bergen County.  To say the very least, I was completely and utterly wrong. Despite the rain all over New Jersey and the threatening, humid air hovering over the city park, the show went on and was a runaway success.  Admission was free, food was reasonably priced, and the atmosphere was friendly and full of good vibes.  All sorts of cars were welcome, from a gorgeous early 1930s Chevrolet sedan all the way up to a restored 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda, among many other fantastic cars.  There were muscle cars, hot rods, offbeat classics, Mustangs, and even a Lotus Esprit V8.  I was incredibly impressed at the variety and the caliber of cars on display out on the street on Sunday afternoon.  The weather held up, everyone had a great time, and I even saw a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 that I’d judged in 2007 (more on that car in a future post).  A great day was had.  Enjoy the photos, everyone!

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Car Shows

Fiat 600 Jolly at the Greenwich Concours

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Fiat 600 Beach Car at the Greenwich Concours

Imagine cruising down the Amalfi Coast in this funky little Fiat Jolly beach car. Steep mountains on one side, indigo water on the other, passing through colorful towns that reach up the cliff sides. It seems like something out of a daydream, but I like to think that Fiat built their beach cars expressly for such a purpose.

We saw this Fiat 600 Jolly at the auction during the Greenwich Concours a few weeks back, and it drew quite a bit of attention. With its flashy “salmon” color and its beautifully simplistic whicker seats, it is a car with a good balance of function and form. With its totally open design, this Fiat is a care-free car that is really only good for cruising around at the beach. It is a seriously focused leisure machine.

Enjoy the pics!

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Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1963 Lincoln Continental Sedan at the Greenwich Concours

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Lincoln Continental Sedan Front

The Lincoln Continental was once a great marque.  Lincoln needed to sell more product and in 1960, the Mark V was outdated and outclassed by its more modern rivals, so Lincoln was the first to take the plunge and shear off the tail fins.  Lincoln told Elwood Engel, Ford’s design head at the time, to design something modern for their luxury product.  He worked wonders, creating a boxy shape that became an instant classic.  The suicide-doored sedan and corresponding convertible were chiseled and mature, and became the definitive Lincoln shape for a decade thereafter.  This is probably my favorite year of the postwar Continental–1963.  The angle of the grille and the ratio of chrome to paint up front are dead-on perfect and the upright top of the fenders shines through brilliantly.  My grandpa had a convertible one of these in the early 1960s and remembers it fondly, just as I caught a glimpse into the past thanks to this example.  The eggshell white paint may seem a bit plain to some but I think this is the consummate color for the Contiental of the Sixties.  In fact, to me, no other color really captures the shape and the inner lines.  The suicide doors, long since out of style by the time this body launched in 1961, have always looked perfect.  Values have been healthy for this car for some time, and I can see why–this is easily my favorite Lincoln of the postwar era, even more so than the ones from the late 1940s.  Enjoy the photos.

 

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1969 AMC Javelin SST at the Greenwich Concours

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1969 AMC Javelin SST Front

The AMC Javelin, in my opinion, tends to be an unloved pony car among the early examples of the late 1960s. After American Motors realized the Rambler Marlin was too big and heavy to compete with the lithe Mustang, Camaro, and Barracuda, they launched the Javelin in the spirit of the muscle car era, with a catching profile, low front end, and a nicely extruded wide stance. This 1969 SST model, the top-of-the-line trim level available that year, is optioned exceedingly well, including AMC’s nasty 390 cubic inch V8, body-color bumpers, and spiffy side stripes. Apperntly, this car is still with its original owner, who bought it for his daughter to use in high school and has restored it back to factory condition quite recently. I think it’s fair to say this among the Javelins I have seen through the past couple of years or so, this one is easily my favorite and even has a classy, stylish Sixties vibe to it with the vinyl roof, whitewalls, and Magnum 500 rolling stock. Enjoy the photos of this independent classic. Continue reading 1969 AMC Javelin SST at the Greenwich Concours →

Car Shows

Classic European Cars at the Greenwich Concours

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Ferrari 250 California at Greenwich 2014

These are some of the classic European cars at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. Everything from legendary sports and racing cars to iconic luxury cruisers were present, there was a great turnout.

Enjoy the gallery!

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts.

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Nissan 240SX LS1 Burnout Side

Hello everyone, and welcome to Independence Day. On this day in 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia to mark the birth of our great nation, the United States of America. And on this day in 2014, I would like to feature some of the best burnout pictures we have from the CF Charities Supercar Show last month in Warminster, Pennsylvania–just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia. The burnout may not be distinctly American, but few other automotive gestures are quite as fitting in this great nation as stepping up to the plate and spinning the rear tires into a pulp of rubber, smoke, and mayhem. These great citizens, some of which brought a few foreign cars (this cementing this American smoking institution as a great melting pot), were more than happy to show off their tire-shredding skills. Everything from a slightly crunchy BMW E36 coupe to a hard-boiled Ford F-350 dually packing a 7.3L PowerStroke turbo diesel V8 (with copious amounts of added diesel soot) took part, and much fun was had by all. Enjoy the photos, and happy Fourth of July. Continue reading Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts. →

Car Shows

Koenigsegg Agera R at NYIAS 2014

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Koenigsegg Agera R at the New York International Auto Show

Everyone who attended to 2014 New York International Auto Show was treated to a very special surprise in the form of this stunning Koenigsegg Agera R. Koenigsegg is a Swedish supercar manufacturer that ranks among the top tier of the automotive elite, building just a few cars per year, each with seven figure price tags.

The Agera R is one of Koenigsegg’s most astounding creations, and until the recent unveiling of their One:1 Megacar, the Agera R was the marquee’s flagship. With 1140bhp available while running on E85, the Agera R has performance that will embarrass a Bugatti Veyron. In fact, the Agera R still holds the world record for 0-300km/h and 0-300-0km/h at 14.53 sec and 21.19 sec respectively. Top speed is a theoretical 273mph, but has yet to be verified.

This is one of those hyper-exotics that will make a Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT seem tame. Even the new hybrid hypercars will only hang on to the Agera R for so long before falling back. It was truly a sight to be seen, and it stunned the crowds of people at NYIAS. In fact, most people had no idea what it was. I must’ve heard, “Wow, is that a Ferrari?” uttered about 50 times during the 20 minutes I spent looking at the car. A Koenigsegg is an exotic among exotics.

Enjoy the pics!

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six Pack Convertible at the Greenwich Concours

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1970 Dodge Challenger R:T Convertible Front Angle

Right about now, the Dodge Challenger is playing third fiddle to the current Mustang and Camaro. It’s not selling as well as its competition, it’s not as fast, and it’s quite a lot heavier. However, there are a few things it does better than the other two pony cars on the market, and the same was true 44 years ago when the Challenger first launched in 1970. It looked more aggressive and had slick lines for its era, and offered style that the Camaro and Mustang couldn’t match. Today, the same is true–the Challenger, despite its oversized dimensions now, has strong lines, just like this sexy convertible. Retina-searing orange, black stripes, and a black interior never looked so strong in the sunshine.

Clad in Hemi Orange paint, this 1970 convertible looks like a high-class, high-speed machine of the early Seventies, and that’s exactly what it was for. The Challenger never sold as well as the Mustang or Camaro, and the convertible is quite a rare machine, especially in eye-catching R/T trim. This one in particular sports the same engine as the black Road Runner I featured here a few weeks ago–the rip-snorting, eardrum-liberating 440 Six Pack V8. Unlike that Road Runner, this Challenger is controlled by the timeless four-speed manual transmission topped with the Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter. This is quite a rare combination–according to the Standard Catalog of Chrysler, only 61 R/T convertibles were equipped with this engine and transmission combination out of 1,070 R/T convertibles. As a result, KBB lists the value of this particular car at close to six figures. I’m not at all surprised–although values of muscle cars have stabilized, Challengers, and especially ones of this pedigree, are still worth an absolute suitcase of money and I can see why. I haven’t seen too many Challengers, especially 1970 models–but this might be one of the best convertibles that’s not at an auction right now. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six Pack Convertible at the Greenwich Concours →