Photo galleries from places we’ve been and events we’ve attended
Delahaye sare true works of art, quintessential examples of French Art Deco era automobiles. This sinister black and red car was present for the Concours d’ Elegance during the Lime Rock Historic Festival. I’m not sure how it did in judging, but it sure stole my eye. The owner had just restored it and had a sale pending for somewhere in the seven figure range. This car was absolutely stunning, enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 2012 Lime Rock Historic Festival: 1936 Delahaye 135S
We were in attendance for the Lime Rock Historic Festival earlier this month. It was actually my first time at Lime Rock, despite having lived in the Northeast US for my entire life. It is a fantastic facility with great views of the track all around. I have loads of photos from the weekend, but here are a few varied shots from around the paddock. More to come. Continue reading 2012 Lime Rock Historic Festival: Some shots from the paddock
This incredible rat rodded Beetle was out for the Woodward Dream Cruise in Michigan. It is an entirely custom built car with the engine actually hanging off the back. I have seen many customized air-cooled Beetles over the years, but nothing quite like this car. One really cool feature is the car’s shift lever, which is actually a titanium hip replacement that has been repurposed for changing gears. I was assured the artificial hip was not a used part, but one of those usually costs around $14,000 when being used for medical purposes. Among the thousands of cool cars in the area during the Cruise, this Beetle was one of the ones that stood out the most to me. This is a very different kind of slammed car for the Volkswagen community. Enjoy the gallery.
Klub Vintage is a shop near Hopewell, NJ that is owned by my friend Adam. Those of you who follow the site closely may remember my review of Nick C’s BMW E21 Alpina clone, Adam is Nick’s brother and the E21 was a product of Klub Vintage in its earlier stages. Adam has been building cars and bikes for over 15 years now, and has recently procured a much larger, more prominent space on RT 518 near Hopewell. He has some big plans for things to come in this new location.
Lots of effort is being put into developing the space, so please realize that what you see in these photos is a work in progress, and the finished product will be featured here later on. That said, it did make for a nice setting in which to shoot Adam’s BMW 2002. The car is quite rough around the edges at the moment, and a full restoration is in the works, but honestly there is something about the car, as it sits, that just pushes all the right buttons for me. It has a patina to it that is irresistible, and of course those turquoise wheels help quite a bit. To me it looks like a 2002 rat rod, the likes of which is not often seen and I think it suits the car quite well. I guess I’ll have to see what I think when the car is finished though, before I can truly compare.
Adam has a lot planned for Klub Vintage, far more than just BMWs. He works on all makes of vintage cars and motorcycles, with experience in minor fixes, full rebuilds, engine swaps, modifications, and all sorts of other custom work. I am looking forward to seeing Klub Vintage progress, and I look forward to sharing what they are doing with all of you. Enjoy the pics, this just the beginning.
Visit their website at Klubvintage.com
Continue reading Klub Vintage: Getting rolling
This is the height of what made a Cadillac a Cadillac. These V16 powered land yachts were the epitome of style and status during Prohibition-Era America. Everyone’s favorite movie stars and gangsters had flashy cars like this, and this Caddy the 452A was the pinnacle of the Cadillac lineup. This specific car features a full sedan convertible design, something far too cool to be allowed today, and looks to have all the bells and whistles available at the time. The owner was very proud of the car and had restored it himself. He told me he had changed the color, and while that won’t help the car win at a Concours, I like the look of this dark blue a whole lot more than the car’s previous black. Even with all the curvy Italian cars just up the hill, this Caddy really caught my eye at the show. When I think of Cadillac, this is what I think of. I just wish the people actually running Cadillac even knew cars like this were once built under the Cadillac nameplate. This truly was “The Standard Of The World” at its time. Continue reading Radnor Hunt CDE: 1931 Cadillac V16 452A All-Weather Phaeton by Fleetwood
This is the 3rd year in a row we have attended the Radnor Hunt Concours, and it continues to blow us away each time. For me this year was especially interesting because Ferraris and pre-war Cadillacs were being featured. What you see above was the view as we entered the show, a row of Ferraris worth tens of millions of dollars alone. Most of these cars will be getting their own specific features later on so just let this be a nice preview of things to come. Enjoy. Continue reading The 2012 Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance
Dan Valanzola was at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix. Lots of fun was had, and he got some great shots. Here are a few of the best. Enjoy….
On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to have someone at the Subaru booth at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show unlock the Subaru BRZ for me to take a video and a few extra pictures. Pictures are available after the jump. As of Tuesday, we know that orders are being taken now, and production will be starting soon. Sales will start sometime next month, or in early May.
Albert S. Davis Continue reading Subaru BRZ at the Fort Lauderdale International Auto Show
Auburn boat-tail speedsters like this one are among some of the world’s most collectible prewar American convertibles, owing to their extremely low production, high price tag, and (for the era) blistering performance. This flawless black example showed up to the Pebble Beach Concours this summer, and I was fortunate enough to grab a few pictures of it. This one in particular is a 1936 Model 852, the final year of production for not only this car, but the Auburn name as a whole. It is a breathtaking car, and with only 1850 sold during 1936, this 100mph-plus roadster was a treat on the street in its day, and still is today. Continue reading 1936 Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster at Concours
This past Sunday, Nick and I attended the Scarsdale Concours, just a stone’s throw away from New York City. Started in 2003 by a pair of high-school students, this show has grown to a respectable size. This year, the Best of Show winner was this drop-dead gorgeous 1950 Abarth 205 berlinetta, one of only three ever built. This particular one was the last one produced, and the only one with a two-tone paint scheme. It was shown at the Turin Motor show as well, in this color scheme. Hit the jump for more pictures. This car, thanks to its absolute rarity, classy lines, and race car breeding, definitely deserved its award, and we hope to see it at other Concours in the future. Continue reading 1950 Abarth 205 at the Scarsdale Concours
Race cars have been a bit foreign to me. Over the years, I’ve paid attention to one thing or another, but my attention seemed to drift toward road cars. But then, just a couple of weeks ago, a few events set in motion, and I’m thinking quite a lot differently. Thanks to a few emails and some luck, I took a ride in my first race car, a Porsche 996 ex-Grand Am car, owned by Tom Hassett. Continue reading A Ride Like Nothing Else.
We were amongst the crowd at the launch of the Pacific Grove Rally this year during Concours Weekend in the Monterey area. This is a very fun event, one that is refreshingly informal (and free) during that weekend. The cars are a mixed bunch too with everything from vintage Rolls Royces to your average Mustang. Continue reading The 2011 Pacific Grove Rally
Mind Over Motor 