Cool and interesting cars that caught our eye either at shows or on the street.
The Lancia 037 is one of the most legendary rally cars of all time. We were privileged to see this one, dressed in stunning Martini livery, at Radnor Hunt. I love how extreme the 037 is, I mean it’s a supercharged exotic rally car, and in the most Italian way possible.
I could not take my eyes off of this Pagani Huayra BC at the Greenwich Concours this year. Maybe it was the fact that this was the first Huayra BC I’d laid eyes on in person, or maybe it was the fact that it was my ideal spec for a Huayra, but something about this particular car just wouldn’t let me walk away. In all I took over 300 photos of it, whittled down to 40 or so for this gallery.
The Huayra BC is the hardcore Pagani Huayra turned all the way up to eleven. Not only has Pagani turned the boost up for 789hp over the standard Huayra’s 730hp, but they’ve also dropped the BC’s weight to just 2,685 lbs. That’s like four Toyota 86’s in a car weighing 100lbs less than a Toyota 86. In fact, the Huayra BC is so light compared to its hybrid hypercar rivals that it’s power-to-weight ratio is actually superior to that of the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari.
The Huayra BC is an unbelievable machine, a dream car among dream cars. Like all Paganis, it’s full of immaculate fine details, from every minute bolt up to those jaw-dropping gullwing doors. I could not take my eyes off the car because there was just so much detail to to take in. Now I invite you all to share in the wonder that is the Pagani Huayra BC. Enjoy!
This classic Mercedes 300SL was parked next to a newer SL of similar spec in the car corral at Radnor Hunt. I definitely prefer the old one.
-Nick
This hornet colored Bugatti Type 55 was tucked off in a corner of the show at Radnor Hunt, but it still caught everyone’s eye. With a magnificent paint job and a fine wood interior this is French roadster is as classic as they come. Just imagine cruising the Riviera in this thing…
Continue reading 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster at Radnor Hunt
We had a beautiful day yesterday for the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance. There were some incredible cars in attendance, and we took hundreds of photos. Here are a few highlights for you to chew on…
This is the first Pur Sang Bugatti I’ve ever seen out in the world. It’s crazy because it looks pre-war correct in every way, except all the materials are brand new. It doesn’t have the patina of a car nearly a century old, and that’s what gives it away.
For those unfamiliar with Pur Sangs, they aren’t kit cars at all, but rather perfect recreations of the original pre-war cars. Honestly, they’re more like production continuations of the original cars than anything. I mean Pur Sang even uses the original pre-war production techniques, the cars are made exactly as they originally were.
What’s crazy is that many owners of actual pre-war Bugattis are commissioning Pur Sang replicas of their priceless originals so they can enjoy driving them without risking a fortune. Imagine the thrill of driving one of these pre-war racing cars on the street, there’s gotta be nothing like it.
Enjoy the photos!
Sometimes, a car shows up at a Concours that you wouldn’t expect to see. Citroen 2CVs don’t usually belong, unless they’re picture perfect. Most Malaise-Era cars aren’t usually welcome unless they’ve got a prancing horse, raging bull, or a trident adorning the hood. Well, say hello to the Wreath and Crest, packing a Seventies punch at Misselwood. A Fleetwood may lack the pizazz and the outright ostentatiousness of the Eldorado in 1976 but it was still the most expensive Caddy sedan on the showroom floor that year. This example has covered under 50 thousand miles and carries all of its original paint, bodywork, and interior to this day. I’ve been a fan of the ’76 for years, thanks in no small part to the fact that just a year later, GM turned the magnificent Cadillac into a shadow of its former self. Enjoy the photos of this big, mean, red machine. Continue reading 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood at the 2017 Misselwood Concours
Sometimes, spotting cars in NY is like playing a twisted version of the lottery, where all you win is one number in the Powerball and just get back what you put in. This time, I at least won the Powerball itself, and got myself a nice winner. I must say, it takes some change to drive a Citroen in NY, and more so when its the hard-to-find H Van like this silver one.
No matter what your fancy is, some of the best cars from the famous Cannonball Run were on display at the Greenwich Concours this year. Whether it’s the homage #144 Polezei BMW M5 driven by Alex Roy some years ago across America (a world record winner), the Chevy Malibu police car (my personal favorite), or the Dodge Tradesman ambulance, there was a smorgasbord in attendance. They even had Dan Gurney and Brock Yates’ Ferrari Daytona in attendance–the winner of the second race, and one of the more infamous cross-country cars still around. These cars were true crowd-pleasers, and even Nick, who normally laughs at Malaise-Era stuff, found the Dodge to be amusing (especially when the open exhaust announced the sound of a completely un-muffled small block Dodge). Enjoy the photos of these offbeat rides. Continue reading The Cannonball Run! (sort of) at the Greenwich Concours
I knew this unbelievable 1914 Rolls Royce Alpine Model would win Best in Show the moment it pulled up to the preview for the Misselwood Concours. There were tons of stunning cars there, but this thing had that “pop” that separates the royalty from the mere aristocracy.
This Rolls is pre-war, but we’re talking pre-World War 1. That’s right, this magnificent automobile existed when men were still riding into battle on horseback. It’s one of just 4 Rolls Royces assembled in the US before the onset of The Great War, and it remains as grand a Rolls as any since.
This car’s body and chassis, separated in 1983, were just reunited in 2015, and a lot of work was put in to bring it to the beautiful condition you see here. It totally took my breath away, and I shot literally hundreds of photos of it. What’s even better is the owner told me he drives the car around 5,000 miles per year on various rallies. He said concours events are a secondary concern to actually using and enjoying the car. You gotta love that, it’s a concours winner and it’s not a trailer queen.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is how it’s supposed to be done. Enjoy the gallery of this immaculate Rolls Royce, and you can find a little more info on it at the bottom.
Continue reading This 1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Alpine Model took Best in Show at Misselwood
Even as you leave Greenwich, you’re bound to see some nice cars on the way home. This time, I only had to walk a few feet from the car to glimpse one of the finest looking sedans of the 1960s. This little Alfa 1750 was taking up space, and time, in the parking deck, and showing off its best lines while I took a few pictures. It’s a shame that they don’t make cars like this anymore. Enjoy the photos.
This rare, and very fast, RENNtech SLR McLaren was on display at First Class Fitment. It’s a local car, and I have the pleasure of seeing it around on the streets fairly often.
Always awesome seeing it up close!
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 