Category Archives: Cars We’ve Seen

Cool and interesting cars that caught our eye either at shows or on the street.

Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show

April 6, 2015 ndubs77 5 Comments

We went to the 2015 New York International Auto Show this past weekend to get up close with all of the cars we’ve been hearing so much about and commenting on in the last few months. NYIAS is always a fantastic time, but this year was the best it has been in 10 years. The show is a bit of a tradition for us to do with our friends, and this year we chose to forgo the press days so we could go with the group. I’ll admit up front that we didn’t get to everything that was at the show, but we had a blast with everyone. Here are our highlights and opinions on the cars we saw.

Continue reading Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show →

Cars We've Seen

Galpin GTR1 Spotted in Monterey, CA

April 4, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

When we saw this Galpin GTR1 out rolling on the streets of Monterey, we flipped out, thinking it was a concept for a new Ford GT. Utilizing our smart phones, we quickly realized that our memories were quite fuzzy. We knew we recognized the car from somewhere, and, as it turns out, this Galipin GTR1 was released at Pebble Beach in 2013, so we had seen it before.

This spot was made no less awesome once we realized it was a Galpin, though, as the Galpin GTR1 is about as exotic as cars come. Galpin initially only planned to make as many as 24 GTR1s total, but I’m not sure how many have actually been built to date.

Based in California, Galpin Auto Sports sells customized vehicles as a subsidiary of Galpin Motors, which is the number one volume selling Ford dealership in the world. Also of note, Galpin Auto Sports was the shop featured in the 5th and 6th seasons of MTV’s Pimp My Ride.

The GTR1 is based on the Ford GT, but the engine has been heavily modified to over 1000hp, and the interior and exterior have been significantly revised. The car is really quite something, and it definitely dropped our jaws for the few seconds we were able to see it out in the real world, before it disappeared into a hotel car park.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen, USER SUBMITTED

A rather shiny Dodge Viper GTS spotted in Sherman Oaks, CA

March 31, 2015 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

My brother, Matt, sends us stuff for the site all the time, and usually, I unfortunately have to decline it because it isn’t showy enough. This time, though, he knocked the ball out of the park, over the back fence, and into the Pacific Ocean. A while back, he shared with me this majestic (but rather clapped-out) 1959 Cadillac that he saw in Los Angeles while he bought himself beer-making supplies. This time, he was out with his girlfriend, Rachel, eating lunch in Sherman Oaks, a posh suburb of L.A. I can see why this caught his eye (other than the scintillating finish)–he’s a big Viper fan, and this would absolutely qualify for him. The company of the wrap, StickerCity, makes a product that shines great in the strong SoCal sun. Enjoy the photos. Thanks for sending this in, Matt. Continue reading A rather shiny Dodge Viper GTS spotted in Sherman Oaks, CA →

Car Shows

1954 Desoto Adventurer II Ghia Coupe At Hershey

March 30, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

Following up our Corvette Rondine spot is another Italian-American beauty, this 1954 Desoto Adventurer II Ghia Coupe. This is one of the cars that stole the show at The Elegance at Hershey last year, and I certainly had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I caught my first glimpse of it.

Styled by Italian designer, Ghia, this Desoto Adventurer II is a one-off concept car done as a design exercise. The idea was to make a European-style grand touring car on an American platform… too bad they only made one. Beneath its swooping lines Adventurer II is based on a the Desoto Firedome Sportsman, and gets its power from a 276ci (4.5L) Hemi V8. It also has a 2 speed transmission, which is quite exotic today.

The car was fully restored in 1988, and now appears at concours events like The Elegance at Hershey. This was stunning car in a beautiful venue, and we’re glad we can share it with you all. Enjoy!

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

THE Corvette Rondine Spotted in Greenwich, CT

March 28, 2015 ndubs77 3 Comments

While walking around after the Greenwich Concours last year, we noticed a certain blue car off in the distance at a local collector car dealer. That certain blue car turned out to be THE Corvette Rondine, as in the only one built. We’ve seen this car before on a few occasions, but seeing it out on public streets was insane. I mean the Rondine is the only one of its kind!

Underneath that beautiful italian bodywork by Pinninfarina lies a 1663 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with a 327 V8 under its hood. The Rondine is a beautiful Italian-American hybrid, a lot like Marisa Tomei!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 at the Boca Raton Concours

March 26, 2015 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

Grabber Green might be one of the best colors Ford put on the Mustang in the early Seventies–and they couldn’t sell it. The Boss 302, a homologation special for Trans-Am racing, was a screamer of a car–the small-block V8 Ford developed was capable of winding up to 6,250RPM, quite high for the time, especially for an American V8. A four-speed manual, special suspension, and all sorts of racing goodies rounded out the package under the skin, with plenty of trim pieces to make the package tasteful. Unfortunately, they only sold it for two years.

In 1970, the Boss improved a bit–the new look of the ’70 model Mustang gave the Boss 302 a reskinned and more mature look. The stripes were unchanged, and the offer of a few new colors made sure people kept on buying them. When all was said and done, the changes did indeed pay dividends–after only selling a bit over 1500 units in 1969, Ford moved more than 7000 of these in 1970. Unfortunately for those of us who love bright green, not many left the factory in Grabber Green–only 352 were painted that way, and according to the placard, only 111 were equipped with the manual gearbox in that color. Therefore, this Hurst-equipped Green Monstah is a seriously rare machine. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 at the Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours

March 24, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

Elvis Presley might be one of America’s greatest icons–and he was a Cadillac man. So is Ralph Marano, the well-known and well-respected car collector based in Union County, NJ. He brought a few cars to the Boca Raton Concours this year–and while I’ve become familiar with his excellent collection of Packards (which were featured at Amelia Island last year), I wasn’t as aware of his taste in Cadillacs.

This 1956 Eldorado might be one of the best mid-Fifties Cadillacs I’ve ever laid eyes on, with a gorgeous, deep shine on all panels and an incredible reflection across the chrome. This pink Cadillac is 100% original–and has only 27K original miles. Thanks to the polish, it looks like it should share space on the showroom floor with any other new car, it’s just that stunning. Wayne Carini was more than happy to talk about it, and I found him doing a short feature on it just as I was taking my pictures. Enjoy the photos of this large and in-charge American classic. Continue reading 1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale at Amelia Island

March 23, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

We, regrettably, did not make it down to Amelia Island this year. But our photographer friend down there, Nathan Corry, did make it over on Saturday to get some shots, and he has been kind enough to let us use them.

The car you see here is a 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, and it is one of my all-time favorite automobiles. I still have yet to actually see one in person, though. So when I say photos of this one at Amelia this year, I was extra pissed that I couldn’t make it this year. Naturally, when Nathan offered to let us use his photos, my first question was, “OMG DID YOU SHOOT THE ALFA TIPO 33?!!!!” Nathan had, and here are his beautiful photos of it.

I consider the Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale to be the first incarnation of what we all know today as the “hypercar.” Hypercars sit above the level of mere supercars in their technology, performance, or sheer exotic appeal, and they usually cost obscenely more than an obscene amount of money.

The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale was the road going version of Alfa’s Tipo 33/2 racing cars. It shares the same advanced 2.0L V8 as the racing versions, but the engine was detuned from 270hp to around 230hp in the road car. That engine revved all the way up to 10,000 RPM, and it sent power through a 6 speed transaxle gearbox. The Tipo 33 also still only weighed just over 1500lbs in road form, with the same basic suspension as the racing Tipo 33/2. It could see 160mph, and go 0-60 in 5.5 sec, fast numbers today, but in 1967 it was the record holder for the standing kilometer. So all in all, the 33 Stradale was a technical masterpiece in it’s day, literally a racing car for the road.

Adding to it’s advanced technical design, the Tipo 33 Stradale was also arguably the most exotic car in the world in 1968. It was the first road car to feature gullwing doors, which featured a unique curved glass window as well. It’s price in 1968 was close to $20,000, or a little more than the price of a Lamborghini Miura. But with only 18 examples built, each Alfa Tipo 33 Stradale is worth many millions today, probably tens of millions. So if you love modern hypercars like Paganis and Koenigseggs, then recognize this stunning Alfa as the “Original Gangsta” that it is.

I firmly believe the Tipo 33 Stradale is one of the most beautiful road cars ever built, and it happens to be a technical masterpiece too. You can find more info about it in a previous article I wrote. I still look forward to the day I get to see one in person, but I’m thrilled that Nathan was able to supply us with his photos so we can share this one with you. Check out his photography portfolio and his services on his website.

Also, if you’re reading this, and you own a Tipo 33 Stradale. I’d be happy to buy your car from you, provided you can accept my everliving soul as payment.

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Mercedes 300 SL Roadster Spotted in Greenwich, CT

March 21, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Out walking around in Greenwich, CT we found this beautiful classic Mercedes 300SL Roadster parked outside of a luxury car dealership in town. Gotta love that hip line!

-Nick

Car Shows

Slammed VW Karmann Ghia at Festivals Of Speed, Amelia Island

March 18, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

This slammed Volkswagen Karmann Ghia managed to draw people’s attention away from all of the exotics at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island. When it comes to slammed cars, I am only a fan of some, but this is surely one of them. This Karmann Ghia was extremely well done, and it really popped with its sparkling brown-orange paint job.

Karmann Ghias are such high-style items these days, and I do think being slammed adds to that appeal. I wish Volkswagen could find a way to bring this sort of style back into their modern cars, but I know that is unlikely.

Enjoy the photos of this lowered beauty!

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA

March 17, 2015 Albert S. Davis 4 Comments

When Nick and I start spotting in Carmel after a long day of chasing exotics and shooting ultra-rare machines in static settings all over the area at shows every day, we sort of drift around Ocean Avenue and side streets, often splitting the area. My preferred zone is a spot right in the middle of Ocean Avenue, near the top of the hill. While Nick was busy shooting exotics, I was focusing primarily on any offbeat car I could find, or whatever American classic happened to show up. Luckily, it wasn’t long before my patience was rewraded by this fetching blue Stingray.

The young adult driving this ’69 Stingray seemed affable–and he was rather proud of this machine. With clean lines and a classic soundtrack, the C3 Corvette was the last of the muscle car-esque Corvettes, and would be the last to offer a big-block V8 as an option. This one didn’t have a rat motor (it was powered by a 350 small block) but still grabbed everyone’s attention, including mine. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows

Audi LMP Cars At The Radnor Hunt Concours

March 16, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Audi brought two of their diesel LMP racing cars to the Radnor Hunt Concours this year. With all the emphasis on making supercars into “racing cars for the road”, why haven’t we seen a diesel supercar yet? I mean over the last decade Audi has dominated the 24hrs of Le Mans with these TDI prototype cars.

We’d sure love a diesel Audi R8?

-Nick