Category Archives: Cars We’ve Seen

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

Exotic Car Combo Spots In Carmel, CA

February 17, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

Normally it’s cool enough seeing one exotic car on the road, even a single Ferrari can often make your day. But Monterey, California is an excessive, excessive place during Car Week. You see all sorts of awesome combos, and you even get used to seeing the more “common” exotics. These two photos are a good taste of “the norm” during the week. In the photos you will notice a Rolls Royce Ghost, McLaren 12C Spider, McLaren 650S, Mercedes SLS AMG, two Ferrari 458s, a Mercedes SL63 AMG, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, and I’ll even include the Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible in the back there. Now who reading this wouldn’t love to have all of those in your garage?

Enjoy!

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail

February 10, 2015 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

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 →

Car Shows

1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe at RM Auctions Monterey

February 9, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

“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

Cars We've Seen

1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA

February 5, 2015 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

The day before the Concours at Monterey Car week is a busy day. Laguna Seca is running races all day, the Concorso Italiano is in full swing, and Nick and I are running around town covering as much as humanly possible before dropping on our faces at the hotel later in the evening. Luckily for the both of us, there’s plenty of great cars out there to satisfy even the most finicky car enthusiast.

Exotics are aplenty, but American classics are always out in full force–some, like this Skymist Blue ’57 T-Bird, are even for sale. This particular car is almost identical to a model of a ’57 that occupies some valuable real estate on my desk at my office. In fact, the only difference is that the toy I have has wide whites, while the car on the streets has skinny whitewalls. Either way, it looked rather handsome on the streets of Carmel in the evening hours. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA →

Cars We've Seen

Ferrari 458 Speciale Spotted In Pebble Beach, CA

January 30, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We spotted this ominous black and gold Ferrari 458 Speciale while we were out and about in Pebble Beach. We saw a number of 458 Speciales during our trip, but this one was definitely a more uncommon color combo.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Hennessey Venom GT Spotted in Carmel, CA

January 26, 2015 ndubs77 3 Comments

There are exotic cars, and then there are hyper-exotic cars. During Monterey Car Week, you get used to seeing the “normal” exotic cars, but seeing a hyper-exotic will still make you go absolutely crazy. Running recklessly through the street or parking in a tow-away zone, you are willing to take the risk just so you can get a photo of such a beast in the wild. The car we have here is just such a thing. It is a Hennessey Venom GT, for those of you unfamiliar at first sight.

It is a very special occasion seeing the fastest street-legal car on Earth out in contrast with the real, often mundane world. With minivans and pickup trucks all around, the 270mph-capable Venom GT looked totally evil and menacing. I mean think about that for a second. I generally consider a Porsche Cayman S to be a pretty fast car, and that has a top speed of around 170mph. This Hennessey will do an entire 100mph more than that!

The Venom GT draws a ton of attention to itself too. It is obscenely wide, so it pokes out past the line of other parked cars, and those huge rear tires leave no guesses as to the car’s high performance capabilities. Simply put, the Venom GT is one seriously bad Mo-Fo.

This was actually John Hennessey’s personal car, and it was parked outside the hotel he was staying at in Carmel, CA. Even among the other hyper-exotic cars we caught roaming the public streets this summer, this brutal Hennessey Venom GT left a lasting impression on us.

-Nick Walker

Car Shows

A Raspberry Mercedes 300SL Roadster at the Gooding & Company Auction

January 23, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

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 →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 at the River Edge Car Show

January 22, 2015 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

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 →

Cars We've Seen

VW Karmann Ghia Convertible Spotted in Carmel, CA

January 14, 2015 ndubs77 3 Comments

We saw this beautiful VW Karmann Ghia Convertible cruising the streets of Carmel during Monterey Car Week. What a stunning color combo!

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda at the 2014 River Edge Car Show

January 8, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

When it comes to homologation specials, Plymouth is not the first name that should pop into anyone’s head. However, when all three major American automakers, plus American Motors, were participants in the Trans-Am racing circuit, they all had to produce something to homologate the engine and the body of the car they chose to race. In the case of the Plymouth ‘Cuda, the AAR ended up being the car to take that burden. Unfortunately, not that many were sold in this era of big engines, big personalities, and bigger insurance policies. Only 2,724 were produced and sold in 1970, and they all had a few things in common. All of them sported a flat-black finished hood, black strobe stripes (white was available) down the sides, chrome in the grille, and a set of mean looking side pipes. Side spoilers on the front bumper and a duck tail spoiler rounded out the trim. The look was loud and mean–just the right look for the Plymouth “Rapid Transit System.”

What wasn’t visible to the naked eye, however, was a screaming Chrysler L.A. small block V8 sporting 340 cubic inches of anger, topped off with three deuces–that’s three Holley two-barrel carburetors, for those of you that are not initiated. A four-speed manual was standard, while the three-speed A727 TorqueFlite automatic was an extra-cost option. With better handling than the standard ‘Cuda, the AAR was a corner-carver in a time of straight-line performance–a true rarity coming from an American automaker of the time. This particular car sports a bright paint job (appropriately deemed Vitamin C Orange) with a black interior and the all-important four-speed manual transmission. Everyone knows about the Hemi ‘Cuda. More people need to know about its wild sister. Enjoy the photos from River Edge. Continue reading 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda at the 2014 River Edge Car Show →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours

December 30, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

The Tri-Five Chevrolets are icons of the 1950s. In 1955, Chevrolet finally gave their lineup the shot in the arm it deserved via a flurry of bright color options, great new styling, and a new set of engines. 1955 would be the first year for the V8 option in Chevrolet’s passenger car line, and it set the precedent for the next few years. While the 1955 and 1957 models are the most iconic and valuable–for being the original, and the most outlandish (respectively), the 1956 model sometimes gets left out of the mix. This particular ’56 is a Bel Air convertible, possibly the most expensive way to buy your Chevrolet in 1956. It sports the 283 cubic inch V8 with a Powerglide automatic, but the appearance is straight as an arrow. The chrome, along with the neat two-tone blue exterior and interior, stood with the clear blue sky and almost seem to blend into the daytime light. The 1956 models were the middle child–with none of the middle child drawbacks. Enjoy the photos from Radnor. Continue reading 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible at the 2014 Radnor Hunt Concours →

Cars We've Seen

A Sweet Air Cooled Beetle Spotted in Carmel, CA

December 22, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

Swimming in a sea of exotic cars during Monterey Car Week, this Volkswagen Beetle caught our eye. Something about the two-tone color scheme and the turned wheel pose was just perfect. Enjoy!

-Nick