Category Archives: Cars We’ve Seen

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

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

5 Comments
1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione at Amelia Island
1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione at Amelia Island

Right at the entrance to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, last year, was an RM Auctions booth with this majestic 1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione on display. It was a sort of tangible promotion for the auction they would be running in Lake Como, Italy later in the year, and what a way to draw attention! As a well-decorated classic racing car, this Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione just screamed top-dollar, and it wound up selling for around $13 million (9,856,000 Euros).

Many may wonder what makes this car $13 million worth of “special.” Just remember that cars have become like fine art at this point, and historical significance plays a huge role in these astronomical values. Most notably this car, chassis number 0320AM, helped to propel Ferrari to victory in the 1953 Manufacturer’s Championship. While it only took first place at the 12 Hours of Pescara, this 340/375MM managed to accrue many solid finishes that helped Ferrari earn valuable points. In particular, it placed 6th in the infamous Carrera Panamericana, and the car set a record over a stage of the race that has yet to be broken — averaging 138mph over 223 miles on public roads (yes there was pedestrian traffic during many races back then). Now just imagine trying that in even a fast modern car, let alone one with 1950s era technology, like this Ferrari.

Continue reading 1953 Ferrari 340/375MM Berlinetta Competizione at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Spyker C8, Carmel, CA

2 Comments

While fighting through the ever-thickening fog on the evening before the main event at Pebble Beach, Nick and I were attempting to do some car-spotting before the sun disappeared and the fog descended, which ended up thwarting a good amount of our efforts to get some good pictures.  Luckily, that didn’t happen with this Spyker C8, which certainly wasn’t at all camera-shy.

Spotted by: Al and Nick

Cars We've Seen

Aston Martin One-77 Spotted In Carmel, CA

3 Comments

Aston Martin One-77 Spotted In Carmel California

It is our first day of Pebble Beach festivities, and Al and I are driving to The Inn at Spanish Bay for a press event. Right after making a left into the driveway we notice a dark shape approaching us, one that is extremely wide with the unmistakable styling of an Aston Martin. My immediate thought was DBS with some aftermarket body kit, but I quickly realized that we were face to face with the ultimate Aston Martin, the mighty One-77.

At the time we might as well have been staring at a living breathing unicorn. Time literally seemed to slow to a crawl as the One-77 rolled past, and the thought of our cameras did not even cross our minds until it was too late. Had we not had to be somewhere, we likely would’ve given chase, but after catching a glimpse of this incredible car, we knew we would have to find a way to track it down later on. Luckily for us, we were able to find the car again in Carmel, CA later that night, surrounded by other incredible Astons. What followed was one of the most incredible car spots of Monterey Car Week  this year.
Continue reading Aston Martin One-77 Spotted In Carmel, CA →

Car Shows

1931 Rolls Royce Phantom II at the New Hope Classic Car Show 2013

1 Comment

On Day 2 of the New Hope Car Show, the European classics come out to play.  This year, the venerable marque of Rolls-Royce was healthily represented.  In fact, its representation was so healthy that I was spoiled for choice.  It wasn’t until after I’d spent about an hour perusing the models in the field that I came across this shining red Phantom, owned by one of the more humorous people in the show.  The tan convertible roof and luggage compartment, combined with the gorgeous wire wheels and whitewall tires, made this particular Phantom II stand out from the crowd that sunny day.  In fact, it stood out so much that my Kodak z990 camera actually broke that very day and I had to go get it replaced.  Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1931 Rolls Royce Phantom II at the New Hope Classic Car Show 2013 →

Cars We've Seen

Aston Martin V12 Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA

3 Comments

Aston Martin V12 Zagato Spotted in Carmel, California

Monterey Car Week is a car spotter’s paradise that is on par with the streets of Monte Carlo or London during the “Arab Invasion” each summer. Rare and exotic cars are literally everywhere you look, and after a while, the run-of-the-mill Ferraris and Lamborghinis no longer seem all that exciting. With so many special cars running around, it takes something very special to grab your attention, especially once you’re a few days into the Monterey madness.

This Aston Martin V12 Zagato is one of those cars that can stop you dead in your tracks, even during Monterey Car Week. With just 150 V12 Zagatos having been built, you have more than double the chance of seeing a Ferrari Enzo on the street as you do this extra-curvy Aston. What’s more, the V12 Zagato was not officially imported into the US, making it that much rarer to see in a place like California. Obviously some special arrangements were made.

Continue reading Aston Martin V12 Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

5 Comments

1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at Pebble Beach

This 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster was my own personal pick for “best in show” at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey California. It just had that “wow” factor that took my breath away when I first saw it that day, and I still think it was one of the most beautiful cars on the field.

You might be asking yourself, right about now, “what the hell is an Underslung?” Incidentally, that was the same question I found myself asking that day. You see, these concours events are always a learning experience for me, as a member of the “millennial” generation. This is a car that was built when not my grandmother, but my great grandmother was just ten years old. Any memories of an Underslung, or any American automobile for that matter, are three generations back from me. Let’s think about that for a second, and consider just how special this Underslung is that it is still drop people’s jaws a century after it was created.

Continue reading 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I at the New Hope Car Show 2013

12 Comments

While Day 1 of the New Hope Classic Car Show was wrapping up, Nick and I were taking pictures of cars that were no longer surrounded by undesirable clutter. While he ran off to photograph a Ford Thunderbird, I saw this sleek black land yacht sitting out in the back of the lot, unnoticed. I certainly didn’t like how no one wanted to look at it, so I started taking pictures. This is a 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I, the final year of the model, which was a sportier version of the Olds 88 at the time. They were made for just two years, and I haven’t seen one since this point. In this sleek black paintjob, this big Olds packs a 425ci big block Oldsmobile V8 punch and a four-speed manual transmission, all wrapped up in a well-optioned interior for the era. Only 6,552 were sold for the 1965 model year, making this a fairly rare example of what Olds was selling in the 1960s. The fenders looked nice and straight, and the lines made the car look a bit smaller than it actually was from my perspective. Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I at the New Hope Car Show 2013 →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

Presenting, the Lamborghini 350GTV

1 Comment

The Lamborghini 350GT is known by many as the first car to be sold bearing the Lamborghini name back in the Sixties.  However, it wasn’t the first car the company built.  That honor goes to the sleek green shape seen here.  This is the Lamborghini 350GTV, a prototype that eventually became the basis for the 350GT.  This car is the origin and the first use of the vaunted Lamborghini V12 engine that would later go on to power most of the lineup until today.  The bodywork also contributed to the 350GT.  It was featured at Pebble Beach this year in honor of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary.  I can honestly say that it doesn’t look too similar to any other Lambo I’ve seen, save for maybe the 350GT.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Presenting, the Lamborghini 350GTV →

Car Shows

Le Mans Winning Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

1 Comment

1979 Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the only Porsche 911 based car to have ever won the infamous Le Mans 24hrs. It is a 1979 Porsche 935 K3 Coupe, and the king of the “whale tail” era of classic Porsche racing cars. Because of its significant achievement, many people consider this specific 935 K3 to be the most significant 911-based car of all time.

We caught this legendary Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car was, of course, totally swamped during the show, but we, being the clever and relentless folks that we are, waited by the exit after the show had ended to get fantastic, unobstructed shots of most of the cars in the show. I am extremely happy with how this set of photos of this 935 K3 Coupe turned out, and what’s more, we got to snack on lots of leftover gourmet food while we shot our photos. We literally had our cake, ate it too, and got to be up close and personal with some of the most epic automobiles of all time. A great day this was, to be sure.

Continue reading Le Mans Winning Porsche 935 K3 Coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Chevrolet Silverado Limousine, Route 1 in Delaware

1 Comment

On our way back from the St. Michael’s Concours at the end of last September, Nick and I stumbled on a rather strange sight.  We were stuck in traffic with traffic leaving Dover Speedway after a NASCAR race, and weren’t really paying much attention to the cars around us until this traffic light.  What we initially thought was simply a pickup truck with a cover on the bed turned out to be something much more wacky.  As we inched closer, we both realized that this must be the ultimate redneck chariot.  Complete with a NASCAR-style spoiler, a set of roll-cage-like bars on the rear window, and a smorgasbord of sponsorship decals, this big Chevrolet limo might just be the classiest way to travel to and from a NASCAR event.  I can’t say that I like it.  I can’t say that I’d want it.  But I can say that I sort of respect its  insanity.  Someone took the time and spent the cash to create what might be the most unique limousine I’ve ever seen.  Props to the guys who thought this up.

Spotted by: Al and Nick

Car Shows

Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina at The Quail

7 Comments

Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina at The Quail

We saw James Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina when we attended The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering this summer, during Monterey Car Week. I will be honest, I’ve been eagerly waiting to see this car in person for quite some time now. Al and I go to many of the same shows Mr. Glickenhaus attends, and we’ve had the pleasure of talking with him a few times (he’s a real nice guy). That said, until The Quail, we had to make due with seeing the other incredible cars he brought to each show (woe is us…right?)

The Ferrari P4/5 is a one-off vehicle commissioned by Mr. Glickenhaus from Pininfarina. Underneath its bespoke body work it is a Ferrari Enzo, but the design has been overhauled to be more reminiscent of the classic Ferrari P3/P4 racing cars of the late 1960s….. Mr. G owns one of those too by the way.

The P4/5 has gathered a lot of fame over the years, and it was beyond thrilling to finally get see it with my own eyes. It is a stunningly beautiful machine, and it seems Ferrari’s designers may have even taken a little inspiration from it when they penned the LaFerrari. The Ferrari P4/5 is literally an Italian Supercar like no other. Even amongst the impressive automotive elite at The Quail event, the P4/5 still managed to attract quite the crowd. Subtle it is not.

Enjoy the photos, and let us know what you think in the comments!

Continue reading Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina at The Quail →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Cord L-29 at St Michael’s Concours d’Elegance

1 Comment

Those of you who have been following the site for a while should know by now that I’m a sucker for the Cord L-29.  It’s an ahead-of-its-time, FWD luxury car that looks expensive and has a late-Twenties look that is timeless in my opinion.  Of course, I always love seeing them at Concours events, and at the St. Michael’s Concours last September, I saw another great-looking example, this time courtesy of the Hershey Museum, who brought theirs out to the Chesapeake Bay that weekend.  This one had its roof up for most of the show but the black-and-gray paintjob made the car look like a proper late-Twenties time capsule.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Cord L-29 at St Michael’s Concours d’Elegance →