Cool and interesting cars that caught our eye either at shows or on the street.
While passing the Bentley hospitality lodge at Pebble Beach, I noticed this stunning raspberry colored Continental GTC W12 on display. Normally Bentley Continentals are common fare in wealthy areas, especially Pebble Beach, but the color of this one, and the beautiful setting drew me in. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading Beautiful Raspberry Bentley Continental GTC W12
Carmel is a very busy little village during Concours Weekend, but it’s probably at its absolute busiest on the Thursday before the show itself. That day is the Tour d’Elegance, when a selection of the cars participating in the Concours take a drive around the local area and finish their run on Ocean Avenue, Carmel’s main drag. Nick and I drove into town so that we could witness the event, and were quickly outmatched in finding any resemblance of “street parking.” Luckily for this Ferrari 246 GTS owner, there was a spot available at just the right moment, and he got himself a spot. Luckily for me, I happened to get a good picture of this pretty little blue 246 GTS. I don’t see them often, and in a color like this shade of blue, it’s a dark-horse favorite of mine when it comes to old school Ferraris. I was lucky to have grabbed this shot when I did, as I don’t think I saw this car again except in passing.
-Albert S. Davis
After a day of walking around the Quail, driving Porsches, Jags, and a bunch of other great things, the day was not yet over. As we drove into Carmel for some spotting on Ocean Ave, I caught this little Toyota 2000GT out of the corner of my eye sitting in a side street. I scampered out of the rental car and after finishing with taking pictures of it, I later caught up with Nick on Ocean Avenue and continued spotting cars. I’ve never seen one before on US roads, and it looks just as fantastic in person as it does in any publication. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Spotted! Toyota 2000GT, Carmel, CA
I recently visited Mach 5 Cars to take part in one of their Exotic Rally Tours. Two of my friends work for Mach 5, an exotic car rental company in the Tri-State Area, and this is something I had been meaning to do for a while now. I took a few pictures, and shot some video of the fun we had on the tour. I was partnered up with my friend, Pete, who works for Mach 5, so when he was driving things got a little crazier.
So check out the video and the photos. Enjoy the sights and sounds of what was surely one of the more exciting days I have had in a while. We look forward to more collaborations with Mach 5 Cars in the future. Check out their website, and give them a call if you want to get yourself behind the wheel… their Exotic Rally Tours are one of the best values in the business. Enjoy.
At Laguna Seca, don’t go in with an expectation. That’s not me being negative, that’s me being honest. I only say this because you might come across a 550 Spyder, but then stumble on a piece of ancient automotive history like this racing Ford. When I was photographing it, the entire area around it stank like spent old brakes. Of course, that’s because someone had the guts (and the crazy) to drive this on Laguna Seca. This happens to be a 1915 Ford race car, utilizing a 1915 Model T engine with 50 hp. The list of tech pieces reads like something out of a horror film for racing, including a 12-speed transmission (via the use of a 2 speed planetary gearbox hooked up to a 3 speed Muncie transmission, then out to a 2 speed rear axle), a 2 wheel rear drum used as a service brake, and a pressure fed fuel system. According to the owners, this bright yellow Ford can break 100 mph. Judging by its minimal use of anything regarding bodywork, I’m not shocked at all about that. What I was shocked about was that the driver got out, said hello, and was in one piece. To the man who drove this car that day: I salute you, sir. Enjoy the photos of this incredible little car. Continue reading “Old No. 4” at Laguna Seca
Among the droves of exotic cars running around Carmel, California during Monterey Car Week, this Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 caught my eye. I love this shade of blue on Lamborghinis, and the lineup of plebeian cars behind it really shows off the Murcielago’s exotic form. Lamborghinis are meant to be appreciated in the real world, amongst boring everyday things. That is where the are most extraordinary, and that is where the contrast is most extreme.
-Nick Walker
I remember, back when I was like fifteen, when getting to sit in a supercar was an unbelievable thrill. It was before I had a driver’s license, so driving them still seemed so far off in the distance, and sitting in a car at an event was sort of the pinnacle experience among my friends and I. We always used to talk to owners with the hopes of buttering them up before popping the big question, “So, can I sit in it?”
It seems like a simple request, but with many owners, you might as well be saying, “I really love your wife’s breasts, mind if I have myself a feel?” Such cars many people can hold that dearly to themselves. There were always the “cool” owners who obliged us, and a few complete jerks who wouldn’t. Some of my favorite reactions actually came from company representatives, who had forgotten to lock the cars at events, like, “Excuse me, sir. Are you being…. helped?” (to a 15 year old kid), or “You think you can just sit in whatever cars you please?” Well yes, if the door is open I think I will.
Anyway, since starting this site, I have had the great fortune of getting to drive many “dream cars,” and I must say that simply sitting in a Lamborghini doesn’t quite do for me what it used to any more. However, this year we went to The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, and there I was given the opportunity to sit in my (above all others) dream car, the Pagani Huayra. The excitement was back, and in force. I was now in the midst of everything I have seen online, all those immaculate details, and it was just awesome.
This Buick Super 8 is a woody among woodies. It rolled in a little later in the day at the New Hope Auto Show this summer, and it immediately ripped our eyes away from the corral of supercars. This is one of those cases where they literally just don’t make them like this anymore. With modern safety regulations and cost concerns, the woody is a thing of the past. While that is quite sad, it also makes spectacular examples, such as this Buick, that much more special.
The details on this Super 8 Wagon were nothing short of immaculate. It is from an era when American cars were at their peak, a level that modern American companies wish they could reach now. I’m sorry, but next to this Buick Super 8, a Verano or a Lacrosse might as well be invisible. GM, and other American companies, need to bring this sort of luscious flavor back into their products. They may not be able to use large wooden panels anymore, but how about some inspired design and a bold sense of style?
I’ll let the photos do the talking from here. Enjoy.
Continue reading New Hope Auto Show: Buick Super 8 Woody Wagon
Back in 2011, this Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster didn’t start when it was supposed to arrive at the podium to recieve an award. I’d forgotten about this until Nick reminded me of it upon seeing it in Maryland at the end of September. Looking clean as ever, this 300SL is even more special than it normally should be. It is, in fact, one of the last crop of first-generation Mercedes SLs to roll off the line. According to the official record, this car was made on the very last day of production and is one of the last six 300SLs made. At this point, Mercedes-Benz was desperate to clear out the lots of this outdated model (at the time) in favor of the new Pagoda series. Its interior is completely original, as are the mechanical components. The paint is new after a fender-bender damaged the rear of the car. Other than that, though, the car’s original. The white paint looked beautiful against the clear Maryland sky, and the red interior, combined with this car’s optional hardtop, looked very professional. All of the original paperwork and luggage was on display too–even the toolkit was there. This is among the most complete of any 300SL I have seen at a show, and I was elated to have seen it at the St. Michael’s Concours this fall. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance: 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
I’ve talked about Barry Wolk here on Mind Over Motor before. He brought a stunning 1956 Continental Mark II convertible to the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours, and a month later, I ran into him again with this Porsche at Radnor. He collects exclusively automobiles which carry the Continental name. The story of the Continental series is quite unusual. Max Hoffman, Porsche’s USA importer at the time, convinced the top brass in Germany that the 356 would sell better if it used a series name rather than an alphanumeric one. Porsche obliged and attached the Continental nameplate to the 356 series. However, Ford intervened and complained that the Continental name was theirs and theirs alone, forcing Porsche to cease using it. As a result, the Continental name was only used on any Porsche products in 1955. This pretty little Turkish Red Cabriolet brought Barry the Porsche Radnor Award by the end of the day. Congratulations to you Barry–it’s a striking and rather rare Porshe 356. Enjoy the photographs. Continue reading Radnor Hunt CDE: 1955 Porsche 356 Continental Cabriolet, owned by Barry Wolk.
We saw this gorgeous 1927 Rolls Royce “Springfield” Phantom I Pall Mall Phaeton at the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance back in September. It was among the majority of Phantom Is that were built stateside, at Rolls Royce’s factory in Massachusetts. This particular car has been completely restored to its original condition, with its stunning tri-color scheme that consisted of a creme tan and navy blue with red accents. I have seen a few stunning prewar Rolls Royces this summer, but this one may well be my favorite because of its color scheme alone. It is just so rich looking, and extremely unique.
This example also had the distinct honor of carrying none other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt during a 1936 parade in Houston, Texas. Its original owner, at the time, was Roy Garret Watson, the Publisher of the Houston Post. This Phantom I resided in Houston until just recently in 2012, when it changed hands and moved to Pittsburgh, PA.
This was my pick for “Best In Show” at Radnor Hunt this year. It didn’t win (my picks never do, somehow), but it was still my favorite car in attendance that day. Enjoy the photos of this immaculate machine.
Continue reading Radnor Hunt Concours: 1927 Rolls Royce “Springfield” Phantom I Pall Mall Phaeton
When people think of a Chrysler with wood paneling, of course the Town and Country comes to mind. However, this particular body style rarely is brought up. Loren J. Hulber, however, bucks this trend and was happy to bring this pristine 1948 Sedan to the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance. Only 1,175 wood-bodied sedans were produced for 1948 and this was the final year for that body style, making this Chrysler quite rare today. These cars needed hand assembly after the panels were fitted due to the difficulty of the curved frames of the wood. This Sumac Red example features a Highlander plaid finish interior, and won the American Classic Postwar class. Nick and I saw it yet again at the St. Michael’s Concours, where it also won its class. I was happy to see not only two different Town and Country models in the same place, but joyful that the rarer (and very striking) sedan was the award winner instead of the more often-seen convertible variant at this show. Note the unique wood roof rack as well. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours: 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Sedan
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