Cool and interesting cars that caught our eye either at shows or on the street.
This particular Rolls-Royce Phantom V has quite a unique history. That it’s one of five in its State Landaulette body from Mulliner Park Ward is just scratching the surface. It was ordered by Communists, but was sold to an American for political reasons, who used the car for political purposes. Continue reading 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom V State Landaulette by Mulliner Park Ward
I met some friends in Princeton for beers this past weekend, and I caught this sitting on a side street. Seeing any Lamborghini in the context of the real world is awesome, but this blacked-out Murcielago LP640 Roadster was especially bold. The only camera I had with me was my iPhone, but I think the pics came out well enough. Enjoy.
Continue reading Spotted! Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster, Princeton, NJ
We got to see Cadillac’s Elmiraj Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and plainly, this is the sort of thing the Cadillac Brand needs right now. Cadillac has not been “the Cadillac of cars” since the mid 1960s in my opinion, and it’s about time they step up and reclaim their original status in the world.
The Elmiraj looks to be a grand touring car of world class standards. It’s design is unmistakably that of a Cadillac, but it has a nice sleek, modern shape. While I doubt it would make it to production in its current form, the Elmiraj’s interior is breathtakingly gorgeous, with gratuitous amounts of wood, leather and metal used throughout.
As far as what’s under the hood, I’ve heard rumors of a twin turbo 4.5L V8 with more than 500hp. That will most likely put the Elmiraj in competition with the Jaguar XKR, Maserati Granturismo, BMW 650i/M6, etc, in the price range around $100,000. That, of course assumes that Cadillac will ever have the guts to actually produce an ambitious concept car such as this.
I think with proper execution, a production version of the Elmiraj would do a lot to put Cadillac back where they need to be as a brand. The ATS, CTS, and the CTS-V have done a lot to show that Cadillac has potential, but they need a capstone, a mighty flagship to lead their assault. I know Cadillac’s track record with concept cars is awful when it comes to anything making it to production, but I am really holding out hope that the Cadillac Elmiraj is not indeed a mirage.
Enjoy the photos
At Pebble Beach this year, Lincoln was a featured marque. In my opinion, a celebration of the Lincoln brand is not complete without mention of the Continental. To further that point, featuring the Continental name in any way is not finished without mention of the famous Continental Mark II of 1956-1957. This particular car has a heck of a history to it. Barry Folk of Farmington, MI collects cars with the Continental nameplate and owns this Continental Mark II convertible. 3 convertibles were built out of examples which were damaged during delivery. Two of them were built by Hess and Eisenhart, and one other was built by Durham. This particular car is one of the two Hess and Eisenhardt cars. It won 3rd in class at the Concours (and I’ll be honest, I wanted it to win first place, it was a stunning example), and participate in the Tour d’Elegance as well, where I first discovered it while Nick was busy photographing the Ferrari 275 GTB NART Spyder. Enjoy the photos of this unique Continental Mark II. Continue reading 1956 Continental Mark II Convertible by Hess and Eisenhardt, owned by Barry Wolk, at Pebble Beach.
While checking out RM Auctions, we noticed these two “Super-Ferraris”, an Enzo and an F50, sitting in front of a hotel in Monterey, California. Naturally, photos had to be taken.
It is always awesome to see any of Ferrari’s ultimate creations on public roads, and we saw these two rolling around at various times throughout the weekend. Even with the new LaFerrari taking the throne, both the Enzo and F50 remain automotive royalty. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading Spotted! Ferrari Enzo and F50, Monterey, CA
When attending Monterey Car Week, seeing incredible cars is a given. However, some cars are incredible amongst the incredible, and those are the cars you really want to see. This time around, I really wanted to finally see a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder, my favorite classic Ferrari, yes, even more than a 250 GTO. I had heard about the red 275 NART Spyder that was going up for auction, so I figured that would be the one I’d get to see.
As circumstance turned out, we arrived at Pebble Beach to pick up our press credentials right as the Tour d’Elegance was rolling by the Lodge. To my amazement, a blue 275 NART Spyder was among the grand parade, and it served as the welcoming party for what was to be an incredible weekend.
Continue reading 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder
We were in attendance for the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance this past weekend. Instead of our normal photo highlights, we have decided to try on a video compilation of the cars at the show. For those of you who like the photo galleries, do not worry because we have plenty of still shots from the show as well (to be used later on). Let us know what you think of the video in the comments.
Radnor Hunt is always a wonderful show, with some fantastic cars and a great venue. It is basically Philadelphia’s major Concours event, for those of you unfamiliar with the area. The features this year were Art Deco cars, Rally cars, and Aston Martins, but there was quite a motley crew within those classes. Some of my favorites included a pristine 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom I, a Ferrari 250 GT Boano Coupe, an Aston Martin DBR1 racing car, and a genuine Subaru STi 22B. “Best in Show” went to a 1929 Isotta Fraschini 8A SS Boattail Convertible Coupe LeBaron (seen above and at the end of the video), and yes, the cars with the longest names always wins these events.
Check out the video, and stay tuned for the features to follow. Enjoy.
-Nick
This year, Lincoln was a featured marque at Pebble Beach. Back in 1950, the US Secret Service took delivery of a brand-new presidential limousine, this 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan. This year, that very automobile was featured at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. I think it’s fantastic to see these overlooked early 1950s Lincolns in general, but to see this one is a treat. It’s a living piece of American history. In fact, it was used until shortly after Kennedy was sworn in, making this one of the few Presidential cars to be used by three presidents (in this case, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy). And here, on the lawn of the 18th hole, it looked truly majestic. Amazingly, the car was not armored and the glass for the bubble roof (added during the Eisenhower administration) is Plexiglas. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading The 1950 Lincoln Presidential Limousine at the Pebble Beach Concours
During the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the paddock of Laguna Seca is always full of interesting and legendary things. 2013 was no exception, with drool worthy race cars everywhere you looked. In particular there were numerous Porsche 962s, monster Group Group C racing cars for those unfamiliar with them. It is always difficult to focus your attention while down in the paddock because everywhere you look there is something awesome to see. I will let the photos take it from here. Enjoy.
Continue reading 2013 Monterey Motorsports Reunion: Paddock Highlights
We stopped by The Inn At Spanish Bay, within Pebble Beach, for a press event and found some tasty cars in the parking lot. This was the first one we noticed, a brand new Aston Martin Vanquish. Enjoy.
Continue reading Spotted! Aston Martin Vanquish, Pebble Beach, CA
While at Monterey Car Week, we saw this incredible 1948 Tucker Torpedo numerous times. This was the first time that either Al or myself had seen a Tucker on public roads, so we made sure to get photos.
The first time we saw it was in Carmel, right as we were arriving for the Tour d’Elegance. We saw it cross the street a block down, realized it was a Tucker, and then I proceeded to sprint a block and a half to catch it. After that, Al was able to shoot it while we were in the car a few times, once in Monterey and once in Carmel.
Only 51 of these masterpieces were ever produced. They were way ahead of their time technologically, with a rear-mounted flat-6 engine (yes like a Porsche), and a center headlamp that turned with the steering wheel, among other things. They made a movie about Preston Tucker and his car, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a great story. The Tucker is a legendary piece of American automotive history, and it was beyond thrilling to catch one out in the wild. Enjoy.
The high-pitched wail of an Italian V12 echoes off of the buildings in downtown Monterey, California, not an uncommon occurrence during Monterey Car Week. I look down the road, expecting to see a low, brightly-colored supercar, but instead I am greeted by a monstrous black Humvee-looking thing with massive tires… this is a Lamborghini LM002. He accelerates again and barrels past me with that Bizzarrini V12 howling.
It is difficult to place that sort of supercar-esque sound into the context of an off-road behemoth. Most such vehicles have huge thundering V8s or loud, clattering diesel engines, but the LM002 has a V12 that just screams. This was the first time I’d ever seen one in traffic, and heard its engine opened up. Despite being a different sort of Lamborghini, the LM002 definitely still has the same sort of shocking impact as a Countach or a Diablo. It is huge, it is menacing, and it will gladly feast on your children, so best move your Prius to the side.
Mind Over Motor 