I spotted this awesome looking Ferrari 599 GTO at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week. I was about to step into into a Jaguar F-Type V6 S for a drive when I heard a loud downshift with the unmistakable bark of a Ferrari V12. I quickly got my camera ready and caught the GTO right as it came into view. Great car.
-Nick
The Corvette has always been an American hero, able to rival Porsches and whatnot in lap times and speed. However, by almost all counts, the Corvette was never on the same level in terms of its driving experience, when compared to the Europeans. The Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray is probably the best Vette yet in terms of driving dynamics, so Autocar decided to see how it stacked up directly to its fiercest rivals from across the pond.
Keep in mind, British journalists, especially, tend to be heavy critics of Corvettes. Maybe they feel threatened by such a great American icon, I mean, the Vette is basically “the George Washington of cars”, and that might bring up some of their cultural bad memories from the late 1700s. Either way, all pokes aside, the Brits seem to like the C7 Stingray quite a lot, and it seems it is finally able to take on the Europeans on their own turf.
Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments.
-Nick
It’s pretty clear that I hold anything with the Cord name in a good amount of regard. They were innovators in the 1930s and were tragically out of business by 1938. The 812 was one of the most advanced cars they’d ever made, right before the demise of the company. The 812 included a supercharged straight-8 by Lycoming hooked up to a semi-automatic transmission, as well as a fully independent front suspension with front-wheel-drive–a first for anything built in America. This was also the very first car from the States to utilize concealed headlights, which could be raised by a set of interior knobs. Many other features, including a set of variable speed wipers and a concealed fuel filler, were also either not seen previously on other cars, or had not been a common feature at the time. Unfortunately, Cord did not produce many and was not able to sell them well during the Depression, despite intense initial interest. This butter-yellow convertible looked striking against the rolling hills and leafy trees of Malvern, Pennsylvania. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1937 Cord 812 at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013
Say you have been very successful in your chosen career, and you are ready to treat yourself to a really nice set of wheels. Many die-hard car enthusiasts, like myself, would rather have a collection of a few different cars on a six-figure budget, but many folks still opt for just one car to suit all of their needs and desires. In truth, if you have a high-level executive job, you probably don’t have much spare time to spend cruising around just for fun in multiple, superfluous cars, so having one car that really knocks the ball out of the park is the only way to go.
Obviously, with such a large budget, you can basically have anything you want from a car without even straining yourself. That said, such a budget does allow you to get yourself something that is truly extraordinary, should you so wish. This is where a car like the new Jaguar XJR comes in.
At Radnor this year, there was more than just one Chrysler Town and Country. While I was taken aback by the handsome red sedan we featured previously, it was hard to ignore the Dove Gray example parked right next to it. This one is also a 1947 model, but restored in 2005. The combination of the gray paint and red interior, along with a red top, looked incredible on the field under the tree. The wood trim had a shine that no other wood-paneled car at the Concours was capable of matching that day. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1947 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible at the 2013 Radnor Hunt Concours
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.
Jaguar’s F-Type is a car that has taken a lot of thought out of me. When I was at Pebble Beach, it was already on sale, and I’d already had some seat time in one back in June 2013 on a parking-lot racetrack in Queens, NY. However, due to the limited amount of time I’d had with it, I was looking forward to taking another crack at this little sports car in the Golden State. I got my wish when I strapped myself into this sleek black beauty, and took it for a rather educational drive around the Seventeen Mile Drive.
Continue reading Test Driven: Jaguar F-Type V6S, Al’s Take (Grade: B+)
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
Drive’s Chris Harris pits the new Chevrolet C7 Corvette against the Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S. The Corvette and the 911 have had quite a heated rivalry in the US over the years, but now you can almost buy two Corvettes for the Price of one 911 with all the options you’d want. So the question at this point is, are they even rivals anymore?
-Nick
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
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
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
Mind Over Motor 