Alfa Romeos are always welcome in the sun-kissed, blessed land of California. Carmel is full of fantastic cars, and this wasn’t the first Alfa I saw that caught my attention, the other being another Guila (a 1300 Junior Zagato just downhill from this intersection). This navy blue example was fighting for attention among Vipers, 458 Italias, 599s, and the odd Lamborghini Gallardo, but I don’t need a classic like this little number to fight–it had my attention immediately. The dark blue finish stood out starkly from the gray pavement and drab rental cars surrounding it during Monterey Car Week. The little lines and gorgeous headlights accentuate this particular car’s finish. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce spotted in Carmel, CA→
In Carmel during Monterey Car Week, one of the best things to do to unwind after a entire day of chasing race cars at Laguna Seca is to find a nice spot on Ocean Avenue and take pictures of all the unique and exotic machines that come out to play during the weekend. Sometimes, while taking pictures, I end up with a two-for-one special, and when it’s a 1970s Alfa Romeo with Zagato lines and a first-series Mini, it’s hard to avoid attempting to get them in one picture. While the colors aren’t quite as striking as they might have been in their day, these classics stood out really well against the rip-snorting Ferrari 458s and Lamborghini Gallardos that dominate the evenings out here during the third week in August. Enjoy the photos of this original Mini and Junior Zagato, and take a good look at that license plate frame: “Kiss French, Drive Italian.” I concur. Continue reading Mk. 1 Mini Cooper S and 1973 Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA→
These are some of the classic European cars at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. Everything from legendary sports and racing cars to iconic luxury cruisers were present, there was a great turnout.
We made it out to The Elegance at Hershey 2014 in Hershey, PA where Hershey’s chocolate is made. It is a great event at a wonderful venue, the five star Hershey Hotel. With beautiful gardens and fountains supplementing all of the stunning cars, it is surely a great place for photos.
There were many rare cars this year, everything from a French-market Cadillac built for the Rothschild family to the best-in-show winning Duesenberg “Mormon Meteor” Speedster. Enjoy the highlight gallery of the event and check back for features on some specific cars.
There’s something special about the allure of this classic Alfa Romeo that made me put a halt to my busy day for a few minutes so I could snap a few photos of it. I cannot pretend to be an expert on every nuance of the Alfa Romeo brand of this era, but my online research has told me that this car is a 1960’s (1963?) Alfa Romeo 2600 Coupe.
I spotted it just sitting there on my way from Waterfest last summer to another car show later that evening. I don’t know if the owner intentionally left it out for car show attendees to enjoy, or if it was there for some other reason, but it managed to captivate me in the setting of that day. The car had a wonderful patina to it that made it seem that much more special. I had to capture it.
Here is the second part of our highlight reel from the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It includes everything from the magnificent Ferrari 330 P3/4 you see above to the brand new McLaren P1 and Lamborghini Huracan. Also featured are the best in show award winners, a Horch 853 and a Scarab Mark II. The cars at this year’s show were truly incredible, and we literally were shooting photos from sunrise to sunset.
Among the droves of classic Alfa Romeo 8Cs present for the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider Zagato stood out in particular. The Alfa Romeo 8C was the definitive Italian sports and racing car of the pre-war era, and the 8C 2300 featured here has had a beautiful body draped over it by legendary Italian design house, Zagato. That is why it caught my eye at this most prestigious of automotive events.
From what I understand, this unique 8C 3200 was originally commissioned by a famous Italian boat racer named Ambrogio Castiglioni. Its creme white color and swooping, art deco lines make it stand out tremendously among other Alfa Romeos of the era, which were often styled pretty sparsely in order to save weight for racing.
At Pebble Beach, the 8C 2300 Spider Zagato was beyond elegant. The grand finale of Monterey Car Week, their Concours d’Elegance is probably the most prestigious such event in the world, so for a car to be eye catching there, it must be pretty special. Enjoy the photos of this magnificent machine.
While out car spotting in Carmel, California during Monterey Car Week we caught this striking Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione lurking amongst traffic. As an object unto itself, the 8C Competizione is a design masterpiece, but getting to see this very special Alfa in the context of the real world, surrounded by mundane normal cars, made it all the more special. I was able to get a few shots of it as it passed by, and I think I captured the 8C’s contrast well. Enjoy the photos.
There were a number of truly righteous Alfa Romeos occupying the paddock at Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this year. When it comes to vintage cars, Alfas are definitely among my personal favorite. They are some of the sexiest machines around, and back in the day, Alfa Romeo was a serious racing contender… before all of this Fiat Group hierarchy, everyone bow down to Ferrari, nonsense.
The Alfas in the pit lane were among the creme-de-la-creme of Alfa Romeos. We saw a Tipo 33/2 Race Car (pictured above), a TZ, a TZ2, and a very race-prepped Giulia Spider. For context, Alfa Romeo made just 112 TZs, and a scant 12 TZ2s. I’m not sure on the number of Tipo 33/2s that Alfa produced, but I’d bet it’s within the range of the TZ models.
Italian cars are able to make any setting look good. Enjoy the photos.
It has been quite some time since I last bought a model car, but this Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale by AUTOart proved too enticing to pass up. One aspect of my automotive enthusiasm which I have not yet shown here on Mind Over Motor is my extensive collection of 1/18th scale models. Both myself and Al collect model cars, but until recently, mine have all been packed away from my family’s recent move and I still haven’t set up a display in the new house.
I have been interested in this Alfa model for a while now, but I got my hands on one for the first time while we were out in California last month. While perusing the Automobilia shops at Laguna Seca, I found the Tipo 33 Stradale model I had been lusting after. I forewent purchasing the model that day, due to logistical concerns of getting it home during my trip, but it had wet my appetite. When I got home, a few weeks later, I found myself searching for it online. I found a much better deal on Amazon.com than I would’ve gotten in California, so I decided to go for it.
A real Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale is on, what I call, my “Soul List”– The list of cars I’d consider trading my soul for if given the chance. Unless someone who has a Tipo 33 Stradale will accept a trade for a soul, this model will probably be the closest I come to owning one, seeing as how they are worth something like $5 million now. But who knows, lottery tickets can be bought, and prayers can be prayed. Honestly, I’d be entirely content if I ever even have the chance to drive one of these epic machines. For now though, the model will do.
My Tipo 33 Stradale just arrived today, and I couldn’t be happier with its quality. I plan to display it in my bedroom until my larger model display gets sorted out.
Best in Show Winner, the 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria
We have just had a mighty few days in the midst of the automotive Valhalla that is Monterey Car week, but the capstone event is surely the most grand of all, and that is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
This is an event where champions compete against champions. At any other event, every participant in the Pebble Beach Concours would likely win best of show. The field of automobiles is just plain unbelievable — the second you think you’ve seen everything, something incredible catches your eye. This is a place where a Lamborghini Miura may go overlooked, a place where everywhere you look, there is something astonishing to take in. This is la creme de la creme de la creme of automobiles.
Pebble Beach was once again kind enough to grant us media passes for this event, for which we are extremely grateful. I definitely feel like we put it all to good use this year, capturing tons of material to be used over the coming months. This is a highlight gallery of the event that aims to wet your appetite for what’s to come. Enjoy the photo gallery, and check back for much more from the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Mind Over Motor 