Tag Archives: Classic Cars

The Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyder Trio at the Concours of America

Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder Trio Concours of America 2

These are the only three Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyders built, the entire production run by Stile Italia, and they all belong to the same family. Now that’s fun, ain’t it?

They decided to bring them all out together for the Concours of America this year, and my, what a spectacle they were. Stunning, curvaceous Italian metal draped over what is essentially a racing chassis with a built 350ci Chevy V8 that makes 420hp. Yes, back in the mid-late 1960s, these Bizzarrini supercars were about as serious as a road car could be. American muscle powering Italian handling, and beauty, it is a perfect combination!

Giotto Bizzarrini was an ex-Ferrari engineer, one of the heads of the 250 GTO program. One day, Enzo Ferrari pissed him, and a bunch of other engineers off, and they all left the Ferrari in spite. Giotto Bizzarrini went on to design the V12 used by Lamborghini from the 1960s until just recently. He then founded a company under his own name, and started building the gorgeous cars you see here.

Obviously, Bizzarrini’s company didn’t last; they went bankrupt in 1969. But that left their machines a rarity among sports and racing cars, and they are highly treasured today.

I had seen the silver prototype and the blue Spyder before on different occasions, but never the red one. What a treat to see all three 5300 Spyders together! They are a beautiful and impressive nook in the lineage of Italian Sports Cars.

Enjoy the gallery!

Continue reading The Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyder Trio at the Concours of America

1948 Tucker 48 “Torpedo” at The Concours of America

 

1948 Tucker Torpedo Concours of America 1

The Tucker 48 was a car that would’ve stuck it to the Big Three in the years following WWII, so much so that they had to essentially sabotage and filibuster Preston Tucker to ruin his company before he could get too far off the ground. It was a great example of American anti-capitalism, and a shameful moment in the auto industry on the part of the Big Three.

Preston Tucker did manage to produce a few production Tucker 48s, or “Tucker Torpedos” as they were known. 50 cars were completed in total, and it’s always a wonderful occasion when you get to see one up close. We saw this beautifully kept example at the Concours of America, near Detroit, Michigan.

Just look at the car with its fantastic details, and consider what a shame it is that Tucker was never able to really get off the ground. In 1948 the Tucker was nothing short of revolutionary. It was fast, it was safe, and it was stylish. There was nothing even remotely like it, and that’s what scared the shit out of the Big Three so much that they felt the need to play dirty… if I sound vindictive, it’s because I am. The Tucker was a true masterpiece, and it would have shown them up big time.

The remaining Tuckers are heavily sought after today. At auction, they’ll easily fetch seven figures. For more info on the Tucker 48, check out the video at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy the gallery of this icon of the American Auto Industry, and for more info on the Tucker 48, check out the video at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading 1948 Tucker 48 “Torpedo” at The Concours of America

TBT: Back to a time when cars were made with elbow grease, and a touch of class

Pre War Lincoln Interior

Best Of Show Winners from the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s

1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Front//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Six months back, Nick, Shane, and I were all in attendance at the 2015 Concours of America, over in Plymouth MI.  Nick’s shown us all the highlights and I’ve done a few features on one or two muscle cars and a set of dry-lake race cars, as well as a very unique Corvette.  However, nothing gets in front of Best of Show, and at this show, one award is given to the best American car, and one is given to the best imported car.  The winners this year genuinely embody the best of what the pre-war world of cars had to offer 80 years ago. Continue reading Best Of Show Winners from the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s

Various Racing Machines in the Laguna Seca Paddock

Porsche 956 Laguna Seca Paddock

Some more shots from the Paddock of Laguna Seca during Monterey Car Week, here is a gallery of awesome racing cars, old and new.

I always love seeing the old pre-war racecars sitting right next to more modern racecars, like Group C, because it really puts in perspective how far the automobile has come in just a few decades. That said, the drivers of those older racing cars were men among men. Those cars were not especially slow at all, reaching over 100mph, but with very primitive technology.

Enjoy the spectacle!

Continue reading Various Racing Machines in the Laguna Seca Paddock

1966 Ford Fairlane 500XL Convertible spotted in Royal Oak, MI

1966 Ford Fairlane 500XL

Allow me to be the first to say to all our readers, Happy New Year!  Here’s your welcome to 2016 present, a car which is now celebrating its 50th birthday. Continue reading 1966 Ford Fairlane 500XL Convertible spotted in Royal Oak, MI

Nissan Hakosuka Skyline 2000 GT-R at Laguna Seca

Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Laguna Seca

This JDM gem was lurking in the paddock at Laguna Seca. It is a 1971 Nissan Hakosuka Skyline 2000 GT-R, the great, great, great grand daddy of today’s R35 Nissan GTR.

These things are worth a pretty penny now, too. In fact, that same weekend another Hakosuka GT-R sold for $242,000 at auction in Monterey.

The Skyline 2000 GT-R is now a godfather figure amongst Japanese cars, and rightfully so given the lineage of groundbreaking cars it produced.

Enjoy the pics!

Continue reading Nissan Hakosuka Skyline 2000 GT-R at Laguna Seca

The History of Packard

Packard was one of the great American luxury car brands in the first half of the 1900s. Many would even dub Packard “the American Rolls Royce” because the two companies shared much in their ideological approach to building the highest quality automobile.

This is a bit of historical glamour for us all to lust over. It’ll have us wishing for Packard to make a comeback someday.

Enjoy!

-Nick

Chevrolet Nova spotted on the PA Turnpike

1969 Nova Mild Custom

On our way home from Radnor, Nick and I were looking for anything interesting on the highway, and this old Nova turned up making quite an entrance. I’m a sucker for the compact Chevy from the late Sixties and early Seventies–because of their low weight, a built small block or most mild big blocks can turn a rather ho-hum little car into a terrifying little rocket of a car. This brown one packed a loud V8 and traction bars underneath the leaf springs, as well as some sweet torq-thrust wheels and nicely-done white letter tires–all in all, a clean looking old Nova packing some punch. I genuinely wish I saw more of these.

-Albert S. Davis

1968 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours

1968 Dodge Charger R:T Front

I’ve featured quite a few Chargers here at Mind Over Motor over the years, but I think this one might be the best one I’ve seen over my life. In 1968, Dodge took their Charger fastback coupe and gave it exclusive Coke-bottle styling, a tunneled rear window and grille, hidden headlights, a flip-top gas cap (taken right from the racing circuit), and a mean bumblebee stripe down the back. This one’s packing the baddest engine on the block–the 426 Hemi. Continue reading 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours