I ran into this beautiful 1948 Triumph 2000 Roadster at the British Motorcar Show in Lewes, DE this past weekend. The car itself was immaculate, but it was the hood ornament, a naked woman posing that really drew me in. I am a major fan of elaborate hood ornaments, and this is one of the finest I’ve seen. Being built in the aftermath of World War II, this Triumph is part of the generation of cars that picked up where the 1930s left off, and began to move things into the coming automotive boom. Around 2500 of these Triumph Roadsters were built with the 2000 being the top spec model. This was a stunning example, so much so that it had been retired from judging at the Lewes event because it has won so many times. Enjoy the photos.
The Tipo C 8C35 was one of the great Alfa Romeo racing cars that saw action under Scuderia Ferrari. This was before Enzo Ferrari had gone and started his own company, at the point in his life where he was making the transition from aspiring racing driver to successful team manager. Ferrari was always a fairly mediocre driver, but as a manager he became the legend we know him as today. It was awesome to see this Tipo C in action at the 2012 Lime Rock Historic Festival. It absolutely decimated its field of competition, doing its heritage proud. Enjoy the gallery.
It would be a great mistake to think this Delahaye is some ordinary combination of red and black. Look a little closer and you will see a brilliant duet of raspberry and grey, accented by chrome and some of the most finely crafted wood I have ever seen on a car. I had already been through most of the show at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance, but this stunning Delahaye 135 M Competition left me speachless when I found it. I saw one unbelievable car after another that day, but this was definitely my own personal “best of show”. I am a huge fan of French cars from the Art Deco era, but Delahayes hold a special place for me. The richness of flavor, the swoopy designs, it all embodies exactly what I want in a car like this, and this particular 135 M is one of the finest examples I’ve ever seen. Enjoy the photo gallery of this magnificent work of art.
Underneath its unique Zagato body, this is an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport racing car. The 6C 1750 Zagato Aprile is a one-off, and was built to its current form by its second owner, Guiseppe Aprile, after it was damaged. It was hidden during Word War II by its third owner, and kept locked away in for 50 years in the private collection of its fourth owner. It sits today in the hands of its fifth owner, who had it restored to its current glory, the way Guiseppe Aprile made it.
I was privileged to see this car in person at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. It was a showstopper for sure, as many Alfa Romeos from this era are. Enjoy the gallery.
These are a few random shots I took outside of actual events during the recent Concours Weekend on Amelia Island. As usual at events like these, there are all sorts of interesting things to be seen zooming around on the roads, or even in the skies. Enjoy.
Designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, the SSK was Mercedes’ racing powerhouse from 1928 to 1932, winning a long list of significant victories, including the 1931 Mille Miglia in the hands of legendary driver Rudolf Caracciola. It also broke the pace record for the Mille Miglia at the time with an average speed of 62mph(101km/h). The SSK was seriously fast, in fact it was the fastest car of its time. Its top speed was 120mph (~190km/h), and the performance from its 7.1L straight 6 engine is still decently impressive by today’s standards. The key was its supercharger, which engaged via a clutch when full throttle was used. This design gave the power when it was needed (especially at higher altitudes, where air is thinner), but also helped keep the car reliable by not having the blower stressing the engine all the time. From what I’ve read, around 170hp was available before the supercharger engaged, and 225hp hit when the boost came on. I have also seen some reports of SSKs making as much as 300hp, so maybe in different specifications were used for different races. The car also had a massive amount of torque, with as much as 500ft/lbs available on those highest spec’d cars. Keep in mind, all of this performance is in a car with 1920’s technology, so tires, brakes, suspension, etc were all nowhere near the level of a normal modern car, and the SSK weighed nearly two tons. Racing back then took some serious bravery.
The SSK you see here was on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, during my trip to Europe last year. Regrettably, I don’t have too many details on this specific SSK because I was so focused on taking photos that day that I didn’t bother reading the signs. I do know there were only 30-35 SSks built, so it is very rare, and definitely worth a few million dollars.
I love looking at early racing cars because there is so much crude genius. All of the performance aspects of a modern car had to be developed, usually through trial and error, and driven by competitive spirit. The SSK was the pinnacle of automotive technology in the late 1920s, and it marks a significant moment in racing, as well as in the development of the automobile itself. Enjoy the pics.
The Caribbean was Packard’s halo car back in the day, and this stunning example was present for the recent Festivals Of Speed event on Amelia Island. This 1956 Caribbean Convertible was very high-end, costing more than the equivalent Cadillac. Unfortunately, this was also one of the last Packard Carribeans to be made because the company was going bust, and 1956 was the last year of production for this car. During that year just 276 Caribbean Convertibles were produced, making this quite a rare car. I cannot get enough of the tri-tone color scheme. The hot pink between the white and black really sets the car off. The interior details also are quite immaculate, with an interesting pattern on the dash. It is a beautiful car all around.
Seeing this Caribbean up close made me really wish that our modern American cars still had this sort of style. Just look at all that chrome trim, so much style for style sake. I know we can’t build cars exactly like this anymore, but things have gotten far too boring. If memory serves me correctly, I don’t even think there is a single American car that you can still factory order with a two tone color scheme, let alone something like this Caribbean. There is no reason for our cars to have lost their sense of style, so while looking through these photos, just think about then versus now. Our car industry has lost all of its flavor, and we need to demand it back. I would love to see the Packard name re-emerge too, but now I’m really just hoping blindly. Enjoy the pics. Continue reading Festivals Of Speed: 1956 Packard Caribbean Convertible→
We had a request for some classic Mustangs, so I went through my photos from the Woodward Dream Cruise and found some. There wer many beautiful Mustangs running around during the event, but I tended to focus more on the Shelbys. The cars here range from original 60’s models to the GT500 Eleanor, which was created for the film Gone in 60 Seconds. Enjoy.
The BMW 3.0 CSL is always a special car to see in person, but at last weekend’s Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance, they had one of the Art Cars on display. This one was created by Frank Stella. It was the second of the BMW Art Cars, as well as the final 3.0 CSL Art Car. The car was roped off in its tent, so these were the best angles I could get, but I think the shots do the car enough justice. Enjoy.
Sh’Boom is definitely the coolest Hot Rod I’ve ever seen, and that is largely because of its flamethrowers you see here. I posted a whole gallery of photos I took of the car during a cruise night, but during the Woodward Dream Cruise it put on a real show for the crowd. It was cruising along slowly, with flames continuously spewing from the tailpipes for at least 3/4 of a mile. The streets were lined with thousands of people, and I could hear loud cheers erupt from the crowds as the car drove down the road. It was an incredible moment to behold. The effect Sh’boom has on people is astounding, definitely a car that will make your day. I just found these photos while digging through the albums from my summer in Detroit, MI, and I needed to share them. I am also going to add them to the previous Sh’boom gallery, so if you haven’t see those pics yet, check them out. Enjoy
This monster of a Camaro was at the cruise night in Hopewell, NJ last spring. It is a ’69 model car, but has obviously been heavily modified. Under the hood there is a supercharged 540ci V8…. thats 8.85L for those of you who use metric. I spoke with the owner’s father and he said it was putting down around 800rwhp, and with those enormous rear tires it will probably hook up fine at the drag strip. This is American Muscle at its finest. Enjoy.
Jay drives an immaculately built Datsun 510 owned by one of his co-workers on The Tonight Show. I love custom cars like this that seem to embody the personality of the person who built it. Enjoy.
Mind Over Motor 