Tag Archives: French Cars

1936 Delage D6-70 Figoni et Falaschi Milord Cabriolet at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

September 4, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

A Delage at Pebble Beach, to the seasoned, is not a surprise, nor is anything bodied by Figoni et Falaschi. The design house mixed with that automobile manufacturer is a match truly made in heaven, like mixing the best Chardonnay with the perfect high-end French meal. Delage is a well-known brand among the prewar automotive cognoscenti and the D6-70 shown here has a rich history. This is a car that may have won a concours event when new in 1936 and its unique coachwork and body style, coupled with the fetching paint combination, convinced me to stay a bit and take some photos. I wasn’t the only one captivated, either–the judges awarded this D6-70 the French Cup award and a Second In Class trophy for the European Classic Early class. It’s not the enormously entertaining D8-120, but it’s pint-size charm still holds plenty of classic appeal. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1936 Delage D6-70 Figoni et Falaschi Milord Cabriolet at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows

Highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 1

August 27, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

Here is the first batch of our highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was a great year this year, with loads of unique automobiles in attendance, including 16 of the 17 remaining Ruxtons (shown above). Maseratis were also featured this year for the marque’s centennial, as well as a stunning showcase of Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas, and some truly beautiful machines with coachwork by Darrin.

This is rolling artwork at its finest, so enjoy the photos. There’s much more to come!

Continue reading Highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 1 →

Cars We've Seen

Alex Roy’s Citroen SM and Michael Musto’s Dodge Charger spotted in Carmel, CA

August 21, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

This past week, Nick and I became familiar with how certain cars will show up almost everywhere. Alex Roy, the owner of a Citroen SM, and as a result a man with impeccable taste, was in Monterey all weekend, and we first saw his car parked in the parking lot at The Quail on Friday evening. The next day, Nick and I were looking for a parking spot after spending the entire day at Laguna Seca. We spotted Roy’s SM once again before coming across Michael Musto’s (of /DRIVE’s Big Muscle series) slick black 1968 Dodge Charger, in all of its glory with chrome rims and red Bumble Bee stripes. After taking photos until the sun came down, Nick and I walked down the street and ran into Mike Musto, who we began talking to, until Alex Roy sprinted up the sidewalk at breakneck speeds. When Alex returned and told the two of us possibly the most hilarious pair of stories I’ve ever heard, we spoke to the two of them and found that these two chaps are incomparably hilarious car guys with plenty to say and great taste in automobiles. Enjoy the photos of the Charger and the SM. Continue reading Alex Roy’s Citroen SM and Michael Musto’s Dodge Charger spotted in Carmel, CA →

Opinions

Paul Walker’s soul wants you to sign this petition so the US can have Nissan Skylines

August 7, 2014 ndubs77 4 Comments

Petrolicious has put forth a petition to get the American government to change the DOT/EPA’s import rule from 25 years to 15 years. What this means is that instead of just being able to import R32 generation Nissan Skylines right now, we would be able to import all of the R32 and R33 generation Skylines, and even some R34 generation Skylines… as seen in The Fast and Furious movies. The rule goes far beyond Nissan Skylines, though. Just think of all the awesome cars in Europe that haven’t made their way over here to the States…. Audi RS2, soon to be Audi RS5 (B5 gen), BMW M5 Wagons, all of those wonderful hot-hatches, and even a first-generation PAGANI ZONDA.

This is really a petition to change a stupid law that needlessly infringes upon the freedom of American consumers to purchase whatever vehicle they want. It serves absolutely no safety purpose, given that all cars from 15 years ago are way less safe than newer cars. Even if you personally would not import a car, you should sign the petition out of good will to your fellow car-lovers, and in return, you will have the pleasure of seeing more beautiful Alfa Romeos roaming the streets. This change will only serve to improve everyone’s lives!

You can sign the petition HERE. All it requires is your name, email, and zip code. It take 2 seconds.

Let’s all use the power of social media to make the United States a better place!

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses Spotted in Carmel, CA

July 31, 2014 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Last year, while out at Monterey Car Week, we caught these three incredible Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses outside the Quail Lodge. Because having 250mph wind in your hair is fun!

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesses Spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows

Highlights from The Elegance at Hershey 2014

June 23, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

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.

Continue reading Highlights from The Elegance at Hershey 2014 →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1939 Delage D8-120S Coupe at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

May 20, 2014 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

The French are not known these days for timeless, elegant styling. Wind the clock back 75 years, however, and they had the honor of calling companies like Delage and Delahaye home, two manufacturers that could lay claim to some of the most beautiful Depression-era automobiles ever produced. This particular Delage is one of the last D8s built before the Germans invaded France in 1940 and with its Vanvooren coachwork looks absolutely stunning. It is a shame that this striking car did not win any awards at Amelia this spring. Notably, it’s the only car I felt obligated to photograph after the rest of the show field had left for the evening at the close of the Concours. Although the starting rod failed, it did not have any problem making my heart skip a beat that day in Florida. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1939 Delage D8-120S Coupe at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Chris Harris takes us out in his Citroen 2CV

April 18, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

Anyone can get excited about driving a viciously fast Ferrari or a swaggin’ Bentley, but the mark of a true car or driving enthusiast is their equal excitement at the thought of driving something quirky, like a Citroen 2CV. Chris Harris has one, and in this episode of his segment on the Drive Network, he takes us out in it to show us what the 2CV is all about.

And now I really want one….

-Nick

Car Shows

Alpine A110 1600S at Amelia Island

March 17, 2014 ndubs77 3 Comments

This is an Alpine A110 1600S, often referred to as the “Renault Alpine,” though Renault did not actually own Alpine until 1978. The Alpine A110 was produced from 1961 to 1977, and saw major rally success in the early 1970s. In fact, the Alpine A110 holds the honor as the first World Rally Champion, winning the inaugural WRC season in 1973.

The “Renault Alpine” designation comes from the fact that Alpine used Renault engines in the A110. The top-spec 1600S model you see here had a 1.6L inline-four producing 138hp. That may not sound like a lot, but at just around 1,600lbs the A110 1600S was capable of doing 130mph. Keep in mind, this is a rally car, not a supercar, and 130mph is a lot of speed on a winding rally stage.

We caught this classic french rally car at the cars and coffee event held during the Amelia Island car weekend. This car actually flew past us the night before, but all we could see then was its yellow headlights and enjoy the sound its lovely engine echoing off the trees as it disappeared into the dark abyss. I was thrilled to see the Alpine in daylight the next day, and it was great to get some shots of it. Enjoy!

Continue reading Alpine A110 1600S at Amelia Island →

Car Shows

Highlights from the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (Pre 1950)

March 12, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

We attended the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance last weekend and were absolutely blown away by the quality of the cars that were present. This post is a highlight feature on the pre-1950 era cars that caught my eye at the show. The post-1950 era highlights will go up on Friday and there are many more individual features to come.

Enjoy gazing at these magnificent automobiles.

Continue reading Highlights from the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (Pre 1950) →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering: The 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Aerolithe Coupe Re-Creation

October 15, 2013 Albert S. Davis 4 Comments

When The Quail came to a close, I stepped into the grassy field and stumbled upon this gorgeous piece of automotive sculpture. My skin tanned from the sunlight, but this icy green Bugatti looked frozen cold. This particular Type 57 example is built as an Aerolithe Coupe, a styling study done by Bugatti back in 1935 and lost since 1936. Very little visual information is left of the original Aerolithe coupe–there was enough technical information passed down through the years, but it took a Canadian group 5 years to build a version of the Aerolithe. This remake of that famous automobile uses 100% genuine Bugatti components. Even the tires, a set of Dunlop Ballon whitewalls, are completely correct and were custom-made for it. The color was matched through a painting made of the original to Bugatti paint chips of the era. However, by far the most impressive aspect of this breathtaking automobile is the bodywork. The body is made from a magnesium alloy, notorious for its flammability and volatility–this is why the body is riveted, not welded, together. The swoopy lines and stunning shapes of this car were more than enough to keep my attention for a solid hour or so. It was difficult for me to stop shooting pictures, even after a frantic call from Nick about Pagani allowing people to sit in the new Huayra (if that’s what it had to take to get me away from this Bugatti, then not much else would have). Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering: The 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Aerolithe Coupe Re-Creation →

Car Shows

1938 Talbot Lago T150C SS Teardrop Coupe at Radnor Hunt 2013

October 3, 2013 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

If there’s one thing the French knew how to do in the 1930s, it was elegance in automobiles. Figoni et Falaschi was a design powerhouse at this time and this Talbot-Lago was a true jaw-dropper at the 100 Cars of Radnor Hunt. While Nick got busy snapping the Delahaye (itself a beautiful car) my college buddy Chris Azarko and I admired this piece of French automotive artwork. Even among these beautiful classic cars the swoopy Talbot caught everyone’s attention. Only 14 of these were made during its short production run and this one was hidden from the Nazis during WWII. I’m glad it’s been restored and I’m even happier to see it here at Radnor. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1938 Talbot Lago T150C SS Teardrop Coupe at Radnor Hunt 2013 →