Tag Archives: Pre War Cars

1938 Horch 853 by Voll & Ruhrbeck: Best of Show, Concours d’Elegance at the Amelia Island Concours

March 13, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

This year, two awards for Best of Show were given out at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The best race car received the Concours d’Sport (a 1958 Scarab), and the best classic recieved the Concours d’Elegance. The Elegance award went to this absolutely stunning 1938 Horch 853 Cabriolet, which came all the way from Sparks, Nevada, owned by Bob and Ann Brockinton Lee. The silver-gray paint was immaculate and the restoration was top-rate. The 853 was a car of the aristocracy of Europe for some time before WWII and is sought after today as a great example of German craftsmanship from the Thirties. This one is one of only two ever bodied by Voll & Ruhrbeck, and was fully restored recently to an incredibly high standard. The chrome was second to none, the accessories looked better than new, and no stone was left un-turned. Despite the fact that I had other favorites and somewhat overlooked this car at the show on Sunday, I can see why the judges made their decision and I am inclined to agree about its high standard. Enjoy the photos. The Scarab will be posted to the site in the coming days.

Continue reading 1938 Horch 853 by Voll & Ruhrbeck: Best of Show, Concours d’Elegance at the Amelia Island Concours →

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) →

Car Shows, Motorsport

Presenting a selection from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA.

March 6, 2014 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Boston visiting my cousin and her husband. While I was up there, I revisited the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline just outside of town. I hadn’t been there in more than 4 years, so I was excited to come back and see what had changed. Here is a selection of what was at the museum at the time I was there, including a 1953 Corvette, a prewar Bugatti four-door cabriolet in beautiful shape, a Mercer runabout, a selection of classic racers from the 50s and 60s, and a pristine Corvette Stingray in the back room. The museum has a smorgasbord of prewar cars on display both upstairs and in the family’s personal collection, located in the basement. This is definitely a great place to go if you like smaller car museums with an eclectic and ever-changing display set. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Presenting a selection from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA. →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost at the New Hope Classic Car Show

February 25, 2014 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

Early Rolls-Royces were out in full force on the second day of the New Hope Car Show, which is normally reserved for European classics. Behind the high school that the show uses as its venue, there were Rolls and Bentley classics parked as far as the eye could see. Luckily for my bad right ankle, this Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, in a very fetching eggshell-white paintjob with wire wheels, was parked right next to the wall of the school, making for some great backdrops. Of course, my camera packed up on me at this very moment, and the zoom stopped working while I was taking shots of this Ghost. Luckily, the photos survived for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost at the New Hope Classic Car Show →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1941 Lincoln Continental by Durham at the Radnor Hunt Concours

February 11, 2014 Albert S. Davis 3 Comments

Raymond Leowy is a name known very well by a lot of car enthusiasts. He penned, among others, the Studebaker Avanti, the bullet-nose Studebaker Commander and Champion of the postwar era, the 1946 Lincoln Continental, the Hillman Minx, and the Sunbeam Alpine roadster. He had an eye for style and flair, and also was the pencil behind plenty of contemporary designs of today, including even the US Postal Service logo still in use. However, in 1941, he bought a brand-new Lincoln Continental coupe and had it sent off to the coachbuilder Durham for modifications. By the time the craftsmen at Durham were finished with the Lincoln, it looked strikingly different. The grille and hood were reshaped, the front fenders were shortened, and the bumpers were customized up front. At the rear, a fin was added in the center, and an opera window and plexiglass roof were added to the top. It was, in the end, quite a unique Continental and I had a hard time ignoring it when it was sitting at the entrance of the show this year. Enjoy the pictures.

Continue reading 1941 Lincoln Continental by Durham at the Radnor Hunt Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1937 Cord 812 at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013

February 6, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

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 →

Car Shows

1931 Rolls Royce Phantom II at the New Hope Classic Car Show 2013

January 28, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

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 →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

January 24, 2014 ndubs77 5 Comments

This 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster was my own personal pick for “best in show” at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey California. It just had that “wow” factor that took my breath away when I first saw it that day, and I still think it was one of the most beautiful cars on the field.

You might be asking yourself, right about now, “what the hell is an Underslung?” Incidentally, that was the same question I found myself asking that day. You see, these concours events are always a learning experience for me, as a member of the “millennial” generation. This is a car that was built when not my grandmother, but my great grandmother was just ten years old. Any memories of an Underslung, or any American automobile for that matter, are three generations back from me. Let’s think about that for a second, and consider just how special this Underslung is that it is still drop people’s jaws a century after it was created.

Continue reading 1914 American Underslung 642 Roadster at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Cord L-29 at St Michael’s Concours d’Elegance

January 9, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

Those of you who have been following the site for a while should know by now that I’m a sucker for the Cord L-29. It’s an ahead-of-its-time, FWD luxury car that looks expensive and has a late-Twenties look that is timeless in my opinion. Of course, I always love seeing them at Concours events, and at the St. Michael’s Concours last September, I saw another great-looking example, this time courtesy of the Hershey Museum, who brought theirs out to the Chesapeake Bay that weekend. This one had its roof up for most of the show but the black-and-gray paintjob made the car look like a proper late-Twenties time capsule. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Cord L-29 at St Michael’s Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows

1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider Zagato at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

January 8, 2014 ndubs77 3 Comments

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.

Continue reading 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider Zagato at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows

Mind Over Motor’s 2013 Event Recap & Highlights

December 30, 2013 ndubs77 3 Comments

2013 Events We Attended (click title links for the full galleries)

–Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Here we are in the last few days of the year 2013, and this whole week we will be recapping what we’ve done over the past year with a few epic conglomerations of drool-worthy automotive content! First up is a recap of all the events we’ve attended this year.

2013 has been an interesting year for us at Mind Over Motor. They say that the third year of any venture is often a test, and it has been so for us as we continually try to balance our efforts toward growing the site and creating new content with the demands of our everyday lives. Many of you who’ve been following have probably noticed some changes we’ve made in the past few months, and there are more changes coming (for the better, of course!) in the new year as we continue to grow and find more fun things to share with all of you.

We attended some incredible car shows this year, and we saw some really fantastic cars. We compiled loads of content from each event, much of which we has shared, but a lot of which is still yet to come. So without further adieu, here are the event highlights from 2013, as well as a gallery of some of our favorite photos from each event. There are a lot of them, so please keep scrolling down. Enjoy!

Concours d’Elegance Events (continued):

–The Elegance at Hershey

–Festivals of Speed at Amelia Island

–Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

–Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

–The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering

Continue reading Mind Over Motor’s 2013 Event Recap & Highlights →

Car Shows, Obscure Autos, SHOWCASE

“Old No. 4” at Laguna Seca

November 26, 2013 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

At Laguna Seca, don’t go in with an expectation. That’s not me being negative, that’s me being honest. I only say this because you might come across a 550 Spyder, but then stumble on a piece of ancient automotive history like this racing Ford. When I was photographing it, the entire area around it stank like spent old brakes. Of course, that’s because someone had the guts (and the crazy) to drive this on Laguna Seca. This happens to be a 1915 Ford race car, utilizing a 1915 Model T engine with 50 hp. The list of tech pieces reads like something out of a horror film for racing, including a 12-speed transmission (via the use of a 2 speed planetary gearbox hooked up to a 3 speed Muncie transmission, then out to a 2 speed rear axle), a 2 wheel rear drum used as a service brake, and a pressure fed fuel system. According to the owners, this bright yellow Ford can break 100 mph. Judging by its minimal use of anything regarding bodywork, I’m not shocked at all about that. What I was shocked about was that the driver got out, said hello, and was in one piece. To the man who drove this car that day: I salute you, sir. Enjoy the photos of this incredible little car. Continue reading “Old No. 4” at Laguna Seca →