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FROM THE EDITOR A
L E T T E R
B Y D U S T I N T R OYA N
MORE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU I wrote this in 2016 and a conversation I had recently made me revisit it. I thought it was pertinent to this time of year...
As I was the youngest in most of the conversations and the men were very accomplished, I just sat back and listened and tried to learn, I was lucky to be there and hear what I was hearing. I asked why they thought that most people did not appreciate what they had in life and how lucky they were. In just about every instance, they all said something similar, something to the effect of, most people have not suffered or seen suffering that comes from war torn I am lucky. That is a or impoverished areas of the world,At or The whereAuto there isGallery, no freedom. weSince like they fact. I think I have always have never experienced it, they simply cannot understand it and therefore to listen to our customers.cannot known this. I cannot tell appreciate how lucky they are, where they are. Our 2013 Customer you why... but I am. I am Growing up, my father hammered into us, how “lucky we were to have a Satisfaction Survey Canoga Park not talking about luckyVan in Nuys mother who loved us.” If you are a longtime reader, you probablyresults know that my told us that the number the sense that I won the lottery or found a LeMans winning vintage race car in father was raised in an orphanage. By his own admission, he never experienced a garage worth millions Woodland lucky, but lucky love until he met my mother and hadone his children...something he neverour thought complaint amongst Hills in the sense that I know I am lucky. I am sure that I do not fully understand the appreciation for my luck or how he would have. So, he hammered into us over and over how lucky we owners wasover theandlack far my luck actually runs, but I try to. I try real hard. were to have a mom that loved us and loved us unconditionally. I suppose he of convenience of our I have found that most luck comes from other people. As our lives are more would be an expert to know the difference. I have always tried to learn from locations. intertwined than most people like to admit, think about when some luck came people smarter than me and let me service tell you I love my mom and appreciate the your way. What or who was it that contributed to your luck? I’ll give you an hell out of her and my dad. Thanks for the tip dad, I will pass it on. example; Calabasas I met my wife through a regular customer at Village Coffee Roaster. I suppose it is the going without that makes us appreciate. My mom once Boy was I lucky! Thank you JoAnne. How did I find that job? A few friends told me that she fears for my brother and myself because we have never really led me to find that job, they provided that luck. It was luck that the shop was suffered. That we have been so lucky and she hopes that we continue to do so, closed on Sundays and there was a real big empty parking lot. Little more luck but, lurking back there is that little thing called life that can knock you down there. pretty hard, if for no other reason than to remind you...how lucky you are. Lucky. I remember the first Motor4Toys, another one of my regular Maybe I am writing this because it was just the holiday season and I am so customers offered to help that day...Kathleen has been the backbone of lucky to be blessed with a wife and kids, with friends and family, with food and Motor4Toys for fourteen years. Boy I was lucky that she is so kind and offered Beverly laughter.Hills Sure, I am and we are damn lucky for that. But, I do feel lucky, I feel Introducing two new drop-off West LA help that first year. Without her… lucky that we pulled off another year of Motor4Toys, for every toy that came in, points in West LA and Van Nuys. There are so many instances of luck, which occur from other people. Think for everybody who helped, I feel so damn lucky and grateful. about it for a second, when was the last time you got lucky? Hey, get your mind But, in the back of my mind, there is a little voice. And it keeps saying to out of the gutter, well, I suppose in that case too, it takes someone else. me to be grateful. That we all need to wake up and really appreciate what we have Luck and being grateful. I recently had a conversation with a man about because if we don’t, the lesson can be hard and long. That if we truly appreciate ten years my senior. We got to talking and I think I said “how lucky” I am to be our lives, our loves and our freedom, then we must start showing it. That there an American and to “live in the greatest country in the world...” He Santa began to tell comes a time when good men and women need to stand up for what is right and Monica me how he is grateful for everything in his life. As he was holding a cup of water, true. For what we believe in and for who we are. No, this is not a political rant, he looked at me with so much compassion in his eyes and said, “I am so grateful this is a simple statement, perhaps a request as we head into a new year. I think for this cup of water.” Apparently he was in the military and on a mission some that we all need to really focus on how important our country is and how much years back, he had no water. It wasn’t the cup he was holding, it wasn’t the story, opportunity she provides us, our children, our families. it was the look in his eyes. A look as if telling me that my eyes are just opening Here is what I would ask of you for 2019. Live like you are so lucky for as to how lucky I really am. A look that only perhaps a man who has been at war every single day. For every breath of air, for every drink of water, for every hug, would know or who has lost so much for others. That look he gave me... every kiss, every pain, every frustration, everything. Live for the Canoga now, for the With sites in Calabasas, Lucky. I am damn lucky to have some very good friends. I mean very good tomorrow for the future that you will lay down for future generations. This is our Park, Woodland Hills, Van Nuys, friends. To put up with me, well it takes a lot. When I was on my first date with opportunity to leave a legacy that will provide an illustration for not only those Beverly and and lift my wife, I told her that I could be pretty annoying, I forewarned her. I bet if you around you, but to instill hopes and values Hills, that willWest move LA, mountains you now were to query my friends they would tell you that I can annoy the hell out of others up from their lowest points.Santa You canMonica, do this every single day ifhave you choose. choice of location to yourself, use. for no you with ease. A gift I was born with. I am lucky to have such an amazing group And do it just to do it. Do it whena nobody is watching, do it for of friends who are so damn supportive, but, we are supportive of each other. I other reason than it is right. Do the right thing because you are a human being could say that we are lucky to have each other and we are, but we really do try to and you are so damn lucky for that breath of air, that you are healthy or that you support each other as best as we can. still have time on this planet. I so believe that to our dying breath, we can change Naturally, nobody is perfect and feathers do get ruffled, but those same things for the better for the sake of what is good and right and true. feathers allow us to fly together in the chasing of our dreams. We are lucky to In this day and age in America when I now have to be concerned about have each other and even if none of us are perfect and many of us have a lot going shopping at a mall, let us remember that we are human beings and we going on, well, we all try to be there. We are lucky to have each other, even with should act accordingly. And that if we are living in America, we are lucky. And all of our imperfections. that if you want to create your own luck, your own life, your own legacy, it is not It is interesting, the last few months I have been in many conversations about how much you can acquire, but, by how you live your life. About doing the whereby the topic of appreciation has come up. A bunch of men talking about right thing, not for others but for yourself. But, more so than any time, we need Tomore make yourtonext how grateful or lucky they are. It was kind of neat to listen to other men discussing good people to do more, to inspire by action, bring service more light into our and arrange a how lucky they are in their lives. There was a similar thread that kept coming up. world and to share how lucky we appointment are for everything we have. drop off can point that They kept bringing up this country and how lucky the were to be in it, thriving in This new year just remember that you shape yourbest world suits around you. it. That America is truly the land of opportunity and it offers so much to so many You can take a step in a directionyou. to make things a little bit better. One Call Irene Velazquez at step at people. In these conversations, the men traded stories of countries they either a time can change the world, over(818) a lifetime. If we all or tookemail that step, we would 932-1707 grew up in, fled from or had visited or worked in. They spoke about the reality of all be better for it. And, that is what made this country great in the first place. irenev@theautogallery.com. the world and how most people do not realize how lucky they are. - Dustin
YOU SPOKE, WE LISTENED
2 NEW LOCATIONS CHOOSE THE LOCATION THAT’S CONVENIENT FOR YOU
SERVICE YOUR CAR
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SANTA MONICA
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drivenworld ISSUE 103, OCTOBER 2018 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dustin Troyan ART DIRECTOR James R. Stanley Jr. COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan James R. Stanley Jr. DESIGN Connected Media Group CONTRIBUTOR Dustin Troyan Steve Geldman Photo Motorsports Daniel Adelson Mark Llewellyn Jay Santos Mike Grudt Greg Grudt
Cover Photo: McLaren Senna At The Quail by Greg Grudt
ADVERTISING / MARKETING dustin@connectedmediagroup.com (818) 516-5053
www.drivenworld.com
www.connectedmediagroup.com www.supercarsunday.com
Driven World Magazine is published twelve times per year by Connected Media Group LLC. It is distributed at upscale locations and events all over California. It is also available online and distributed electronically to highnet-worth individuals as well as members of the car community at large. All rights reserved. Driven World and Supercar Sunday are registered trademarks of Connected Media Group LLC. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or any other materials or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of copyright owner. Driven World Magazine and Connected Media Group LLC, do not take responsibility for the claims provided herein. Connected Media Group LLC, Driven World Magazine, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for the errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein. Connected Media Group LLC does not assume liability for any products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or editorial information.
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Bonhams
Quail Lodge Auction
Article by Mike Grudt & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
$ 37.8 MILLION IN SALES
B
onhams was by far the oldest auction house with a presence during Monterey Car Week. Not only has it held the longest continuous auction in the Monterey Peninsula with 21 years, the worldwide company started in London, England in 1793. Mostly known for their sale of fine art and all sorts of antiquities, collector cars represent a very small portion of their overall revenue. This year they sold over 80% of their 135 lots for a total of $37.8 million in sales. The top ten cars sold at Bonhams went for well over $1 million each and consisted entirely of European classics. Numbers one through four were a 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Competizione Coupe ($3.53M), a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K
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Sports Roadster ($3.28M), a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe ($1.88M) and a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet ($1.68M). Tied for fifth place in sales value were a 1928 Bentley 6 ½ Liter Open Sports Tourer and a 1953 Siata 208S Spider which each sold for ($1.67M). Only a select few of the cars offered at Bonhams were housed inside their main display area. Most of the cars were parked on the grass to be seen in the sunlight surrounded by a low white picket fence. They had a grouping of a few early 60’s Jaguar XKEs in various colors and another grouping of different models of early Porsche Speedsters. Many examples of other car makes and models were also grouped accordingly.
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CASA
FERRARI
Article & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
F
or the second year in a row Casa Ferrari Pebble Beach was a huge hit. Last year Ferrari displayed over seventy cars on the lawn to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the brand. This year just behind the Fairway One at the Lodge (hole #1), numerous ‘open top’ Ferraris graced the lawn again as a Tribute to Ferrari Spiders. There was just about every open top Ferrari imaginable and even a few duplicates of some respected models. The actual Ferrari House and patio was a private venue open to Ferrari owners and their guests only. The Ferrari display out on hole #1 was open to the public all day on Sunday.
I think the most important cars to mention were the four (yes four) Ferrari 275 NART Spiders! Only 10 of those cars were ever produced and four of them were right in front of my very eyes. For those of you that are not aware, a Ferrari 275 NART Spider sold at RM Auctions Monterey 2013 for a mere $27.5 million dollars. The total of these four cars was well over $120 million dollars. I’ve seen a few single 275 NART Spiders displayed at various events in the past but have never seen four displayed together. No Ferrari gathering is complete without a Ferrari F50. A gorgeous red example was displayed next to a
10
"
Only 10 of those cars were ever produced and four of them were right in front of my very eyes.
very rare pair of 550 Barchettas and a nice pair of 575 Superamericas. There was another very rare pair of Ferrari 599 SA Apertas (1 of 80) both in beautiful shades of blue. It is also very important to note the extremely rare pair of open top Ferrari F60 Americas (1 of 10) that were nestled in next to a 458 Speciale Aperta and a 488 Spyder. By far my favorite open top Ferrari was the 250 SWB California Spider in a gorgeous jade green. I have seen over twenty various California Spiders, but never in that amazing shade of green before. The second best part about that car was being parked next to a red example.
There was also a 250 LWB California Spider displayed a few cars away as well. I have always been a fan of the Ferrari 250 California Spider and to see three of them together was quite amazing. I thought it was quite humorous that I saw my first Ferrari 488 Pista coupe the same day that I saw my first 488 Pista Spider just a couple hundred feet away from each other at the event. Normally when it comes to Ferrari, we see a dozen or so coupes delivered and then a few months later the convertible versions make their way to customers. This clearly wasn’t the case this time around. The Fairway One Hotel also
hosted Ferrari customers during the week. Each day and night it was enjoyable to walk by the resort and see the parking lot full of rare and unique Ferraris. It was not uncommon to walk by and see a few LaFerraris, F50’s, SA Apertas, F60 Americas all parked in front of the hotel. I am looking forward to seeing what Casa Ferrari has to offer next year. I am glad that Casa Ferrari has what seems to be a permanent new home to display and show off the brand to the automotive enthusiasts that make the trek out to Monterey Car Week each year. 11
Con
Italian 12
C
ncorso
no2018
" This event has come to be known as the world’s largest luxury and exotic Italian Car show
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
oncorso Italiano recently celebrated their 33 year anniversary and continued to be one of the longest running events held during Monterey Car Week. The venue for the event was the picturesque rolling green fairways of the Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, overlooking Monterey Bay. This event has come to be known as the world’s largest luxury and exotic Italian Car show. This year as always, marked a number of notable vehicle golden anniversaries including the 50th Anniversary of Lamborghini Espada and Islero models, and the Ferrari 365 GTB Daytona. The event also included the third year of a four-year celebration honoring Alfa Romeo automobiles. This year the focus was on Alfa Romeo sedans, including the Berlina, Alfetta, Milano, 164 and Guilia. Nearly 1,000 predominately Italian cars and motorcycles were carefully grouped by make and model across the sprawling golf course. There was just row upon row of immaculate vehicles with many of the owners seated proudly next to their cars ready to discuss every detail when asked. Most car show participants I’ve encountered through the years are passionate about their vehicles. Those at Concorso Italiano take that passion to a new level that seems to be a big part of their lives. Upon entering the gates at the venue my attention was drawn to the left to a section where the numerous Lamborghinis were located. The first one we encountered was one of my all-time favorite Lamborghini models, a somewhat rare white LM002 model “Rambo Lambo” SUV from the mid-90’s shod with huge Pirelli Scorpion tires. The spare tire mount was even signed by Lamborghini legend Valentino Balboni. I guess that is much like the Carroll Shelby autographed glove boxes on many of the Cobras. We enjoyed the assorted and colorful Huracans, Murcielagos, Countachs, Diablos and many other models. Another rare Lambo we saw was a Fuchsia colored Diablo SV Monterey Edition (1 of 20) parked next to a blue Monterey Edition. Very few cars would look good in that color and the Diablo pulled it off and it looked amazing. Many Italian vehicles are finished in different
13
hues of red. Most Lamborghinis are adorned in every color except red. Moving over to the next vehicle area we made our way down and enjoyed viewing numerous Alfas, Fiats, Maseratis, Lancias and other assorted examples of Italian engineering. Two of my favorite Alfas were two vintage sedans. One was a blue and white European “Polizia” car and the other was a highly modified taxi rally car covered with stickers and it sported a full roll cage. Near the end of that section we saw a number of De Tomaso Panteras. I always enjoy seeing examples of that 1970’s era combination of Italian design and American horsepower. They looked great and sounded even better. In the same general area we also saw a handful of my other favorite Italian American collaboration from the 1970’s, the Iso Grifo. Those beauties came equipped with either a Chevy or Ford powerplant through their short production run. The final and largest area of the event housed hundreds of virtually every model Ferrari imaginable. Of course most of the cars displayed were finished in traditional Rosso Corsa or a similar shade of red. There were a few stray yellow, silver, gray or white examples of various models except the Ferrari 246 GT Dinos. I have always loved the look of the Dino. They were displayed in abundance in lime green, brown, dark blue, black and many colors other than red. We also enjoyed the many Testerossas, 308s, 355s, and 360s as well as a newer model F12 TDF and a few vintage and current model race cars. At the very end of the endless lines of Ferraris there was a small section of unique non-Italians vehicles. Two cars of note were a black and a white Spyker C8 Spyder. I can’t remember the last time I saw two of those at the same car event. There were also random cars such as a gray Corvette C6 ZR1, a black Fox Body Mustang and an orange Oldsmobile 442 Judge muscle car. The planning committee for this huge event is already working on details for the next two or three upcoming shows. When you make plans to attend Monterey Car Week in the future, make sure you include this traditional event in your schedule. Enjoy Greg’s photos of the event.
EXOTICS ON
CANNERY ROW
" EOCR took over literally the entire waterfront street of Historic Cannery Row. Article & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
I
f you are attending Monterey Car Week and are not familiar with Exotics on Cannery Row, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the event. Exotics on Cannery Row is by far the largest gathering of cars and enthusiasts on the peninsula during Monterey Car Week. With over 300 super car and hyper cars in attendance and nearly 20,000 spectators, this was the most anticipated event during Monterey Car Week 2018. Now taking place on Saturday afternoon instead of Friday, EOCR took over literally the entire waterfront street of Historic Cannery Row. Parking spaces were non-existent within a two mile radius of the event. Since we were covering other events prior to EOCR, we were unable to arrive early, and were set back 45 minutes while finding a parking spot up a steep hill about a ten minute walk to the event. From stock Lamborghini Huracans to Koenigsegg Agera RS’, there was something for everyone to enjoy at this event. In the Michelin booth, there was a beautiful display of Bugatti’s, including a few Chirons, an EB110 and the very rare 1 of 1 Vision Gran Turismo. I also noticed a few new Ford GT’s and a couple Porsche 918 Spyders as well. There were quite a few Koenigsegg’s on display at the event. Christian Von Koenigsegg was seen signing autographs and talking with
his fans in the Koenigsegg Newport Beach tent. The two Koenigsegg Agera FE models (Final Editions) were both on display and of course drew quite the crowd. Former Major League pitcher CJ Wilson brought out a beautiful Porsche as well as his gorgeous Cerebus Pearl McLaren P1 and was hanging out in the back of his truck conducting his new podcast “The Throttle Dogs” during EOCR. Although this show was extremely crowded, it was nice to know that there was a complimentary car show available during Monterey Car Week for those that may not have the means to afford attending one of the traditional shows. This show allowed car enthusiasts of all ages to view and photograph cars that they most likely have never seen before and will probably never see again all without spending a dime. The traffic leaving the event was quite congested for hours after the event. Luckily dinner reservations for a friend’s birthday party in Cannery Row allowed us to relax and celebrate while the traffic died down. I have attended every EOCR event and it is safe to say that each year it gets bigger and bigger. I am not sure how they plan to expand the event to cover more ground but knowing the folks behind the event, they will find a way!
GOODING & COMPANY AUCTION Article by Mike Grudt & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
F
or fifteen years Gooding & Company has been known as the official auction house of Pebble Beach during car week. Their location adjacent to the polo grounds puts them within walking distance of the Pebble Beach activities. This year Gooding held the distinction as the only auction in Monterey with the top ten vehicles sold each exceeding $3 million. Those high dollar sales helped their total of 122 sales hit $116.5 million to achieve the second highest total this year among the six auctions. The top selling car at Gooding this year was an extremely rare one of two 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Roadster that sold for $22 million. That amazing vehicle broke two records, the highest amount paid for an American car and also the most expensive pre-war car ever sold at auction. Cars number two through five were all European classics including a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta ($6.6M), a 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spider ($5.17M), a 1955 Ferrari Mondial Series II Spider ($5M) and an awesome 2007 Porsche RS Spyder Race Car ($4.51M). The most memorable car at Gooding was actually parked outside of their entrance on Friday night and wasn’t for sale. It was the recently purchased Ferrari 250 GTO that changed hands for a reported $70M in a private transaction. They even had a special sign created that said, “Reserved Parking Series I GTOs only”. That was a class display and an unexpected treat. Gooding enjoyed another successful year at Pebble Beach and I know they will return next year with many more amazing vehicles to offer. 16
"
The top selling car at Gooding this year was an extremely rare one of two 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Roadster that sold for $22 million.
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2018 Pagani Raduno
O
Article & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
n Monday, August 20, 2018 Pirelli P Zero World in Los Angeles, California graciously opened their doors and hosted the launch of the Pagani Raduno Los Angeles to Monterey Car Week Rally. Pirelli tires and Pagani Automobili have been in collaboration for the past 10 years so this location was the perfect place for the Pagani Raduno launch. Some light snacks and refreshments were
on hand as the Pagani’s began rolling in just after 9:30am. The first car to arrive was none other than a Pagani Zonda F. The Pagani Zonda was never fully federalized for the US roads, therefore seeing one driving around the streets of Los Angeles is almost unheard of. This particular car wears Paraguay license plates and currently resides in Florida. What a special treat it was seeing a Pagani Zonda driving on the streets in the city. Some other Pagani Huayras
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including a brand new full red carbon roadster and a BC also attended the Pagani Raduno. In addition, a Porsche 918 Spyder, a Ferrari F12 TDF and a Spyker also joined in on the rally. Inside the showroom there was a beautiful Pagani Huayra BC and naturally quite a few different styles of Pirelli tires. The sun eventually popped out and the cars departed from Pirelli P Zero World and made the short drive in heavy traffic over to the
Petersen Automotive Museum for an in depth tour and lunch. After they departed Los Angeles and made a few overnight stops along the route, the participants arrived in Monterey later in the week. The cars were all on display at The Quail A Motorsports Gathering as well as Exotics on Cannery Row. Special thanks to Pirelli for the personal invite.
RUSSOANDSTEELE Article by Mike Grudt & Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
In a prime location on Fisherman’s Wharf at Monterey Bay, Russo and Steele displayed nearly 200 vehicles at their 18th Annual Monterey Auction. They sold nearly half of their lots for a sales total of $7.3 million and the selling price of each of the top ten was well over $100K. Russo and Steele is one of the few auctions that offer many vehicles for sale that are actually affordable to many of the thousands of car week attendees. An almost new American car took the top spot at the auction, a 2017 Ford GT Coupe ($1.54M). The car had a somewhat colorful history. The original owner was celebrity John Cena who supposedly sold the car soon after acquiring the vehicle new against the stipulations of his agreement with Ford. A lawsuit ensued
and somehow the car was resold by the original Ford Dealer to a wellheeled farmer in California. As the story goes the farmer was up in years and unable to really enjoy the car and had some difficulty even getting in to drive so he sold it. The next four top sales at Russo and Steele were European machines. The second top sale was one of my all time favorite vehicles, a classic 1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500S Coupe ($308K), followed by a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Coupe ($305K), a 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi Coupe ($204K) and a newer 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series Convertible ($204K). It was another great showing by Russo and Steele in one of the most scenic locations in the area.
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" ...the must attend “official� kick-off event to start Monterey Car Week
McCalls Motorsports
Revival
20
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
A
s I walked up the short stair ladder to enter the $25 million Gulfstream G280 Executive Jet the gentleman behind me mentioned that he lived in Georgia about an hour from the Gulfstream factory in Savannah. We entered the cabin and admired the amazing cockpit layout and the impeccable finish on the interior wood work and perfectly stitched leather surfaces. I casually asked if he was in the market for a jet. He stated he was trying to decide between a Cessna Citation and a Gulfstream. Fortunately for him, there were also a couple of Cessna Executive jets on display that day too to make comparison shopping easier. Welcome to McCall’s Motorworks Revival where a number of the attendees actually have the means to make these sorts of purchases. For the past twenty-seven years McCall’s Motorworks Revival has grown to become the must attend “official” kick-off event to start Monterey Car Week. This year the event coincided with host Gordon McCall’s birthday so it was an extra special gathering for all. With so many activities located in and around the Monterey Peninsula occurring in just a few days, the lucky 3,000 attendees of the “Jet Party” were fortunate to have their event filled week start off on a very positive note. We arrived early and decided to walk through the parking lot before the event started. We saw a Bugatti Chiron, a Singer Porsche and a Ruf Porsche CTR3 Clubsport to name a few low production vehicles. The lot was adjacent to the airport so we also viewed the numerous planes on the apron nearby. This was a top-tier event as we were soon to experience. They exceeded their goal in providing access to affluent, influential guests in a private social setting. Everybody who attended the event was treated like a VIP. As we walked down the red carpet to enter we saw a woman dressed in a Las Vegas showgirl costume complete with feather boas suspended a few feet above our heads. She was seated in a free swinging metal crescent moon and there was a larger diameter metal octagon shaped ring above her with hundreds of strings of white beads hanging down surrounding her. I was already impressed by the first fifty feet through the entrance. The event was held at the Monterey Jet Center and the adjacent tarmac and included an amazing collection
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of vintage and new aircraft, cars and motorcycles. Since the Jet Party began at 5PM it changed character completely when the sun went down and the entire area outside was lit up by well-placed lighting. Most car related events are held during the day or at night and very few overlap between day and night. As the sun started to set the national anthem was sung to officially start the evening’s festivities and kick off Monterey Car Week. Soon thereafter as a tribute to the late Dan Gurney, a vintage front-engine top fuel dragster was fired up and quickly grabbed everybody’s attention. The deafening sound didn’t stop the crowd from moving a little closer to view this vintage racer since I’m sure many guests had never actually experienced a running top fuel dragster in person. It was great to see the flames pop out of the short headers reminiscent of the numerous drag races I enjoyed at Irwindale Dragstrip when these “diggers” actually competed. Of the many unique vehicles on display, a group of note was the amazing collection of six race winning Lancia Rally and Endurance cars adored in Martini livery. They were owned by a single collector from Florida and I’m not aware if they have been previously shown together. It was really a rare treat since most or all of their racing days took place outside of the United States. In addition to the continual serving of gourmet lite-bites and beverages, another unique aspect of the event was the never ending bowl of Paella. The large four foot diameter metal bowl was refilled at least three times. It was huge and the best Paella I have ever tasted. That sentiment was shared by others I met in the perpetual line leading up to the table to enjoy the delicious calamari, shrimp, chicken and rice mixture. In addition to providing an enjoyable social gathering for attendees, the McCall’s Motorworks Revival also has given back in a huge way by donating major funds through the years to the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation. This year they had a raffle for one lucky person to take home a 2019 Bullitt Mustang in traditional Highland Green. Please make plans to attend this great event in the future. Meanwhile, please enjoy Greg’s accompanying photos of some highlights this year.
Pebble Beach Concept Lawn
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Article By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
n the Sunday of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance a very select group of just a few vehicles were displayed on the small lawn adjacent to the Lodge at Pebble Beach. The “Concept Lawn” event is open to the public and always provides a peek into the future of automotive design and technology. In past years we would watch some of the cars load in on Saturday. This year we attended another event Saturday evening so we had to be content with a crowd three to four people deep surrounding the cars on Sunday, but it was well worth the effort. One of my favorites was the Pikes Peak winning all electric Volkswagen I. D. R race car. The vehicle had the largest and most complex wing system I’ve ever seen on a race car and numerous splitters and pieces of carbon fiber sticking out along the bottom perimeter. It looked great
and it obviously was functional since that car shattered the record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb recently with a 7 minute 57 second minute run up the mountain. The instant available torque of the dual electric motors was ideal for the short straights and numerous turns of the uphill course. Others on the lawn were concept cars filled with new technology and design features and a few are actual limited production vehicles. Some of the notable concepts were mostly all-electric vehicles including the Genesis Essentia GT, Porsche Mission E, BYTON K-Byte and a production ready Polestar 1. Two of the non-electric concepts were the Volkswagen Tanoak pickup truck and the BMW M8 Gran Coupe. A few production vehicles of note were the sleek 1,750 HP 2019 Tuatara hypercar from SSC North America, the fabulous Stealth Grey
colored McLaren Special Operations (MSO) 600 LT and the latest limited production model Lamborghini Aventador, the 770 HP SVJ 63. One of those Lambos recently broke the Nürburgring production vehicle record of 6 minutes 44 seconds. Wow, we saw two record breaking vehicles within one hundred feet of each other. That only happens at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week. Aside from the Concept Lawn there are also various tents placed strategically around the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance area for public viewing. We visited the MercedesBenz tent and got and up-close view of the new Project One. We also took a turn at reliving our childhood and played a round of slot cars utilizing actual historic Mercedes-Benz slot cars. The Bugatti display did not disappoint this year either. In preparation for the brands 110 year
anniversary in 2019, Bugatti decided to open up their display for partial public viewing. Inside the display was a private area for owners and their guests with gourmet food and an assortment of beverages. There were four Bugatti’s on display including the three cars at The Quail (Divo, Chiron Sport and Chiron ‘Sky View’) and a beautiful 1939 Type 57C Atalante. I also caught a glimpse of a full green carbon Chiron that was parked outside of the display. Outside of the tent in the public area was an amazing W16 Bugatti motor that seemed as though it would be virtually impossible to fit inside an actual Bugatti. You always hear about these amazing motors featuring four turbo chargers but seeing the enormous size in person gives a whole new perspective.
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or the second year in a row, Worldwide Auctioneers joined the other auctions held during Monterey Car Week. They set up adjacent to the 17 Mile Drive at Pacific Grove Golf Links on the tip of Monterey Peninsula. When we parked we saw at least ten deer grazing across the street from the auction. Worldwide was the smallest auction with 59 lots offered, but they fit in perfectly with some of the cars displayed overlooking the ocean while viewing them. Their 33 cars sold totaled $5.5 million and each of the top ten sold for well over $100K each. Their top sale followed the auction trend this year with a Classic American 1931 Duesenberg Model J SWB Sport Convertible Sedan. It was one of three Duesenbergs they offered and it sold for $1.32 million. The next top sales were a 1962 Shelby Cobra 260 Roadster ($990K) and then one of the oldest cars sold this year at auction, a 1916 Locomobile Model 38 Collapsible Cabriolet ($473K) that is one of only two examples known to exist. Sale number four was a 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS Spider ($341K) and then a pristine 1968 Jaguar XK E-Type Roadster regarded as the finest example of that model. Some other notable cars offered were an historic Indy racer, a beautifully restored 1948 Bob Estes Indy Special, a yellow 1969 Chevrolet Yenko 427 Camaro and a rare 2003 Aston Martin DB AR1 Zagato Roadster. I hope Worldwide Auctioneer’s bring their event to Car Week next year to add their unique stamp to the auction scene.
WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS MONTEREY
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
The carpool lane really is faster.
Rusnak/Westlake Porsche 3839 Auto Mall Drive Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 (866) 976-4211 RusnakWestlakePorsche.com
Š2018 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times. European model shown. Some options may not be available in the U.S.
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ens of thousands of people from all over the world descended on the Monterey Peninsula the last week of August to enjoy the numerous shows, parties, other events and the amazing array of vehicles on display and on the road. Only about 20,000 lucky members of that huge throng of visitors were fortunate enough to attend the premier concours event in the world, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Starting on a much smaller scale in 1950, the sixty-eighth annual gathering has continued to grow into the spectacular world renowned event of today. The storied concours event requires year round planning and organizing, and it showed. I’m amazed each year by the attention to detail so the traffic, crowds and every aspect of the monumental event runs smoothly. On Concours Sunday the immediate area and roads adjacent to the event are restricted to allow very minimal traffic flow. The majority of the attendees park in the many lots near the beach and are transported by frequent high-end shuttle buses to allow a very efficient means of moving thousands of people with little fuss. I always find humor in seeing random high end cars such as a Porsche 918 or a Lamborghini Aventador parked in those lots among the more common cars. Most don’t receive the VIP parking treatment on concours day. This year as always, a number of vehicle marques and special classes were featured. Seven groups were on display including, Motor Cars of the Raj, OSCA, Tucker, Rollston Coachwork, Postwar Custom Citroën, Vintage-Era Sporting Cars and Eisenhower Era Dream Convertibles. We arrived early on Sunday morning to enjoy some clear views of the immaculate vehicles on display before the gates opened and the crowd poured in. As we walked past the concept lawn adjacent to the Lodge at Pebble Beach many of the cars were still covered so we decided to view those vehicles later. Our first stop is always to start with the row of cars lined along the edge of the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Course overlooking the ocean. First in line was one of the groups
with the fewest number of entrants, Class S. Three of the total eight 1958 Blue Scarab open top race cars ever built were proudly displayed. Four of the American built Corvette powered cars had amazing racing careers and four did not. Those on display were three of the four successful racers. Next to those were the entrants for Class T, which consisted of a unique collection of 13 of the remaining 47 Tucker automobiles. Tucker cars had numerous features that put them ahead of their time compared to other vehicles of the era. If you aren’t familiar with their colorful past watch the 1988 feature film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” starring Jeff Bridges. I believe it closely followed the actual events that surrounded Preston Tucker and his Automotive Company endeavor. Tuckers rarely appear at auction and when they do, they command upwards of $1 Million. Toward the end of the front row were the twelve stunning vehicles of Class F1 and F2, Motor Cars of the Raj from the early 1920’s to the mid 1930’s. One car from that class, a green and cream colored 1935 RollsRoyce Phantom II Continental Gurney Nutting Streamline Coupe was featured as the cover vehicle for the concours poster and program. Most of those beautiful machines were shipped over from India three months prior to concours. One example was even brought over from China. Car collector owners worldwide are honored when selected to display their vehicles at Pebble Beach. Sixteen entrants were displayed in special classes N1 and N2, OSCAs from 1949-1960. The OSCAs at concours were mostly open-top race cars. I wasn’t familiar with this brand prior to the event. OSCA (Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili—Fratelli Maserati S.p.A.) was an Italian car company started by the Maserati Brothers in 1947 that built a limited number of racing and sports cars until 1967 (I can learn more about obscure or rare vehicles in just a few hours at Pebble Beach than I can the rest of the year on my own). There were so many amazing examples of motoring history to enjoy, but a few were very memorable. One of those was a one-off 1970
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Ferrari 512 S Modulo Pininfarina Coupe. The car was based on the Ferrari 512 S racing chassis with a 5-liter V-12 specially built for the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. There were two overlapping clam shells that slid open to enter the “cockpit” of the extremely low wedge shaped vehicle. It still looked futuristic after nearly fifty years. Other standouts I enjoyed were actually a group of ten cars in Class V, 1960s Indianapolis 500 Revolution. Those vintage Indy cars had been piloted by the “who’s who” of auto racing, including Dan Gurney, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones and Jim Clark among others. Each of the vehicles had a storied history of success at Indy and other race tracks. I made sure I was next to that group when the field judges fired them up during the judging process. The numerous officials involved in the selection process had very difficult decisions to make. I know most, if not all, of them were experts in their respective fields regarding the various models and makes of vehicles. A few people I spoke with had high expectations for a beautiful off-white 1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet. The long car with the V-16 and fender skirts was definitely an imposing sight. I had my sights on a 1948 Talbot-Lago or a 1937 Alfa Romeo for top honors. After the results were tallied the “Best of Show” winner for 2018 was the showroom new 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta owned by local collectors David & Ginnie Sydorick. The exceptional vehicle was first shown at the 1937 Paris Auto Salon. I actually had a short conversation with David (the owner) while the judges pored over his vehicle and my second choice, the 1947 Talbot-Lago was a finalist. In past years there were so many rare and unique cars I never came close to picking a winner. Monterey Car Week and especially Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance must be experienced firsthand to be fully appreciated. Words can’t fully describe the sights, sounds or the wonderful people I met from around the world. Enjoy Greg’s photos and the other articles in this special annual Monterey Edition of Drivenworld.
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oncours d'Elegance
bble Beach
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos By Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
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AUCTION MONTEREY
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
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ollowing a multi-year construction project, the Portola Monterey Conference Center upgrades were finally completed this year. The home of RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey was the perfect venue for the top tier event. RM continues to lead the pack in the total sales ($158M) and average vehicle sale price ($1.26M); in fact their sales total was 50% greater than four of the other auction totals combined. Their auction alone accounted for close to 45% of the total sales of $371M from the six auctions at Monterey this year. Of the 125 lots they sold the top sale, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Series I ($48.4M) achieved a record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction. They also hold the record this year for the top ten sales of close to $2 million each and the top five sold for well over five $4M each. The next highest sales included a one-off 1963
Aston Martin DP215 Competition Prototype ($21.46M) and an historic Le Mans podium finishing 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II Coupe ($9.8M). That particular Ford GT was one of the three cars that Ford built to dominate the Ferrari presence at Le Mans in 1966 when they finished 1-2-3 in the 24 hour race. Enzo Ferrari may have gotten the last laugh though since his historic race cars are the most coveted in the world and command the highest prices. Car number four was a 1 of 40 Porsche 550A Spyder ($4.9M) and rounding out the top was a favorite of mine a very rare 1 of 25 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe ($4.16M). Each year RM raises the bar and somehow manages to locate the best of the best vehicles in the world to offer. RM’s worldwide presence will continue as they gather more unique and historic examples to offer at Monterey next year.
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Rolex Monterey
Motorspor
Reunion 20
Article By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
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ebble Beach racing and the Concours d’Elegance together started the tradition of Monterey Car Week beginning in 1950. When the racing became too dangerous to be held in and around the forests surrounding Pebble Beach, Laguna Seca became the new home for the races in 1957. The 61st annual Laguna Seca event recently concluded and the turnout was spectacular. The event has evolved through the years and this was the 68th anniversary of the Pebble Beach race event, the 61st year races were held at Laguna Seca and the 45th year they have been known as the Rolex Motorsports Reunion. The races have always been an inte-
gral part of the Monterey Car Week experience. Each year we see familiar faces splitting their time between the track and the numerous events in and around Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula. A tradition of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is to have an overall theme and also mark notable anniversaries in the car world. For 2018 the featured marque was Nissan to celebrate their fifty years of motorsport success in the United States. This year’s event was the first time the featured marque honored an Asian automotive manufacturer. Of the 550 historic race cars entered in the multi-day event, at least fifty were Nissan or Datsun vehicles. A
special added bonus took place when former winning Nissan and Datsun race drivers John Morton, Peter Brock and Steve Millen shared some of their experiences during the annual Picnic in the Paddock stage presentation. Following their nostalgic conversations, Sir Jackie Stewart and Chris Cord paid a tribute to the late Dan Gurney who was always a big part of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The four-day event included 15 race groups with cars as old as 1911 vehicles in Group 1A up to more current racers from the ‘90s in Group 7B. Practice sessions took place on Thursday and Friday, and racing commenced over the weekend. It was
so amazing to see and hear the vintage racers in their element and not tucked away in a museum or private collection. They were actually being used for their intended purpose. I enjoyed watching a number of the races over the weekend and my favorites tended to be the races with V-8 powered cars. It was so great to see original Cobras, Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350s and vintage Corvettes tearing it up around the circuit. One race even included an ultra-rare 1964 Cobra Daytona Coupe that was co-piloted by Dan Gurney during the 1965 Le Mans race. I can’t even image the value of that racer and many of the other vehicles that competed during the event. Most of the drivers
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piloting those cars at the “Reunion” probably were never full-time professional races, but that didn’t stop them from putting on hotly contested laps and they didn’t seem to “baby” their vehicles. For the second year in a row, twotime Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen performed exhibition “hot laps” around the track. This year he piloted the 1995 Le Mans winning McLaren F1 GTR #01R. That car held special significance for McLaren. Not only did it bring home the first Le Mans win for McLaren, the other F1 GTRs in the race together helped claim four of the top five positions which I believe was a first for any manufacturer. Following the race,
the car was retired from racing and displayed at the McLaren Technical Center in Woking, England. It was a special treat to experience that historic race car in action during a rare visit outside of Europe. Another enjoyable part of this event was the access to the entire paddock area to view the racers in various forms of disassembly and repair between races. I loved to see the different mechanical systems and the way cars have evolved through the years and in many ways how they have not changed. It was just as much fun walking through the pits as it is watching the races. Many teams went all out to set up period correct displays to match their vintage race cars.
Major manufacturers also put forth a huge effort to attract the spectators in the paddock. Ford assembled a crowd pleasing display of three generations of the Ford GT adored in the memorable Gulf livery. They drew a lot of attention and many positive comments from the fans. Porsche displayed their typical high quality display of a few examples of race winning machinery and Nissan of course being the featured marque, went all out with their display of vehicles. Land Rover even went so far as constructing a small off-road track with unbelievable hills and deep ruts to showcase the prowess of their luxury SUVs. I drove a new Range Rover Velar and was amazed by the
capability of that vehicle. The Velar even included an automatic braking mode for downhill descents. I slowly crept down an incredibly steep downhill with my feet completely off the brakes and gas. That was impressive. Another Rolex Motorsports Reunion came to a close and we wrapped up our multi-day Monterey Car Week adventures at Laguna Seca as per usual. Please enjoy Greg’s photos and we’ll see you in Monterey next year.
2018
The Quail A Motorsports Gathering
Article & By Mike Grudt | Photos by Greg Grudt | @exoticcarfotos
Once again “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” surpassed their previous efforts by presenting a bigger and better experience for their 16th annual event. The “Quail” has become the must-attend car related event during Monterey Car Week leading up to the Concours d’Elegance. Early each year thousands from around the world enter the Quail lottery system in hopes of becoming one of the lucky 5,500 people to secure a coveted ticket to attend this premier gathering. The setting on the lawns of the Quail
Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel is the perfect venue to host this event and the nearly 250 unique vehicles. Each year there are some notable vehicle anniversaries and worldwide vehicle unveilings. This year Porsche celebrated their 70th Anniversary with an amazing display of select old and new models. An impressive collection of Lamborghini Islero and Espada models were proudly displayed to mark their golden anniversary and a reunion of Alois Ruf Porsches was also present in force. Local collector Bruce Meyer brought out his original 1988 RUF CTR Yellowbird #001 placed next to a new version of the RUF Yellowbird. It was a sight to behold. These types of vehicles are rarely if ever shown together. One of two notable unveils was the much anticipated $6 million, 1 of 40 Bugatti Divo hypercar. Hundreds of attendees waited in the surrounding area to witness the worldwide unveiling for the public of this extremely rare vehicle. The car was named after famous French Grand Prix racer Albert Divo who competed in the 1920’s. Another
unveil was a beautiful limited edition Verde Alceo color Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Coupe. One of these 770 HP, V-12 beasts set a new production vehicle lap record at the Nürburgring in Germany of 6:44.97 minutes. Another unveil (sort of ) was a new bespoke Rolls Royce Phantom presented to noted car collector Michael Fux. This was his latest Rolls Royce and it was finished in Fux Intense Fuxia Pearl which is the seventh unique color name reserved for him. The interior was trimmed in a bright Fuxia (special shade of purple) and Arctic White. It was another one-off special vehicle to add to his unique collection. Michael also brought out his new McLaren Senna finished in Fux Green which is a dark emerald green shade. This
car was the first one delivered in the United States and was “less green” than his McLaren P1 of a few years ago which even had green wheels and most every component was green except for the tires and windows. Many of the world’s high end manufacturers and builders use Quail to showcase their latest offerings. Rolls Royce showed the new Cullinan SUV with suicide doors and Bentley had some equally amazing creations. As per usual, Pagani had numerous vehicles surrounding their display and CEO Horacio Pagani himself was available to welcome current and potential owners of his one-off examples of finely crafted hypercars. The Quail was also the chosen venue to display the third annual
“The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award”. This fairly new award included eight of the world’s finest classic car best of show winners gathered from the top eight worldwide concours events to compete for the most exceptional car in the world award. This year the winner was an immaculate 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Coupé Atlantic coowned by the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard. If you missed seeing this rare and beautiful vehicle at Quail make an effort to visit the Mullin Museum soon where it is usually displayed. This year the Quail’s “Rolex Circle of Champions - Best of Show Award” fittingly went to Anne Brockington Lee for her unique 1953 Lancia Aurelia Pinin Farina PF200C Spider. The vehicle was
built as a prototype concept car with a jet fighter inspired front end and grille. This award qualifies her to be in contention for next year’s Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award. Among the other award winners, Bruce Meyer took home an award for his 1988 RUF CTR Yellowbird and one of my favorites came all the way from the United Kingdom. Dean Lanzante won the “Spirit of The Quail” for his 1:1 scale model of the 1979 Tamiya Sand Scorcher 1:10 scale RC car. He “up scaled” that iconic RC car to a life size Baja Bug complete with the stickers and every minute detail and also displayed a large scale mock up of the controller to complete the display. It was very nicely done. I’m not sure how Quail can continue to get better each year. To find out for yourself, put your name in the lottery for next year and hopefully you can cross off another item on your “bucket list”. Enjoy Greg’s photos and the other coverage of Monterey Car Week events in this special annual Drivenworld issue.
Article and Photos by Steve Geldman, Image Photo Motorsports
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he July issue of Driven World detailed the nonprofit, all volunteer, Solvang Wheel’s ‘N Windmills car show’s history and how it supports the local community with generous donations to various charities. Now that the August 2018 show is behind us, let’s focus specifically on this past event and why Dustin Troyan, Driven World magazine Executive Editor, and his family can’t wait to return next year. We will also share with readers a few automotive exhibitors those fine octane-thirsty machines made this writer stop in his tracks while walking the show. But first some show specifics. For those familiar with the Velocity Channel, it’s not uncommon each year to spot a face from the auto world that you recognize at this event. This year was no different as Dennis Gage, with his famous handlebar mustache, came all the way out from Indiana to tape his show, My Classic Car. Gage disclosed he expects the Solvang episode should air early next year. Be sure to tune in and get a taste of this incredible annual motorsports event. The Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM show was free to attend and open to the public. Wheels ‘N Windmills is growing their motorcycle section which include stock, classics, customs and those with sidecars. There were 310 stunning cars on display covering several Solvang streets that were closed to normal traffic. Although you’ll find a variety of countries representing the vehicle manufacturers on display, perhaps 95% are dedicated to the American variety. For those of you who have never attended, the show’s website reveals the high quality and types of vehicles displayed year over year. For all vehicles that were on display this day, there were over 50 awards handed out! This is due to a lengthy number of sub-categories
that had to be created to cover the wide variety of vehicles in attendance. There are 3 main categories, Stock, Modified and Special Interest. Each of those having multiple sub-categories, such as ‘55-‘57 Chevy’s, Hot Rod Coupe ’33-’48 and Pro-Street, to name a few. In a very organized fashion, awards are presented to car owners at about 3 PM to a large crowd assembled in a relaxing park atmosphere, all hoping to hear their vehicle and name called out. The show organizers often talk about the charities as this has always been one of the main purposes of holding the events. This year’s show raised over $35,000.00 bringing the total to over $330,000.00 since its start in Solvang 14 years ago. Wheels ‘N Windmills also holds a raffle open to attendees and exhibitors with the
The charities chosen for this year’s event were: Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics Foundation: $10,000.00 minimum Progeria Foundation: $2,000.00 Alpha Pi (Assisting seniors in the community): $2,000.00 $5,000.00 Zaca Center Preschool: $2,000.00 Local Area High School Auto Shop Programs (V8 Engine Raffle): $16,000.00
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opportunity to go home with a brand new V8 engine. Monies collected from this raffle go to area high school Auto Shop Programs. Don and Barbara Wagner from Clovis CA arrived in their striking yellow 1965 Chevy Chevelle Custom. Acquired 15 years ago, the Wagner’s take this beast to many shows, but it also finds itself at the Famoso Raceway track near Bakersfield. The Wagner’s found this vehicle in Centerville CA and was followed by a 4-year major restoration in the home garage. The custom airbrushed design on each side is beautifully painted and easily turns heads. Under (and through) the hood is a 468ci V8 RAT (454ci bored out to 468ci) pushing out 620hp. There is also a NOS (Nitrous Oxide System) which Wagner is now finishing up on the final installation. Once completed, the power will increase to 745hp whenever NOS is applied. Frightening! For the stock category, Jay and Betsy Davenport from Alhambra drove in with their mint condition Laredo Tan 1961 “6-Window” Cadillac Sedan DeVille. They found this car 16 years ago at a Pasadena Ed & Al’s Auto Sound parking lot with a 4-sale sign in the window and 40,000 miles on the odometer. The engine ran rough, but the body had no evidence of rust, so they took the risk and made the purchase. What originally was going to be a quick restoration in the Davenport garage, he and his buddy spent the next 10 years meticulously replacing with Cadillac certified parts, including all rubber down to hex bolts being removed and gold cadmium plated. This vehicle has the original 390ci V8 power plant and offers 325hp. Today the Davenport’s drive this vehicle just about everywhere including long road trips to Ohio and Oregon. On a last note, they were very fortunate to find and obtain a copy of the window sticker which shows the total sale
amount of $6,567.93. Think about it. That was a huge amount of money for an American car in 1961 when the average home cost was about $13,000! In the Special Interest category is Stuart Hanssen from Santa Ynez. Hanssen brought his 1951 Baldwin Roadster race car. There is a heartfelt story with this vehicle. Built by Willis Baldwin of Santa Barbara, the race car was purchased and track raced by Hanssen’s father, William, from 1954 through 1957. During what turned out to be its last race in Pebble Beach, William saw his good friend Ernie McAfee, also in this same race driving his Ferrari, had
crashed into a tree and was killed immediately. It was at this point that William decided to hang up racing and sold the Baldwin in 1959. The roadster had disappeared for decades. Fast forward to 2010. Using the powers of the internet, Hanssen used ‘Tam’s Old Race Car Site’ (www.tamsoldraccecarsite.net) and placed an ad that he was seeking the family’s previously owned Baldwin Roadster. The owner at the time, living in Connecticut, saw the ad and contacted Hanssen. Weakened by Hanssen’s story, he was willing to sell it back to the family roots. Hanssen brought it back to California and personally restored it. Having an all-
aluminum body with a Ford chassis, its powered by a 282ci Mercury V8 Flathead block with upgraded Ardun heads and rated at 315hp. This classic racer has a weight of only 2,100 lbs. The show organizers offer something special for those exhibiting their wheels at Wheel’s ‘N Windmills and arrive a day early. For a modest fee, a private BBQ dinner is served and adult beverages are available at the Mendenhall Museum, located nearby in Buellton. The Mendenhall Museum (www. mendenhallmuseum.com) is one of the largest private collections in the west coast exhibiting antique gasoline pumps, road signs, race cars, racing
memorabilia, license plates, gas & oil items, and other miscellaneous antiques. Besides having a terrific dinner, it was an experience to walk through such an amazing collection of automotive related memorabilia. When you register your vehicle for the show, you’ll receive an RSVP to this pre-show evening event. The 15th annual Wheels ‘N Windmills is scheduled for Saturday August 24th, 2019 and will be once again held on the streets of Solvang’s Town Center. Due to high demand and limited capacity, they often sell out exhibitor spots within 48 hours of open registration which is usually in early June. Use their
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website for updated registration information. Interested Sponsors should contact the organizers in March 2019. 100% of all revenues go to charity so all Sponsorship fees are fully tax deductible. For those who are interested in becoming a show sponsor and/or to display your vehicle or motorcycle, please visit www.wheelsnwindmills.com. We hope to see some of the Supercar Sunday regulars there in 2019. I know ‘the guy in the orange hat’ will surely be there again.
Malibu Autobahn From Prius to Pagani
Article and Photos by Steve Geldman, Image Photo Motorsports
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esides living in our terrific Southern California weather, we are also blessed with nearby beautiful coastal communities. Even if you’re not a beach person, who doesn’t like driving along Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down, wind in your hair (assuming you have any) and the sun’s warmth surrounding you? When you mix this up with a beach car-meet followed up with an ocean and mountain view autobahn (except for having speed limits), well friends, it doesn’t get any better. Enter Jacob Roy. In 2016, while attending his college junior year, Roy founded Malibu Autobahn. Today, Roy and his 10 or so assistants help run the events where people start arriving at a pre-determined beach location about 8:00 AM. The day this writer showed up, there was an organized group working a tented area as well as some assisting arriv-
ing drivers into parking stalls. Placed on tables were free cupcakes topped with very creative icing of the Malibu Autobahn logo as well as coffee being served. In the future they plan to have food and beverage that can last past the early arrivals. Friendly staff were there to answer any questions as well as hand out driving directions for the planned “autobahn” to depart at 10:00 AM sharp. Funding to run Malibu Autobahn, other automotive events and their website is through the combined help of their sponsor Galpin Aston Martin, volunteers and their own “media house”. The latter, which is found on their website, is their own small media business which includes offering still photo sessions, including aerial, of your vehicle as well as marketing their logo printed baseball caps, license plate frames and a few other cool goodies. Advertising for the Malibu Autobahn events are through word of mouth, emails, their website, Instagram and other fast news-traveling social media channels. Roy stated “Our main purpose to hold this meet is to simply bring people together through vehicles within our Southern California car culture.
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All cars are welcome, from Prius to Pagani.” Some guests may arrive in a stock BMW Mini, a Prius or VW Tiguan, but many are muscle and exotics. Lamborghini’s, McLaren’s, Aston Martin’s, BMW’s, Porsche’s, Lotus and a Bentley were among those on display. There were also classics, such as a Pontiac GTO, several Mustangs and early model Chevy Camaro’s. People arrive from all over the area including locally, OC, San Diego, Las Vegas and even at times as far north as San Francisco. As Roy explained, the meeting locations are typically at beaches from Santa Monica to just north of Malibu. To change things up, they also have been known to meet at other locations, such as a race track. The autobahn drives are typically along PCH and into the Santa Monica or Angeles Crest Mountain ranges, however that’s not always the case. They have also departed from the meet to Monterey for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. On this given Sunday, we first met at the northern end of the Zuma beach parking lot for a couple of hours and admired the other cars that had pulled in. Car enthusiasts are 98% extraverted so starting a
conversation about cars with an owner you’ve never met is about as easy as sipping your morning coffee. As planned, we all departed and drove up PCH to near Point Mugu, then up and around through Potrero Road into Hidden Valley and back to the PCH through Decker Canyon. It’s pretty cool having a Lamborghini Huracan Performante in front of you and a McLaren 650S following behind. Before the drive, I had the pleasure of chatting with two car owners, each driving a classic that got my attention. First up is Antony Bartlett from Pacific Palisades. Bartlett brought his striking silver British made 1959 MG-A 1600. Originally
owned by, and sadly, a MIA Vietnam Vet, it changed hands a couple more times and was then purchased by Bartlett. Prior to his ownership, the engine was changed out for a MG-B model having lighter aluminum pistons which gives it a bit more horsepower. The electrical system was also converted from 6V to 12V. One known quality issue these MG’s had is that of engine overheating. These British engine designers obviously did not consider these vehicles would be in stop-and-go L.A. traffic on the 405 at the peak of a hot summer day. Bartlett lowered the engine running temperature by adding a cooling fan placed in front of an improved radiator. He also added an oil cooler. This
MG is now a daily driver that turns heads, as it did mine. Matt Dusig is also from Pacific Palisades. Dusig, along with his cute 10-year-old daughter Zoe, arrived at Malibu Autobahn in their 5-day old newly acquired original silver colored 1974 BMW 3.0 CS. Dusig has been a BMW enthusiast for some time. His last BMW was a 2002 Z8 which was sold to obtain the 3.0 CS. Searching worldwide for this model, he used the internet to find this baby up in Oakland. He hired a local Northern California automotive inspector and when that resulted in a green light, he flew up to look for himself, test drive and ultimately made the deal. Having a good trail of service records helped
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with his final purchase decision. It is also rumored that the first owner of this vehicle was Max Hoffman, the original North American BMW Distributor. This very clean 3.0 CS has an inline 6 with upgraded triple Weber carbs installed. The internet surely has helped change how we can find a specific model/year vehicle. The Malibu Autobahn does not have a set schedule so one should first register on their website. After being registered, they will send an email to you when an event has been arranged. If interested in attending, simply RSVP on-line to quickly obtain the meet location information. Please visit www.malibuautobahn. com
by Mark Llewellyn
www.LeonsTransmission.com
The first go-kart came about as a way for Air Force airmen to pass the time at a California air base in the mid 1950’s. Art Ingels however, is credited as being the ‘father of go-karting’ by making the first manufactured go-kart. Mr. Ingels was a builder at Kurtis Kraft, a company that began designing and building race cars in the 1930’s. His first kart was built in his garage at home and tested at the Rose Bowl parking lot. He quickly gained a following and karting spread throughout the United States and into Europe. Soon after, other manufacturers joined the fray. Similar to everything with wheels on it guys began racing them, staging go-kart races in parking lots all over the country! Those who could not buy or make their own karts could lay down some cash and rent a ride. There was Pepe’s Kartland in Van Nuys and Chatsworth, Malibu Grand Prix in Northridge, and now the indoor karting sensation MB2! Go-karts have come a long way since the 1950’s. Originally, able to reach speeds of 25mph, today’s sophisticated karts can reach speeds well over 100mph. While some of you may find them silly, however, racing greats such as Kyle Petty, Michael Schumacher, and Tony Stewart all started their careers in go-karts. Karting’s popularity has reached all over the world, with go-kart track skill levels ranging from the tame to high-end, high speed grand prix circuits. Still, even if you only have a lawn mower engine, when you’re sitting 2 inches off the ground, it feels fast!
The next Danica Patrick! Hailey Halby in her 1961 Kurtis Kraft Go Kart
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Wyatt Llewellyn practicing victory donuts in his 1965 Rupp Grand Prix Go Kart
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