Wayne Carini's The chase Volume 1 Issue 4 by am.marketing

WAYNE CARINI’S

The Chase CLASSICS VOLUME 1

| MOTORSPORTS | AUTOMOBILIA

ISSUE 4

HOLIDAY 2021

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from the publisher

AS WE PREPARE TO SAY GOODBYE TO 2021 and hello to 2022, it is hard to believe that another year has just about come and gone. This past year certainly has been a “start-up” for us all after the world shut down due to the pandemic, and collector-car events were moved around on the calendar from their traditional dates to err on the side of keeping everyone healthy and safe. Nevertheless, collectively, we had a great adjusted season in 2021, and I am looking forward to getting back to our ‘new normal’ in 2022: a reboot to the old calendar, if any luck is with us. In this issue there is something very special for those whose lives are driven by the historical value of a car—we have a story for you. To have the opportunity to be in the presence of a car that singularly represents a special chapter in the custom and hot rod world in the late 1940s through the early 1950s certainly is special. I was given that opportunity when I spent some time photographing what is arguably one of the most iconic custom cars ever to grace the boulevards of these United States, the Hirohata Mercury. Created by the late great ‘original’ King of the Kustomizers, Hollywood’s George Barris, this car more than earns your attention by merely sitting at a curb. On p. 92, the automotive world’s Renaissance Person, award-winning journalist Ken Gross, gives us a great history lesson on this time machine. In Newport, Rhode Island last Fall, the Merc was the subject of one of Audrain Motor Week’s seminars—this one was aptly titled ‘The Most Famous Custom in the World’ and was hosted by both Wayne Carini and Ken Gross, who addressed a full house. If you like to drive your cars, Contributing Editor Leigh Dorrington caught up with Jim Taylor to learn a little more of his philosophy of why driving is the reason special automobiles are built. See p. 84. And finally, because the holidays are right around the corner, we also present a few gift ideas that may pique the interest of that hard-to-buy-for friend or loved one. See p. 70. Enjoy!

ON THE COVER: 1951 Mercury hardtop, built by George and Sam Barris for Los Angeles custom car enthusiast, Bob Hirohata. Photo by Russ Rocknak Publisher photo by David Saggio, Auto Saggio Ken Gross, Wayne Carini photo by Josh Sweeney/SFD

Executive Publisher Wayne Carini Publisher Russ Rocknak Editor-in-Chief Lowell Paddock Executive Editor John Nikas Copy Editor Randi Swartz Content Director Matthew Strauss Contributing Editors Mike Brewer, Marshall Buck, Leigh Dorrington, Andy Reid, Bill Rothermel, Judy Stropus, Ed Welburn, Linda Zukauskas Contributing Photographers Marshall Buck, Shawn Pierce, John Nikas, Josh Sweeney Social Media/Web Navadise Media

Advertising, Subscription, and Editorial Inquiries Russ Rocknak 603.759.4676 rsr@chasemag.com

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Russ Rocknak publisher, The Chase

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Wayne Carini’s The Chase is published six times a year by 2021 RSR Media Group, LLC., P.O. Box 786, Bath, ME 04530 © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

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For the Love of Your Automobile. WAYNE CARINI’S

The Chase p.46

CLASSICS VOLUME 1

| MOTORSPORTS | AUTOMOBILIA

ISSUE 4

p.92

HOLIDAY 2021

From the Publisher Welcome from Russ Rocknak.

12 On the Chase with Wayne Carini Perhaps one of the most intriguing Ferraris ever built, the 365 P came in and out of my life over the years. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

16 Inside Lines with Ed Welburn As Jay Gillotti reported in Issue Two of The Chase, the Porsche 917 garnered an impressive 75 race wins in period. But just as important as its winning record was its influence on high-speed automotive design.

20 What’s In Your Garage? Readers from around the globe share their favorite

p.70

cars with special meaning to them.

24 Every Car Has a Story The appeal of Sidney Allard’s sports cars have always been based on a combination of ample American horsepower, capable handling, and rugged simplicity.

30 Rear-View Mirror with Judy Stropus After being in the sport of professional auto racing in different capacities for more than 50 years, I was amazed when I learned I was voted into the Sports Car category of the 2021 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

34 The Collector Marshall Buck, our master modeler extraordinaire, reviews a true “must have” model for anyone serious about collecting great MercedesBenz models—his favorite Gullwing.

38 Artist Profile Cartoons by Booth Craig Booth and his wife Pam create some unique automotive art—the kind that never fails to leave you with a smile.

40 Our Museums The Chase contributor Bill Rothermel visits the Lane Motor PHOTO BY JOSH SWEENEY/SFD

Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.

44 The Conversation The Chase editor-in-chief Lowell Paddock sits down with Michael Kunz, general manager of the Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine, California.

p.66

50 Afforable Classics Conceived at the height of the 'malaise era,' the C4 Corvette was a major technical step forward from its C3 predecessor.

54 Auction Ready For each issue of The Chase, we highlight vehicles of

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note or interest in upcoming auctions.

58 Event Highlights A celebration of highlights from the latest auto shows, rallies, and races that take place around the globe.

70 Holiday Gift Ideas We have put together a few ideas that are guaranteed to pique your interest.

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84 Driving with Jim Taylor For Jim Taylor, driving is the reason special motorcars are built.

p.34

92 The Legendary Hirohata Mercury Award-winning journalist Ken Gross gives us a history lesson on this timeless custom.

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ON THE CHASE Wayne Carini

An Especially Favorite Car Perhaps one of the most intriguing Ferraris ever built, the 365 P came in and out of my life over the years. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

egular readers of my column know that its companion, “My Favorite Cars” is a place for me to talk about cars that I’ve owned, why I’ve bought them, and why they’re special to me. But there are some cars that because of time, money, or just bad luck, I’ve wanted to own but never did. One of those is the Ferrari 365 P. If that name isn’t familiar to you in the lexicon of Ferrari models, there are many good reasons for that, not the least of which is that only two examples were ever built. As the story goes, Enzo Ferrari resisted developing a roadgoing V12-powered mid-engined sports car, despite the 1966 introduction of the Lamborghini Miura. Pininfarina

boss Sergio Pininfarina and his senior designer Aldo Brovarone felt otherwise and urged Ferrari to develop a roadgoing version of the 365 P2 competition car. Starting with the swept-roof proportions of the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale concept was daring enough, but the 365 P, as the new car was called, had a center steering position with two seats on either side of the driver’s seat (just like the McLaren F1), giving rise to the hilarious Russell Brockbank cartoon (p. 14). The first version of the 365 P wound up at Luigi Chinetti’s dealership, which is where my interaction with it began. At the time, I had a much more modest automotive collection, consisting only of an MGB. Visiting Chinetti’s Greenwich shop one day

Above: The 365 P was the first of two similar cars that Pininfarina designed for Ferrari, the first wound up at Luigi Chinetti’s shop in Greenwich, which is where I first saw it. The second was developed for Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli.

Left: The silhouette of the 365P is over fifty years old, yet it’s still fresh and gorgeous. While having three seats and a V-12 is entertaining enough, I love the overall proportions, especially the very short front overhang and the way the roof tapers all the way to the tail.

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circa 1968, I spied this futuristic-looking white coupe through a basement window, with that wild center steering wheel. I got to know Luigi and his son Coco a few years after that and one day Coco asked if I could repaint the car for the Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance in Detroit. “Of course,” I said, “we have plenty of time.” “Oh, no,” he responded, “we need it for this year’s show!” That meant we had only a few weeks for a complete repaint, but we did manage to make it on time. Not so the engine, which meant that we had to use sandbags to weigh the car down and use a tractor to tow it up for its award. The 365 P later went to England, but then came back to me when Coco needed a place to store it. I thought it would be for a few weeks, but it wound up being six years. During that time, my two daughters were born, and I’d put kids’ seats in the car and take them for rides. With its center steering position, it was ideal for keeping an eye on two kids at once! Over those years, my love for the car grew, especially as I had plenty of opportunities to enjoy it. The peak was driving it onto the field at Pebble Beach, with my wife Laurie on one side and a good friend on the other. There, I had the honor of meeting its creator, Sergio Pininfarina, who described the 365 P, quite accurately, as a race car for the street. Though I would never have a chance to own this especially rare and interesting car, I’m always happy that I had a chance to spend so much time with it.

approvals from city officials and local businesses, who came to cherish the event as much as the assembled throngs of car enthusiasts who gathered on the bucolic tree-lined streets. Given Doug’s passion for community service, it was no surprise that he also included a charitable component that has raised more than $450,000 for The Carmel Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides services to those 55 years of age and older. Doug was a great friend and Monterey Car Week will never be the same without his enthusiasm and passion; our thoughts and condolences are with Genie, his family, friends, and colleagues.

2020 Best of Show Winner Joe Morgan 1931 Chrysler Imperial

Preserving History

JOIN US,

Conserving and sharing the history of the automobile is particularly important to me. Starting with this issue we’ll be profiling automotive museums around the world. The first one will be one of my personal favorites, the Lane Museum in Nashville. If it’s weird, rare, special, or unique, Jeff Lane probably has it in his collection. He’s the new owner of the Futura Waimea which we featured in the Early Summer 2021 issue. He also has one of the most fascinating cars I’ve ever driven: the 1967 Gyro-X, a two-wheeled, gyroscopically stabilized prototype vehicle designed by Alex Tremulis and Thomas Summers. Charting our path through the hundreds of potential museums around the world will be Bill Rothermel. A board member of the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, a color commentator at many concours around the country, and a frequent contributor to many automobile publications, Bill is uniquely qualified to be our guide.

2020 Best of Show Winner Joe Morgan 1931 Chrysler Imperial

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Sadly, I received the news that the collector car world lost a bright light with the unexpected passing of Doug Freedman, the founder and guiding hand behind the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel, California. The unofficial start to Monterey Car Week, the popular event allowed thousands of spectators the chance to see hundreds of rare and collectible automobiles without charge. Doug and his wife Genie launched the free show in 2007, having spent several years getting the required 14

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INSIDE LINES Ed Welburn

image courtesy of the Porsche Museum

Long Shadow of the 917 As Jay Gillotti reported in Issue Two of The Chase, the Porsche 917 garnered an impressive 75 race wins in period. But just as important as its winning record was its influence on high-speed automotive design.

he cover of the Early Summer issue of The Chase got me thinking about the Porsche 917, one of the great racing icons of our time. I don’t care if you are passionate about Ferraris, adore Fords, or yearn for a Bugatti; you just have to respect the 917. I’ve been a fan since its back-to-back wins at Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. My personal copy of the book The Fabulous Porsche 917 by Peter Hinsdale is old and worn, but it gave me an intimate look into the evolution of this iconic race car and forever cemented my respect for it. The 917 has had a major influence on me as a designer. Yes, its race record is impressive, but more important to me was its shape, proportions, and overall character. I’ve spent hours sketching endurance cars and streamliners, all inspired by the mighty Porsche 917, especially the long tail 917LH. While not nearly as successful as the shorter-tailed

917K, its dramatic appearance makes it one of the most interesting racing sports cars ever developed. In my early years at GM Design, my work centered around Buick Rivieras and multiple generations of Cutlass Supremes. But at the corner of my large drawing table, there was always a stack of sketches inspired by the 917 – and much to my surprise, they were the key to a quite unexpected project: the Oldsmobile Aerotech. In 1985, one of GM Design’s executives, Len Casillo, caught sight of the sketches, placed not un-strategically where they would be visible on my desk. Elsewhere within the Design Center, work had begun on a high-speed research vehicle for Oldsmobile and the program was not going well. Seeing my sketches, Len asked me to quickly develop some studies for the Oldsmobile project. My first well-developed rendering was done the next day and I had just started on a second when Len snatched up the first just as I

Above: The 917 was produced in multiple variants. The Langheck version was designed for the long distances and high speeds of Le Mans, where Porsche took winning honors with its prodigious flat-12 engine. Its wind tunnel-honed design influenced high-speed competition car design for years afterwards.

Below: An initial sketch for the long-tail version of the Aerotech. Its 111-inch wheelbase was dictated by the March Indy car it was based upon. The final production design was not significantly different, its shape influenced by extensive wind tunnel testing that was led by GM aerodynamicist Max Schenkel.

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South Shore Autoworks Left: Both short- and long-tailed versions of the Aerotech were developed. In the hands of A.J. Foyt at the Fort Stockton test track in Texas, the Aerotech achieved speeds as high as 275 mph. It ultimately established a closed-course speed record of 267.399 mph.

was trying to explain that I was working on some alternatives. “Nope,” he said, “this is it.” Much of my work in creating Aerotech was inspired by the 917 but was exaggerated by the 111inch wheelbase of a single-seat March Indy car that we were using as our chassis, which, by the way, was capable of 1,000 horsepower thanks to a twin-turbocharged version of the Quad 4. Believe it or not, the marketing department insisted on a short tail to make the car appear more within reach as a production car, but Max Schenkel, my aerodynamicist partner on the project, and I ultimately got approval to create the super-low drag long tail configuration. Exhaustive aero testing had helped us craft a vehicle shape with massive underbody tunnels for the needed downforce, but without wings, splitters, spoilers, or other aero corrective devices. It was the perfect shape for speed and control. The process from sketch, to engineering studies, to a running car took a little over 18 months before Aerotech eclipsed benchmarks held by the Mercedes C111, a car whose design may have been highly functional from an aerodynamic perspective but wasn’t appealing to me at all. Standing trackside while A.J. Foyt was setting records at the Fort Stockton test track in Texas, I couldn’t help but imagine Aerotech as a very advanced street car in my head—designers are always dreaming. About a year after the Aerotech’s record runs in August 1987, Jaguar introduced the XJ220 at the British International Motor Show. I absolutely loved it—its proportions and overall shapes were much in line with my personal tastes. Given the development timing for a vehicle like the XJ220, its creators must have been hard at work in the Jaguar design center at about the same time we were working in our own secret studios, but it sure looked like what I would have done if given the opportunity to create an Aerotech for the street. 18

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The XJ220 was obviously influenced by previous Jaguar vehicles, but was the Jaguar design team also inspired by the same things that had inspired me? The XJ220 has a character that’s not too distant from the 917 or even our own Aerotech, based on the strong character line that runs the length of the car. The body shapes, sections, base of windshield location, and plan views are quite similar—and all three had a long tail. They had an uncanny similarity. I’ve spent hours walking around each of these three cars and I also have scale models of each car sitting across the table from me. I’ve even driven a 917LH, as well as the long-tail Aerotech. Someday I would love to see all three cars on a lawn together, allowing me to spend hours walking around them, appraising their similarities and differences, and discussing their designs with whomever would listen. I would also like to meet the designers of the XJ220, to learn from where they drew their inspiration. And, of course, I really want to drive one, completing my experience with these three fascinating cars.

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192 Summer St. Kingston, MA Sean Gill - Sales Manager 781-585-5587 ext 3 sean@southshoreautoworks.com Above: Was the design of Jaguar’s XJ220 heavily influenced by the 917 and the Aerotech? At a certain point, aerodynamics is the ultimate arbiter of a car’s overall shape if speed is the utmost priority. Below: In 2010, years after its original record attempt, Ed had a chance to drive his creation at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. “It’s absolutely unreal to drive,” he told Motor Trend. “It’s so fast, and just feels so good.”

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WHAT’S IN YOUR GARAGE? Do you have an interesting car or truck in your garage? Send us five or six high resolution photographs along with about 75 words that explain why you love it, why you bought it, and what you’ve done to it. You might just wind up in the next issue of The Chase.

Show Us What’s In Your Garage: Contact us at garage@waynecarini.tv.

Lowell Paddock 1974 BMW CS Coupe 3.0 Connecticut BMW basically created the 2800 / 3.0 “E9” CS coupes by grafting a longer nose (to install the M30 straightsix) onto the existing 2000CS. Yet they look like totally different cars despite their shared DNA. The combination of the shark-nosed front end, the light, airy “greenhouse” and large wheel openings created one of the most beautiful coupes ever designed. I bought this 1974 example in Germany almost 20 years ago, with just 50,000 km on it. It’s a typical European spec—vinyl interior, no sunroof, no A/C. With its refined engine, beautifully finished interior, and all-around visibility, it’s as lovely in motion as it is standing still.

Sean Smith 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera New York I guess I’ll consider myself a special delivery considering my mother drove herself to the hospital in December to give birth to me in an Austin-Healey 100-4. Austin-Healeys sure are great cars, but the marque that left an indelible mark on my soul was Porsche—my father’s first 356 was a blue 1600 and I don’t remember it well, but it had an influence on me. Later he had a silver 1600 which I remember more clearly. These led up to a 912 that blew my mind—it was a spaceship compared to the 356. My parents later split up and the 912 went into New York City with my father. After a few years he got tired of moving it around the streets and asked my mother to sell it. I was a few years from getting my license and tried to convince her it would be a good first car. She didn’t agree, asking me: “If you have a Porsche for your first car, what are you going to want after that?” My answer: “Another one.” She was not amused. Many years later I got my Porsche; an ’87 Carrera. I have had it for 21 years. Do I want another? Sure, but I won’t give up this one.

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WHAT’S IN YOUR GARAGE? Ed Owen 1932 Auburn 8-100A Cabriolet Hudson, Massachusetts After a few trips to the Auburn, Indiana plant for RM Sotheby’s Fall Auction and a trip to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, owning an Auburn has been on my mind. I have always been in love with the styling in the Great Gatsby era ever since I saw the Robert Redford film as a kid and have come to appreciate the Auburns of that period for their bold, almost Hot Rod’ish look. The opportunity came when shopping for antiques for my Victorian home at an estate auction and lo and behold, wedged in the middle of beautiful artwork, collectibles, and furniture, was a ’32 Auburn 8 - 100A Cabriolet with a custom body by Edden. As luck would have it, I came home with it! Took it for my first drive the other day and thoroughly enjoyed the sound and performance of the inline 8-cylinder Lycoming engine and the balanced steering response. Still doing homework on the origin of the Edden body; if anybody has heard of them, please reach out to me. Looking forward to top-down cruising this Fall!

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Bristol Auto Club LTD. 1955 Chevrolet Panel Truck Connecticut Our ’55 panel truck came from the decision that we really needed a vehicle to express who we are as a car club. Established in 1975, Bristol Auto Club LTD has held weekly summer car cruise nights, car shows, and charity events since the beginning. We decided that we should have a classic vehicle that would work as a rolling billboard and would have the advantage of being useful for the many events we participate in throughout the year. With that, the mission to find a cool practical vehicle was on. The panel truck was found at the Southbury, Connecticut car show in the fall of 2006. The truck was perfect for our needs and came from California showing just over 28,000 miles. The truck was used as an ambulance at a manufacturing plant. It was not driven much and was always stored under cover. The truck was very well preserved but showed obvious signs of age. After the purchase, a group of our club members got together every Friday night for a year to completely go through and freshen up the truck for regular use again. They then had our logo painted on the sides by a local sign painter. Since completion, this truck has done its job, flawlessly representing our club at all our functions.

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EVERY CAR HAS A STORY by Wayne Carini

The Allard The appeal of Sidney Allard’s sports cars have always been based on a combination of ample American horsepower, capable handling, and rugged simplicity.

LONG BEFORE CARROLL SHELBYasked AC Cars if they could modify an AC Ace-Bristol to accept an American V8 engine, Sydney Allard had determined that combining lightweight British chassis with cheap American horsepower was an interesting business proposition. I caught the bug for Allards when they were the featured marque at the Amelia Island Concours, but I’ve always had a thing for this kind of lightweight, nimble, and simple sports car and I’ve owned several, including Morgans and Lotus Super Sevens (and their successor from Caterham). Compared to a modern sports car, these are about as basic a form of driving as you can imagine: open cockpit, minimal windshield, no noise isolation—just a little bit of sheet metal between you and the road. images by Russ Rocknak

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ALLARD EVOLUTION OVER THE YEARS: The J2 (center) was later succeeded by the slightly larger J2X (right). The J2X’s chassis wasn’t substantially changed over the J2, but the front suspension arrangement was changed, allowing the engine to move forward, gaining more cockpit room. The more refined K3 (left) was developed as a Hemi-powered Corvette competitor.

After World War II, Allard developed the “J” series, starting with the J2, which was a surprisingly advanced car for its day. Underneath its aluminum skin was coil-spring independent front suspension, a de Dion rear axle, and inboard rear brakes. The engine was usually a Mercury flathead, with optional Ardun heads, their name coming from Russian-born engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, 26

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who later became famous as the chief engineer of the Chevrolet Corvette. But Allard soon discovered that buying American engines, having them shipped to England for installation, and then shipping completed cars back to the US (the most profitable export market at the time) didn’t make much economic sense. So instead, he finished the cars without engines and then shipped them to dealers where

a variety of different power plants could be specified, usually Cadillac and Chrysler V8s. The J2 pictured here is equipped with a 331-cubic-inch Cadillac V8, which was a typical engine installation. Given the J2’s light weight, there’s plenty of performance from the 160-horsepower Caddie, but the J2’s underdeveloped front suspension means that these cars can be a handful driving down the road if they aren’t

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UNDER THE HOODS: Allard used a variety of powertrains, including Chrysler and Cadillac V8s. Wayne’s J2X has an extra dose of performance with a Ford 406-cubic-inch V8 that was originally built by Holman & Moody for NASCAR use. With about 500 horsepower on tap, a lightweight chassis and an aluminum body, the J2X offers a great power-to-weight ratio. It’s quite a beast.

adjusted properly. Much as a I love the simplicity of the J2, its successor, the J2X, became a more livable car by moving the engine forward about eight inches. The car pictured here has been in my personal collection for several years. I bought it from Bill Bauder, down in Texas. Now, all Allards are a bit of a beast, but this car is particularly amusing because it’s powered by an ex-NA28

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SCAR Holman-Moody 406-cubic-inch V8 that puts out something like 500 horsepower. It’s quite a ride – and it gets everyone’s attention when it starts up. The third Allard included here is a K3, which was the firm’s attempt to build a more civilized road car, including such “luxuries” as a bench seat and a folding top. It might look like a more refined car than the J2 or J2X, but the K3’s Cadillac

331 ensured that it had plenty of power (some also received the slightly more powerful Chrysler Hemi). Only about 60 of these were built and collectors are starting to appreciate their unique character. Of the three, the J2X is my favorite. It’s just the essence of what a “special” should be: loud, raucous, a little rough around the edges, and simply a blast to drive down a country road on a fall afternoon.

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Passion. Obsession. Addiction. Love.

REAR-VIEW MIRROR Judy Stropus Above: Such an honor to be the first woman in 33 years to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame Sports Car category, alongside such legends as John Fitch, Jim Hall, and Mark Donohue.

In Great Company After being in the sport of professional auto racing in different capacities for more than 50 years, I was amazed to learn I was voted into the Sports Car category of the 2021 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Wow.

Just wow! To be in the company of the iconic inductees in that class from previous years is mind-boggling; it is a word I used in my acceptance speech. The other words were outrageous, incredible, and absolutely ridiculous. I was also happy to share a word that the late Robin Miller, who passed away after he had been voted into the Media category, and I used when we learned we would be honorees: We were both gobsmacked. Luckily, the MSHFA was able to present Robin with his trophy in a heartwarming ceremony in Indianapolis earlier in the year before we lost him forever. My award was primarily for the timing and scoring work I did for top teams in the “B.C.” era – Before Computers – although they did cover my race car driving and public relations accomplishments as well. It was an incredible evening. Sam Posey presented the honor to me via video, which warmed my heart. I learned that even though Sam suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, he did it all in one take. And it was perfect. I was also pleasantly surprised when Lyn St. James appeared on the screen in a video talking about my exploits, including the ill-fated Cannonball Baker Sea-toShining-Sea fiasco back in the ‘70s. My longtime pal David Hobbs was the MC and made sure to get a few digs into me before I spoke. I’ll take those digs any day from the champion driver and TV personality known as “Motor Mouth.” I’m not sure anybody noticed (and that’s okay with me) but it appears I am the first woman in30

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ducted into the Sports Car category in the 33 years of the Hall of Fame’s existence. I can’t believe my name now resides alongside such legends as Mark Donohue, John Fitch, Jim Hall, Hurley Haywood, Phil Hill, and so many more. I knew (and know) most of them on the roster and I am privileged to have called them my friends…and I still do! The induction ceremony took place at the M1 Concours Event Center in Pontiac, Michigan, a new private track facility on eighty-seven acres, which includes a community of private garages, a state-of-the-art, 1.5-mile “Performance Track,” and its own private Motorsports Club. The week continued with the first Festival of Speed at the facility, which honored the legendary Jim Hall, and held a concours d’elegance together with racing on the track.

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Whatever you call it, we insure it.

Passion. Obsession. Addiction. Love. Whatever you call it, we insure it.

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Below: Good friends Super Vee racer Billy McConnell together with former Owens-Corning Corvette racer Tony DeLorenzo.

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Because the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 induction ceremony, both 2020 and 2021 inductions were held in the same week. I missed the 2020 gala, but was there in time, arriving the day before, to enjoy unveiling my commemorative plaque with the other 2020 and 2021 inductees. It was very special indeed. I must congratulate author George Levy (who took over after MSHFA founder Ron Watson passed away) and the staff and volunteers who did such an outstanding job putting this program together. It was a memorable evening that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The MSHFA Class of 2021 also included one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, Davey Allison (Stock Cars), three-time land speed record holder John Cobb (Historic), three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon, Jr. (Drag Racing), Indy and NASCAR trailblazer Janet Guthrie (Open Wheel), 2006 MotoGP World Champion “Kentucky Kid” Nicky Hayden (Motorcycles), legendary Indy correspondent Robin Miller (Media), seven consecutive APBA Gold Cup winner Fran Muncey (Powerboats), and multi-time USAC and NASCAR champion Ray Nichels (Historic). NHRA’s Leah Pruett was the honorary chairperson for the 2021 induction gala. Many celebrities dotted the room, including Bobby Allison, Hershel McGriff, Hurley Haywood, Tony DeLorenzo, Tommy Kendall, Danny Thompson, and so many more from the different disciplines of the sport. It was a Who’s Who of Motorsports of all genres. The 2020 class included NASCAR’s first-ever champion Robert “Red” Byron (Historic) as well as flat-track impresario Chris Carr (Motorcycles); 32

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early motorcycle racer, promoter, and publisher Floyd Clymer (At Large); driver, official, and safety advocate Wally Dallenbach, Sr. (Open Wheel); Rick Hendrick, one of NASCAR’s most successful owners (Stock Cars); Daytona 500 champion Tiny Lund (Historic); Can-Am and Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Jacky Ickx (Sports Cars); quarter-mile racing legend “Ohio George” Montgomery (Drag Racing); and multi-time Baja 1000 and SCORE Champion Ivan “Ironman” Stewart (Off-Road). The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road, and powerboats. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier hall until his passing in 2019. The original museum in Novi, Michigan relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida in 2016 and greets more than 100,000 guests a year. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation.

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Left: My posse for the evening: on left is John Fergus, seven-time SCCA National Champion; his wife Rhonda is on the right. Both have been my champions for many years. Alongside is Billy McConnell, whom I brought into the fold back in the 1960s when I discovered him and two of his friends hanging out at the Penske Racing pits race after race at the ropes and put them to work. Mark Donohue ended up helping Billy design a Super Vee, and Billy’s family has been part of my life ever since.

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Below: On display at the Daytona site of the MSHFA are a few pieces of my memorabilia, including an AMC Javelin Trans Am jacket.

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THE COLLECTOR Marshall Buck

My Favorite Gullwing Model A true “must have” model for anyone serious about collecting great Mercedes-Benz or large scale, classic sports car miniatures.

conic status in the collector car world is shared by quite a few cars, and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is iconic. It seems that having one in any high-end ultimate sports car collection is a requirement these days, as is having at least one in every auction. A similar situation exists if you collect models, and certainly if they are geared towards classic or significant sports cars. Want a Gullwing model? The choices in these wonderful sports cars are countless. So many variations of scale, quality, and detail have been produced over the years that it is enough to make your head spin. However, if you want a good largescale model, your choices are more limited. I’ve always wanted a Gullwing… a real one, but I have

settled for a very good (small) one. Actually, it’s better than very good. I acquired a 1:12th scale model, made circa 2013 by Premium ClassiXXs of Germany, though manufactured in China. For a large-scale Gullwing model, this is overall the best. Yes, there are more expensive ones, and in larger 1:8 scale, but not only are those substantially more expensive, but they are also flawed in several areas. My advice is to seek out a 1:12th model by Premium ClassiXXs. This 15-inch-long model is one of eight color combinations produced. Gray with red as shown, black with red, cream with red, cream with blue, red with tan, and of course silver—with two interior color choices: red or black and, wait for it… pink. Talk about getting every penny’s worth out of your

Above: Is it a real 1:1 car, or a model? As with the real car, this model looks great from any angle. Proportions and overall detailing are spot-on. Below: Correct bits are found everywhere as is evidenced by the tire-changing tools inside the trunk to the right of the spare.

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Lift open the hood, flip down the little hinged prop rod, and a well-detailed engine bay with all the major components is presented. The look is very good considering the extensive use of plastic; the well-scaled parts with many different finishes really pull it off. The trunk is the same, but of course housing the spare, filler tube, and a hammer and jack nestled to the right. Functional suspension, and the steering works, but it’s marginal. The famous Gullwing doors open easily and have simulated working struts. The vent windows in the doors also pivot open, and the steering wheel

tooling investment! I would have loved to have seen dark blue with gray among the choices. Regardless of color, all come with chrome-rimmed Rudge wheels painted the matching body color. Now, I can’t ignore the pink elephant. Why pink? Who the hell knows? No explanation has ever been provided. But they made it! And it appears to be the only one that’s still easy to find. Hmmm, I wonder why? Even though Premium ClassiXXs made so many, they probably hit it about right since supplies run from oh-so limited to nonexistent now, and some colors such as the gray dealer edition (shown) disappeared from the market years ago. It appears that most color combinations were limited to 500 of each with silver being the exception at 1,000 of each, or maybe in total… Again, who knows? This company was one of the worst for supplying any information about their models, and non-responsive to all inquiries on all levels. The Gullwings were never shown on their website, which is now gone. No web presence except for what you will find on various model dealer websites. To buy one, your best bet is to shop on eBay and/or with any model dealers you may know, as well as scouring the auction circuit. Sooner or later, something will turn up. Moving on from that nonsense, this is a great model, especially for the price. Once again, due to high volume and very low labor costs, we have a model that gave a lot of “bang for the buck.” It’s pretty darn accurate overall, and the list of working features is surprising when considering the original price point of only around $200. I couldn’t open my wallet fast enough to buy it!. Heck, that’s less than what many pay for a good 1:43rd scale model! Values now? Depending on the color and where you find one, expect to pay from a low of $500 (underpriced) to around $1,500 or maybe more. 36

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Above: This view shows how well the shape has been rendered in scale. Below: A feast for the eyes. Extensive detailing and obvious great attention have been paid to getting it right. This is how a high volume production model can and should be made.

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also flips down just as it does on the real car! Naturally the sun visors pivot, too. Dash is completely detailed, and gauges are legible, surrounded by chrome bezels. I don’t like the luggage behind the seats, which looks just like what it is: cheap plastic. I guess they had to cut cost somewhere. Windows are clear and the simulated metal trim with rubber gaskets is convincing. Inside and out there is a long list of great detailing. The gray paint finish, while very good, is just not up to the standards of many other manufacturers these days. It’s good, but not great. I have to say, this is one of my favorite models; it was so inexpensive that various quality flaws and corners cut could be forgiven back then, and still can be today. Looking at the few 1:12 and 1:8 models which have since been made, the Premium ClassiXXs model is a standout piece, and one to have in any good to “ultimate” collection.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Cartoons by Booth Craig Booth and his wife Pam create some unique automotive art— the kind that never fails to leave you with a smile. words by Russ Rocknak images by Josh Sweeney/SFD

f you have been one who follows the collector car show circuit, I am sure you have seen the unmistakable animated artwork created by Craig Booth and his wife Pam. The beauty of their work is that it is three-dimensional, and their medium is clay. Fun, colorful, and abstract. Cartoons by Booth is the name of their Gardiner, New York studio, and when they are not traveling around the country, they are busy creating new pieces—either fulfilling commissions or just bringing their ideas to life translated in clay by utilizing sheer creativity. Personally, I enjoy visiting the artists when I attend these shows. It is a wonderful experience to see how others translate what they see all mostly applied in different mediums and the common denominator being the automobile. I caught up with Craig at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance last October to discuss Pam and his collective car passion. “I’m a car nut, and I’ve been going to car shows for 50 years or so,” explained Craig. “I have always wanted a British sports car and I really liked going to the shows to see all the cars. I made my living in the deli business and I was spending a lot of time going to car shows too.” He continued, “This had to be close to 40 years ago, maybe the early eighties. After a while, my wife said, ‘we’re not going to any more car shows unless we make some money while we are there.’ She was suggesting that I might bring food and sell it. I could understand that but around the same time, we went to a pottery class, and I started doing pottery. Once again, Pam is the artist in my eyes, and she taught me.” Craig continued,” I was making pots, bowls, and mugs—things like that. Then I figured, well, let me try making a car moving along. So, I made a bunch of cars, and they looked cartoonish. That’s why it was originally called Cartoons. From there we went to Hershey, Pennsylvania and we sold a bunch of stuff, and we got some orders— it all just started from that one show. I didn’t have to sell deli sandwiches at car shows,” he said with a grin. 38

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“Obviously, I evolved, and my wife and I have evolved. I create the cars, and she’s a figurative sculptor so she does life-size models and things like that. She makes the people in the cars. We have been doing that for 40 years, and have been married 50 years,” Craig said. eight weeks approximately. Approximately. But it’s according to how much we must fill up the kiln; that’s the main thing. The kiln must be full. You can’t rush clay. If you do, it explodes in the kiln, which happens occasionally.” The beauty of the Booths’ collective works is that each one is different. Every single piece is an original including a series of special mugs produced with Wayne Carini. “Yeah. I threw each one on the wheel, and I created the face for each one. They’re all different because I just create the faces. No molds or anything. They come out great, and he signs them for me. That’s pretty cool!” Craig said proudly. “Pam does the figurative sculptures,” he continued. “She does more realistic people. And when I do it, mine are more cartoonish—we call it whimsical. We have a gallery in the house, and everything is here still. I just keep creating. It’s one of my problems, I can’t stop creating.” The admirers of Cartoons by Booth approve. Working with their chosen medium deserves to be appreciated because it’s not an “instant gratitude” process. “Clay works its own way. It must be made and then dried. It could take two or three weeks to dry. Then it goes in the kiln for the first time, and it could be a four-day fire,” Craig explained. But the kiln must be full, so he has several pieces going in there to fill the kiln. It’s then kiln-fired three times. And when it comes out, it is painted and finished. He then puts wire on it, or whatever the concept is—and mounts it to a wood base. “So, start to finish we estimate six to

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Above: Craig and Pam Booth have been creating sculptures from clay for more than 40 years. Pam creates the figurative drivers and Craig creates the whimsical cars. Right, from the top left: Pam and Craig at a more relaxed moment and a few samples of some of their collective works of art, all in clay.

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our museums by Bill Rothermel

The Lane Motor Museum 702 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37210 615-742-7445 lanemotormuseum.org

hen it comes to cars (actually, a lot of things), there is “weird good” and there is “weird bad.” Let me explain. The green Ferrari that sat on the showroom floor unsold for countless months in the 1980s was thought of as weird because everyone wanted red at the time. That is weird bad. Now, 40 years later, the green car is desirable for its uniqueness and the fact that it is not red, but green. That is weird good. Jeff Lane has a build40

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ing full of weird good. More than 550 vehicles, no less, that are collectively... weird good. Okay, am I giving Jeff too much credit? He has some stuff that is just plain weird... good and bad. And, lest you think I’m insulting him in some way, fear not. Lane knows that his taste in vehicles lies somewhere between quirky and obscure. Calling it eclectic somehow doesn’t quite do it justice. For you to best understand, pay the collection a visit. You’ll quickly learn why Wayne Carini calls Lane the “King of Weird.”

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Clockwise from left: The main exhibition hall with some of the 150 cars on display at any given time; a 1970 Lotus Elite—one of Lane’s favorites; the 1967 Gyro-X designed by Alex Tremulis and gyroscope expert Thomas Summers; a Peel P50—the Museum’s smallest car; more of the Museum’s collection (totaling more than 550 cars) on public display.

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FALL 2021

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Housed in a former Sunbeam bakery built in 1951, the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, encompasses 132,000 square feet of space—about 40,000 of which houses the vehicle exhibits: 150 or so on display to the public at all times. Says Jeff, “I had about 75 collector cars stashed in warehouses all over Nashville. I’d go to a show with my Amphicar, and people would ask what other cars I had? So, I decided to bring them all together under one roof and share them with everyone.” That was back in 2002. One year later, the Lane Motor Museum opened its doors. Jeff notes, “We are the largest collection of European vehicles in the United States.” You’ll find cars from all over the world including an extensive collection of all things with wheels. Bicycles, motorcycles, planes, microcars, and Japanese and other foreign vehicles not sold stateside are on display. Like most parents, Jeff

doesn’t admit to having a favorite child among the brood – he points out six – which typify the kinds of vehicles you’ll see at the Lane. There is a 1955 MG TF: Lane’s first car which he began tinkering with and restoring while in his teens. Included for its obvious sentimental reasons, it is the most ordinary of the group and that’s certainly understandable. We all wish we had our first car. Doing a quick one-eighty, Lane cites the Gyro-X-1967 among his favorites. Noted stylist Alex Tremulis and Thomas Summers, a gyroscope expert, built this gyroscopically stabilized two-wheeler prototype that boggles the mind. The 1956 Heinkel Kabine microcar developed by the German aircraft manufacturer who was prohibited from making aircraft following 42

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WWII is on Lane’s list. Ditto for the 1932 Helicron, a one-off propeller-driven car that was found in a French barn in 2000 after having been placed there by its owner in the 1930s! Number five is the 1970 Lotus Elan. Says Jeff, “It’s just fun to drive. It’s a great handling car with wonderful balance and power.” And, finally, he includes the 1947 Tatra T87 (incidentally, one of 19 Tatra vehicles in the collection). “It’s a limousine, not a sports car, but very technically advanced. It was way ahead of its time—20 or 30 years.” The smallest vehicle in the museum? A Peel P50 just 53 inches long, 39 inches wide and 52 inches high. The largest—a US Army amphibious LARC-LX built during the Vietnam War era. It is powered by four engines, one at each wheel and the tires are nine feet tall. My favorite? The oversized Monopoly Car built to resemble the game piece from the legendary Parker Brothers board game. The fully operable vehicle was built by a London and Los Angeles-based production company, Biscuit Filmworks, and was featured in a 2009 AT&T commercial. It was shown at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Today, there are 12 full-time and four parttime employees, including three restorers and two guys dedicated to the monumental task of keeping things running. Yes, running. Says Jeff, “Over 90 percent of the vehicles operate. They are exercised regularly and ready to go at a moment’s notice.” Chances are you’ll see Jeff and something from the collection at major concours, road rallies, and car events across the US. It’s his goal to drive and use the cars as they’re meant to be driven and enjoyed, as well as share them with others. While I was working on this story, Lane was participating in the Going to the Sun Rally driving a 1965 Fiat Abarth 695—not surprising, the smallest car on the tour. As a car guy or gal, you’ve gotta check this place out—there is no other museum quite like it. You’ll find vehicles not seen anywhere else including many you never knew even existed—everything from A to Z (well, almost—Q and X are missing right now). But don’t count them out as Jeff Lane is always looking to add more unique and unusual vehicles to his incredible collection. For more details and to view the collection online, go to www.lanemusueum.org.

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Clockwise from left: The Lane’s oversized Monopoly game board car on display at the 2021 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance; one of 19 aerodynamic Tatras in the collection; the Museum has its own restoration and maintenance shop employing three restorers and two techs dedicated to keeping more than ninety percent of the collection in running order.

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THE CHASE

A CONVERSATION WITH

Michael Kunz interviewed by Lowell Paddock mercedes classic center images by John Nikas

Michael Kunz is the general manager of the Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine, California. A lifelong enthusiast, he secured his first job with Mercedes based on his ability to rebuild a Solex carburetor, learned from his father’s Opel. After progressing through various aftersales positions, Michael’s extensive experience with Mercedes products and his passion for them won him the opportunity to develop a US-based version of the Classic Center to support the restoration and support of classic Mercedes products. Today, the Center not only leads award-winning restorations, but also provides an extensive supply of spare parts. Such is the demand for both that Michael is currently overseeing a move to a larger location.

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Lowell: Tell us about yourself and how you wound up with one of the most interesting jobs in the hobby. Michael: I was born to German parents and grew up in Richland, New Jersey, which is about 1.5 miles from Mercedes-Benz USA’s former US headquarters in Montvale. I remember going by the then very futuristic building with my mother and thinking, “It’d be really cool to work there.” Little did I know, many years later, that I would be able to do that. I was hired as a tech writer and my interview was an interesting one. I’m bilingual through my parents and I had attended school in Germany. In the interview, I had to explain how a Solex carburetor worked, in both German and English. As it happened, I knew all about Solex carburetors because we were an Opel family at the time and my father had given me an older Opel as a hand-me-down. Its Solex carb was always a problem. At some point, when I had any sort of money, I ripped it out and put a Weber carburetor in. The irony of the story is that when we get a 190SL in for restoration, it often has the same switch, from Solex to Weber, but now we get paid to take out the Weber carburetor and replace it with a Solex. Lowell: What was your first assignment with MBUSA? Michael: I began my career by writing service bulletins, which often originated in Germany. We then had to adapt those bulletins for US cars and for our dealer network. Later I wrote all the service information, including information for recalls as well as any information that had to be adapted for use with US cars, all the legalese, etc. This was all back in 1985, when Mercedes was a far less complex company from a model portfolio perspective than today, selling about 60,000 cars a year, mostly 300Ds and 300SDs. From there, I took charge of dealer

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service equipment. If you were opening a new dealership, that came through my group, where we defined all the specified, authorized, and correct workshop equipment to repair the vehicles. That included all the labor repair times. We did time studies for warranty purposes, what we would pay the dealers to do the work. Lowell: How did you first find out about the Classic Center coming to the US? Michael: When I went to school for two years in Germany, before I graduated from college, I bought two 230SLs. I’d be embarrassed to say they were mine today, but at the time, they were the only ones I could afford. I was just amazed by them. WWW.THECHASEMAGAZINE.COM

Fast forward past my tech writing days to the late 1990s, when Stuttgart spun off the museum workshop, creating a customer-facing arm to take care of privately owned cars. At the time, with the growing interest in classic Mercedes, the feeling was that an equal opportunity existed in the United States, whose population of older Mercedes was second only to Germany. And there were certain places in the US that had especially high concentrations of Mercedes cars, such as Southern California and the Southeast. Fortunately for me, I was good friends with Maryalice Ritzmann in Public Relations, who for years was the connection between Montvale and all

the Mercedes clubs and major events involving our historic cars. I had a sister who lived in California at the time, which always gave me an excuse to get to the Pebble Beach Concours, and that gave me a bit of an inside track in terms of knowing the key people in the vintage Mercedes world. When Mercedes assigned an executive to its US-based Classic Center project, I put together a plan on how I would create it and pestered them until they finally said yes. Lowell: How did you decide on where to locate the business? Michael: In the the early 2000s, there was a bit of a downturn in the market, and the whole project was temporarHOLIDAY 2021

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ily halted. But they had already hired me to run it, and I had left my old job behind. I had one employee at the time, an intern (who is now our workshop manager) and he asked me, “What are we going to do?” And I said, “Well, we’re going to go to a lot of car shows. We’re going to get familiar with the market, we’re going to meet and greet people, and start doing the groundwork.” And that’s what we did. We selected the Irvine area because of the heavy concentration of our cars in Southern California—it’s where the market is. Plus, the availability of talent; you have a lot of car-related businesses here. And you can enjoy working on classic cars 12 months a year. 46

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A handful of us moved out to Orange County and we opened in June 2006. At the time, we said our building was a “five-year” building. Well, it has lasted a lot longer than that, but we are moving to a new building in Long Beach in January 2022. Lowell: What’s driving you to enlarge the operation? Michael: We are completely overrun. From a business perspective, we’ve been mostly reactive. So far, we’ve only tapped into a portion of the market; we haven’t really gone after additional business. There are a lot of people who have an older Mercedes that they don’t necessarily consider to be a classic car, but it’s an older Mercedes, so by our

definition, it is. Of course, Mercedes-Benz’s overarching objective is always going to be selling new cars. But in support of selling new cars, we must also ensure that our older cars on the road are visible and are instantly identifiable in terms of brand exposure and recognition. We have a universally recognized brand, but we still want to demonstrate the virtues that these classic cars carry through to the new product in terms of longevity, quality, and image. We love all our children, so to speak. To us, a W123 300 Diesel is just as valuable as a 300SL, because they are, in many ways, just as iconic. And for many people, a 300SL is the unap-

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proachable spaceship. It’s something that is just too foreign for them, whereas a sedan from the 1980s is something you see every day and you can appreciate, with a legendary reputation for longevity. Lowell: How has the business changed between when you opened in 2004 and now? Is it just simply organic growth and increasing demand, or is it adding capabilities? Michael: I think you can almost define our business by the cars you see on the road, at shows, or at auctions. There is a core market of cars from the 1950s and ‘60s that will always come to us. But we also need to be prepared for a younger perspective, because there are people who look at a 1950s Mercedes and it just doesn’t appeal to them. But if you show them a 1980s 300E, they say, “I remember these when they were new.” You must be prepared to adapt to the enthusiast’s perspective and be somewhat predictive in what the next thing will be. Today, we deal with cars where you can refinish or rebuild almost anything. But when you start getting into electronics, higher use of plastics, etc., the work gets increasingly difficult. Obviously, the electronics technology hasn’t aged well, but neither have things like plastics. I always liken it to restoring an older cellphone, which is something you’d probably never do. What’s exciting to me is to adopt an entrepreneurial perspective and say, “What could you produce that would solve some of these problems?” Digital printing, that’s part of it. But that brings its own challenges. Lowell: Were you surprised by the 280SL which you had previously restored, and which sold for $335,000 at an RM Sotheby’s auction? Michael: Not at all, because we used to sell them at nearly that level. In the past, we were selling them one WWW.THECHASEMAGAZINE.COM

‘

In support of selling new cars, we must also ensure that our older cars on the road are visible and are instantly identifiable in terms of brand exposure and recognition.”

after another for just under $300,000. The market dipped for awhile but has since rebounded, more quickly than I expected. Pagodas restored to this level are, from an economic perspective, not outrageously priced, because that sort of work isn’t inexpensive. That car had a lot of eyeballs on it and sold for the correct money. Lowell: When you’re doing that type of restoration, whether it’s 300SL, a Pagoda, or anything that’s older, do you struggle to find certain types of materials or parts? What are the biggest challenges when you’re doing those types of cars? Michael: Part material supplies for those cars is pretty good. Sometimes a customer might want something slightly different, and then we’ll source it out of Germany or Italy. We did a moss green metallic Pagoda once and needed a matching soft top. The tops available in the US didn’t have the correct interior color, so we sourced a top in Germany. I think the main thing is completeness, especially when you’re getting into a vehicle like a 300SL. We picked up a car recently, a barn-find car that is owned by a customer who’s going to redo it; it was his father’s car. There were some pieces missing from the interior because, apparently, his father had thrown them away. Fortunately, we have enough cars going through

our shop that we can make those types of things. We have a wonderful craftsman from the UK, who is great with an English wheel and can produce all that, so we can make whatever we need in house. Lowell: How big is your staff currently? And where do you find the craftspeople you need? Michael: Our staff is currently 22. We train our people internally, but we also hire from the outside. We’ve been a long-term partner with McPherson College in Kansas, and we have a lot of people who have come through that program. They come to us with a great foundation of knowledge, but they need to build up their practical experience, which is not difficult because the foundational experience is there. The real challenge is retaining them. If they’re really, really, good, they tend to move around. Right now, we’re down a few technicians and as we transition to a larger operation, we’ll need even more people. Finding them is not easy. Lowell: When you are talking to a customer who wants to restore his or her 300SL, how do they decide between having the work done by you versus going to an outside independent shop? Would you say that you have an advantage over an independent shop with similar capabilities? Michael: There are certainly good playHOLIDAY 2021

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‘‘

All cars have a history, so we tell people what was done over the life of the car, something that was changed, or something that isn’t plausible.” ers out there, but I think the difference is – especially when it comes to cars that arrive in buckets – our ability to identify and sort the parts, put them back together in correct order, and bring the car back to 100% restored condition. That’s something we can do, and something that we’re very proud of. It’s funny, there are times when we bring a car to a show and get challenged on some details. At which point we say, “Here’s the documentation.” We have the depth of information to get the details right and make it look like it was never restored and not over-restored. Lowell: Since you’ve been here from the start, when you think about all the cars that you’ve done here since you started, what’s the project you are most proud of? Michael: We’ve done some internal projects that were very cool, such as a mid-engine 1935 150H Sport Roadster. It was the only surviving example of six built and we had very little to go by. We had photographs from the archives, but that was about it. Sometimes we just have interesting cars that aren’t necessarily all that valuable. For example, we did a team project on, of all things, a fully documented 180D “Ponton” that we found sitting on blocks at an abandoned house in Corona del Mar near here. We 48

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bought it for $1—and then proceeded to put $180,000 into it. And we thought it was worth every penny. We never had any intention of selling it, but then someone came along and gave us $180,000 for it. He was the head of a German agricultural company and had had the exact same car in the same color and just had to have this one. Lowell: The Classic Center is known for keeping an extensive inventory of spare parts, which means you have to remanufacture many of them. How do you make that decision on what the priority is, if you’re not going to do all of them? Michael: One of the tools we use is lost sales data on our parts. Since we operate a call center for our own dealers and for the retail and wholesale sale of classic parts, we know what people are asking for and what we don’t have. We generate lists for that, and then we determine the viability. In some cases, the part is slated to come back into inventory, but there are some parts that are just never going to come back. We have to figure out a new part’s viability and potential. Sometimes, you get inquiries from people who ask, for example, why we won’t reproduce the dash for a W123. In the end, that could cost $3,500 and must be made in a range of colors. Are customers going to buy it at that price?

Sometimes the vendor is just gone, or the vendor has destroyed all the tooling, because we enjoyed such a long production run. Can you reproduce the part or not? We’ve tried 3D printing certain pieces, and it’s not so good, especially when you have something that’s heavy metal weight-wise and then you produce something that looks the same, but just doesn’t feel the same. Lowell: How do you feel about the reproduction parts you see out in the marketplace? Michael: We had a funny instance recently at a nearby concours where there was a part supplier with a slew of Mercedes exterior trim pieces. A gentleman next to us bought some headlamp doors for a 280SL from them. I looked at them, and they had no markings on them whatsoever. They were reproductions. We had a similar door with us that day and so we could compare his door with a genuine part, and it didn’t fit at all. The difference is that they cost about half as much as the genuine article. But what good does it do if they’re really poor quality? Lowell: Several companies are trying to certify their own classic cars. Do you see a time when Mercedes will do something like certify restorations? Michael: I think it’s more about capacity than anything. What we do now on a limited basis here in California is a detailed inspection. Typically, we do this for a 300SL. We go through the entire vehicle, concentrating not only on the technical aspects of the car, but also its authenticity. That includes all the numbers, ones that are obvious, but also the ones that people don’t usually see because they don’t know they’re there. We charge $5,000 for that, but it saves people a ton of trouble, especially if they’re buying something very valuable. Recently, we did a few inspections on alloy Gullwings. There, you must be

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very careful, because as the value goes up, the ability (and the budget) to fake things goes up as well. We provide a report; it’s not a glossy book, but rather a technical review that’s tabular and describes what we found. All cars have a history, so we tell people what was done over the life of the car. We’ve had cases where the numbers don’t make sense, or cases where we’ve seen the car previously in Germany and then it’s sold it to someone else in the US, and the seller somehow figured out what they thought the correct number should be and put it on the car. But the number that was there before wasn’t the wrong number in the first place. They WWW.THECHASEMAGAZINE.COM

should have just left it alone. Lowell: Have people been shocked by what you’ve told them? Do you have an example you can share? Michael: We had a 300SL recently that was done by another restorer; one of the last cars he did before he retired. It was a hot mess and really bad. The aluminum rocker panels were held on with glued-on wood nuts from Home Depot. We’ve seen that before in the 190SL community, where one restorer’s cars went downhill as his business deteriorated. Lowell: What’s the next step for Michael Kunz? Michael: If you asked someone else, you might get a different answer. There

might be a little bit of, “What happens after Mike is gone?” But that’s not a good place to be. I want to make sure the Classic Center has a long life to it, even after I’m gone. I always got out of it what I wanted; it was good to work for such a superlative brand and all that goes with it. I never had, really, a desire to move around, but maybe that’s just me. If you get something that you like to do, you stay with it, right? Others feel differently about that, and that’s okay. It does get a little difficult as you stay longer and longer in the company, because you become more and more a bit of an exception. But for me, it was never about just the job. It was about passion. HOLIDAY 2021

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Affordable Classics excerpted from Wayne Carini’s Affordable Classics

Chevrolet Corvette C4 Conceived at the height of the ‘malaise’ era, the Corvette C4 was a major technical step forward from its C3 predecessor.

espite the onset of the ‘malaise’ era in the mid-1970s, Corvette sales remained strong through the end of the decade. Behind the scenes, the changes needed to keep the Corvette competitive were becoming increasingly unavoidable. Planning for the next generation, called the C4, originally assumed a 1982 model year launch, but that was pushed back due to the continued strong sales of its predecessor. Given the C3’s outdated architecture, the C4 started with 50

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a clean sheet, the better to deal with both the increasing numbers of legal requirements as well as a host of new competitors, including the Porsche 944 and 928, the Ferrari 308, and the Lotus Esprit. Through the 1970s, there had been much discussion within various camps at General Motors about a mid-engine Corvette, but powertrain limitations as well as the 1977 launch of the front-engine Porsche 928 favored a more conventional approach. Styling development began in 1978.

Above right: From a styling perspective, visual changes to the C4 during its lifecycle were minor, based on a solid theme developed by lead designer Jerry Palmer. Top left: Revised interior was introduced along with the ZR1 model in 1990. Top Right: Angular taillamps were one of the few distinguishing marks on the ZR1 and were used on all Corvettes starting in 1991.

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With its tapered front end, wedge profile, extreme wheel openings, and Kamm-like tail, the C4 represented an all-new and futuristic look but was still immediately identifiable as a Corvette. Key technical priorities for Chevrolet were to improve every aspect of performance: ride, handling, and acceleration. Riffing on prior Corvette practice, transverse mono-leaf springs were now adopted at both ends of the car, with the independent rear suspension utilizing five locating links instead of three on the C3. Steering was upgraded to a rack-and-pinion design for dramatically improved cornering. The previous year’s 5.7-liter “Cross-Fire” V8 (now making 205 horsepower) returned, as did the 700R4 automatic transmission, though the ‘Vette could now be ordered with a Doug Nash four-speed

manual, nicknamed “4+3” for its computer-controlled overdrives on the top three gears. A new Z51 performance suspension was available at launch and helped the C4 approach 1 g lateral acceleration. Launched in the spring of 1983, the new Corvette quickly gained attention for its substantial improvements over the C3. At launch, Chevrolet made it no secret that an engine upgrade was waiting in the wings, with the port-fuel-injected L98 engine replacing the throttle-body L83 for the C4’s second model year. Boosting output from 205 horsepower to 230 and torque from 290 foot-pounds to an impressive 330, the L98 also increased fuel economy by about 10%. In 1986, the C4 coupe was rejoined by a convertible version, which had been previously dropped HOLIDAY 2021

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from the lineup in 1976. Priced at a $5,000 premium, it would account for about one third of Corvette sales. From the start of the C4, and perhaps with a bit of insecurity from press reviews that seemed unwilling to place the still-raffish Corvette on par with its European counterparts, Chevrolet believed that increasing performance was a key element in closing the gap. The ZR1 variant was introduced at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale later that year priced at $66,000. It was distinguishable from other Corvette coupes by its wider tail section, massive rear tires, and convex rear fascia with four square shaped taillights and subtle red ZR1 badging. It lasted until the 1995 model year, when it was

THE FACTS

discontinued due to a combination of waning interest, the development of the higher-output LS series engines, high manufacturing cost, and the forthcoming introduction of the C5 generation. About 7,000 were manufactured over its six-year lifecycle. Today, the C4 represents fantastic value as a sports car with impressive power and road performance. However, with low purchase prices and moderate running costs, many have suffered from poor maintenance and storage. Even the ZR1, one of the most powerful sports cars of the 1990s, is available for prices far lower than its European counterparts. A well-found and well-bought C4 has the potential to be a great affordable classic.

Corvette 1984

As with the 1968 C3 Corvette, models from the 1984 introduction year can have more than their share of issues. “The 1984 Corvettes seem to have an awful lot of negative publicity,” says Ray Zisa of the Corvette Center in Newington, Connecticut, “but they are not actually that bad. The port

THE CHASE

fuel-injection system used in the Crossfire engine wasn’t all that different from what GM was using in its other cars.” Still, the 1984 model year cars were the source of much on-the-job learning about the C4 (unfortunately often in the hands of customers), and significant improvements followed in later years. Most C4 experts point to the cars made in 1991 or later as the ones to find, based on their six-speed manual transmissions, upgraded interior, and ZR1-derived appearance details. Post1994 models through the end of production in 1996 seem to have the best build quality. While the small-block V8s that powered all C4s are generally reliable engines, each had its quirks. The Optispark distributor for the LT1 engine introduced in 1992, for example, was positioned beneath the water pump, which means any type of water leak would lead to a distributor failure. The 1984 to 1988 4+3 manual transmission with overdrive is a complex system and needs

Corvette 1992-1996

Corvette 1996

Displacement

5727 cc (L83)

5727 cc (L98)

5727 cc (LT5)

5727 cc (LT1)

5727 cc (LT4)

Bore x Stroke

101.6 mm x 88.4 mm

99.1 mm x 93.0 mm

101.6 mm x 88.4 mm

Horsepower @ RPM

205 @ 4900

230 @ 4000

375 @ 5800 (405 in ’92)

300 @ 5000

3330 @ 5800

Torque @ RPM

290 lb ft/393 N-m @ 2800

330 lb ft/447 N-m @ 3200

370 lb ft/502 N-m @ 4800

330 lb ft/447 N-m @ 3200

340 lb ft/461 N-m @ 3200

Compression Ratio

9.0:1

9.5:1

11:.0:1

10.25:1

Fuel Delivery

Port fuel injection

Manual

4+3 Speed

4+3 Speed (6-Speed in ’89)

6-Speed

Automatic

4-Speed

N/A

4-Speed

Final Drive

3.31:1

3.07:1

3.45:1

3.07:1

BODY Construction

Unibody

Overall Length

4483 mm/176.5 in

4534 mm/178.5 in

4483 mm/176.5 in 1804 mm/71.0 in

Overall Width

1804 mm/71.0 in

1859 mm/73.2 in

1804 mm/71.0 in

Overall Height

1186 mm/46.7 in

1189 mm/46.8 in

1176 mm/46.3 in

1186 mm/46.7 in

Wheelbase

2444 mm/96.2 in

Front Track

1513 mm/59.2 in

1514 mm/59.6 in

1513 mm/59.2 in

Rear Track

1534 mm/60.4 in

1572 mm/61.9 in

1534 mm/60.4 in

Fuel Tank

76 liters/20.0 gallons

Trunk Capacity

328 liters/11.6 cu ft

357 liters/12.6 cu ft

328 liters/11.6 cu ft

Front Suspension

Independent, with MacPherson struts, telescopic shocks, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Rear Suspension

Live axle, coil springs, telescopic shocks, anti-roll bar

Front Brakes

Disc, power assist

Rear Brakes

Disc, power assist

CHASSIS

TEST DATA 0-60 MPH

7.1 seconds

5.8 seconds

4.8 seconds

5.3 seconds

5.1 seconds

Top Speed

136 MPH

180 MPH

163 MPH

178 MPH

Fuel Consumption

15 MPG

19 MPG

16 MPG

18 MPG

WAYNE’S TAKE Chevrolet Corvette C4: Like the Camaro, this is a moderately priced collectible that’s affordable and easy to own. Interior design is not my favorite and seats seem to wear quickly. Early C4 “Cross Fire” engines can be temperamental. Worth paying a premium for a well-maintained example, especially the rarer high-performance variants like the ZR-1 or Grand Sport. Amazing performance for the dollar; good aftermarket support Well-maintained examples command a premium

Corvette ZR1 1990-1995

TRANSMISSION

to be thoroughly checked. One common failure is a leaky transmission seal that causes oil to flow into the overdrive system, leading to total failure. Zisa recommends instead the post-1989 six-speed ZF transmission. With either transmission, clutches tend to be trouble free. Given the massive suspension components on the C4, wheel bearings (which are a one-piece unit incorporating the wheel hub) tend to wear out and aftermarket replacements are generally weaker than the OE part which is no longer available. Early power window mechanisms were weak and required a complete tear down to fix. It was replaced by a more conventional and robust design in 1987. An issue that the C4 shared with other GM products was Clearcoat crazing and cracking – a problem that’s worse in sunnier, hotter climates. The earlier-style digital dashes tend to fail—cost to rebuild them is around $500.

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Corvette 1985-1991

ENGINE

The Knowledge C4s have been undervalued for years, which means that many have been poorly maintained, so complete maintenance records and a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) are especially important. Finding and buying the best C4 requires studying up on the three-character codes that differentiate the various combinations of engines, suspensions, transmissions, and special editions. There are many online sources to assist with this.

Chevrolet Corvette C4

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ANXIETY INDEX

LOW

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AUCTION READY

On the Block

The January auctions in Arizona mark the beginning of a year of collector car auctions. During the week there are six auctions in total; five are live and one is online. In addition, a few weeks before the mayhem of Arizona auction week, Mecum will be holding its huge Kissimmee, Florida sale which alone features more than 3,500 collector vehicles.

Mecum Kissimmee Auction 1/6-1/16, Osceola Heritage Park Kissimmee, Florida Number of lots 3,500+ mecum.com

words by Andy Reid

The Mecum Kissimmee 2022 auction returns and offers more than 3,500 cars for sale, with literally something for every collector. The first highlight of this auction is the 1957 Chevrolet SuperSport show car. This car was used to introduce the Rochester Ramjet fuel injection and was featured at both the 1957 SCCA Convention and the Chicago Auto Show. The second highlight appears on our cover: the Hirohata Mercury. Often called the most famous custom of the classic era, this car, built by Sam and George Barris, was featured on the cover of both Hot Rod and Hop Up magazines in March of 1953 as well as in Rod and Custom in October of the same year. It was a class winner in the 1952 Petersen Motorama and appeared in the 1955 film Running Wild.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 1/22-1/30, Westworld Scottsdale, Arizona Number of lots: approximately 1,700 barrett-jackson.com Barrett-Jackson is the original Arizona auction and the anchor tenant of the entire week. They have more than 1,700 vehicles for sale at this gigantic event and this year they are well on track to have another banner event. Of the cars at this year’s Barrett-Jackson auction there are two that most caught my eye. The first is the 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX 2032, known as the “Lance Reventlow Cobra.” Lance bought the car new and equipped it with practically every competition option available. It has now received a few upgrades and modifications. All components used are considered by Shelby collectors to be proper Cobra parts. It is more important that CSX 2032 still maintains its original body, frame, and chassis. Car two is a 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E. This car has original paint and interior. All parts were refurbished when the car was made road ready.

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On the Block

Worldwide Scottsdale Auction

Bonhams Scottsdale

1/26-1/27, Singh Meadows Tempe, Arizona Number of lots TBD worldwideauctioneers.com

1/21, Westin Keirland Resort Scottsdale, Arizona bonhams.com Bonhams returns to Scottsdale in January and has some wonderful collector cars offered, with many important British cars and a few other nice vehicles thrown in for good measure. There are still weeks until this auction begins but for me there are two cars at the sale that I would love to own. The first is a 1958 AC Ace-Bristol roadster. It received a concours-quality restoration by Kevin Kay Restorations and has won awards at major US concours events. The second car is a 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster. This car is a virtual time capsule, having been driven only 21 miles from new. It is painted in silver metallic paint over a black leather interior and is basically a brand new 1989 911 Carrera Speedster which would clean up in preservation class at Porsche Parade in French Lick. This is both a chance to buy a car and win at a concours.

Worldwide Auctioneers comes back to Arizona this year and is offering several significant cars at their sale, with a focus on full classic automobiles. The catalog is not yet complete but two cars in their sale really spoke to me. The first is a dream car of mine, a 1957 Dual-Ghia convertible. This car was the subject of a multi-year concours-level restoration and is number 24 of only 100 produced. The styling and the Rat Pack connection these cars have make this one of my favorites. The second is a bit older: a 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton. This Cord was previously owned by Harry Denhart, founder of the ACD Club, and was a winner of ‘The Best Cord’ at The ACD club meet in Auburn, Indiana. The car is a factory supercharged example, in a fantastic color combination with ACD certification which to me makes it the perfect Cord 812.

RM Sotheby’s Arizona

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1/27, Arizona Biltmore Phoenix, AZ Number of lots: More than 100 rmsothebys.com

Gooding & Company Geared Online Scottsdale Auction

RM Sotheby’s is back at the Biltmore for its Arizona auction. In many ways the grounds of the Biltmore are the epicenter of the social part of Arizona boutique auctions and this year’s sale has many interesting cars, including one of which I had never heard. That car is the 1988 Cizeta-Moroder. The car was the idea of Lamborghini test driver Claudio Zampolli and composer Giorgio Moroder. Powered by a V16 engine and drawn by Marcelo Gandini, it is one of only 16 total cars built. The second car on my list at RM Sotheby’s is the 2012 Lexus LFA. It is one of approximately 190 USA-delivered cars and has only 4,360 miles from new. The LFA is something we are never likely to see Lexus build again and the sound of the V10 engine under the hood is enough to make me want this amazing car.

Gooding & Company returns to Scottsdale in January and has changed things up a bit. They will have a viewing in Scottsdale and then have bidding online afterwards. The location for viewing was not available at press time. There are two standout cars announced now on their site. The first is the 1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint with coachwork by Touring. Finished in two-tone gray paint with an accenting blue and gray interior, it had the honor of being displayed at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey, England in 2018. This stunning 1900C is perfect for shows, vintage rallies, and would make a nice addition to my garage. The second is the 1965 Porsche 356C Carrera 2 Coupe. This is one of the rarest 356 cars built with a total production of 100. It wears its original color combination of red over a black interior and received a recent engine rebuild by Andial.

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Catalog 1/18, Online Bidding 1/24-1/28 Scottsdale, Arizona goodingco.com

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Historic Festival 39 9/2–9/6/2021 Lime Rock Park Lakeville, Connecticut

The Historic Festival 39 was well named. The vehicles racing Friday, Saturday, and Monday had to pass more than tech inspection before they got near the 1.53 miles of track at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut this past Labor Day weekend. Each vehicle was vetted for authenticity; Chairman Murray Smith and his many, many helpers wanted to provide spectators with a genuine experience. While kit cars and reproductions have a place in this world, the intent of racing at the festival is to provide a glimpse into the past. Cars that won races 50, 75, even 100 years ago can still thrill audiences as they tear around corners or open the throttle on the straight. Dispelled Myth: Cars really could do more than 100 mph back when and given the smooth asphalt of a 21st century track, they are amazing to watch. The Historic Festival 39 was well organized. An army of volunteers came out on a drizzly Sunday to wrangle cars from just about every marque from practically every era in automotive history. Anthony Wang’s 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART took Best in Show for the Sunday in the Park Concours. Meanwhile, the track was filled with car owners eager to participate in the

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS As we look forward to the rest of this year’s schedule and on to 2022, let’s check the rearview mirror for highlights from this season. photos by Shawn Pierce and Russ Rocknak

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The Historic Festival 39 continued Gathering of the Marques. Hard to believe cars would fly through the esses just the day before or the next day when Sunday’s crowds made the going slow on foot. But all was good because a leisurely pace meant more time to appreciate the iron and chances to stop and hear some very cool stories. The Historic Festival 39 was well supported. In addition to the car show enthusiasts who walked the track, race fans packed the hills surrounding the track and in the campground. The weather cooperated for race days and a dry track meant good times, both on the scoreboard and in people’s hearts. There were a few hair-raising moments as cars left the pavement or came a bit too close at uncomfortable angles while still on track. The people who keep the track safe—corner workers and emergency personnel—are to be commended for making sure the show could go on. The Historic Festival 39 was entertaining. Emcee and Fox Sports commentator Mike Joy led a lively discussion at a dinner Saturday evening with Brian Redman and Stefan Johansson, who recounted their racing adventures to the delight of everyone enjoying a summer evening under a tent decorated with fresh flowers and, more notably, restored vintage Porsches. Steven Harris briefly spoke to his participation in the festival as honored collector and, as if that wasn’t enough for fans of this marque, an exclusively air-cooled Porsche race group and the Porsche Taycan pace car were on offer during the weekend. Book signings featured Sam Posey and Chuck Queener, and Skip Barber could be found at the park, enjoying the festival as much as anyone else. The Historic Festival 40 should be on your calendar. Enough said. –Linda Zukauskas

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The Boston Cup

9/26/2021, the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common Boston, Massachusetts It was another wonderful day to gather around the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common to view the sights and sounds of the 10th annual Boston Cup. Rich Doucette and his team kicked off the inaugural Boston Cup in 2012 and have been gaining steam ever since. As Friedrich Nietzsche stated: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” This seems to be Doucette’s mantra, too. The Boston Cup survived COVID-19, whereas some events did not. Last year as most of the world was shut down due to the pandemic, The Boston Cup endured as an invite-only event held outside at the Boston Harbor (Encore) Casino in Everett, Massachusetts. This year the event was back on the lawn surrounding the Bandstand with as many as 75 automobiles, and Mother Nature again blessed us all with great weather. There is something unique about the formula of the “splendor on the grass” and Doucette has it down with the Boston skyline as a backdrop combined with the pleasantly surprising shock value of the locals who are out for their early morning stroll only to find this major league car show has emerged on The Common overnight. This year, to be more compliant, the field was reduced from 100 cars to 75 and the team did their best to provide more spacing while maintain-

photos by Russ Rocknak

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The Boston Cup continued ing a field with some of the finest cars in existence. Well known Chef Tony Ambrose, along with providing world class food, also took extra safety measures. The First-Place cup went to Len Worden and his amazing 1931 Willoughby Duesenberg J-368. Second-Place cup went to David Gaunt who showed his pristine 1947 Chrysler Town & Country. The Third-Place cup went to Jack Child with his absolutely stunning 1957 Chrysler 300C convertible, a crowd favorite. The Annual J. Geils Memorial Award went to Ernie Boch, Jr.: car guy, musician, and philanthropist. He was honored as this year’s recipient, and it was very well deserved. New sponsors included Safeco Insurance, Aston Martin Boston, European Motorsports, Pay Down Hero, and Centigrade Drives. The Boston Cup has donated over $250,000 to Boston Parks Charity since its inception 10 years ago. The Boston Cup has established itself as one of the pillars of extraordinary car shows not only in the Northeast, but nationwide as well. Kudos to Rich and his team, and we all look forward to gathering again on September 25, 2022. –Russ Rocknak

the first-place cup went to Len Worden, 1931 Willoughby Duesenberg J-368

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Goodwood Revival 9/17–9/19/2021 Goodwood Motor Circuit Chichester, United Kingdom

I truly believe that the Goodwood Revival is overall the best vintage car event in the world. Note that “vintage” is the keyword here. I describe the Revival as “Disneyland” for all car people—men, women, and children. There really is nothing else like it. Of course, there are a few trying to emulate everything Goodwood, but none come close, and I highly doubt any ever will. Remember: location, location, location, and when attending this event, you know you’re someplace special. The Duke of Richmond, founder of the Revival, and whose grounds the Goodwood circuit is on, puts on one helluva great show. It runs three days so if you go, you really must attend all the days. Anything less would be a mistake because there is so much to see, do, and experience. You really can’t do it all in one day, especially if you want to watch some of the excellent racing which takes place during all three days—from morning until late afternoon when the sun starts setting and you won’t want to leave until they kick you out! There is really nothing like the combination of a vintage World War II flying ace like a Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered Supermarine Spitfire sitting next to a Jaguar C-type. What presence to say the least. This was

photos by Marshall Buck

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Goodwood Revival continued my second time attending the Revival. Both times I went with a small group of car friends, and this time my wife joined us and yes, she loved all of it. We were very fortunate to have great weather the first time, and on this trip, it was pretty much the same which is quite unusual. Many people were dressed in period vintage attire, typically 1940s-1960s—the majority of spectators and all participants were dressed this way, which is strongly encouraged by the organizers. We were all dressed in period garb too; I wore mechanics overalls with period embroidered patches. Anyone not dressed in ‘costume’ actually looked out of place. This dress code is all part of the amazing and unique atmosphere created, along with fantastic displays and different themes throughout the vast grounds each year. A big part of what I love is this throwback to an earlier time, and the playground feeling. By the way the racing is fantastic… they are all out to win; and then there’s the vintage motorcycle racing, which is faaassst and spectacular.Those guys are nuts. We wandered all over, covering a good portion of the track and displays, to the vintage carnival amusement park fairgrounds with an assortment of rides, numerous vendors of all types, an extensive choice of food vendors, bars, and more. I bought some great period photos and a few other trinkets including artwork, books, etc. I wanted to buy one of the classic cars offered too, but couldn’t decide between a superb Aston Martin DB4 series 1 or a Ferrari Dino 246 GT. My limited bank account may have also factored in. I think a nice 1:12 scale of each will do just fine. –Marshall Buck

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HOLIDAY Gift

Ideas

THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US, and as we all know, trying to find the right gifts for those who are special to us sometimes results in a decision made in the clutch. We have put together a few ideas that may pique your interest and help your decision-making process. These offerings are just a few of the ideas presented by our contributors. Please visit the websites listed and see many more ideas for gifts for that special car aficionado. 1948 nash suburban woody courtesy of the Maine Classic Car Museum photo by Russ Rocknak

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Badass Priced at $85 coachbuiltpress.com

Jordan Bespoke

Tim Layzell Fangio/Collins ‘Leather Art’ GTO Motorsport Helmet Bag Priced at $1,070 jordanbespoke.com Offering bespoke hand-crafted luggage from Italy, Britain’s Jordan Bespoke has established enduring partnerships with some of the most iconic names in the automotive industry, including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, and McLaren, not to mention status as the official leather goods supplier to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Their far-reaching product line is fashioned from the finest parts, materials, and leather and can also be customized with any color scheme, personalized linings, or to match a particular car’s livery. Blending British design and Italian manufacturing skills, Jordan Bespoke creates unique leather goods that cater to a customer’s vision, desires, and aspirations.

Long considered an American automotive treasure, Bruce Meyer assembled an all-star cast of luminaries to contribute their insight to Badass, one of the most surprising motoring books to come down the road in recent years. Combining two separate but related narratives under a single cover, the book explores Bruce’s incredible life with cars while also teaching a master class in automotive styling from some of the most talented designers in the business. These names include Gordon Murray, Ed Welburn, Ralph Gilles, Franz von Holzhausen, Henrik Fisker, Louis de Fabribeckers, Tom Matano, and Andrea Zagato. Making the recipe even more compelling are contributions from acclaimed writers and historians such as Leslie Kendall, Matt Stone, Bill Warner, Lowell Paddock, and Fred Simeone who examine the role and importance of the rear end in terms of the vehicle’s overall function and personality. Even better, hundreds of color portraits from Michael Furman, considered the world’s finest automotive photographer, enliven the proceedings, depicting some of the baddest automotive rear ends ever built. Not to be missed.

Retrographs Prices start at $19.50 for a pack of ten greeting cards retrographs.com Retrographs, the biggest and best collection of reproduced vintage and contemporary automotive art, has over 1,300 unique automotive photographs and illustrations in a wide range of formats including metal and canvas prints, shirts, tote bags, mugs, and holiday ornaments. Large-format wall murals are also available. They seek out only the rare and unusual to bring you hundreds of variations, from small to supersized, all affordably priced. Speaking of BIG, their Custom shop aims to brighten workplaces, garages, commercial spaces—you name it! We hope you will take a moment to look over our personally curated inventory of timeless car art and invite them into your home, garage, or commercial space.

McKee’s 37 mckees37.com A world-wide manufacturer of waxes, polishes, compounds, and ceramic coatings, McKee’s 37 synthesizes the knowledge gained from the development of the Detailer’s ProLine with the latest technological breakthroughs in surface care to create a full line of effective and affordable products. Each formula in the McKee’s 37 line is worthy of being used on the world’s finest show cars, but is still obtainable for the everyday driver.

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Amalgam Collection

Ford GT40 based on chassis #1075, 1:8 scale Priced at $15,280 Amalgamcollection.com Following 24 months of deep research and intense development work, with the assistance and cooperation of the Ford Archive and Heritage department and Gulf Oil International, Amalgam Collection released a perfect 1:8 scale model of the Ford GT40 based on chassis number 1075. Victorious at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1969 and driven by Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver, the #6 car recorded the closest competitive finish in the history of the Le Mans, beating Hans Hermann’s Porsche 908 by just 120 meters (393 feet) after 372 laps. Amalgam is anticipating releasing this iconic model at 1:18 scale in January 2022.

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Vic Elford 1969 Edition Prototipo Chronograph Priced at $775 autodromo.com Vic Elford is a living legend of motorsport, celebrated for his outright speed as well as his proficiency in the world’s longest and most challenging racecourses such as the Nürburgring and the Targa Florio. Autodromo has collaborated with Vic a second time to create this limited-edition timepiece to commemorate his epic drive to finish second at the 1969 Targa Florio race in Sicily. With a dial inspired by the colorful paintwork on Elford’s Porsche 908/02, this special edition is limited to 350 numbered pieces. The caseback features a map of the Targa Florio circuit as well as Elford’s practice lap and race lap records. The Vic Elford Prototipo comes in special edition packaging along with an illustrated booklet and signature card hand signed by Elford himself.

Special Holiday Car Gift Set Priced at $99 motorology.com Share your special automobile with friends and family in new ways with the perfect gift set for classic car lovers. Set includes: Custom 1,000-piece Jigsaw puzzle (19x27”) of your car. One dozen custom note cards of your car, with envelopes included. Fifty concours cards of your car to hand out at events. All three are packaged together for only $99, including free shipping within the continental USA. Simply send us a high-quality photo or upload a photo of your car using the form on our website, and we will take care of the rest. Professional stock images are also available.

Suixtil

Modern Vintage Clothing, Racing Heritage suixtil.com Suixtil’s comprehensive line of clothing and accessories is infused with vintage style thanks to an unrivaled tradition that extends back to the golden era of motorsports. Legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss, Masten Gregory, Roy Salvadori, and Olivier Gendebien competed in the Argentinean firm’s iconic sartorial kit. Even though those hallowed names have passed into history, their threads are still available to outfit a new tranche of racers and racing enthusiasts eager to maintain a connection to the past while driving into the future. From polos, weather gear, leather jackets, and pants, each Suixtil product is made to the same exacting standards as those worn in period, with some thoughtful improvements incorporated to make them perform better than ever before. That makes them the perfect holiday gift.

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Slot Mods Raceways

Custom Scenic Slot Car Tracks Prices starting at $25,000 slotmods.com Slot Mods Raceways, the unofficial slot car track of Formula 1, offers commissions on its Megatrack and a new more space-conscious custom Rally Track (at just four feet by seven feet). Megatracks and Rally Track are built to 1/32 scale and include the cars, scenery, structures, and signage. They can be designed to accommodate both 1/32 and 1/24 scale cars on request. The company can build you a dream track or replicate a real-world track. Due to space limitations, scale versions of real-world tracks are built to the “spirit” and not as perfect replicas. However, if you must have a true scale version of a famous circuit, they would be more than happy to build it. Each comes standard with routed, hand-painted, and detailed wooden track surfaces (white lines, apex markers, and the like). Also included: period-correct grandstands, structures, signs and advertising banners, aluminum Armco railing, hand-carved and painted landscaping, shrubs, and trees; lap timing system and PC tablet; slot car controllers, variable power supply; LED-base lighting and six slot cars. External LCD monitors are available at an additional cost.

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Sports Car Body Sculptures

CMA Models, Inc. Prices range from $195 to $495 plus S&H. info@cmamodels.com 631.563.2876

Wayne Carini’s Guide to Affordable Classics Volume One Priced at $39.95 waynecarini.tv

The perfect gift. Each limited production sculpture is made of individual stainless steel profile panels. They are hand assembled, and permanently attached to a stainless-steel base. Two different sizes come with or without mirrors. (Scale is 1:32, 6.5” long black base and weighs 2 lbs.) with bead blasted finish, OR 1:18 scale (10” long mirror polished base and weighs 5.5 lbs.) powder coated finish—choice of 10 colors. Choose from more than 16 cars, including Jaguar E-Type, Lamborghini Countach and Miura, Ferrari 308, Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, 2005 Ford GT, and many Porsches! Allow two to four weeks for delivery. Call or email for more detailed information and photos.

Whether you’re a first-time novice or a seasoned pro, buying and owning a classic car starts with getting the facts from an expert. And there’s no one better equipped to give you the insider’s perspective than Wayne Carini, host of the internationally acclaimed TV program, Chasing Classic Cars. Borrowing on his years of experience buying and selling cars around the world, uncovering dust-covered barn finds or crafting award-winning restorations, Wayne Carini’s Guide to Affordable Classics puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to making an informed decision. In this first volume, Wayne and his friends have selected 25 different collectible classics from around the world. With full-color images, hot tips and detailed specification tables, Affordable Classics guarantees to keep the chase alive between episodes of Chasing Classic Cars.

Advantage 4-Post Lifts Prices start at $5,364 advantagelifts.com

Lime Rock Park Up to 30% off weekend tickets limerock.com A fantastic ticket value from Lime Rock for the 2022 racing season! For orders placed before December 31, Lime Rock is offering up to 30% off weekend tickets for each of the three major events next year: the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic (May 27 to 30), the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix (July 15 to 16), and the Historic Festival (September 2 to 5). Additional special offers are available through Lime Rock’s website.

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The Advantage line of 4-post lifts is one of the best residential and car hobbyist lifts on the market. Their lifts have been completely designed in house to specifications, ensuring the quality, safety, strength, and stability of any of their 4-post lift models. Advantage Lifts is known for standing out in the market among the less stable c-channel competitors. All Advantage Lifts feature the superior exterior slider design, above industry standard cables (1/2”) and pulleys (5”), plus all the essential safety features and more. Advantage Lifts proudly welcomes Wayne Carini, master car restorer and star of the television show Chasing Classic Cars to the Advantage family. When safety and stability matter, you can’t beat Advantage Lifts.

The NK Collection Priced from $120 carscarves.com NK Collection offers a great selection of carthemed scarves for men and women that are sure to keep automotive enthusiasts warm throughout the year. Themes include cars from the great marques, radiator grilles, coachbuilt greats, and a host of other attractive themes, all printed on luxury materials including silk and cashmere. This is the perfect touch for the concours lawn or a spirited drive on a crisp morning.

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CarCapsule carcapsule.com

Cars of Clay

Cartoons by Booth Prices start at $299 cartoonsbybooth.net

This holiday season, give the gift of peace of mind. The Signature Series and CF1 Showcase by CarCapsule are the products of choice at F40 Motorsports for proper storage and presentation. I not only endorse the product, but I also use it to protect my cars, and so should you. Eliminate moisture, dust, rust, and preserve and protect your classics with the most awarded storage product on the planet.

Cartoons by Booth offers one-of-a-kind auto art and figurines that are sculpted in clay, glazed, and then painted with either oil or water-based paints. On some of the more complicated designs, the wheel spokes are made of wire, and the chrome is 14-karat white gold that is fired in the kiln. Regardless of the size, they are a great gift idea.

MetroVac Air Force ® Master Blaster® Revolution™ with 30-foot hose $546 Vac ‘n, Blo® Compact Wall Mount $330.99 metrovac.com

Sports Car Art

Competition Colors Framed prints $829 sportscarart.com

MetroVac car dryers and car vacs are the top choice of car enthusiasts and professional detailers worldwide! Give your ride a touchless drying experience with the Air Force Master Blaster Revolution with 30-foot hose or deep clean the interior with the versatile Vac ‘n Blo Compact Wall Mount. Plus, MetroVac manufactures all our machines right here in the USA so there’s no need to worry about port delays and supply chain issues. With home, IT, pet, and industrial blowers and vacs, MetroVac has something for everyone on your holiday shopping list!

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The Competition Colors series began as an experiment for David Townsend of Sports Car Art. With monochromatic backgrounds, the series was carried out in the same timeframe as he was developing the 60th anniversary E-Type original art for Moss Motors. Those prints featured front and rear views of both the first production E-Type coupe and open two-seater cars as well as his more typical side view. He doesn’t know for sure when the idea of putting the two ideas together hit him, only that he was surprised he hadn’t thought of it earlier. Now carried out in a series of 21 cars, check them out the list on their website above. Prints come ready to hang with an ebonized hardwood frame, color coordinated double mats, dust backer, with hanging hardware installed. These are shipped fully insured via FedEx Ground in a specially constructed carton. (Shipping is not included in the price).

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Above: Jim Taylor drives his 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet through the center of Saratoga Springs, New York. The 2018 International Bugatti Tour was hosted by the same host as the Travers Stakes, a race for three year old thoroughbred horses. The event was attended by ‘Buggatiests’ from around the world.

DRIVING with Jim Taylor For Jim Taylor, driving is the reason special motorcars are built. words by Leigh Dorrington images by Josh Sweeney/SFD

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‘‘I LOVE TO DRIVE,” said Jim Taylor, as we relaxed in friendly conversation with sounds of a thunderstorm in the background that carried away some of the intense heat brought on by the summer of 2021. A year and a half into COVID-19 restrictions and with a new variant raging around the world, we are socially distanced. Jim was at his summer home on Great Sacandaga Lake in upstate New York near the small town of Gloversville where he grew up, and we were sharing a remote conversation that would continue over several weeks before we would finally get together with photographer Josh Sweeney at Jim’s cavernous garage. Gloversville is located roughly 35 miles west of Saratoga Springs, New York, and has been the home to four generations of Taylors. Jim’s great-grandfather was hired as the first police chief of Gloversville in 1888. (He had earlier survived the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, where he fought at Cemetery Ridge.) His grandfather created a Gloversville business in 1908 that catered to both year-round and summer residents of the area. “My dad took over the business in 1946 when I was just two years old,” Taylor said, “and he bought his first new car in 1947. It was a Chevrolet two-door coupe. After that he bought a new Chevy every other year and usually they were station wagons. He was a Chevy guy who also had trucks.” Taylor continues, “I remember family trips in those station wagons as a youngster, identifying cars and license plates as we drove. My first cars were diecast Dinky Toys. I must have had about 150. I still have some of the collection. At a very young age, I also started drawing cars. What always appealed to me was how they looked, and that still appeals to me. Cars were always a big thing.” Another big thing was the collection of National Geographic magazines on the third floor of his maternal grandparents’ house in Brooklyn, New York, where Taylor slept and spent much of his time when he visited as a boy, which was often. “I’ve always had a wanderlust and I think it began by reading and seeing the pictures of countries around the world in those magazines,” he said, leading us right into his story of automotive passion. 86

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Getting Behind the Wheel Taylor drove a Ford Model A throughout high school. He didn’t have a car in college but remarked instead, “I hitchhiked a lot.” After leaving college and before joining the army, he bought a used 1959 MG MGA Coupe. He went into the army as an enlisted man, went on to Infantry Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in the Military Police, where he eventually commanded a 350-man stockade. Along the way, he said, “I realized the MGA

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Above: Jim Taylor alongside his well-lit 1938 Alvis Touring Cabriolet driven on the Colorado Grand. The Alvis was originally a closed car that was rebodied after a gas tank fire destroyed the rear half of the body. Original signs hang throughout the garage.

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wasn’t very reliable and I’d recently been married, so I traded the MGA in for a Chevrolet Malibu. A neighbor borrowed the car, and it was totaled in a crash. So, I bought an Oldsmobile 442 from a major.” Once out of the army, he began buying other cars. One was an Austin-Healey 3000, purchased when he was in his early 30s, and like one a friend had in college. “I added other cars as I could afford to. That was back when they weren’t worth what they are today. I bought cars opportunistically. I alWWW.THECHASEMAGAZINE.COM

ways had a realistic idea of what they were worth and never paid more than 10 percent more than that,” Taylor says. “Then I started buying Jaguars. The first was an XK120 roadster—British Racing Green with a biscuit interior.” He methodically added other XKs, each unique in body style, construction or, engine, and later included MKII Saloons. “Those are great cars, and they’re terrific cars to drive today.” By then, he continues, “I had 25 or 30 cars spread out in old factory buildings and other HOLIDAY 2021

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places. So, I bought a piece of land and put up a 30,000 square foot building where I could keep the cars in one place, have them worked on, and collect automotive posters and other automobilia. Now it’s full. We have too many cars!” And they are all driven.

Below: The unrestored 1937 Horch 853A Cabriolet was driven on the 2008 Pebble Beach Tour and won a Preservation Award the following day. (Bottom) Both the Jaguar C-type and D-type have well documented histories. The D-type was originally built for British Maranello Concessionaires’ Col. Ronnie Hoare in this unique blue color.

Around the World It should come as no surprise then that as vintage tours and rallies gained popularity, Taylor found new places to drive. Around the world— on grand and, at times, dangerous adventures in international endurance rallies. The far-flung geography of these rarified events appealed to his wanderlust, and the extreme challenges appealed to his spirit. “My first overseas tour was the Inca Trail Rally in 2001,” says Taylor. As it turned out, the October-November rally started three weeks after 9/11 with nearly 16,000 miles and almost two months—55 days—of rugged driving. “The route started and ended in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From Rio we drove toward Iguazu Falls in northern Argentina, then across Bolivia to a raft ferry crossing Lake Titicaca to Peru.

We were back and forth several times across Argentina and Chile and through Patagonia, then a ferry to Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost point in the Americas. After turning north, the route paralleled the east coast of South America, through Uruguay and back into Brazil.” This early adventure rally was created by the Historic Endurance Rallying Organization (HERO) in England, which continues to create similar events each year around the world with differing degrees of challenge. One hundred vehicles participated in the 2001 Inca Trail

Above: This unrestored original 1964 AC Cobra was found in a Utah barn. Part of the Cobra’s history was filled in by a Shelby American fabricator on the 50th Anniversary of the Shelby American Club, who worked on the car when it was built. Several details are unique to this particular car, which still displays the license plate from the year it went into storage.

image: Jim Taylor Archives

event: 50 in a class for modern SUVs and another 50 classic cars. “I didn’t have a classic car yet that would be suitable,” he explained, “so I decided to take a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup. It didn’t take long to realize that the classic cars really weren’t too friendly toward us and our 4x4s. But after about two days, we were heroes for helping the cars out. Then we became great friends.” Taylor lists from memory more than 30 major rallies and tours in which he has participated since that first, 20 years ago. The events have been as varied as Hong Kong to Beijing in 2007, which brought participants to the start of the historic Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, where he and Fred Nelan, who first met at the Inca Trail Rally, shared a 1941 Buick Super 8 Convertible Coupe. Taylor enjoyed a 12-day Aston-Martin Club event in Switzerland and northern Italy, including the acclaimed Stelvio Pass, while driving a DB7 Vantage convertible. A one-month rally through China and Tibet to Mt. Everest in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, and then another month from Tijuana to Panama driving the Ge-

landewagen. Another event that left indelible memories was a month driving across sub-equatorial Africa, through Lethsoto, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia, undertaken in a used Lexus SUV outfitted for the event. “The only times I bought vehicles specifically for an event were the Buick for Peking to Paris and the SUVs.” Other vehicles found homes in his garage and were also driven on tours. Following the proven horse racing adage of “horses for courses,” the cars were often matched with the types of events for which they were made. An original C-type Jaguar was his mount for two Mille Miglias. That car and a D-type original to Col. Ronnie Hoare of Maranello Concessionaires, the exclusive UK distributor of new Ferraris in the 50s and 60s, have also been driven in Jaguar events organized by US Jaguar specialist Terry Larson. Other vehicles Taylor has driven on tours or rallies include a rare Maserati Ghibli SS Spyder—one of just 19 by his reckoning—which has participated in the Copperstate 1000 in

Arizona, a seven-day private rally through New England, five days driving from Monaco through the Italian and Swiss Alps to Nice, and a five-week holiday exploring the South of France and the Tuscany region of Italy. An unrestored Shelby 289 Cobra in Taylor’s garage has been driven in both the Copperstate and the Colorado Grand, where other Taylor entries over the years have included the C-type, an alloy-bodied Jaguar XK120, a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster and a 1938 Alvis Touring Cabriolet. “We took the 289 Cobra on the Copperstate once, through a sandstorm. My 289 is a barn find and we never restored it except mechanically. We came through the sandstorm and all these beautiful cars got blasted. Everybody was saying that my car was the only one that looked better after the sandstorm,” Taylor says. A more recent addition to the stable is a Pur Sang 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet bodied by Swiss Carrosserie Gangloff, which Taylor has driven in the 2018 International Bugatti Rally and other Bugatti tours. That event was hosted in Saratoga Springs, where the historic Saratoga Race Course is the oldest horse track in America and has hosted the Travers Stakes for three-year-olds for 152 years. At other times Taylor has driven vehicles provided by their owners. He drove a Mark Donohue-modified IROC Camaro cross-country from New York to San Francisco with owner and close friend Bob Bailey. He also drove a very early Rambler owned by Buck Kamphausen and shared with McKeel Hagerty for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run—the world’s longest-running motoring event, limited to cars built before 1905. And he drove a borrowed Porsche 911 loaned to him by Turk Ahmet Ongun for driving seven days through Turkey. Asked if any single event over the past 20 years was a favorite, Jim replied, “Each one was different. I have to say, of all of these, my favorite is the Mille Miglia. It’s the Italians’ national sport. There are over a million spectators along the route, and the Polizia throw out the rule book. It’s nuts!” He continues, “That first Hong Kong to Beijing rally before the Peking to Paris was chaos. There were fewer than 15 cars and the German organizer never showed. About half the teams abandoned, but I called an AAA guy I knew in 90

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Hong Kong and asked if he could help us. He put me in touch with a mainland China travel agent who did everything for the remaining teams and us.” Memories created by the tours keep them alive but, as is often the case, it is people who enrich the memories. “Once we were up before dawn at an 18,000foot pass to watch the sun come up on Mt. Everest and the Himalayas. That was something memorable. Then another time, we were in Chile. We were coming down the mountains just as the sun was going down. And there’s a gaucho sitting on his horse with his son—still a baby— sitting on his lap, watching the sunset together. “We stopped once in the middle of nowhere in Mongolia and, suddenly, three or four kids appeared on bicycles! Another time in Mongolia, we sprang a leak in the radiator of the Buick. We stopped at a village and were directed to the guy who repaired radiators. He worked beside his yurt. His wife invited us into the yurt, where their teenage daughter practiced her English on us. And later we were invited to share their dinner, cooked on a pot-bellied stove.”

image: Jim Taylor Archives

Above: Enjoying the 2014 Mille Miglia in the 1953 Jaguar C-type. Right: 1952 Allard J2X Le Mans was originally raced by ‘Tiny’ Gould, father of RM’s Danny Gould. Below: Driving the 1941 Buick Super 8 on the 2007 Peking to Paris. Below left: Model T pickup is a recreation of one used by Taylor’s grandfather to promote his canvas business. Below right: Beautiful Cunningham C-3 Coupe at Amelia in 2016.

Onto the Concours Field Some of Taylor’s cars are also regularly driven onto major concours fields, from Amelia Island to Pebble Beach, where they have won several awards. “I look at going to shows as part of the journey,” he says with sincerity. “I’m not there for trophies.” “The only two cars I have restored to concours standards are the 1953 Allard J2X and the 1954 Cunningham C3 Vignale Coupe. The rest are drivers. I just think they’re interesting cars. Part of the fun is sharing them with other people.” Many have agreed.

image: Jim Taylor Archives

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TIMELESS:

The Legendary

HIROHATA MERCURY

The Hirohata Mercury amazed and delighted the folks who spotted it cruising the streets of Los Angeles, appearing at car shows, and starring in the Hollywood B-movie Running Wild with Mamie Van Doren, shown here with one of the car’s creators, George Barris.

words by Ken Gross contemporary images by Russ Rocknak

IF EVER A SINGLE CAR has come to define its genre, this 1951 Mercury hardtop, built by George and Sam Barris for Los Angeles custom car enthusiast, Bob Hirohata, is it. Hand-crafted in mid-century by some of the best talent in the business, featured in countless magazines, a scene-stealing Hollywood B-movie star, this stunning car

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was highly acclaimed in its heyday. But over time, its first owner was murdered in a drive-by shooting, the obsolete custom fell into disrepair and disappeared for a time, then emerged as the centerpiece of an exhibit at the Oakland Museum and, after a serious re-restoration, starred at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

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How and Why Did Custom Cars Emerge? When World War II ended in 1945, pent-up demand for new model cars drove America’s automobile industry to convert, in record time, from producing war materiel to building civilian vehicles. Deprived of their formative years, returning GIs with saved-up combat pay demanded new wheels right away. So did the gas-rationed and war-deprived civilian population. To meet demand quickly, Detroit’s automakers offered what came to be known as “warmed over” 1942 models: prosaic cars with stodgy styling barely changed from prewar counterparts. Nash, Studebaker, and Hudson were among the first to offer completely new sheet metal in 1947. GM, Chrysler, and Ford followed suit, in 1948-1949. For enthusiasts who didn’t have the means to purchase a new car, restyling an older model or scratch-building a sports custom was a popular alternative. Customizing, known earlier as re-styling, had begun before the war. A few West Coast shops, like Jimmy Summers and Link Paola in Hollywood, Neil Emory and Clay Jensen, owners of Valley Custom Shop, in the San Fernando Valley, and Harry Westergard in Sacramento, were joined by Gil and Al Ayala in East Los Angeles, and the prolific Barris Brothers, Sam and George, in Lynwood. Even before Robert E. Petersen’s Hot Rod Magazine and its companion Motor Trend featured custom cars, Dan Post’s Blue Book of Custom Re-Styling, and a pamphlet from Pennsylvania speed merchant Ed Almquist taught budding builders the techniques. The fundamental premise of customizing was simple, although not everyone got it right. Most production cars of the late 1940s were staid, bulbous, and dull. The period’s best auto writer, Ken W. Purdy, called them “...turgid, jelly-bodied clunkers.” Customizing techniques such as lowering and de-chroming, applying metallic paint in deep tones, reshaping fenders, altering grilles, top chopping, and even sectioning—excising a strip of metal from the center of the body for a lower silhouette—grew in popularity. After a fender was reshaped, or a hood or deck lid ornament was removed, the hole filling and finish work were accomplished by tinning, then smoothing over holes and panel joints 94

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with melted lead filler; hence the derisive term “lead sleds.” Custom techniques, applied correctly, transformed the look of an older model, making it appear streamlined and more attractive. When a modified engine was installed, performance was improved. Adapting trim, fender skirts, grilles, hubcaps, and bumpers from more expensive brands made low-priced Fords and Mercuries appear sleeker. Soon people began customizing brand-new cars. When Sam Barris chopped and lowered his nearly new ‘49 Mercury coupe, transforming a chunky design into a dramatically modern show car, he began a trend. Almost overnight, as several more “hammered” coupes emerged, the radically chopped and lowered Mercury became a poster child for the burgeoning custom car movement. Countless artisans modified Mercury coupes, but only a few cars achieved lasting fame. For 1951, performing what we’d call today a “facelift,” Ford Motor Company stylists extended the rear fenders and redesigned the grille on the ’49- ‘50 Mercury for an even more distinctive silhouette. Customizers immediately began work on the “updated canvas.” This hard-topped 1951 Mercury has long been considered the definitive early “lead sled.” Putting it another way, there were and still are a lot of Mercury customs. But this is the best one, and then there are all the others. The Hirohata Mercury won its class in Bob Petersen’s 1952 International Motorama, and it was featured in Rod & Custom magazine in 1953, when its owner boldly drove it cross-country from Los Angeles to a major hot rod and cus-

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Right: The Mercury’s headlights were frenched, and its rear fenders received a molded set of ’52 Lincoln lenses. The hood was peaked, extended, and rounded. A one-of-a-kind nose and grille were specially made; the front fender openings were flared. Full fender skirts were fabricated. The roof was chopped four inches in front and seven inches in the rear. New curved windows and an excised B-pillar created a hardtop effect. Barris’s radical surgery made the roofline appear cleaner and updated the car’s appearance. Extensive lowering brought the coupe down to about a fourinch ground clearance. Bottom right: Bob Hirohata with one of over 200 trophies the car won. Below: Hirohata, a Japanese American custom car enthusiast, showed up one day at the Barris shop with a barely used black 1951 Mercury, and wanted it fully customized. He’d purchased the car from an older couple, George Barris remembered, and “he wanted something different.” Sensing an opportunity, George and his brother Sam were quick to comply.

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tom car show in Indianapolis, where it won “Best Custom,” of course. It’s difficult to describe the stunning effect this radically restyled Merc had on the customizing community, let alone the people who saw it cruising the streets of Los Angeles, appearing at car shows, and starring in the Hollywood B-movie, Running Wild, with Mamie Van Doren. The car arguably upstaged the film’s “blonde bombshell” starlet. In the 1950s, the sight of any “classic” chopped Merc, with its almost sinister silhouette gliding along a darkened street, accompanied by rock and roll music on the radio, and the not-toodiscrete rumble of a set of glass-pack mufflers, was enough to set a car-crazy kid’s heart racing. James Dean drove a mildly customized, jetblack ’50 Mercury coupe in his 1955 film, Rebel Without a Cause. These cars became popularly known as “James Dean Mercs,” but the tragically short-lived actor, who espoused bikes, MGs, and Porsches, was never a custom car guy. The late George Barris told me that Bob Hirohata showed up one day at his shop with a barely used black Mercury, asking to have it fully cus-

Below: Famed pinstriper Kenneth Howard, better known as Von Dutch, subtly striped the Mercury and painted a bizarre design on the glove compartment door two years after the car was built. Bottom: George Barris’s brother Sam subtly molded the side reveal to form a continuous line from the headlights to the taillights. A chrome side spear from a ’52 Buick was used to divide the two-tone paint scheme and lend visual interest to the Mercury’s slab sides.

tomized. He’d purchased the car from an older couple, Barris recalls, and “he wanted something different.” Sensing an opportunity, George and his brother Sam were quick to comply. On Hirohata’s car, the headlights were tunneled—customizers called the technique ‘frenching,’ and the rear fenders received a molded set of ’52 Lincoln lenses. The hood was peaked, extended, and rounded. A one-of-a-kind nose and

Above: The Hirohata Merc was repainted gold over the original dark green, reportedly for better visual contrast in the Running Wild movie. Over the years, it was battered and bruised, before high schooler Jim McNiel bought it off a used car lot for $500.

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grille were specially fabricated, which made the front end appear wider. The front fender openings were flared so the wheels could turn without rubbing. Full fender skirts with flared lower edges were fabricated. Functional rear fender scoops were accented with 1952 Chevrolet grille “teeth.” This car’s defining feature was its significant roof chop, with about four inches in front and seven inches in the rear. The center post, or B-pillar, was eliminated. New curved windows were constructed for a hardtop effect. Earlier, the Barris brothers had similarly ‘hard-topped’ Nick Matranga’s ’39 Mercury coupe, so they’d experimented with this look. Mercury didn’t offer a pillarless coupe in 1951, so Barris’s radical surgery made the roofline appear cleaner, and updated the car’s appearance. To break up its slab sides, the Mercury’s original designer, E. T. “Bob” Gregorie penned a subtle reveal that gently dipped partway along the side of the car, reminiscent of the sheerline of a yacht. For a more dramatic accent, Sam Barris extended that reveal and affixed chrome trim spears from a ’53 Buick as a divider to separate the car’s original shades of light

and dark green lacquer. A pair of Appleton spotlights, tilted toward the hood, completed the modifications. Pat Ganahl, author of The American Custom Car, wrote that “the Hirohata Merc began the era of redesign and ornamentation that would soon get completely out of hand; [but] the Hirohata did it with integrity and some subtlety.” Extensive lowering brought the coupe down to about a four-inch ground clearance, enhancing its already low silhouette. Front spindles and coils were modified; rear lowering blocks were fitted with longer U-bolts to hold them in place; the parallel leaf springs were de-arched, and a C-section was performed in the rear frame rails, to ensure sufficient axle travel. George Barris said the cost of the work was “about $3,500.” That was a lot of money in 1952. To make the Motorama date of 11/10/1952, the work was completed in just 97 days. Most radical Mercury customs in that era were finished in dark maroon metallic or dark green. With its pale pastel, ice green light-over-dark treatment, the Hirohata coupe stood out from the rest. Bob Hirohata told a Rod & Custom editor

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Renowned pinstriper Kenneth Howard, better known as “Von Dutch,” discretely striped the dash panel and the glove compartment.”

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he was “shocked” when he got the bill. “I had to sell everything I owned and put my great aunt in hock to pay for the car, but it was worth it.” A luxurious green-and-white tuck and roll interior by Glen Houser’s Carson Top Shop was complimented with laminated teardrop-shaped knobs in green and white plastic. Hirohata made these himself, and the unique knobs would later be the subject of a magazine “how-to” feature. The trunk was upholstered by Gaylord, another noted Los Angeles trimmer. Renowned pinstriper Kenneth Howard, better known as “Von Dutch,” discretely striped the dash panel and the glove compartment two years later. For his cross-country trip, Hirohata replaced the stock flathead with a 1953 Cadillac V8 that was installed in a week by Dick Lyon, of Lyon Engineering. The Hirohata Mercury was featured on the covers of Hop Up and Motor Trend in 1953. It became a consistent winner with nearly 200 awards. Although other custom cars had begun to look excessive, even freakish, because car show judging awarded points for every modification, no matter how slight, that’s not the case here. Each element on this Mercury flows together perfectly. Bob Hirohata occasionally drove his seminal custom to his job at the parking lot for the Hirohata Insurance Company, which his family owned, in Los Angeles’s “Little Tokyo.” He later offered the car in a Hot Rod magazine classified ad in the May 1955 issue. The asking price was $4,900, the selling price somewhat less. Hirohata was tragically murdered on May 14, 1981, gangland style, in his parents’ driveway in Temple City, California. The case was never solved. During an extensive search for information, then Rod & Custom magazine editor Pat Ganahl located and befriended the car‘s longtime owner Jim McNiel. He had bought the historic Mercury custom in 1959 for just $500 from a used car lot, drove it during high school, dated his high school sweetheart (later his wife) Sue in the car, and stored it for years, intending someday to restore it. It was presumed lost for all time. A few who knew tried to buy it, but Jim said, “I just couldn’t sell it.” Recognizing a good story when he saw one, Ganahl convinced McNiel to restore the Mercury and he helped coordinate the painting with an all-star cast including George Barris, Frank Sonzogni, and Hershel “Junior” Conway, most of 100

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whom had worked on the Hirohata car when it was initially built at the Barris Industries Kustom Shop. Bill Larzelere, a top Los Angeles detailer, helped with the finish work. Jim and Sue McNiel, assisted by friends, did the paint prep. Jim did nearly all the mechanical work and reassembly himself. Eddie Martinez redid the upholstery. Jim’s son Scott, his neighbor Murl Redwine, and Chris Kaiser also assisted. “Pat kind of helped hurry the process,” McNiel told me. “I’d always had it in the garage, then Pat showed up at the house saying he wanted to get Rod & Custom started, and they’d do a report every other month on the progress. I thought that’d be good. But I didn’t want to restore it. I wanted to preserve it.” “I always intended to do that, but had to be after I’d raised my family,” McNiel added. “I decided, except for the paint color, which was the most recognizable feature, I’d do it the way it was when I got it. I wanted everything to be done right here in my garage—and except for the painting, it was.” Fortunately, the car’s previous owners had kept the Mercury pretty much intact. “When I first got the car,” McNiel adds, “the fender skirts were in the trunk. And it still had everything on it, even the Von Dutch striping which was put on in ’55.” With Sue’s enthusiastic help, Jim McNiel, a talented mechanic and painter, painstakingly repaired the ravages of time that had resulted from the car’s 50+-year history. The pair uncovered the original Ice Green and Organic Green Metallic paint hues, buried under several repaints. Stan Betz electronically duplicated them, and PPG Paints formulated the exact acrylic lacquer color, ensuring the team could refinish the car to look just the way it did in 1953. When Jim removed the dash to rewire the car, he found Bob Hirohata’s and George Barris’s business cards wedged behind the radio speaker to keep it from rattling. “I never touched them,” he said. “It was important to me that their hands put them there. I didn’t want to change anything that was a link with the builders. I wanted to feel their presence.” Pat Ganahl described Jim McNiel as the consummate perfectionist, noting: “All the car parts are authentic 1951 Mercury, and the engine parts are original 1953 Cadillac.” It’s hardly surprising that the restoration took a long

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Above and right: A luxurious, greenand-white tuck and roll interior by Glen Houser’s Carson Top Shop was complemented with laminated teardrop-shaped dash and spotlight knobs in green and white plastic. Bob Hirohata made these himself, and the unique knobs would later be the subject of a magazine ‘how-to’ feature, before being offered commercially by Cal Custom.

Above and right: Gaylord, another noted Los Angeles trimmer, upholstered the trunk. There wasn’t time for a single upholsterer to complete the car in time for the 1952 Los Angeles Motorama, so two shops did the work. The auxiliary gasoline and oil cans, painted to match, were a period custom concede.

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time, but the results speak for themselves. It’s spectacular, and befitting for a car Ganahl called, “the most famous of the classic custom era, if not all time.” Jim and Sue McNiel generously showed the Hirohata Mercury at many important events. But the big moment eluded them until 2015 when the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance approved a class of Mercury Customs—a first for the event. The Hirohata car looked presentable, but that wouldn’t be enough. And some damage had occurred when the car was shown in Sweden. Jim McNiel didn’t have the means to fund it, so the call went out for the old gang to reassemble one more time. Junior Conway, who’d arguably become the most acclaimed painter in the business, led the charge, culminating with a thorough freshening by Frank Sonzogni, Bill Larzelere, and others. “I called my friends to help, and nobody said no,” Junior says. “Working on this car was an honor,” he adds. “Money couldn’t buy the privilege. Look what this car did for us.” The result, perhaps predictably, was a coveted Best in Class win at the 2015 Pebble Beach Con-

cours, followed by a 2017 display by the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) on the National Mall in Washington. Sadly, NcNiel and his wife Sue have passed on. Their son Scott has maintained the Mercury just as his parents did. But circumstances change. Scott McNiel and his sister Darla have decided to sell their family’s heirloom. “After Pebble Beach, my dad said it was finally time to part ways and let the car go to its next caretaker.” The Hirohata Mercury will be offered at the giant Mecum Kissimmee Florida Auction in January 2022. “Darla and I want it to go to someone, or to a museum,” says Jim, “where people will be able to see and admire it.” Excitement abounds and the rod and custom car world is ablaze with rumors. Will this be the first seven figure traditional custom car? (You can’t count the Batmobile, which sold for much more, probably because it’s a famous movie prop). It’s impossible to predict. But this much is certain: The Hirohata Mercury has never been equaled; it has received countless awards, and it’s probably going to set a new sales record. That’s a fitting tribute for this timeless custom car.

Above and bottom: For a bold cross-country trip, Hirohata replaced the stock flathead with a new 331-cid Cadillac V8 that was installed in a week by Dick Lyon, of Lyon Engineering. It was modified with an Iskenderian three-quarter racing cam and a three-carburetor manifold. Most accessories were chrome-plated as befitting a period show car.

Above: From the left, Hershel “Junior” Conway, Wayne Carini and the Hirohata Mercury’s longtime owner Jim McNiel. At the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, McNiel won his class with the car he had bought for just $500 in high school and kept all these years. Bob Hirohata would have been happy with those results.

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Nick Grewal’s 1935 Bugatti Type 57c Nick Grewal’s 1935 Bugatti Type 57c

ACROSS THE POND Mike Brewer

The Great Escape Mike loads up his wife Michelle, daughter Chloe, and their cockapoo Shelby in a Volkswagen California Ocean, and make a break for the coast from landlocked Warwickshire.

e have spent the past six years on the coast in California. Living next to the beach and listening to the ocean waves at night became our norm. Back here in the UK, however, we are county locked—beautiful Warwickshire has no beach, no sea, no sound. The lure to

get back to the water is strong, but with the world upside down, trying to find a hotel, a B&B or a mate to crash with is difficult. Summer was late this year in the UK, but when it was finally here people were quite rightly flooding to the coast. Flights to foreign climes were difficult, so the staycation market is still booming. Problem is, the UK is booked up!

Above: With flights difficult and hotels booked up, the best alternative for a summer holiday is a rolling hotel, efficiently provided by the VW T6 California Ocean. With a fully functioning kitchenette and two beds, it has (nearly) all the comforts of home.

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Left: Hotels may be booked up, but there’s always room if you take your hotel with you. Once you find a parking spot, simply unroll the awning, pop out the rear-mounted camping chairs, and it’s the perfect spot to enjoy some fine Cornish ale.

What if you could take a hotel with you? I’ve often looked at the caravan and campervan market and thought, that’s not for me. However, this year sales are through the roof, and our motorways are packed with families escaping the cities and dragging their hotel on wheels behind them. An invite to sample some Cornish ale with a friend had me thinking: We could do that. So, I packed up Michelle, our daughter Chloe, and our cockapoo Shelby for a trip to the seaside. Here in the UK, Volkswagen has the appropriately named California Ocean, a 5-star hotel on wheels, based on the cameraman’s favorite vehicle of choice, the T6. As a van it’s perfect, with a 199-horsepower 2.0 TDi engine and seven-speed double-clutch gearbox that together offer enough grunt and power to haul a ton of bricks in the back. Stylish, with a sharp road presence, there’s something about a VW van that has me slightly tinged with jealousy every time I see one. But throw in a two- bedroom apartment, with a fully functioning kitchenette on board, and you have the ultimate getaway vehicle. The optional electric side-loading sliding door opens to reveal plenty of space, with a rear bench “rock and roll” seat that quickly folds down to a double bed. Underneath the seat is a pull-out drawer with the gubbins for the electrical hook 106

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up and all the stuff for the camper in you to explore. Across the back wall is a sink, a burner, a deep refrigerator, a range of cupboards for plates and cutlery, and down in the back is a wardrobe and more space for knickknacks. VW has used as much space as possible without ever making it feel cramped inside. Once parked up, there’s a side awning that rolls out and zipped in the rear door are two comfy camping chairs. You’ll even find a table inside. Once it’s time for a nap, you can choose between the ground floor apartment or, with the flick of a button, choose the first-floor penthouse with zips that open to the outside world so you can snore amongst the stars. As a family, we loved the fact that we could just pull up, pop everything open in minutes, and chill out sucking in the ocean air. On the road, it has a silky-smooth ride with a lovely driving position. It connected easily to my phone, and we listened to some sounds while the radar cruise control whisked us to Cornwall. Priced from $79,000, these aren’t cheap, but their residual values are immense, and the second-hand market is strong for older campers. For now, it’s the perfect vehicle to escape the news and go explore all that Britain has to offer. We’ll be doing it again soon. And the Cornish Ale? Amazing.

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