M1 Momentum issue 2 Spring / Summer 2022

70 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF M1 CONCOURSE

70 YEARS OF CORVETTE

CELEBRATING AT M1 CONCOURSE

ISSUE 2

THE EX-MIKE ANTHONY, MIKE PENDLETON, GERRY MARSHALL, GOODWOOD SUSSEX TROPHY THE EX-MIKE ANTHONY, MIKE1 PENDLETON, GERRY MARSHALL, GOODWOOD SUSSEX TROPHY WINNING, TUF 1959 LISTER COSTIN CHEVROLET AND JAGUAR WINNING, TUF 1 1959 LISTER COSTIN CHEVROLET AND JAGUAR

CARMEL CALIFORNIA PERIOD HISTORY CARMEL CALIFORNIA PERIOD289 HISTORY 1963 SHELBY COBRA 1963 SHELBY COBRA 289

THE EX – PORSCHE MOTORSPORT ASIA, CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING THE EX – PORSCHE MOTORSPORT ASIA, WINNING 1997 PORSCHE 993 CUPCHAMPIONSHIP 3.8 RSR 1997 PORSCHE 993 CUP 3.8 RSR T. +44 (0)1285 831 488 / E. cars@williamianson.com / www.williamianson.com T. +44 (0)1285 831 488 / E. cars@williamianson.com / www.williamianson.com

THE EX-HRH PRINCE BERTIL OF SWEDEN, PER LARSSON THE EX-HRH EX-HRH PRINCE BERTIL OF SWEDEN, PER LARSSON LARSSON 1926PRINCE BUGATTI TYPEOF 35SWEDEN, GRAND PRIX THE BERTIL PER 1926PRINCE BUGATTI TYPEOF 35SWEDEN, GRAND PRIX PRIX THE EX-HRH BERTIL PER LARSSON 1926 BUGATTI TYPE 35 GRAND 1926 BUGATTI TYPE 35 GRAND PRIX

THE EX – DYSON RACING, JAMES WEAVER, BUTCH LEITZINGER, ALMS AND FOUR-TIME THE EX EX –– DYSON DYSON RACING, JAMES WEAVER, BUTCH LEITZINGER, ALMS AND FOUR-TIME FOUR-TIME SEBRING 12 HOUR 2001 RILEY BUTCH & SCOTT MK3C LMP900 / LMP1 THE RACING, JAMES WEAVER, LEITZINGER, ALMS AND SEBRING 12 HOUR HOUR 2001 RILEY BUTCH & SCOTT SCOTT MK3C LMP900 LMP900 LMP1 THE EX – DYSON RACING, JAMES WEAVER, LEITZINGER, ALMS AND FOUR-TIME SEBRING 12 2001 RILEY & MK3C // LMP1 SEBRING 12 HOUR 2001 RILEY & SCOTT MK3C LMP900 / LMP1

THE EX – WORKS, DE ADAMICH, VACCARELLA, 4TH AT THE LE MANS 24 HOURS THE EX EX –– WORKS, WORKS, DE DE ADAMICH, ADAMICH, VACCARELLA, 4TH AT THE THE LE LE MANS MANS 24 24 HOURS HOURS 1972 ALFA ROMEO TIPO4TH 33/TT/3 THE VACCARELLA, AT 1972 ALFA ALFA ROMEO TIPO TIPO4TH 33/TT/3 THE EX – WORKS, DE ADAMICH, VACCARELLA, AT THE LE MANS 24 HOURS 1972 ROMEO 33/TT/3 1972 ALFA ROMEO TIPO 33/TT/3 /williamiansonltd /williamiansonltd /williamiansonltd

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FR ER EN ES DD I FI F E EN T TB B Y YD D ES I GI G NN . .

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WELL, WHAT A WONDERFUL REACTION we had to the first issue of M1 Momentum, from so many of you. Thank you to everyone who commented on, contributed to or supported our brand-new publication.

And welcome to Issue 2! If this is the first time you’ve seen it, then a quick explanation is in order: we publish M1 Momentum twice a year and circulate it among M1 Concourse garage owners, club members, commercial partners, event participants, visitors and a distribution throughout SE Michigan. The magazine supplements the M1 Concourse website, social media and email newsletters, giving in-depth coverage not only of what’s happening here but also of the subjects related to our events and visitors.

One of our most exciting developments in 2023 will be the opening of the Prefix Performance Center near the entrance to M1 Concourse. Prefix Corporation is one of those companies that has huge influence across the automotive industry, without being widely known outside of the business. It creates many of the prototypes and concept cars you’ll have seen at shows over the years, and it is central to the development of many new technologies.

To have the world’s only Prefix facility open

Welcome

M1 MOMENTUM

to members and customers is a huge coup for M1 Concourse, because garage owners, club members and event participants will be able to access Prefix’s expertise and facilities for services from track set-up and tuning to restoration, interior retrims and more. These services are not available to the general public. In this issue, Prefix vice president Jhan Dolphin explains much more about the services you will be able to access when the Performance Center opens.

In other news, we’ll also be celebrating several anniversaries at our main events here at M1 Concourse during 2023, including 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours, 70 years of the Corvette, 50 years of the IROC series and 40 years of the Pontiac Fiero. To mark these milestones, this issue of M1 Momentum has a thought-provoking feature by Harry Hurst detailing the trials and tribulations of American teams and drivers at Le Mans over the past century. We also thunder through the eight generations of Corvette, and indulge in a spot of 1980s nostalgia evoked by period adverts for the forward-thinking Fiero.

There’s so much going on at M1 Concourse in 2023, and we hope the magazine adds to your enjoyment of our ever-growing facilities.

Tim McGrane, CEO, M1 Concourse 7

MOMENTUM ISSUE 02 SPRING/SU MMER 2023

CONTENTS UPFRONT

16

M1 Concourse events diary – what’s in store for 2023

18

Preview Woodward Dream Show and Parade

24

Preview MotorTrend presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge

26

News Groundbreaking at Prefix Performance Center

28

Report Uncork for a Cure charity evening

30

Report North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards

32

Report Off The Grid speaker Lyn St James

34

Report American Speed Festival

46 6

84

40

F E AT U R E S

40

Dream Garage Units 40/41

46

Cover Story We mark 70 years of the Corvette

58

National Corvette Museum

60

Americans at Le Mans

70

Interview Ralph Gilles

76

New-Car Track Test Praga Bohema

84

Icons of Woodward Avenue

96

Amalgam Bespoke models

120

76 70 60 100

Celebrating the Pontiac Fiero’s 40th anniversary

108

The M1 Story Prefix Performance Center

114

Local History Rapid Motors and the Grabowsky Brothers

USEFUL

118

Local Knowledge Daxton Hotel

120

Desirables Products, books and watches

130

Buying Guide Porsche 997

136

Automobilia Gas pumps

140

Track Tips From the experts

142

How To... Set up corner weights

144

Choosing Equipment Flooring

146

Parting Shot Touch of nostalgia

9

F E AT U R E N A M E

W H O T O C O N TA C T

The official magazine of the M1 Concourse www.m1concourse.com One Concourse Drive, Pontiac, MI 48341-2216

248-326-9999

Timothy P McGrane Chief Executive Officer tmcgrane@m1concourse.com

10

James T Tanner Chief Operating Officer jtanner@m1concourse.com

Mike Roberts Director of Hospitality mike@m1concourse.com

Dave Sherman VP Signature Events daves@m1concourse.com

Brian Harris Director of Finance bharris@m1concourse.com

Blair Cremeens Director of Marketing bcremeens@m1concourse.com

Bruce Rothschild Director of Event Center Sales brothschild@m1concourse.com

Keith Bonn Director of Track Operations keith@m1concourse.com

Joe Pope Director of Operations joe@m1concourse.com

Anne Sloney Executive Administrator asloney@m1concourse.com

Ali Martus Events Operations Manager amartus@m1concourse.com

Austin Fietsam Car Selection Specialist afietsam@m1concourse.com

Mimi Ciabarra Sponsorship Sales Agent mciabarra@m1concourse.com

Julie Keats Merchandise Brand Manager jkeats@m1concourse.com

Cathleen Chonacki Marketing Project Manager cathleen@m1concourse.com

Rick Powell Graphic Designer rpowell@m1concourse.com

Dan Fuoco Digital Marketing Manager dfuoco@m1concourse.com

Heather Casadei Client Services Administrator hcasadei@m1concourse.com

Anthony Smith Facilities Safety Manager anthony@m1concourse.com

William Kneal Sr Facilities Manager bkneal@m1concourse.com

Marc Molzon Lead Driving Instructor marcmolzon@m1concourse.com

Lisa Molzon Motorsports Club Administrator lmolzon@m1concourse.com

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© Hothouse Media Ltd. M1 Momentum and associated logos are registered trademarks of M1 Concourse. All rights reserved. All material in this magazine, whether in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any form without the written permission of M1 Concourse and Hothouse Media Ltd. Hothouse Media Ltd uses a layered privacy notice giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details, please visit www.magnetomagazine.com/privacy.

M1 Momentum is published biannually by Hothouse Publishing Ltd on behalf of M1 Concourse. Great care has been taken throughout the magazine to be accurate, but the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions that might occur. The editors and publishers of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances, and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this edition.

12

M1 MOMENTUM

GASSER BUSH ASSOCIATES

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LIGHT LEVEL

We couldn’t be happier with our partnership with Gasser Bush. They have been the premier lighting supplier for the M1 Concourse Event Center and several of the private M1 garages.

– Timothy McGrane, CEO, M1 Concourse

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MOMENTUM NEWS

Dates for the diary 2023 M1 Concourse’s actionpacked year ahead includes everything from Cars & Coffee to on-track action and charity fundraisers

JUNE 25 APRIL 2023

JUNE 2023

01

03

European and supercars.

Michigan’s largest gathering of cars unites in the M1 Concourse Arena on the first Saturday of each month. You can enjoy coffee and breakfast while strolling the property, indulging in all the sights and sounds of this massive car show.

Antique, vintage and classics (US and European).

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

M AY 2 0 2 3

06

15-18

Xtreme Xperience

25

Cars Under the Stars Fireworks Spectacular presented by Coca-Cola

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

All GM brands including Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

Watch fireworks from the comfort of your car.

Get front-row seats to an extended display for all ages. Also a community car show, live music, family activities and a selection of food trucks.

06

27-28

Please check website for latest event information at www.m1concourse.com.

Safe and responsible drivers’ program for 15-19s with former IndyCar driver Robbie Buhl.

M1 Concourse Car Club Members’ Day

16

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

M1 MOMENTUM

Teen Street Skills

EVENTS DIARY

J U LY 2 0 2 3

AUGUST 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

01

05

02

Mopar performance including Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, Ram and Jeep.

Hot rods, customs and street rods.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

07

Collector Car Appreciation Day

SEMA’s promotion of the use of collector and classic cars of the past and future. M1 Garage Owners, Motorsports Club and Car Club members will be able to drive laps around the M1 circuit.

09

M1 Cycling Classic

In partnership with the Michigan Bicycle Racing Association, this will boast a full day of on-track cycling events across ten classes. Includes criterium and mountain-bike races, a 75-lap Fondo Challenge, family fun rides, activities and E-bike demonstrations. All in benefit of the Checkered Flag Challenge.

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

12

MotorTrend presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge First held in 2015, it is a one-day car-culture festival that in addition to legal street racing offers a full slate of fan activities, including Dodge thrill and drift rides and simulators, a muscle-car show and much more.

18

M1 Woodward Dream Show

Presented by Comerica Bank, this huge hot rod, custom, cruiser and muscle-car show focuses on featured classes, marques and a celebration of automotive enthusiasm in the heart of the Motor City. Celebrates 70 years of the Corvette, as well as the Mopar Performance brand.

12-16

19

Groundbreaking mid-engined coupe celebrated with a showcase packed with events, stunning examples and surprises such as prototypes, pace cars, specials and the last Fiero ever produced.

Joining in will be members of the Pontiac Motorsports Division, Pontiac Design Studio and Pontiac Engineering, plus original plant workers.

See motoring history in movement both at M1 and on the roads that helped forge the legends. A celebration for all residents and fans of Woodward to enjoy. An escorted parade (limited to 200 vehicles) will include cruising on Woodward Avenue and in downtown Pontiac, then looping back to M1 Concourse to take part in the all-day Cruise-In.

40th Anniversary Celebration of the Pontiac Fiero

M1 Woodward Dream Parade

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

28-OCT 01

American Speed Festival

Presented by Comerica Bank, combines history’s greatest performance brands with everything from vintage Indy cars and historic stock cars to modern-day supercars. A rare opportunity to see race machinery from all eras perform on the M1 Concourse Speed Ring. Includes the Drive & Dine tour, Motor Grille, Speed Ring performance days, Private Garage Reveal, Speed & Style car show and Automotive Art Expo. Marks 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours, 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette and 50 years of IROC, among others.

30

Checkered Flag Ball

Fundraiser from Checkered Flag Challenge, the philanthropic arm of M1 Concourse.

It’ll benefit M1 Mobility, an initiative with the Pontiac Community Foundation to provide transportation solutions to connect residents with essential community services and programs in the area.

OCTOBER 2023

07

M1 F1rst Saturday Cars & Coffee

AUGUST 18

Japanese Domestic Manufacturers (JDM) and Asian brands.

28

Trunk or Treat 2023!

iHeartMedia Detroit is holding the biggest Trunk or Treat, supported by WNIC, WKQI, WJLB and WLLZ, with kids going from car to car collecting candy while wearing Halloween costumes, in a safe and fun environment.

28

M1 Concourse After Hours Halloween Bash Night-time fun for automotive fans.

17

EVENT PREVIEW

Woodward Dream Show and Parade

Hot rods, customs, cruisers, muscle and even European exotica, plus Corvette and Mopar celebrations. It’s all lined up for August’s big event

P H O T O G R A P H Y B R I A N S E VA L D

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W O O D WA R D D R E A M S H O W A N D PA R A D E

‘Let’s come together and make 2023 the best Woodward Dream Show yet – a true festival of American motoring’

GET READY FOR ONE OF THE WORLD’S biggest Corvette celebrations, as the Woodward Dream Show presented by Comerica Bank returns for 2023 bigger and better than ever.

Each year we bring together hot rods, customs, cruisers and muscle cars for a twoday festival of American automotive dreams.

However, this show is set to be the best yet, kicking off on Friday August 18.

We’re putting together a fitting celebration of the US’s favorite sports car on its 70th birthday – we’ll have a line-up of Corvettes from each year of production, including the one and only example from 1983. We are collaborating with the National Corvette Museum to bring some of its most treasured models to M1 Concourse, alongside legendary racing cars and other surprises from invited guests. There will be prizes for the best Corvette, as well as people’s-choice awards.

Whatever your favorite era, you can anticipate seeing plenty of examples lining up.

This year we also pay our respects to the Mopar brand, so you can expect M1 Concourse to reverberate to the muscular sounds of Chrysler’s greatest with our Celebration of Performance. You can reckon on Chargers, Road Runners, Barracudas, Superbirds and many others bringing the glory days of Detroit muscle to life via factory-perfect restorations, restomods and everything in between.

You will be able to pick up hints and tips on renovation and modification from likeminded enthusiasts, and perhaps track down hard-to-find parts. It’s all part of the enjoyment and excitement of the Woodward Dream Show, which reveres these icons of American motoring. All are welcome, whether you’re a hot rodder or love your cars just as they first rolled off the production line.

If you fancy taking to the circuit, the Race Speed Track Experience Laps will give you a thrill ride with an instructor around the North Loop of the M1 Performance Track, while you can hone your remote-control car skills on our dedicated track that provides an addictive offroad challenge. Meanwhile, the Insiders Garage Symposium on the M1 Stage will delve into the past, present and future of American motoring

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M1 MOMENTUM

THIS SPREAD M1 Concourse’s renowned Woodward Dream Show and Dream Parade revel in the sights and sounds of classic automobiles from the US and beyond.

M1 MOMENTUM

21

W O O D WA R D D R E A M S H O W A N D PA R A D E

with a selection of special guests and experts.

It’s not just American metal – imports are also welcome at the Woodward Dream Show, and you can expect to see a vibrant collection of exotica, alongside movie and celebrity cars.

Saturday August 19 sees a brand-new feature – in addition to all the sights and sounds of Friday, for the first time an escorted group of 200 cars will take part in the Woodward Dream Parade, as part of the Woodward Dream Cruise. The parade will leave M1 Concourse and travel along Woodward Avenue and into downtown Pontiac. There will be a group photo opportunity on Saginaw Street, before the parade returns to M1 Concourse – all in aid of helping revitalize the area and hark back to the glory days of American motoring. Visitors are also welcome to bring their cars on site via the M1 Cruise In at a cost of $20 per vehicle, limited to 1000. There are 650 slots on the M1 Circuit, 150 in the Arena and 200 at Turn 9.

Looking to enter your car into a class? All you need to do is fill out a form on our website.

If you fancy taking part in the show with a club, the Car Club Corrals are available on both days; chalet suites and hospitality packages are offered as well. Let’s come together and make 2023 the best Woodward Dream Show yet – a true festival of American motoring.

More info at www.m1concourse.com/wds-home.

22

ABOVE Icons of American motoring are revered here, and all are welcome – whether modified or just as they rolled off the line.

‘You will be able to pick up hints and tips on renovation and modification from likeminded enthusiasts’ M1 MOMENTUM

Woodward Dream Show classes 2023 Class 1: Corvette C1 (1953-1962) Class 2: Corvette C2 (1963-1967) Class 3: Corvette C3 (1968-1982) Class 4: Corvette C4 (1984-1996) Class 5: Corvette C5 (1997-2004) Class 6: Corvette C6 (2005-2013) Class 7: Corvette C7 (2014-2019) Class 8: Corvette C8 (2020-present) Class 9: Mopar – Dodge Class 10: Mopar – Plymouth Class 11: Mopar – RAM Class 12: Mopar – Jeep Class 13: Mopar – Viper Class 14: Mopar – Chrysler Class 15: Pontiac Fiero (1984-1988) Class 16: American Classic (up to 1989) Class 17: Import Classic (up to 1989) Class 18: American Performance (post-1990) Class 19: Import Performance (post-1990) Class 20: Muscle Car (pre-1990) Class 21: Pony Car (pre-1990) Class 22: Hot Rod (all years) Class 23: Custom (all years) Class 24: Exotic/Supercar (all years) Class 25: Celebrity/Movie Car (all years) Class 26: Truck/SUV/Wagon (all years) Class 27: Motorcycle (all years) Class 28: Rally

ROADKILL NIGHTS

FROM LEFT Roadkill Nights boasts tire-smokin’ action from street and strip.

Alex Taylor’s 6.2-liter Hemi-powered Savoy won last year’s Grudge Race.

EVENT PREVIEW AUGUST 2022’S MOTORTREND PRESENTS Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge was an enormous success, with Mopar fans bringing the noise to Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan in huge numbers. In fact, a record 40,000 petrol-heads made the pilgrimage to M1 Concourse to salute Dodge.

The event returns on Saturday August 12, 2023 for the eighth time, again with the backing of MotorTrend and the Dodge brand. Hosts Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger will be mingling with fans and enjoying the best the Mopar world has to offer. You’ll also be able to look at project cars from the show up close, and see the program come to life before your eyes.

On the strip, two street-racing classes are available. Last year, 120 cars took part in two categories: Big Tire and Small Tire. Racers in the latter use a set of DOT-legal tires that are no larger than 28in tall by 10.5in wide and are mounted on a 15-inch-diameter wheel; W-style rubber is strictly prohibited. The Big Tire section evokes memories of the original Pro Street days in Memphis. The strip happens to be a specially converted stretch of Woodward 24

Roadkill Nights Fun and excitement with Big Tire and Small Tire street racing, the Grudge Race and more. Can you handle the hi-po action?

PHOTOGRAPHY DODGE

M1 MOMENTUM

Avenue itself, right outside M1 Concourse – made available for this event with the help of the local Pontiac community.

This year sees the introduction of a new take on the Grudge Race. A mentor and protégé will be challenged to build a street-legal drag racer using the Dodge Direct Connection HurriCrate 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine. The mentor should have a history of building racers, while the protégé will be an automotive YouTuber who’s never built a race car. They will then face off against other racers. Last year’s victor was the Hellcat Redeye supercharged Hemi-powered 1955 Plymouth Savoy of HOT ROD Garage’s Alex Taylor.

Dodge usually reveals new special editions and cars at the show, and you’ll be able to stock up on parts for your own projects. You can also indulge in thrill rides on M1 Concourse’s skid pad and track, while the off-road course returns with the 702bhp RAM 1500 TRX trucks.

Roadkill Nights promises all the fun, action and excitement of a true Horsepower Circus, and is simply a must-attend spectacular. You’ve heard of ‘Mopar or no car’? Well how about ‘Roadkill or no thrills’? See you on the strip!

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PREFIX PERFORMANCE CENTER

MOMENTUM NEWS

Prefix Performance Center Groundbreaking takes place at invaluable new facility at M1 Concourse

BELOW FROM LEFT Tim McGrane (M1 Concourse CEO), Jhan Dolphin (Prefix VP Business Development), Paul Zlotoff (M1 Concourse owner), Eric Zeile (Prefix president), Tim Greimel (City of Pontiac Mayor).

BRIAN SEVALD

THE NEXT BIG DEVELOPMENT AT M1 Concourse is the new Prefix Performance Center, close to the Woodward Avenue entrance.

Following the groundbreaking of the new facility on November 10, 2022, construction work got underway almost immediately by the contractor, Pontiac-based AUCH Construction.

This is the company that was responsible for the acclaimed Event Center at M1 Concourse, which was completed to schedule in September 2021 despite delays caused by the pandemic.

Progress on the Performance Center so far has been as planned, working to a target completion date of July 2023.

The Center will provide an invaluable resource for M1 Concourse garage owners, club members and event participants. Pre-track car checks, servicing, suspension alignment, tire fitment and more will be available – exactly what’s needed for vehicles that are used hard on the M1 Performance Track.

But there is much more to it than that, because this isn’t your normal service center;

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M1 MOMENTUM

Prefix Corporation is one of the most influential entities in the automotive industry, creating many of the concept cars and prototypes that you’ll see at motor shows around the world. It is also responsible for developing new technologies used across not only automotive but also the entertainment and leisure businesses.

Perhaps most usefully for anyone at M1, Prefix will also offer restoration, paintrectification and tuning services via the new Performance Center, although it doesn’t make these available to the general public. In fact, the Performance Center is the only Prefix facility that is open to non-industry customers.

The 3000sq ft Center has been designed by local architect Studio Detroit, and it will also feature gas pumps, delivering specialist fuel for high-performance cars and classics.

It is the next major development at M1 Concourse, and will be followed by a new 10,000sq ft experiential X-Center and a CIK standard kart track.

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UNCORK FOR A CURE

EVENT REPORT EXQUISITE FOOD, FINE WINES AND excellent entertainment – and all for a good cause. On October 22, Uncork For A Cure 2022 took place at M1 Concourse. The event was hosted by the Dynami Foundation, which raises funds for scientific research, education and patient support surrounding breast cancer.

This latest staging saw a fresh line-up of restaurant talent including four new restaurant additions: Bar Pigalle, Basan, Barda and Oak & Reel. The evening also featured culinary expertise from Mabel Gray, SheWolf, Marrow, Karl’s, Grey Ghost, Chartreuse, Motor City Seafood, Rebecca LaMalfa, Cantoro and more.

Wines were hand-paired and curated by ‘first woman of wine’ Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon of Plum Market, who was ably assisted by her colleagues. Moët Hennessy USA’s Michigan Team (an M1 partner at the 2023 American Speed Festival) curated a stunning Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial Champagne Lounge and a Bubbly Bar, featuring Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon and Ruinart Champagnes.

Uncork For A Cure

Boasting culinary delights and exquisite beverages, this upmarket gathering raised funds for breast-cancer support

BELOW Guests experienced a wide selection of delicious regional food and drink, all while supporting the valuable work of the Dynami Foundation.

Metro Detroit artist Mike Han was also in attendance, painting a canvas for auction in situ, while Nicole Jarecz Illustration provided live sketches of guests. The auction also included vacation experiences, luxury wine packages and more. Cauley Ferrari from West Bloomfield brought a fleet of Maranello machines for track rides around M1 Concourse’s circuit, with a selection of classic and collector cars lining up to be experienced from the passenger seat.

The 2022 Hospitality Grant, awarded in partnership with the Dr Kristy KC Foundation, was given to Chef Joanna, who was diagnosed with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer in February 2021. The Dr Kristy KC Foundation supports families who have suffered the loss of a parent, along with those who have been impacted by breast cancer, via financial investments channeled through organizations and individuals that reflect Dr Kristy’s own passion, tenacity and humanity.

The next event takes place on November 4, 2023 – more details at www.dynamifoundation.org.

The Foundation’s aims The Dynami Foundation’s mission is to further the research, treatment and prevention of breast cancer – specifically the lobular strain – while supporting patients. Past donations have aided cutting-edge research, survivorship programs and ongoing education.

The funds directly benefit specific initiatives at the University of Michigan, while furthering collective scientific understanding worldwide.

The Foundation is also planning collaborations with other cancer centers. Under the direction of the Medical Advisory Board, the funds raised are directed to the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

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M1 MOMENTUM

NACTOY

FROM LEFT Event at M1 Concourse revealed North America’s best car, truck and utility vehicle of 2023 – won by the Acura

M1 CONCOURSE HAS BECOME THE NEW home of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards, with the inaugural announcement event taking place at the venue on January 11, 2023.

A special NACTOY press conference was hosted jointly with the Detroit Area Dealers Association (DADA) and Automotive Press Association (APA). They revealed the results of in-depth vehicle testing and evaluation by an independent jury of 50 professional car and truck journalists from a wide variety of print, online, radio and television media outlets across the US and Canada.

These awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. For 2023 there were initially 47 eligible cars and trucks, which the jurors later narrowed down in three rounds of independently verified voting to 26 semi-finalists, nine outstanding finalists and, ultimately, the three winners.

The results are:

EVENT REPORT

NACTOY Top vehicles recognized as M1 Concourse hosts the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards

North American Utility Vehicle of the Year FINALISTS: Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Kia EV6 WINNER: Kia EV6 The awards, which have been taking place since 1994, honor excellence in innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value. They were traditionally announced at the North American International Auto Show, which used to take place in Motor City every January, but several years ago the NACTOY organizers decided to keep with the early-year timings after the Detroit Auto Show was rescheduled for later on the calendar.

The next NACTOY awards event will be staged at M1 Concourse on Thursday January 4, 2024.

Please see www.northamericancaroftheyear.org for additional details.

North American Car of the Year FINALISTS: Acura Integra, Genesis G80 EV, Nissan Z WINNER: Acura Integra North American Truck of the Year FINALISTS: Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, Ford F-150 Lightning, Lordstown Endurance WINNER: Ford F-150 Lightning 30

Integra, Ford F-150 Lightning and Kia EV6 respectively.

Fifty jurors had narrowed the shortlist down from 47 eligible models.

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LY N S T J A M E S

RENOWNED DRIVER LYN ST JAMES recently provided an illuminating talk detailing her pioneering career in motor sport, as part of M1 Concourse’s Off The Grid speaker series.

One of only nine women to have ever qualified for the Indianapolis 500, Lyn went on to compete in America’s great race no fewer than seven times – becoming the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award along the way.

An early love of driving soon led her to the racetrack as a safe, legal place to indulge her passion for speed. After staying up all night to watch the Daytona 24 Hours in 1973, she found herself inexorably drawn to competition, and signed up for a new class in the SCCA called Showroom Stock.

“You go to a dealer, buy a car, put a roll bar, five-point seatbelt and fire extinguisher in it, and go racing,” Lyn recalled. “I bought a Ford Pinto – it was the cheapest eligible car at the time – and went to driver school.”

While her first race didn’t go well – her Pinto took an excursion to the bottom of Moroso’s swamp – Lyn dug deep and would eventually win the Florida Regional Championship with the Pinto. Pretty soon she was competing at 32

EVENT REPORT

Lyn St James Fascinating Off The Grid talk saw the pioneering driver speaking about the thrills and spills of her racing career

FROM TOP LEFT Former racing driver Lyn spoke about her life, from her first foray into motor sport via a Ford Pinto to her many drives in some of the world’s top series. Pixar Creative Director Jay Ward has also been interviewed for Off The Grid.

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the Sebring 12 Hours in a Chevrolet Corvette in the GTO class, the first of eight entries at the event. Alongside Robby Gordon and Calvin Fish, she eventually finished in first place in the GTO class in Roush Racing’s Mercury Cougar XR-7.

In Off The Grid, speaker Lyn provided great insight into not only her career, but also the life lessons that she learned on the racetrack – such as making the most of teamwork, and bouncing back from setbacks like her horrific Riverside crash. “It’s those failures that you learn the most from,” she explained.

Lyn also detailed her successes and the drive required to maintain her performance, digging deep in the face of many challenges from ineffectual co-drivers to a lack of funds.

She remembered, too, some of her favorite cars, such as the Spice-Cosworth she drove at Le Mans, and told the story of how she came to be the first woman ever to crest 200mph on a racetrack. The talk was followed up by a lively Q&A with attendees, revealing just what it was like to be such a pioneering force for women in motor sport.

All these stories can be found on M1 Concourse’s YouTube channel, which has the talk in full. More at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfXrZ681JWs.

EyesOn Design at Ford House

DESIGN REVOLUTIONS

FRIDAY, JUNE 16 EyesOn Design Driving Tour 75-mile tour of a winding southeastern Michigan route followed by lunch and auto-enthusiasts tour at a surprise destination.

Vision Honored: Gala dinner honoring Ralph Gilles, EyesOn Design 2023 Lifetime Design Achievement recipient Conner Center, Detroit, MI Remarks from Tom Gale, Ed Welburn SATURDAY, JUNE 17 Symposium I: Clandestined for Speed GM Design Dome, Warren, MI Featuring: Tony DeLorenzo, Burt Greenwood, Alan Barker, Doug Feehan, Herb Fishel, Tom Langdon, Dave McLellan, Mark Stielow, and Randy Wittine Symposium II: Viper Design Stellantis North America Design Center, Auburn Hills, MI Featuring: Ralph Gilles, Herb Helbig, Dick Winkles, Mike Shinedling, and Ernie Barry SUNDAY, JUNE 18: EyesOn Design at Ford House Automotive Design Exhibition & Private Eyes Brunch Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Toyota Calty Design Research, Inc., Stellantis, Bridgestone Americas, Axalta, Adient, Nissan Design America, Roush, Washtenaw Community College, Northwood University, College for Creative Studies – Transportation Design Department WE THANK THE DESIGN DEPARTMENTS OF THESE AUTOMAKERS FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT: Toyota, Stellantis, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, General Motors

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT:

eyesondesign.org | 313-824-4710

DIGNITARIES Lifetime Design Achievement Award Ralph Gilles Chief Design Officer, Stellantis Honorary Chairman Bob Riney President/CEO, Henry Ford Health Grand Marshal Tom Gale VP Design, Chrysler (retired) Commemorative Poster Artist Charles Maher Automotive Fine Arts Society EyesOn Design Chairman Kathy Pecar Lightbody EyesOn Design at Ford House Director Frank Valdez Henry Ford Health, Department of Ophthalmology, The Cornelius McCole Chair Paul Edwards, M.D. Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical Director Philip C. Hessburg, M.D.

A benefit for Department of Ophthalmology Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology

EVENT REPORT

American Speed Festival Four days of motor sport magnificence at M1 Concourse saw thrilling track action, once-in-alifetime exhibits and automotive fun for all

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K P H O T O G R A P H Y B R I A N S E VA L D

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A M E R I C A N S P E E D F E S T I VA L

M1 CONCOURSE RUMBLED TO THE sound of 170 racing cars across 14 classes between September 29 and October 2, 2022, as part of the second American Speed Festival presented by Comerica Bank.

It all kicked off with Thursday’s Drive & Dine Tour, which took participants on a fascinating trip from M1 Concourse around the outskirts of Detroit via the Stahls Automotive Collection.

Here, a curated tour included such delights as an 1860 stagecoach and other brass-era and pre-war classics, as well as elegant post-war machines – oh, and a 1951 Wendell Mechanimal Elephant used in the presidential campaigns of both Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.

This was followed by the Motor Grille, a fun evening of fine wine and exquisite food.

The Speed Ring circuit action began on Friday, with everything from vintage Indy racing cars to modern supercars taking to the track. Away from the circuit, the Garage Reveal tour allowed 100 people a behind-the-scenes peek into six garages, while in the evening the Checkered Flag Ball helped raise funds for the Pontiac Community Foundation. The organization provides multi-tier transportation solutions to ensure Pontiac residents have 36

PREVIOUS SPREAD Pride of place went to a ‘nest’ of Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes.

THIS SPREAD On-track action, special displays, unique insights from Peter Brock and David Hobbs, fun for young and old.

2022 AMERICAN SPEED FESTIVAL CLASS WINNERS

Class 1: Shelby/Cobra: 1965 Shelby GT350 (Ken Costella) Class 2: Vintage Indy: 1970 Gurney Eagle (Chuck Jones) Class 3: Ferrari: 2019 488 Challenge Evo (Melissa Kozyra) Class 4: Endurance Sports Cars: 1988 Fabcar GTP (Dave Nikolas) Class 5: Feature Race Cars: 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix Mello Yello (Mike Haislet) Class 6: Super Cars: 2005 Ford GT-1 (Fred Calero) Class 7: Race Karts: 2022 UofM SAE (Michaela Fisk) Class 8: Pontiac Firebird: 1970 Pontiac Trans Am (Keith Knudsen) Class 9: Hot Rod/Customs: 1932 Ford Three-Window (Gordie Olsen) Class 10: Pony Cars: 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (Howard Kay) Class 11: Muscle Cars: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 (Ron Turner) Class 12: Modern Performance: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR (Marty Heitkamp) Class 13: Import Performance: 1978 Datsun 280Z (Ari Katz) Class 14: American Classics: 1923 Duesenberg Model A Roadster (Peter Heydon) M1 MOMENTUM

access to community programs and services.

The Ball brought together a who’s who of people within the Detroit motor sports and automotive community. “They had a blast,” said Dave Sherman, vice president of Signature Events at M1 Concourse. “It started with a cocktail reception in our Event Center, before moving to the ballroom for dinner, and then into our lounge and pitlane for an afterparty.”

This year’s American Speed Festival paid a special tribute to the cars of Carroll Shelby, while one of his most important team members, Peter Brock, was honored as a Master of Motorsports for his groundbreaking designs.

Brock – who had just been inducted into the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame, as well as received the EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award and Carroll Shelby Spirit Award during August’s Monterey Car Week – joined former racing driver and commentator David Hobbs for a fascinating live discussion on his life at the sharp end of the Shelby project.

Many previously unknown stories were shared – a treat for the numerous avowed Shelby fans in the audience. The first new race car sold by Shelby – the 1963 Cobra CSX2154, owned by the Cobra Experience in

F E AT U R E N A M E

California – joined a star-studded line-up of machines from the stable of the pioneering driver, engineer and team owner.

Meanwhile, for open-wheel fans, two-dozenplus vintage Indy cars took to the track, with Al Unser Jr on pace-car duties. He also got a chance to meet up with a famed former steed, his 1986 Domino’s Pizza Shierson Racing Lola. Of M1 Concourse, Al said: “It’s my first time here, and it’s just magnificent – a beautiful facility.”

It wasn’t only American might on display, either; Ferraris and other supercars also had a chance to shine. Maranello machines received special recognition of Ferrari’s 75th birthday, with a wide-ranging display of Italian exotica both on-track and on static display.

Sunday’s Speed & Style saw the competition cars join 200 classic and supercars lining the circuit. There were special displays for the Pontiac Firebird and other muscle cars, plus exhibits of pony cars, hot rods, customs, modern performance machinery, pre-war classics, pedal cars and GMC motorhomes. Sunday also saw the debut of the Race Speed Track Experience, 38

ABOVE Exclusive events, Historic race cars and honors for legendary names such as Peter Brock; the American Speed Festival had it all.

SPECIAL AWARDS

People’s Choice Award: 2021 Ferrari Monza SP1 (Lauren Mendelson) Car Selection Committee Award: 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 CSX 2203 (Ernie Nagamatsu) Chairman’s Award: 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe (Charles Stringfellow) M1 Momentum Magazine Award: 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 CSX 2154 (Cobra Experience) David Hobbs Award: 1966 Jaguar E-type Series 1 Roadster (Conrad Foster) Al Unser Jr Award: 1957 Stingray (GM Heritage Center) Peter Brock Award: 1997 Shelby Can-Am Peter Brock Prototype X3 (William Deary) City of Pontiac Award: 1978 GMC Royale (Karen Breen) M1 MOMENTUM

with guests joining instructors and going for high-speed circuit rides in M1’s track cars.

Calm away from the action was provided by the gallery of leading artists’ work at the Automotive Art Expo, as well as the opportunity to race custom-made remotecontrol cars on a purpose-built circuit.

“We’re very pleased with the American Speed Festival weekend,” said Tim McGrane, CEO of M1 Concourse. “Fans enjoyed seeing race cars doing what they were designed to do, with two days of time trials on the 1.5-mile M1 Concourse circuit.”

The next event promises to be even bigger and better, with celebrations paying tribute to the Chevrolet Corvette at 70, 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours and 50 years of the IROC series.

You can expect to find rarely seen, exclusive cars from these classes – plus a lot more besides – lining up at M1 Concourse for the American Speed Festival 2023. We can barely wait!

The next American Speed Festival is scheduled for September 28 to October 1, 2023. Please see www.m1concourse.com/asf-home for details.

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From on the track to getting the inside track, there is no other trusted service for your automobile.

The name says it all, Auto Europe measures their success from over 60 years of expertise in service and sales of European automobiles. Their commitment to day-in, day-out, never-ending, unremitting, persevering passion AUTO EUROPE GROUP lead to the added acclaim to be the exclusive authorized dealershipAUTOMOTIVE in Michigan for the Morgan Motor Company and Lotus Cars Limited. Come in and check out the entire group today.

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DREAM GARAGE

40/41 From business hospitality facility to personal automotive entertainment venue for family and friends, the Fischers’ units prove the versatility of M1 Concourse’s selfcontained garages

WORDS D AV I D L I L LY W H I T E

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PHOTOGRAPHY J O H N D ’A N G E LO

G A R A G E S 4 0 /4 1

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G A R A G E S 4 0 /4 1

IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT REALLY demonstrates the flexibility of the units at M1 Concourse, it’s Garages 40/41. When the Fischer family originally commissioned architecture agency INFORM Studio to design the space, father-and-son team David Fischer Sr and David Fischer Jr were looking for an area to use as corporate hospitality for their chain of premium car dealerships. The two adjoined garages were kitted out to a high specification for exactly this – and used extensively, to great success.

And then everything changed, and suddenly Garages 40/41 were no longer needed for the business quite so frequently. So, what to do?

David Fischer Jr explains...

“At first we used the facility for a ton of different manufacturer events; it was very synergistic with our business. I remember that our first event was a Lamborghini ride and drive, because that was one of our franchises.

“We would do a lot of different customer events like that. And also, with brands such as Porsche, it was more performance and track oriented. We did several events out there [on the M1 circuit] with Porsche.

“But then we sold that side of our business; we sold the largest chunk of our company, yet we still have a smaller chunk. So it’s something a little different now – it’s mostly personal use, just friends, family and co-workers.”

This has actually worked out well for the family, because David Fischer Sr loves collecting cars and enjoys displaying them at M1 Concourse – a Porsche 959, Jaguar XJ220 and Shelby Mustang GT350 just to name a few. Although they’re stored elsewhere, David Sr now has the

‘David Fischer Sr loves collecting and displaying cars at M1 Concourse – a 959, XJ220 and GT350 just to name a few’

OPPOSITE The Fischer family worked with architecture practice INFORM Studio to design a style that reflected the premium brands the family business represented.

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perfect place to exercise them – and David Jr drives his own cars on the M1 Concourse track as well. Yet the ownership of Garages 40/41 nearly didn’t happen at all, as the latter recalls.

“We, being in Detroit, went through a very rocky time in 2008-09 with the global financial crisis. There were a lot of very significant issues in our town and in our business; we had some significant hiccups to deal with.

“I knew M1 Concourse’s Paul Zlotoff and Brad Oleshansky via a business association we’re in. They’d approached me about M1, and I thought it was a great idea. Yet at the time I thought it seemed a bit more like a discretionary thing; a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

“So I didn’t jump on it immediately. But then they had to get, I think, 100 units sold in phase one to get it to launch, and they started making great progress towards that. I’m like: ‘Okay, this thing’s going to grow!’ So we jumped in and ended up with two units together, down in the southwestern corner.”

Local architecture practice INFORM Studio, which designed the M1 Concourse Event Center along with several more of the car condos, created the style for Garages 40/41, which was added to with artworks chosen by the family.

“M1 has got a lot of traction in our town,” adds David. “If you pick a city like, say, Chicago, you know that they have X number of vintage classic-car registrations in the market.

In Detroit, it’s ten or 20 times that.

“Our town just has a lot of automotive enthusiasts and a lot of history. So M1 Concourse is a good fit with Detroit.”

Thanks to INFORM Studio architecture and design practice. Details at www.in-formstudio.com.

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70 YEARS OF CORVETTE

To celebrate the 70th year of America’s Sports Car, we look at the icon through its eight ages – from GM’s answer to the post-war onslaught of European roadsters to a bona fide supercar W O R D S : N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

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C O R V E T T E AT 7 0

FOR 70 YEARS, CHEVROLET’S CORVETTE has been a true American icon: it’s more than a car, it’s a folk hero. Naming the model after a small warship was apt, because the plucky Corvette has been a thorn in the side of highbrow elitist European exotica on both road and track since its very inception. Offering blistering performance at a tantalizingly achievable price, it gives the ultimate bang for your buck.

For much of its life it blended light weight with dependable and easily tunable, frontally located V8 firepower, but with the latest version motive thrust is delivered from behind the driver’s head. It means those who have always claimed that the Corvette could never be a true supercar, due to some stuffy notion of exactly what ‘supercar’ defines, now have nothing to complain about. The Chevrolet has

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become a bona fide candidate, but as we’ll discover through our guide to the breed, it’s consistently been a super car – even if that’s not always been the case when delivered fresh from the factory. It is, after all, one of the most tunable models you can buy, whatever the era.

The Corvette has weathered the storm of imports, the 1970s fuel crisis and Detroit’s era of malaise, and is now holding firm in an epoch of electric propulsion. It’s the only mainstream production two-seat sports car made by a major US manufacturer, and it has recently shifted to its mid-engined set-up to take the model into the true supercar league. The future promises 1000bhp EV versions, but whatever the dedicated team at Bowling Green, Kentucky has in store for the Corvette, its place in history as America’s Sports Car is assured.

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First generation: C1 1953–1962

BELOW The injected C1 Corvette ‘Fuelie’.

RIGHT By 1961, the Chevrolet sported signature twin headlamps. BOTTOM Where it all began: the 1953 show car.

‘The culmination of Harley Earl’s dream to build an affordable sports car to battle the steady stream of European imports’

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helped to reduce weight; useful, because the rather wheezy 150bhp 235ci Blue Flame engine needed all the help it could get. Customers were disappointed to find somewhat limp performance and a two-speed auto gearbox, a far cry from the zesty performance of British sports cars.

Sales began to tail off, and the project was nearly canceled – but the arrival of the 265ci small-block V8 and three-speed manual in 1955 reinvigorated the car. The key was Zora ArkusDuntov, who pushed for the drivetrain upgrade, and instigated further changes via a 1962 facelift.

The ’55 update included a new body and more power – between 210bhp and 240bhp – once the straight-six was binned. Marketing material played up the performance credentials; not only could you specify high-performance cams, but later years brought fuel injection, racing wheels and suspension, and much more. Duntov also briefly took the Corvette on-track, with the SS. The car was facelifted again in 1958, adding more chrome and a four-headlamp set-up. For the final two years of its life, the C1 Corvette was updated to twin taillights – a styling signature that has remained with the model ever since – while the by-now-283ci engine was upgraded to 327ci, offering a fuel-injected peak of 360bhp.

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GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY

KEY NUMBER: 300 – the number of Corvettes hand-built in Flint, Michigan.

The Corvette prototype stunned the world when it was unveiled in New York in 1953. It was the culmination of GM’s styling boss Harley Earl’s dream to build an affordable sports car to battle the steady stream of European imports.

Such was the car’s impact that GM was caught on the hop – the demand was so strong, the Corvette was rushed into production just six months later. Although many of the mechanical underpinnings were taken from other parts of the GM empire, the lightweight plastic body stayed, despite earlier plans for a steel version. This

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Second generation: C2

GETTY IMAGES

1963–1967

KEY NUMBER: 50 percent – sales improvement for the 1963 model year over 1962.

GM knew it couldn’t afford to make a mistake with the C1’s replacement, and as far back as 1957 prototypes were being progressed. Duntov focused on developments such as an air-cooled flat-six motor along with rear- and mid-engined layouts, while GM’s director of styling, Bill Mitchell, forged on with a coupe-only model, culminating in the 1959 Stingray concept car.

In the end, the production body would be developed from the Stingray by Larry Shinoda, on a shorter wheelbase than the original Corvette. Duntov’s experiments with the CERV 1 concept saw the introduction of independent rear suspension, and this, along with steering revisions, made the Corvette handle just as well as its European rivals.

The first-year Sting Ray coupes featured a split rear window, which was replaced by a single-pane item in the second year due to safety concerns. Duntov was also keen to take

‘L88 was pretty much a racing engine that ran on 103-octane fuel, believed to have offered as much as 560bhp’

ABOVE Influence of the 1959 Stingray (aka Sting Ray) can be seen in the 1967 convertible (BELOW). OPPOSITE 1963 C2 coupe featured now-iconic split window.

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the fight to Ford; in addition to producing six Corvettes for Le Mans, he conceived the Z06 project. This was a performance package that included stiffer springs, a larger sway bar, improved brakes and a bigger fuel tank. Duntov took the idea further with the Grand Sport – a lightweight version of the Corvette to battle the Shelby Cobra in Grand Touring racing. He hoped to build 125, but GM top brass strongly opposed the plan, and just five ended up being made.

Chevrolet nevertheless continued to develop the C2 over the car’s lifetime, adding disc brakes, trim and body refinements, and minor styling revisions. However, the arrival of the big-block 396ci (later 427ci) engine transformed the Corvette into a monster – 425bhp and up to 460lb ft of torque. The biggest bang was saved for last – the 1967 Tri-Power engine, and the L88 package; the latter was pretty much a racing engine that ran on 103-octane fuel. Although advertised at 430bhp, it’s believed that the L88 actually offered as much as 560bhp…

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Third generation: C3 1968–1982

KEY NUMBER: 165bhp – power of the base model.

The C3 was a marked departure from the chrome stylings of its predecessors. Owing much to Larry Shinoda’s 1962 Mako Shark II concept, under the skin many of the mechanical components were inherited from the C2, although the Turbo-Hydramatic three-speed automatic transmission replaced the two-ratio Powerglide. Several manual ’box options were made available, from a three-speed to a close-ratio four-gear unit.

For the first time, coupes began to outsell convertibles – and after 1975 the roofless Corvette would disappear from price lists for 11 years. However, ever-increasing engine sizes and outputs did much to maintain the excitement, peaking with 1971’s 454ci LS6 unit, which produced 425bhp. You could also choose the racing-specification ZR-1 package between 1970 and 1972, which blended a high-revving LT1 370bhp engine, upgraded suspension, heavy-duty four-speed manual gearbox and

‘Despite these challenges, the C3 was the most popular Corvette of them all, with a record 53,807 sold in 1979’

ABOVE Mako Sharks I and II had an eye on the future. BELOW Sharp styling saw the C3 ’Vette through from the 1960s to the ’80s.

weight saving via the removal of the electric windows, power steering, air-conditioning and radio; just 53 were ever built. An even more tasty ZR-2 package applied the same chassis tweaks for the 454ci LS6 engine, which offered 425bhp – a mere 12 were made available.

It would be the high watermark for the breed, because the 1973 fuel crisis, the introduction of catalytic converters and a focus on turning the model from a muscle machine to a touring car added weight and blunted outright performance. To a certain extent this was mitigated with a lightening program in 1980; however, by 1982 just a four-speed automatic gearbox was offered and the base price had increased from $4663 to $18,290.

Despite these challenges, the C3 was the most popular Corvette of them all, with a record 53,807 sold in 1979 alone. The C3 coincided with a big change – production switched from St Louis, Missouri to Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1981, where Corvettes have been built ever since.

Fourth generation: C4 1984–1996

GETTY IMAGES

KEY NUMBER: 175mph – highest 24-hour, 5000-mile land speed.

The C4 was the first from-scratch evolution of the Corvette – not only was its Jerry Palmer-led design a clean break from the Duntov/Mitchell era, but under the skin it was all new. The chassis was set up for handling prowess, rather than outright power, thanks to emissions rules and then-rudimentary engine-management tech.

Coil springs were replaced with a transverse fiberglass mono-leaf spring, which weighed two-thirds less. This all-independent suspension impacted ride quality (particularly with the Z54 performance and handling pack), but the C4 was

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TOP C4 was evolved from scratch. ABOVE Lotus helped develop LT5-engined ZR-1.

a car to rival Europe’s best in the bends, as well as in a straight line. It also featured ‘sci-fi’ details such as an electronic dash with an LCD display.

In 1985 the more powerful and fuel-efficient L98 small-block (250bhp) arrived; the 300bhp LT1 replaced it in ’92. This would hit 330bhp in the ’96 LT4. However, the most potent factory ’Vette was the ZR-1, developed with Lotus. At its heart was the all-aluminum LT5 engine, which initially developed 375bhp (rising to 405bhp). This was paired with a ZF six-speed manual ’box and Bilstein gas-over-oil adjustable dampers.

The ZR-1 could crack the 0-60mph sprint in 4.4 seconds, and it set seven world records for long-distance, high-speed travel. It would remain the fastest Corvette until 2001.

The C4 also saw GM commit to a factorybacked GT program, seeing the IMSA GT Championship as the perfect showcase for the C4-inspired Corvette GTP. It had limited success, notching up a mere two victories over four years.

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Fifth generation: C5

KIMBALL STOCK

1997–2004

KEY NUMBER: 50/50 – perfect weight distribution.

The Corvette was redesigned from scratch again, cutting weight and upping power, and using a new box frame for improved structural rigidity. To aid handling, the gearbox was moved to a rear-mounted transaxle, which helped give the car perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

Although the LCD dashboard of the C4 was gone, tech fans could revel in the head-up display option on the windshield, as well as the Active Handling System. This was the first Corvette to have a drive-by-wire throttle and speed-sensitive power steering. And to think Europeans reckon American cars are ‘agricultural’…

Power came from a 345/350bhp LS1 V8, which was good for a 4.5-second 0-60mph sprint.

However, for those seeking extra performance, in 2001 Chevrolet launched the Z06. This used an upgraded LS1 engine, now named LS6, with 385bhp (405bhp from 2002 onwards) thanks to higher-lift camshafts, a higher compression ratio and an improved oil system. Performance was supercar quick; in 405bhp form the car could storm to 60mph in 3.9 seconds and clobber the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds.

The C5 also saw a full-blooded return

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ABOVE C5 was the first Corvette to feature a drive-by-wire throttle and speed-sensitive power steering.

RIGHT C5-R scored a one-two at Le Mans.

‘Although the LCD dash of the C4 was gone, tech fans could revel in the head-up display option on the windshield’ M1 MOMENTUM

to motor sport, with the C5-R. Developed by Pratt & Miller for GM Racing, it featured a 7.0-liter powerplant, a longer wheelbase, a wider track and altered bodywork. It sensationally stormed to eight victories in ten races during its 2001 debut year, including a one-two at the Le Mans 24 Hours – a feat it repeated in 2002 and 2004.

It would continue racing with success until 2007, despite its replacement, the C6-R, being released in 2005.

The C5 was a success – the C4’s sales had languished in the 20,000s for much of its life, but the new machine’s full-year figures didn’t dip below 30,000. However, there was some sadness – it was the last car, let alone Corvette, to be sold with pop-up headlamps.

Sixth generation: C6 2005–2013

KEY NUMBER: 638bhp – peak power in the ZR-1.

The C6 generation may not have been a mold-breaker compared with its immediate predecessors, but the evolution saw some key changes. The focus became on refinement, with revisions to the suspension and greater interior space. In fact, the latter is remarkable, considering that the C6 is 5.1in shorter and 1in narrower than the C5.

The LS2 engine was increased to 364ci, which was then replaced with the 376ci 430bhp LS3 (436bhp with the vacuum-actuated valve exhaust). That year saw the manual gearbox upgraded to the Tremec TR-6060. A six-speed paddle-shift automatic was also made available.

Chevy introduced the Z06 for the 2006 model year as a homologation special. The lightest of the Corvettes, it featured a 427.8ci LS7 engine that delivered 505bhp, the highest-output naturally aspirated GM motor until 2021. To

save weight, the car’s frame was built from aluminum while the floor was made out of balsa wood/carbonfiber composite.

For those seeking an even more outrageous performance machine, the ZR-1 of 2007 offered the lightweight nature of the Z06 but with a supercharged LS3 engine, delivering 638bhp and 604lb ft of torque, all sent to the road via a six-speed manual gearbox. Carbonfiber was deployed on the roof, hood, fenders and front splitter. The ZR-1 was the first production machine to break the 205mph top-speed barrier, and it could hit 60mph in 3.4 seconds, 100mph in 7.0 seconds dead and brush off the quarter-mile sprint in 11.3 seconds at 131mph.

The C6-R continued the Corvette’s success in motor sport, winning the American Le Mans series in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013, and taking class victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

LEFT Evolution of the C6 saw some key changes for the Corvette. ABOVE The ZR-1 was the first production car to break the 205mph top-speed barrier.

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Seventh generation: C7 2014–2019

KEY NUMBER: 214.88mph – the ZR-1’s top speed.

The C7 was a controversial design; the curves were largely gone, replaced with a more angular, aggressive look courtesy of Hwasup Lee. It could have been even more controversial – when planning for the new car began in 2007, rear- and mid-engined layouts were considered.

The suspension was a development of the C6’s, but an all-new LT1 small-block V8 provided 455bhp – or 460bhp with the Z51 Performance Package or Grand Sport spec, resulting in a 3.8second 0-60mph sprint. To keep weight similar to the C6’s, the C7 used an aluminum chassis and carbon nano-composite in the underbody panels.

The Z06 appeared in 2015, offering 650bhp via an Eaton R1740 TVS Supercharger-assisted LT4 C7 engine. Carbonfiber was used in the roof panel, front splitter, hood, rear spoiler and more, while upgraded Brembo brakes, Magnetic Ride Control dampers and an electronic limited-slip diff also featured. This all resulted in a top speed of 185mph and 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds, with a

ABOVE Upgraded and supercharged C7 Z06 boasted 650bhp. BELOW C8 is the first mid-engined example of the breed.

‘The ZTK package produced 430.9kg of downforce.

It could hit 60mph in around three seconds’

127mph quarter mile reached in 11.2 seconds.

Built for the final model year only, the storming ZR-1 had an Eaton supercharger that was 52 percent larger than the Z06’s. Power swelled to 755bhp, and to keep the car stuck to the road Pratt & Miller deployed its wind-tunnel know-how to develop a larger rear wing, a front splitter and an underbody spoiler. Not enough? The ZTK package used a higher fixed wing to produce 430.9kg of downforce at top speed. The car could hit 60mph in around three seconds, destroying the quarter mile in 10.8 seconds.

The C7-R would carry on the Corvette’s racing success, taking the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship between 2016 and 2019, and a class victory at the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Eighth generation: C8 2020–present

KEY NUMBER: 60 – the hours for first 300 right-hand-drive Corvettes to sell out.

The latest Corvette is the biggest deviation from the playbook – it’s the first mid-engined example of the breed. It’s also the first one to be built in right-hand-drive form, so no complaints from the Brits this time…

The Stingray version uses an evolution of the LT1 small-block engine from the C7. Now called the LT2, this offers 490bhp, or 495bhp with the optional Z51 package. The Z51 box of goodies includes a third radiator and a sports-exhaust system to help launch the car from 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds. This Z51 package also includes adjustable suspension with greater front and rear spring rates and firmer damping, plus with Magnetic Selective Ride Control there’s an electronic limited-slip diff. Three-pedal fans miss out, however – the C8 is auto ’box only.

A Z06 variant has now been launched for the 2023 model year, boasting a naturally aspirated 56

flat-plane crank that revs to 8600rpm – you don’t get that kind of thing from a mid-engined Ferrari these days. At 670bhp it’s the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8, and it features a cast-aluminum block, dual-coil valve springs, titanium intake, aluminum pistons and titanium connecting rods. The result of all this is a 0-60mph sprint of 2.6 seconds, and if you spec the Z07 Performance Package – with upgraded brakes, carbonfiber body parts, uprated suspension and stickier tires – a 10.6 quartermile time and a speed well beyond 200mph.

The C7-R also continues the Corvette Racing program, and since its debut in 2020 has won at Daytona and taken many IMSA class victories.

Yet what of the future? Chevrolet is readying its E-Ray hybrid Corvette, but will we see a final fling for ultimate internal-combustion engine variants in the form of a C8 ZR-1? Leaked reports suggest a twin-turbocharged version of the Z06, developing a predicted 850bhp…

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AS AMERICA’S FAVORITE SPORTS CAR marks 70 years, the National Corvette Museum is the natural place to celebrate in style.

Located a stone’s throw from where the Corvettes are built in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the museum tells the full story of the model – not just as a motor car, but also as the vehicle that represents the nation’s hopes and dreams.

It all kicks off with the Nostalgia Gallery, which puts the car in a cultural context with an insight into mid-20th-century living. It features a barbershop, Mobil service station, period-correct Chevrolet dealer showroom and recreation of the St Louis assembly plant line.

The E Pierce Marshall Memorial Performance Gallery brings the Corvette to life with digital projections, 180º video footage and special artifacts, as well as some of the most spectacular examples ever built. The Design and Engineering Gallery, meanwhile, tells the story of the Corvette’s creation, with hands-on display items and memorabilia, and the SkyDome pays tribute to the heroes of the model’s tale.

Its Hall of Fame features legendary individuals, from engineers and designers to enthusiasts and motor sport figures.

However, the National Corvette Museum is not only about the past – the McMichael 58

National Corvette Museum Visit the home of the American Dream as it marks this very special sports car’s 70th anniversary in style W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K P H O T O G R A P H Y N AT I O N A L C O R V E T T E M U S E U M

ABOVE A great selection of exhibits and activities for the whole family at Bowling Green’s National Corvette Museum.

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Family Education Gallery aims to inspire the next generation of Corvette engineers, designers and, most importantly, enthusiasts.

If all that has worked up an appetite, you can enjoy the Stingray Grille restaurant and bar, to fuel you up for a Plant Tour to see the cars begin their journey to the road. If you’re really lucky, you may even get chance to win your very own Corvette via the museum.

The facility is about more than the exhibits, however – it plays host to many exciting events throughout the year, and you can expect special themed displays, too. For example, the museum has just opened Custom CARisma: The Legendary Creations of Carl Casper. Carl is responsible for some of the most memorable one-off show cars ever, such as the Turbo Shark Corvette, Cosmic Invader and Young American Dragster. He’s also behind the iconic Batman Returns Batmobile – and you will be able to get up close and personal with these creations and more.

The Corvette is the American Dream in four-wheel form – so join the National Corvette Museum on this, the car’s 70th anniversary, and make your dreams come true.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit www.corvettemuseum.org.

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A M E R I C A N S AT L E M A N S

“Before we went over… only a handful of Americans had tried Le Mans… American cars had been popular with European drivers during Le Mans’ early days, but I was determined to win it with American drivers and an American machine.”

Briggs Cunningham IN JUNE 1951, ONLY SEVEN YEARS FROM the day the Americans landed on Omaha Beach, a huge contingent of race cars, mechanics and support vehicles from the Cunningham Motor Company of West Palm Beach, Florida, arrived at the small town of Le Mans, France, to represent America in the 24-hour event held there. A decade later, the armada from the Ford Motor Company would dwarf Cunningham’s efforts. It’s not that much of an exaggeration to say that the Blue Oval’s efforts to win this race required amounts of money, manpower and material on a scale not seen since D-Day. Over the 100 years of the running of the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, hundreds of American drivers and American-built cars have competed in this prestigious event. But despite their heavy involvement, an American car piloted by American drivers has won the race only once – in 1967, when Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt took their Dearborn-designed and -built Ford MkIV to the victory lane.

Why has an American car with American drivers won Le Mans just once? And even more, why has America had such an on-again, offagain relationship with what is considered the 62

PREVIOUS SPREAD Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt took the first all-US victory in the Shelby American GT40 MkIV in 1967.

OPPOSITE FROM TOP Model T Ford (far right) ran in the first-ever Le Mans. Stutz leads Bentleys during 1928 Le Mans.

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world’s greatest single-day sporting event?

The oft-repeated axiom that ‘the first auto race was held on the day that the second automobile was built’ has some truth. The first organized event was held in 1894 from Paris to Rouen. As the auto industry grew around the world, reliability became a primary attraction for buyers, and racing became a way for manufacturers to demonstrate their superiority. ‘Race on Sunday, sell on Monday!’ was true right from those very early days.

While the first 24-hour race at Le Mans was 100 years ago this June, the area had a long association with automobiles, speed and Americans. Wilbur Wright made his first European demonstration of his flying machine at the airstrip outside this industrial city. And the first race to use the moniker ‘Grand Prix’ was held on local roads in 1906.

Although the French Grand Prix was interrupted during World War One, it resumed in 1921. Wanting to show the world that America produced the best cars, brothers Fred and Augie Duesenberg, both naturalized US citizens, built four machines to compete at the Le Mans circuit. Duesenbergs were potent racing models in the States, with their 183ci engines. But European cars at the time had significantly larger and more powerful motors.

To give the Duesenbergs an ‘unfair advantage’, as another American outfit would later claim, these automobiles were equipped with hydraulic brakes on all four wheels – a first for any car. This gave them a significant edge in

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‘Why has America had such an on-again, offagain relationship with what is considered the world’s greatest singleday sporting event?’

the corners and helped bring Jimmy Murphy the win. It would not be until four decades later when another American, driving an Americanbuilt car, would win an international GP race – Dan Gurney in his Eagle in 1967 at Spa. The Duesenbergs that competed at the 1921 French GP, as well as the other machinery in the competition, were purpose-built race cars. In 1923, a group organized under the L’Automobile Club de l’Ouest proposed a 24-hour event strictly for production models at Le Mans. These had to be standard versions of cataloged cars, and originally there needed to be 30 identical examples present at the race for verification.

The rationale for this was that only by competing against each other could the technology and quality of production cars be improved. One of the organizers, Emile Coquille, remarked that if motorists were to drive at night, it would be a good thing to hold a race “for the sole reason of making manufacturers perfect their electrical apparatus”.

The idea of 24-hour races, or ‘twice-aroundthe-clock endurance derbies’ as they were called, actually originated in America. As early as 1905, 24-hour events were being held in Ohio and the Point Breeze district of Philadelphia.

But auto competition in the US quickly moved to horse-racing venues, and the cars were transformed from production-based models to pure motor-sport machines. Some of the early proving grounds, such as the Indianapolis track, adapted over to racing with admission-paying spectators. There was little interest in this country in competition on public roads using production cars. Indeed, there was virtually no road racing in America until after WW2.

But ‘stock car’ events did exist in the US, albeit they were not nearly as popular as the purpose-built racers that ran at Indianapolis and board tracks across the country. One early proponent of stock cars was Fred Moskovics, president of the Stutz Motor Company. Stutz had been one of the few American marques to consider entering the Le Mans 24 Hours, already established by the late 1920s as the most important sportscar race in the world. (A Model T Ford ran in the first Le Mans, but was not a factory effort.) The Stutz Black Hawk Speedster 64

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‘The idea of 24-hour races, or “twice-aroundthe-clock endurance derbies” as they were called, actually originated in America’

LEFT FROM TOP Briggs Cunningham’s aerodynamic Cadillac Le Monstre from 1950 was followed up the following year by the Chrysler Hemi-powered C-2Rs.

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was a potent road car, with 115bhp and a streamlined body. Moskovics had consulted with Ettore Bugatti on its cylinder-head design, and word reached Europe of the potency of this car to break the Bentley domination in the late 1920s.

Moskovics sent a four-seat (a contemporary rules requirement) Black Hawk to the 1928 Le Mans, to be driven by two Frenchmen who had experience in the event. The Stutz showed its potential by finishing a close second to the 4½ Litre Bentley of Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin. Extending America’s success were two Chrysler 72s, coming in third and fourth.

Stutz returned the next year with a trio of 6½-liter, supercharged Model M Le Mans fourseaters. Keeping this from being a pure all-US venture was the need to have them entered by two French teams and a single British. One of the cars – now in the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia – led the race for a significant time before succumbing to a split gas tank.

Also in the 1929 event was another US car, a Du Pont Model G. This was the first entry of an American automobile with American drivers: Charles Moran and the New York Du Pont dealer Alfredo Miranda, the latter of whom was born in Mexico but held dual citizenship. The car they brought was a beautiful four-seater with a 322ci Continental engine boasting 125bhp. Starting second on the grid, Moran had just settled into a pace for the long race when one of the 120lb sandbags required as ballast to replicate passengers came loose, broke through the floorboards and bent the driveshaft.

By the early 1930s, the world had fallen into depression and America entered a period of isolation. Racing in this country was almost exclusively on oval tracks, except for a small contingent in the Northeast. Avid road racers, including the Collier brothers – Barron Jr, Miles (who raced an MG at Le Mans in the 1930s, the fourth American to enter) and Sam – formed the Automobile Racing Club of America. ARCA held several events every year from 1930 to the onset of WW2. They originally took place on the driveway of the Colliers’ estate, Overlook. These were the only instances of road racing in America at this time, featuring the first appearances of MG, 65

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Alfa Romeo and Bentley in this country.

One of the most avid competitors in the ARCA events was Briggs Swift Cunningham.

Briggs came from a wealthy Cincinnati banking family; his father was an early investor in a local soap company, Procter & Gamble.

Cunningham was a ‘sportsman’, not a playboy as many with his wealth would choose to be. He felt it was his obligation to use his fortune to represent America in international competition. Probably the high point for his efforts was winning the America’s Cup in 1958 with the 12-meter yacht Columbia.

But his real passion was racing sportscars, and his ultimate goal was to win Le Mans with a US team. He began this quest in 1950 by entering two modified Cadillacs: one with a stock body, and the other with aerodynamic panels that were so radical it was nicknamed ‘Le Monstre’ by the French. The two cars finished in tenth and 11th places. Encouraged, Cunningham enlisted the support of two experienced racers, Phil Walters and Bill Frick, to launch the Cunningham Motor Company in West Palm Beach. The first car they built, the C-2R, had prodigious power from its Chrysler Hemi engine, but was very heavy at 4000lb.

Cunningham entered three C-2Rs in 1951, and one, driven by Walters and John Fitch, led for six hours until it had bearing issues. The other two were involved in accidents due to heavy rain. The team returned to Florida and started work on the C-4R, a car that would go on to win 74 percent of its starts in American races, including the 1953 Sebring 12 Hours, and finish an astounding 84 percent of those it entered.

But despite this record of reliability, two of the C-4Rs entered at Le Mans in 1952 did not finish. A third came in fourth overall. The next year, all three Cunninghams finished in the top ten, including one of the new C-5Rs. In 1954, the swan year for the C4-R, a Cunningham came in third overall and won its class, tying the team’s best finish at Le Mans.

After 1954, Briggs chose to pursue his goal of an outright win at Le Mans with cars from other manufacturers: Jaguar, Chevrolet and 66

Maserati. Unfortunately, none was able to deliver the holy grail of a Le Mans trophy to him.

Road racing grew quickly in America after the war, led by the running of the Sebring 12 Hours. Many American drivers were becoming international names, including Richie Ginther, Dan Gurney and Phil Hill. The last of these starred at Ferrari, and won Le Mans in 1958, ’61 and ’62, along with the 1961 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship. Another was a chicken farmer from Texas named Carroll Shelby, who got a ride with the Aston Martin sportscar team and won the 1959 Le Mans.

Shortly after his victory, Shelby was forced to retire from racing due to heart issues, and instead he turned his attention to his vendetta to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. In 1962, he began building his Ford V8-powered Cobra, which fired the first salvo in the Ford vs Ferrari war.

In 1964, his Cobra Daytona coupes took their class at Le Mans, and in 1965 the Manufacturers’ Championship, but these cars were not capable of winning Le Mans outright.

At the same time Shelby was developing his Cobras, Blue Oval executives were involved in extensive discussions with Enzo Ferrari to create a Ford-Ferrari entity to both race and build production machines. Claiming the lawyers’ demands were too restrictive, in May 1963 Enzo pulled out of negotiations. But Roy Lunn, a British engineer who’d come over from Ford in England and had racing experience, was ready with a contingent plan within days.

Lunn’s team had produced a mid-engined concept vehicle the year before, the Mustang I. This team began work on a sports racer that could conquer Ferrari at Le Mans; an event the Italian company had won over the past three years, and six times since 1949. The new car, dubbed the GT40 due to being only 40 inches high, was the first race machine to be designed with computers, and it was capable of speeds approaching 200mph on the eightmile Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans.

The GT40 showed promise in 1964, but did not finish a race, much less win. At Le Mans, the cars were very fast yet the transmissions M1 MOMENTUM

ABOVE Cobra Daytona took its Le Mans class in 1964, as well as the ’65 Manufacturers’ Championship.

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‘The Cobra Daytona coupes – the first salvo in the Ford vs Ferrari war – were not capable of winning Le Mans outright’ M1 MOMENTUM

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were a weak link. Ford returned in 1965 with the MkII, a 427ci monster that was even faster but had not had sufficient development. A Ferrari again came in first, although this time it was an entry from Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team that was co-driven by countryman Masten Gregory. This was the last time Ferrari won Le Mans. Interestingly, Chinetti himself technically was the first American to score gold at La Sarthe, since he was in the process of becoming a naturalized citizen when he won in 1949, delivering the inaugural Ferrari victory at Le Mans.

After the 1965 event, Henry Ford II had given the Blue Oval executive in charge of the racing effort, Leo Beebe, a note saying: “We better win!” and a blank check with which to accomplish the mission. Over the next year, the MkII was thoroughly tested and refined using computer simulations to run the drivetrain through the 24-hour race until it could perform flawlessly. Weak points, especially the transmissions and brakes, were addressed and workable solutions found. By the 1966 event, the MkII had demonstrated its dominance with wins at Daytona and Sebring.

At Le Mans, Ford entered no fewer than eight MkIIs: three each for Shelby and HolmanMoody, and two for the British Alan Mann team. The drivers were an eclectic mix of Americans (Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti), 68

ABOVE Close, but still not an all-American effort: Ford GT40 MkII of New Zealanders McLaren and Amon wins the 1966 Le Mans.

‘In 1967, Ford’s desire for an all-American win at Le Mans finally came to fruition. Gurney and Foyt were on the victory podium spraying Champagne’ M1 MOMENTUM

New Zealanders (Chris Amon, Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren) and other nationalities.

Initially the American team of Gurney and Jerry Grant led, and then Ken Miles and Hulme, but it was the MkII of Amon and McLaren that determined the winner amid a controversial finish.

Also entered for the first time at Le Mans was another American team, the Chaparrals, built by Texan Jim Hall and driven by Phil Hill alongside Jo Bonnier of Sweden. They would not finish in 1966, but continued to campaign into the ’67 season. With their limited resources compared to Ford and Ferrari, none of their entries was able to finish at Le Mans, although they did win at the Nürburgring in 1966.

In 1967, Ford’s desire for an all-American win at Le Mans finally came to fruition. Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt were on the victory podium spraying Champagne, a tradition Dan inaugurated. The winning car was the GT40 MkIV, a completely new design, engineered and built by Kar-Kraft in the US. Not since Jimmy Murphy in his GP Duesenberg had American drivers won at La Sarthe driving an American car.

The GT40 went on to win Le Mans in 1968 and 1969 wearing the Gulf colors and prepared

by John Wyer, the original Ford racing manager.

But these did not have American drivers.

Indeed, no all-American car-and-driver teams have seriously vied for the overall win at Le Mans since 1967. Corvette certainly has had a strong presence there for several decades, taking numerous GT class wins. Perhaps this year, with Cadillac and Glickenhaus both competing for top honors, we will at least see an American car win again. But, why has it taken more than 50 years to witness an effort this strong?

The late collector/historian Fred Simeone devoted a section of his world-famous museum to showcasing America’s infrequent efforts at Le Mans, with examples of Stutz, Du Pont, Cunningham and Ford cars that competed in the 24-hour race. In his book, The Spirit of Competition, he observed: “Unquestionably, the Le Mans 24 Hours gradually developed from its 1923 beginnings as a sportscar race into the Olympics of the sport. Always attracting international attention, and the highlight of the European racing calendar, a victory in this event heralded unparalleled approbation.

“Why then would not the greatest automotive-manufacturing nation want to compete and show the superiority of its vehicles? There is no answer.”

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A M E R I C A N S AT L E M A N S

SUCCESS BY DESIGN

WORDS D AV I D L I L LY W H I T E PHOTOGRAPHY STELLANTIS

Stellantis chief design officer Ralph Gilles has been responsible for many iconic American cars of the past 30 years – and he’s also an M1 Concourse garage owner

RALPH GILLES INTERVIEW

What got you interested in car design?

It started with an enthusiasm for cars before I even knew much about design. As a six- or seven-year-old, I just noticed the difference between vehicles that made my heart beat and others that were boring. If I had a visceral reaction towards the car, I tended to look into it – to understand who made it, why this one was making me feel this way while others didn’t.

I grew up in Canada, in an era that had a lot of cars as heroes on television and in the movies.

The automobile was almost like part of the cast, a personality: Smokey and the Bandit, Dukes of Hazzard, Condorman, Magnum PI...

In the 1970s, designers were going through a transition. Everything was shrinking into more economic sizes; the boxy look was in, there was front-wheel drive, muscle cars were dying. So as a young person, I’m like: “What’s happening?

All my favorite stuff is on the chopping block.”

So that makes you even more appreciative of it.

I started doodling and asking my parents to buy me car magazines. I loaded up on feeding myself as much information as I could. I was in love with the engineering aspects and the technical part of it, as well as the styling.

How did that translate to what you do now?

Long story short, I saw car design as a hobby more than a career path. I thought I’d go into, say, engineering or physics, because I always loved to tinker. Like a lot of young enthusiasts, I would make plastic model cars by the dozen – and I’d also destroy them!

We grew up in a great time and, of course, being in Montreal the Formula 1 circus would come to town every summer. The town would just be teeming with activity, and then all the supercars from the northeast would end up in downtown Montreal. Just walking the streets, you would be overstimulated.

So all that was swimming around in my brain. And I’ve never stopped sketching. I was always drawing cars, just to relieve all this excitement somehow. I spent summer breaks in New York at my aunt’s house, and one time she saw me passing time sketching. She said: “You really like to do this, don’t you?”

I was 16 or 17 years old at the time. The company that was on TV the most happened to be Chrysler, doing car commercials. My aunt said: “We should write a letter to Lee Iacocca.”

So she did, on my behalf, and they answered it [suggesting Ralph attend one of three design schools]. So that’s kind of where it all started.

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‘If I had a visceral reaction towards a car, I tended to look into it – why this one was making me feel this way while others didn’t’

ABOVE Speedkore helped create Ralph’s 1968 Dodge Charger, a 1000bhp restomod dubbed ‘Hellucination’. “It stops people dead in their tracks,” Gilles says.

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What happened next?

I started at a local school, and actually dropped out. I wasn’t good at physics as it turns out, or that level of calculus and trigonometry [laughs].

So I dropped out, and I started working at a local hardware store, unpacking, unloading semi trucks, thinking that would be my life.

But then my brother came home and met me on spring break – he was in med school – and asked me where this letter from Chrysler was.

I’d kind of just put it to the side. After a little bitch slapping – excuse my French! – he had me do some homework and call the design school.

This was in 1987, I guess. There was no internet, so we called the school and they said: “Well, you need ten pieces by March 15.” And it was literally a week from that time. So we stayed up counting coffee, my first series of coffee drinks in my life, and then we sketched and sketched, and overnighted it to them, and they accepted me – and then it was exciting. Wow, I get to actually go to the US! Detroit at the time seemed like it was on the other side of the world.

My parents dropped me off that September, after I’d worked all summer at the hardware store. When I landed, it felt like going to the X-Men mansion and seeing all these quirky artists – not just car designers, but all kinds. I felt so at home, like these are my people. And for the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

You joined Chrysler in 1992. Is it true you soon got involved in some big projects?

Yes! For that, I have to give credit to Tom Gale, Trevor Creed and John Herlitz, even the great Bob Lutz. The company was very open minded at the time, very flexible – we were doing the cab-forward designs. And while I was in school, the Portofino concept car came out and Chrysler was really showing where it was headed. It really was trying to change the look and the proportions of vehicles.

They threw us – all the young hires – in at the deep end. Chrysler had gone through a bankruptcy, and it just hired a batch of fresh minds. They wanted to see what we could do, so I got thrown into some pretty big programs.

I did the Dodge Intrepid concept’s interior, then a Jeep Jeepster and the Concorde LHS. By 30, I was director of the rear-drive studio.

I’d joined full time when I was 22, so just eight years to become a director was unheard of then. I thought: “What is going on?” I felt a bit overwhelmed by such an opportunity...

Actually, I didn’t see it as an opportunity, I saw

it as a scary moment in a way. It was exciting, but I felt a little unprepared. However, they surrounded me with good people, which has always been the case.

Which projects are you most proud of?

Well, I like the ones that people collect. I call it the car-club effect. You know, we have people who join clubs for the vehicle that they choose to own, drive and enjoy. And those would be models such as the Challenger, Magnum, 300 and Viper – all that type of performance car that has real presence on the road.

I found that working on Jeeps, too – there are a lot of Jeep clubs! I love this dynamic that a car is not just a device that gets you from point A to point B, it’s something more. It’s those vehicles that punctuate a culture, punctuate a time and create friendships.

Now, as the company has grown and merged with several other great brands, we have an incredible portfolio. I have always loved Alfa Romeo, I have always respected Maserati, and to know that these brands are within our quiver is just amazing.

Are you able to work across all the brands?

I design, with my team, all the North American brands, so Ram Truck, Dodge and also Maserati – which was from when I had Maserati when we were FCA. I had all the Italian brands for eight years or so. It was amazing – I got to work on the new generation of Alfas, the new 500Es, some other Fiats – but when the companies merged, it became quite big, so we decided to cut it down the middle and divide the workload.

What do you think of current car design?

It’s bonkers! I mean, first of all, our industry has never been more competitive. There really is no such thing as a bad car. They have become very reliable, very well engineered and well made. So the brand’s story is ever more important. It’s something we have always respected, but it’s even more important now that as we design a car, we’re trying to build on that je ne sais quoi, the brand manifesto.

Every time you create a new model you have to think of continuing this. It’s almost like a DNA string that goes back, in our case, 100 years or whatever. You don’t want to break that M1 MOMENTUM

chain, you have to make it stronger. These great storied brands have a lot of very adamant owners who are watching the scenery closely.

And in our case, we’re striving for the future as well. We don’t want to be beholden to our past so much that we are stuck by it. But how do you cherry pick that and augment what you’re doing towards the future? So it’s a constant balance of respecting your past but forging ahead with this electrification story. We’re trying to create EVs that you want to drive, not that you feel you have to drive. There’s a big difference.

How do you do that; it’s not easy, is it?

No, it isn’t. First of all, you surround yourself with people who love what they do. A good car starts at the foundation. If you don’t have good fundamental proportions, you’re dead in the water. Style all you want, but it won’t age well.

So we work hand in glove with engineering.

I consider myself probably one-third engineer the way I think, so I can speak their language, and I’ve trained my team to also almost know the boundaries better than the engineers, so you can design around them instead of fighting 73

RALPH GILLES INTERVIEW

them. That all started with Tom Gale being head of design in the 1990s. He was an engineer.

What are the biggest challenges now?

It’s multipronged. Part of it is the ever-changing regulations. We’re okay, we know them, we have a really good team that keeps us abreast of what is going on. It’s more the fact that as we design we’re considering sustainability more than ever.

It’s not just styling a cool car anymore, right?

Stellantis’s carbon-neutrality goals start in earnest in 2030; we hope to reach carbon neutrality in 2038, a bit ahead of even the Paris agreement. And that comes with a huge rethink; how do the components get upcycled? How can you upcycle materials that have gone through a few cycles? A designer was once just styling oriented. Now we are considering materials, setting up all kinds of upcycling techniques… you have to be aware of many dimensions.

Which aspect do you most enjoy?

I like the ‘innocent’ phase; the ideation phase.

Sometimes we start off with napkin sketches, scratchy doodles. They can start off the size of a coaster; we blow them up, put them up and that might be the one which wins. Why? Because it just makes your heart beat faster – something about it has character.

So the ideation phase is understood. We want the designers not to be too obsessed with all the rules, just to sketch what feels good, and we go from there. And, of course, that first time you show it to the public is always fun. When we revealed the Ram concept, it was wild to hear the oohs and ahhs – and you get feedback instantly on your social media.

Were you expecting to receive the EyesOn Design Lifetime Achievement Award?

No, not at all! All my heroes are in there. It still shakes me to the core to think about it. First of all, I feel young – like it’s something that would happen ten years from now maybe. So that part is shocking. Also, it’s hugely meaningful to me that this Lifetime Achievement Award is voted in by the previous winners – it’ll take me years to really come to terms with.

The awards always take place somewhere different, so we are happy that we’re going to have it at the Conner Center [the old Viper production plant]. It’s fun – a great place. We developed it right before Covid, but we weren’t able to really exercise it, so this will be a good opportunity to show it off.

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then you had the muscle-car era, so we had a lot of interesting things happening – and the Brits were still there with the E-type. A lot of neat things were going on.

The ’68 Charger is a favorite. It still stops people dead in their tracks, yet it’s more than 50 years old; older than me.

‘We want the designers not to be too obsessed with all the rules, just to sketch what feels good, and we go from there’ What do you love about historic cars?

I’m an honorary judge at four of the US’s major concours. It’s interesting, because on one side you have much older people reminiscing about the cars they love. And you’re also starting to see a younger crowd – and people who look at cars as investments, almost like trading art.

What really shakes me to the core is realizing that we’re creating valuable things. They are not disposable items. People will own these vehicles for decades and hopefully centuries.

It’s amazing – some of our vehicles now operate in that ilk. That’s definitely eye opening.

I’ll go to, say, The Amelia and see everything under the sun from the brass era to cars that are only 20 years old, and they’re all relevant to someone, they all matter to somebody. Being exposed to that passion is amazing.

Do you have a favorite era and kind of car?

Well, that’s a tough one. I have a thing about the 1960s, because it was right before the regulations got really tough. The technology was starting to get interesting and the times were still in a romantic phase. You had the Lamborghinis, and some of the cool angular design overtones that were trying to be futuristic with these very edgy looks. It was kind of a free-for-all. And M1 MOMENTUM

Can you tell us more about your own cars?

Well, I have got a lot of Mopars, because I’ve worked for the company. A Viper, and I’ve had Challengers. I have a Peugeot 205, which I restored, and I’ve got Alfa Romeo GTVs – a ’68, a ’69 and a mid-1980s race car. I’ve got a Lancia Delta Integrale rally car, and I’ve got others... but I can’t tell you about those, because they’re other brands [laughs].

And you also have a garage at M1 Concourse?

Yes! I’m very lucky, it’s literally a ten-minute drive from where I work and 15 minutes from where I live, so it’s a really good place to let loose, especially in spring and summertime.

There’s always something interesting going on; the garages are open, people have their toys out… it’s the coolest country club in the world. I don’t play golf, so this is a great way to build a network. There’s probably two degrees of separation in the entire community, so you kind of get to know people very quickly and you’re all connected somehow.

My garage is a diorama of my life. It’s a place where I can put memorabilia, trophies, art… I love automotive art, especially from other car designers. The garage has a lift, so I can do minor repairs. And it’s going to have a video simulator for training. It isn’t a bachelor pad, though, because I share it with my family. I drive the Alfa race car on the track, and I have a Radical, too.

There’s something about this car-enthusiast space that I find very peaceful, when you look at all the things that surround us in modern times. Having cars in common has been a great equalizer; something that has allowed me to integrate into new places quickly. No matter what your walk of life may be or who you are, if you love a car or design, it overrides everything else. It’s incredible. If the rest of the world was like the car community, it’d be an amazing place.

So when a venue like M1 is constructed that basically creates a cauldron for that dynamic, a place for it to happen more readily, more easily, more often, it’s just awesome.

For more on Ralph’s Lifetime Achievement Award, please see www.eyesondesign.org.

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SWING OPEN THE FLIMSY DOOR. SIT yourself on the wide side-pod and flip your legs into the cockpit. As your feet find the neat steps built into the composite monocoque, you lower yourself into the thinly padded seat. Pick up the removable steering wheel from the passenger seat and click it into place.

Press the starter button in the center console.

The engine fires noisily into life… and now you have a choice: onto the track or out onto the highway? Because this really is about as close as you can get to the cliched ‘race car for the road’.

Praga refers to the new Bohema slightly differently, perhaps conscious of political correctness – although only just. The company calls the model a “track-focused road-legal hypercar”, but of more interest is that it weighs 78

just 2165lb, or only a fraction over a ton, and produces 720bhp. However you want to refer to the Bohema, you know it’s going to be one helluva ride – and with just 89 being built at $1.28 million each, you won’t come across many of them. (If you do want to see one, the first demonstrator will be touring the US in the Fall).

Some history here, so you can appreciate the background: Praga, named after – and based around – Prague in Eastern Europe’s Czech Republic, has its roots in a heavy-engineering company of the late 1800s. Its first cars came in 1907, initially as licensed Isotta Fraschini copies before developing its own products.

By the mid-1920s it boasted a full range, and in 1933 one of its six-cylinder Alfa models won the inaugural 1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia M1 MOMENTUM

ABOVE These early prototypes show the development phases, including the small extra blade on the rear wing of the white car.

‘However you refer to the Bohema, you know it’s going to be one helluva ride – and with just 89 being built, you won’t come across many of them’

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PRAGA BOHEMA

road race – the country’s equivalent of Italy’s famous Mille Miglia.

Alongside the cars, Praga was also building tough, go-anywhere trucks, which became its focus from 1947, when Czechoslovakia’s new Communist government instructed the brand to leave automobile building to Skoda and Tatra. It wasn’t until the fall of Communism that Praga was able to reset its agenda, which came with its own problems after years of being state run.

Eventually its new private owners introduced motocross bikes alongside the venerable trucks, then bought a kart factory, which has since grown to such an extent that Praga now makes more than 7000 chassis a year.

With an aero division as well, the firm finally went back into cars in 2012 with the V8 R4S, soon followed by the more race-focused Renault Alpine four-cylinder mid-engined R1, for which there is now the popular Praga Cup as well as eligibility in sportscar racing worldwide.

With the success of the R1 race car, the clear next step seemed to be a road-legal, trackfocused model. Praga initially tried converting the R1 to road spec, resulting in the 2016 R1R, but the team wasn’t happy with the compromises needed, and started to develop an all-new design – which we now know as the Bohema.

It’s built around a composite monocoque, designed with aerodynamics and light weight foremost in priority. Suspension is by racestyle pushrod-operated horizontal dampers, braking by carbon-ceramic discs and sixpiston calipers, and the engine is a 3.8-liter Nissan PL38DETT twin-turbo V6 unit, as

‘The engine idles noisily behind the cockpit, the Bohema feeling like it’s straining on a leash to get a move on’ 80

used in all GT-R models ever since 2007.

Unusually, Praga is able to buy the motors new from Nissan. It ships them to renowned GT-R specialist Litchfield Engineering in the UK to be rebuilt with a dry-sump system (allowing the engine to sit lower in the car), stronger turbos and other mods that are said to unleash 720bhp at 6800rpm. It’s mounted on a separate subframe rather than directly to the monocoque, to cut down on noise and vibration, and it drives the rear wheels via a six-speed paddle-shift Hewland sequential ’box.

Knowing that high quality is non-negotiable at this price, Praga has the Bohema finalassembled at WRC rally driver Roman Kresta’s obsessively neat Kresta Racing HQ, following his development work there of the R1.

It’s a great-looking car, especially in the electric blue of one of the two prototypes here.

It has been designed in-house using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and verified in a wind tunnel by Praga’s small team of engineers and designers, led by Juraj Mitro.

The aim was always for the lightest weight possible, so there’s no active aero, but downforce in standard mode is over 2000lb at 155mph – and testing with Praga development driver Josef Král, and F1 and IndyCar star Romain Grosjean, revealed that a small additional blade on the existing rear wing made a significant difference to cornering grip.

The outlook from that snug, neatly trimmed cockpit is all about the near-panoramic view through the wraparound windshield, for whose wipers the Praga engineers had to come up with an ingenious solution. The side mirrors, mounted on long stalks, give a clear rear view; more than can be said of many hypercars, and crucial here because there’s no rear window.

Back to our drive. The engine’s idling and the Bohema is begging to go, but first a quick look around the cabin, which so far has surprised everyone with its high quality and inspired design touches. There are various clever pockets and storage cubbies, plus luggage areas in the exterior pods, and the trim in Alcantara and leather is to a high standard. The same

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ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Storage areas in the sidepods come with bespoke luggage; the removable steering wheel is a leather-trimmed work of art.

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ABOVE Bohema is simply “amazing”, according to motor sport star and Praga development driver Romain Grosjean.

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goes for all the neat cast and 3D-printed metal components, such as the sprung cradle that holds a smartphone for use as a sat-nav or data-logger. Air-con controls are in a tiny roof console, and the doors are opened using an electronic button, although there is also a mechanical release in the roof in case of failure.

The steering wheel is a minor work of art: tiny but weighty, it incorporates a central digital screen, gearshift paddles, indicator and wiper switches, and neat mode-selection dials all built in. The column adjusts but the seat is fixed, adjustable only for angle. Instead, the pedal box moves back and forwards. The steering wheel is adjustable, too, and sculpted cut-outs for the passenger’s elbows and forearms allow room for two adults in the narrow cockpit without getting in each other’s way.

How do I know? Because my first two rides in the Bohema were as a passenger, initially on bumpy British back roads, and then on the fast, technical curves of the Slovakia Ring with Romain Grosjean – and that finally brings us back to how this fascinating machine drives.

From the very start, it’s clear that this is all about raw performance. The engine idles noisily behind the cockpit, and the gearbox clunks into first, the Bohema feeling like it’s straining on a leash to get a move on.

Out onto the road, and the suspension is race-car firm but smoother than it has any right to be over the bumps, without the expected bangs or crashes through the suspension. The asphalt is narrow and the traffic is initially heavy, but the Bohema accelerates violently when there’s room, snaking a little under hard throttle on the greasy roads. The gearshifts come in without much subtlety, accompanied by plenty of transmission noise that’s then M1 MOMENTUM

overlaid by the sharp exhaust and throaty intake soundtracks under heavy acceleration.

It’s raucous but not uncomfortable, and even at speed talking normally is quite possible.

If the Bohema seems ferocious on the road, it really comes into its own on the track. Where many high-performance street cars begin to feel out of sorts on a circuit, the Bohema embraces the laps, never feeling like it’s cosseting the driver, the aero allowing everhigher cornering rates and the brakes pulling down the speed time after time without fading.

Go too hot into a corner and it will naturally understeer a little, for safety, but deliberately provoke it and the tail will slide out with complete predictability. If you’ve done the GT3 thing to death, this is an obvious next step – less sophisticated, more exciting.

In the hands of pro drivers, you’d think it would begin to suffer, but even Romain Grosjean emerged after several hot laps with a huge grin on his face. “It really behaves like a race car; more like a single-seater, in fact, because there’s the aero and the downforce,” he said. “I was driving it thinking: ‘This could be a prototype, I could actually be testing to go to Le Mans.’ And then you come into the pitlane and drive it away on the road. Amazing!”

A few weeks later, Top Gear’s ‘Stig’ evaluated the Bohema for Praga, and echoed Romain’s sentiments: “Fabulous car! I am actually missing it. Overall, it’s really addictive to drive fast. I know of no other super/hypercar that you drive relentlessly, without any mercy, until you run out of fuel, and then do it again.”

Somehow the Bohema keeps on the justcivilized side of competition-car manners, despite the compromises brought about by the dedication to aerodynamics and weight saving.

How long before we see one at M1 Concourse?

Who knows – but it’ll be quite a sight.

For more details, see www.pragaglobal.com.

‘I know of no other super/hypercar that you drive relentlessly until you run out of fuel, and then do it again’

F O S N O C I D R A W D O WO E U N AVE

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We pay tribute to the glory days of 1960s street racing, when muscle, style and stealth marked out the true winners in the horsepower wars WORDS N AT H A N C H A D W I C K PHOTOGRAPHY J A M ES H A E F N E R / M EC U M

IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE ‘SOCIAL media’ meant hand-written notes with coordinates for illicit street races, rather than a repository for internet bile. Or where ‘social networking’ involved lining the sidewalks of Woodward Avenue, the air filled with the sweet smell of tire smoke. Imagine a glorious symphony of V8 roars, working the baying crowd to ever-higher levels of excitement as heroes were made and legends were born.

It was a glorious era, when Detroit’s Big Three had a nudge-nudge, wink-wink approach to such activities. The suits could never officially endorse street racing, of course, but underneath lay the beating heart of genuine car guys. With a win on the street, they knew their sales figures would be hard to beat…

Woodward Avenue was the battleground for a four-wheeled arms race between Ford, GM and Chrysler, each determined to outdo each other with ever more powerful and extreme muscle cars. Petrol-heads would spend all week tweaking, tuning and perfecting their ride to take on the best local talent between

the lights at the weekend. It was a time of great possibility. Put the right amount of effort in, and with perhaps a dose of luck, the win could be yours – the American Dream painted in large black stripes down the public road.

Out of these emotive times great stories abound – not just the cars, the triumphs and the tragedies, but the social history, too; lifelong love affairs formed in brake-light-illuminated parking lots – and not just for the motors.

It’s this passion – for the cars, we might add – that drives M1 Concourse today. The influence of those heady times lives on far and wide; the concept of street racing that was developed and encouraged by manufacturers in the 1960s has been taken up around the globe. Without the white-hot battle for Saturday-night supremacy in the center of Detroit, the entire car world, let alone its enthusiast angle, would look very different.

Such pride in our history is what forms the basis of M1 Concourse – and what better way to demonstrate that than to bring together three of the biggest legends from this magical time?

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THE MOST FAMOUS PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE GTX wasn’t even silver to begin with – it was blue.

Even more ironically, its early life as a Chrysler Engineering test mule was dedicated to boosting product durability rather than performance.

That all changed in 1969 when, testing duties at an end, the car was sold to Sunoco mechanic and revered Mopar guru James Addison. Chrysler was well aware of his activities; a core group of its engineers and marketing guys knew that winning on track wasn’t enough to win the hearts and minds of young buyers. The idea was simple – bring a seemingly stock car to the people.

Of course, Plymouth couldn’t outwardly endorse illegal behavior, so when it sold the car to Addison for just a dollar, it knew what would happen next. Although the GTX looked like any standard Plymouth by the time he’d finished with it, the doors, fenders and decklid were made from weight-shaving glassfiber. The need to keep the weight down extended to using A100 van seats, stripping off all undercoating and replacing steel fasteners with aluminum. At 3000lb, the car’s new weight was some 500lb less than standard.

The engine was truly special: a stroked 487ci Hemi with over-sized TRW pistons, 4.25in stroker crank, Racer Brown camshaft and ten-quart oil pan. The compression ratio was 12.0:1, while easy access to a Sunoco gas station meant that the car benefited from 260 high-octane gas…

There were ported 1965 A-990 aluminum heads, and Jimmy also installed a magnesium cross-ram intake and dual Holley 780 carbs. Yet it was the exhaust system that was perhaps the most fascinating part of the GTX. It would’ve been easy to let the car roar away into the night, but then it would have been obvious this Plymouth was a moonshot away from being stock. Instead,

‘It could crack the quarter mile in 10.50 seconds at 132mph – fast now, astounding at the time. It was known as being unbeatable’ 86

Addison worked with a Chrysler dyno operator to come up with a bespoke system – big-tube Hooker headers feeding into two pairs of threeinch head pipes. Two mufflers sat where the standard dual exhausts would have been, and two sat under the driver and passenger seats for minimum back pressure and to keep noise to a reasonable level. What’s more striking is that they were Cadillac mufflers – all the better to prevent scaring away would-be competitors.

Addison wasn’t done yet; the 11in GTX drum brakes were junked in favor of lightweight teninch units, and to stop the car shaking over bumps, the lower control-arm rebound rubbers and the Soft Slant Six torsion bars were cranked down.

The rear suspension, meanwhile, featured A-990 Super Stock leaf springs, long Imperial dampers and an adjustable pinion snubber. The rear axle was an 83/4in unit with standard shafts, with huge M&H slick tires. To hide all that extra rubber from the outwardly stock exterior, Addison carved vertical slices into the quarter panels to fit, and then welded over the gap. The trans, meanwhile, was a modified TorqueFlite automatic, and to finish it all off, the Plymouth was painted silver.

The final car could crack the quarter mile in 10.50 seconds at 132mph – fast now, astounding at the time. Pretty soon the GTX became known far and wide as being unbeatable, with Addison regularly featuring in magazines of the era and challenged to races across the US. James, who it is claimed took to street racing to supplement his household income, became a legend, as did the car. Its Silver Bullet nickname was coined in September 1971’s Car Craft; and despite the violent moniker and huge thrust, Addison refused to use a seatbelt, let alone fit a rollbar. He sold the Bullet in 1973 just as he was working on its likely successor, a Hemi-powered Plymouth Duster. Sadly the thin-gauge steel didn’t survive the acid dipping – and then the fuel crisis hit. Ultimately the Bullet had no heir. Addison sold his Sunoco garage in the late ’70s and, later in life, enjoyed a second career as a cab driver.

The Silver Bullet, meanwhile, languished with several keepers before it was brought back to life by current owner Harold Sullivan, who watched the car compete in period. There have been some spec changes: Dart aluminum heads, Stage V roller rockers and a wider camshaft grind, plus a new Hemi block. With these tweaks to the original recipe, be in no doubt that the Silver Bullet is still as deadly as it was back in the day.

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1 Silver Bullet

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2 Black Ghost

OPPOSITE With its 426ci Hemi and four-speed manual transmission, this 1970 Challenger R/T Special Edition was a true one-of-a-kind car.

IN THE EARLY 1970S A MYSTERIOUS DODGE Challenger used to roam Woodward Avenue, Telegraph Avenue and Stecker. A low burble from its 426ci Hemi announced its arrival, and a flash of white from the bumblebee stripe was all that most street racers could see as it rocketed away into the Detroit night, leaving them in its wake.

And then… nothing. The car would appear for a few runs and beat those who were brave enough to take on this mysterious machine, and then it would vanish for months at a time, earning it the name Black Ghost.

The reason for this would only become clear many years later. Its owner was Godfrey Qualls, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and a recipient of the Purple Heart.

He was also a Detroit cop…

However, Qualls was an avowed Mopar fan as well, inheriting his love of the brand from his father, Cleolous, who had moved from Tennessee to Detroit two years after Godfrey’s birth, to take a job at Chrysler’s Warren Truck factory. His dad loved racing – even taking Godfrey to the Indy 500 – and ran a black-andpink 1955 Dodge Custom Royal four-door with a 270ci Super Red Ram V8 under the hood.

There was inter-brother rivalry with Godfrey’s

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‘A flash of white from the bumblebee stripe was all that most street racers could see as it rocketed away into the Detroit night’

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brother, also called Cleolous, who upon his own discharge from the army ordered a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T complete with a 440ci V8. Not to be outdone, when Godfrey left the military in 1969, he went to the very same dealership and meticulously ordered a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Special Edition. There was no messing about – this was a 426ci Hemi with a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, AM/FM radio, Gator Grain roof, right-hand mirror and locking gas cap. Godfrey also opted for cloth/vinyl seats, because he felt that leather would be too sticky for toasty Detroit summers.

He ended up with what’s believed to be a true one-of-a-kind Challenger.

The Dodge certainly made an impression in its rare appearances, and it was notable for avoiding the usual burger-joint and gas-station hangouts, preferring instead to stalk the shadows. After all, if Godfrey was found out, he would be fired from the police department. The car’s last sighting would be in around 1975, and

OPPOSITE The Dodge lurked in the shadows, earning its Black Ghost moniker.

THIS PAGE Its policeman owner hid it away after the mid-1970s for more than 40 years.

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it wouldn’t be seen in public again for decades.

The reason? Godfrey had become a father, and with even more on the line if he ever got caught street racing, he mothballed the Challenger in a garage. Just before Godfrey’s death on Christmas Eve 2015, the Dodge’s title was passed to his son, Gregory. He’d bring the car back to running condition with the help of Dean Herron, who’d been one of very few people to know the true story of Godfrey and his Challenger. In 2017 it made its public debut at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois, which started a love of car shows for Gregory. It would later win the HVA National Automotive Heritage award at the Chrysler Nationals, and become the 28th National Historic Vehicle Register inductee.

Soon the Black Ghost will be put up for auction – it is due to be the star lot at Dana Mecum’s 36th Original Spring Classic, which will be held this May 12-20 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

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3 F E AT U R E N A M E

Royal Pontiac

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE PONTIAC AS EVER being considered somewhat stodgy – the groundbreaking GTO set up a line that drove the brand to the heart of many a muscle-car fan. However, in the mid-1950s the brand was known for producing solid and functional automobiles – not something to stir the soul of young petrol-heads.

The introduction of the powerful 347ci V8 engine in 1957 went some way towards addressing this – but there was a need for more verve, as called for by Pontiac’s freshly installed general manager, Semon ‘Bunkie’ Knudsen.

He put together a racing program that would include NASCAR and the NHRA, and which necessitated a healthy repository of special factory racing components.

While all this did wonders for the brand’s image and sales figures, some enthusiasts believed that even more could be done. One such person was Ace Wilson Jr, the youthful owner of a Pontiac dealership in Royal Oak, Michigan.

As a huge race fan, he saw the potential in bringing Pontiac’s racing know-how and performance to dealerships’ service departments as a way to boost sales and 94

THIS PAGE A Popular Hot Rodding cover car, this 428ci 1968 Royal Bobcat GTO exemplified the legendary work of Ace Wilson Jr’s Royal Pontiac dealership.

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profits at the showrooms themselves – in doing so, literally bringing power to the people. Pontiac management loved the idea, and encouraged him to develop the project.

By late 1959 Wilson had trained his staff on the craft of making high-performance components available to customers, and he’d also established a special service department to install the parts for customer use. He put together a Royal Pontiac-branded Catalina S/S, too, which boasted 345bhp – enough to crack the 13-second quarter mile at a heady 100mph, which was blisteringly quick for a stock car at the time. Royal Pontiac soon tasted success at the 1960 NHRA Nationals, and would keep winning across the country right up to 1963.

The Pontiac factory pulled out of racing the same year, leaving Royal as the go-to guys for pumping up your Poncho – whether you were a track racer or, more pertinently, a street guy looking for the edge between the lights.

Soon Royal Pontiac was mail ordering parts across the US, while dealership-prepared cars became known as the Royal Bobcats. These could boast up to 38 different upgrades, options and tweaks, and were typically identified via

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Royal Bobcat badging along the flanks.

Pretty soon the Royal Bobcat kit was added to the mail-order parts list, and comprised rocker-arm locking nuts, new rocker-cover gaskets, thinner head gaskets to increase compression, a blocked heat-riser gasket, carburetor re-jetting package, distributorrecurve kit with Mallory points and condenser, new advance stop with lighter weights and springs, plus, of course, Royal Bobcat decals.

At the time you could also order a dragstripready car direct from the Royal Pontiac mechanics – a fully legal NHRA C/stocker.

The garage’s gurus would strip down the powerplant, then blueprint and balance the rotating assembly and rebuild it to racing specification. They’d also fit four-tube equallength headers, electric fuel pump, weighttransfer suspension upgrades, Hurst competition shifter and M&H slick tires.

So many Pontiac owners came to Royal that the dealership set up the Royal Racing Team to offer advice and newsletters with the latest tuning tips and performance options.

So potent were the Bobcat cars that Pontiac itself turned to Royal to prepare its press

THIS PAGE Thanks to the Royal Pontiac treatment, this 1964 GTO boasted a seriously breathed-upon 389ci Tri-Power

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demonstrators. The most notable of these was the ‘ringer’ used in March 1964’s Car and Driver test between a Pontiac GTO and a Ferrari 250GTO. To the outside world, what lay under the Pontiac’s hood was a normal 289ci – instead, it was a Royal Bobcat 421ci tri-power engine punching out an estimated 400bhp. That was enough to beat the Maranello machine in a sprint to 100mph. Have that, Enzo…

All this performance potential filtered down to street racing, with the Pontiac GTO proving to be immensely popular – more than 1000 Bobcat conversions were sold in 1966, the model’s most successful year. The quest for power would continue, however, with 428ci engines sourced from the largest full-size models in Pontiac’s range finding themselves in the smaller confines of the GTO and Firebird, and thus tearing up Woodward Avenue.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and by the late 1960s GM’s appetite for street racing had waned, while Wilson’s own family and colleagues had never been great fans of his work. He sold the Royal Racing Team in 1970, and eventually the dealership itself in 1974. However, the legend of the monster GTOs lives on…

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A MODEL OF PERFECTION

W O R D S D AV I D L I L LY W H I T E P H O T O G R A P H Y A M A LG A M

Amalgam Bespoke creates spectacular personalized 1:8-scale models – the ultimate memento of your car

SO YOU HAVE GOT THE CAR YOU’VE always wanted. You have pictures of it, books on it, maybe even artwork featuring it.

What next? How about a large scale model of your exact car? It could sit in your office, at your home or alongside the real thing in your garage. It will be a thing of beauty.

This is the thinking behind M1 Concourse partner Amalgam Collection’s Bespoke model service, which allows 1:8-scale recreations of specific cars to be crafted using existing Amalgam models as the basis. It’s a much less costly solution than having a full one-off model made – and as the 1:8-scale model of Claude Nahum’s Ford GT40 chassis no. 1078 shows here, the results can be spectacular.

Claude’s GT40 was commissioned in early 2019 and delivered in September of that year.

Amalgam already produced a model of the

AMALGAM BESPOKE MODELS

Gulf-liveried 1969 Le Mans winner, but the many details distinct to chassis 1078 were accurately reproduced for Claude’s Bespoke version. It is a beautiful recreation of a fascinating car, which started its career with the Strathaven team, driven by Mike Salmon and David Piper.

The GT40 was later sold to Alain de Cadenet, who raced it in dark blue and orange, but the original livery was the light metallic green you see here – described on the 1968 build sheet as Borneo Green. It works beautifully on the Amalgam model, catching the light in just the way that the full-size car does. Every decal on the real thing is replicated here, and the same goes for the interior – right down to the trademark brass rings on the seat-ventilation holes.

This is the basis of the Bespoke service, which Amalgam offers on 1:8-scale models. Working from a series of images – “at least half a dozen of the inside and half a dozen of the outside in the first instance,” says founder and managing director Sandy Copeman – it creates a detailed model that replicates an owner’s car spec.

Once the photographs have been analyzed, the team produces CAD designs of any special components specific to the client’s car, which are then created using 3D printing, machining or handcrafting of cast resin. Surfaces are accurately simulated, but because resin shrinkage can occur, the complete set of parts for each individual model is dry assembled before being carefully fettled to ensure a perfect fit. Then it’s

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‘Bespoke team produces CAD designs, which are then created using 3D printing, machining or handcrafting of cast resin’

BELOW AND OPPOSITE Created by Amalgam’s craftspeople, exquisite GT40 model perfectly replicates the full-scale version down to the racing decals and cabin detailing.

all taken apart again to be sanded and painted.

The exterior is finished in automotive paint to ensure authentic finishes, and the interior is detailed right down to the color of the stitching.

Decals represent carbonfiber, leather, polished aluminum or patinated surfaces. For modern cars, Amalgam’s close relationship with makers – particularly Ferrari and McLaren – allows it to access the car in question’s exact build specs.

The Bespoke service’s cost varies according to how different the car is from the existing Amalgam Edition model. If, for example, the bodywork varies significantly, such as going from a standard to a long-tail version of a McLaren F1 or a Porsche 917, then the time needed to recreate it would add to the price.

Typically, though, a 1:8-scale Bespoke model will cost around $20,000-30,000, with a lead time of 30-35 weeks. This compares well with a one-off model of the same size, for which, say, a GT car with opening doors, hood and trunk could cost around $170,000-180,000.

Buyers pay a 50 percent deposit on ordering.

Once the Bespoke model is completed, the purchaser receives a set of images to ensure it’s just as specified, before it’s signed off and the balance paid. For Claude, Amalgam’s 1:8-scale recreation of chassis 1078 counts as the favorite of his model collection; the perfect reminder of the GT40 that he’s raced so extensively.

See www.amalgamcollection.com, and visit M1 Concourse’s retail store for more Amalgam models.

1984 The once-controversial Pontiac Fiero has now become a cult classic, with its 40th birthday to be celebrated at M1 Concourse, close to its birthplace

OPPOSITE The Fiero certainly “built excitement” with Hall & Oates, via Pontiac’s sponsorship of the legendary rock duo’s Big Bam Boom North American tour.

40 YEARS OF… PRIDE? THE BRIEF, IN 1978, WAS FOR A TWOpassenger sports car offering outstanding handling, with a high importance placed on fuel economy, to be built at minimum cost.

Pontiac’s products were by this point seen as both staid and predictable. The 1973-on fuel crisis had scythed sales and changed thinking, leaving the marque’s traditional models out of fashion as smaller, lighter, more economical cars from Europe and Asia began to take a hold of the US market.

There had been suggestions for a Pontiac two-seater for years, but they’d always been rejected as a potential threat to Corvette sales at General Motors stablemate Chevrolet. So, when Pontiac’s lighter, more economical ‘P-Car’ was finally given the go-ahead, it seemed to signal a new era of thinking at the historic automotive brand.

Hulki Aldikacti, a Turkish emigre who had graduated with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Michigan State University,

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was made project manager. With designer George Milidrag, he pushed hard to create something groundbreaking that would cleave through the sometimes-restrictive traditions of Pontiac’s working practices.

By April 1980, a full-size mahogany model of the car had been presented to the board and approved for further development. A fullsize clay would become the first vehicle to be tested in Pontiac’s brand-new wind tunnel, while the design went against everything the brand had previously stood for.

The Fiero, as it would later be named, was going to be not only Pontiac’s first two-seater since the 1930s, but also the first massproduced mid-engined car ever made by an American manufacturer. It looked exotic, and the plan was for it to be powered by a new aluminum V6 engine to give it the performance that the styling promised. Fiero translates into ‘pride’ in Italian, and many were indeed suitably proud of the new project.

Not everyone at Pontiac was convinced, though. The $400 million budget was a fraction of the cost of typical new-model development even back then. Several times the project went to the brink of cancellation, only to be rescued at the 11th hour, championed by the forthright and sometimes downright abrasive Aldikacti.

It survived only by keeping costs firmly in check. The aluminum V6 was downgraded to the existing, heavy, long-stroke, low-revving 2.5-liter ‘Iron Duke’ four-cylinder. Suspension and brake components were taken from the parts bins of existing economy models. The all-plastic body envisaged by Aldikacti was replaced by a selection of glassfiber-reinforced composite and steel panels, along with urethane bumpers, all mounted on a steel sub-structure.

Meanwhile, the plan for robots to be

‘At last the Fiero had the ability to perform exactly as everyone had hoped it would.

And that very same year, it was dropped’ 102

installed for the assembly of the Fiero was scrapped; instead, the workers who had been laid off while the old Pontiac Grand Prix model factory was gutted were invited back with their families to celebrate the opening of the refitted assembly plant.

Production of the much-compromised Fiero began in August 1983. It was initially met with enthusiasm by the press, with Car and Driver naming the new model in its Ten Best of 1984.

Reviews soon became more scathing, however, as the cars were road tested; its performance and handling just didn’t come close to matching the promise of the looks. Sales were strong nonetheless, with Pontiac struggling to keep up with demand early on.

Worse was to come… Several engine fires were reported, at first claimed to be caused by coolant leaks, but soon found to be far more serious. The ponderous long-stroke powerplants were being revved hard, as sports car motors should be, and what turned out to be weak connecting rods were failing and smashing through the cylinder blocks. The resultant oil spurting from the wrecked engines was then catching alight.

Pontiac initially tried to suggest that the problems were caused by owners failing to change oil regularly, but it was soon found that a high proportion of connecting rods installed were defective. Only the 1984 modelyear Fieros were affected, but the reputational damage was already done.

Over the following years, the Fiero was gradually and belatedly improved. A V6 powerplant was introduced in 1985, as was a five-speed transmission for the four-cylinder models; the V6 gained a five-ratio gearbox in 1986. Finally, for 1988, the suspension and braking set-ups were completely redesigned and upgraded. At last the Fiero had the ability to perform exactly as everyone had hoped it would. And that very same year, it was dropped… It had sold 380,000 units in its five years of production, which was more than double the number of Toyota MR2s sold in that car’s own first half decade.

Now, four further decades of development by specialists and owners alike has resulted in parts and modifications available to overcome most of the original design problems.

After all these years, the Fiero has finally become a bona fide cult classic.

The Fiero’s 40th birthday celebrations will take place on July 12-16. See https://fiero40th.com/show.

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1984 BELOW With its mid-mounted powerplant and two-seat layout, the brand-new Pontiac could genuinely claim to be “one of the most innovative American cars ever”.

1984 ABOVE The Fiero did indeed “burst on the scene to rave reviews” – until conrod qualitycontrol issues saw its engines also start bursting...

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1984 BELOW Fiero translates into ‘pride’ in Italian, and many of those involved with its development were suitably proud of their new project.

1984 ABOVE The Fiero’s role as the Indy 500’s Official Pace Car spawned a limited-edition production model complete with aero body cladding plus new front and rear facias. Around 2000 were sold.

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1986 BELOW ‘What price glory?’ asks the ad?

There’s not much to choose between Fiero at $8495 and Firebird at $8849 starting prices.

Both feature the 2.5-liter injected four-cylinder.

1985 ABOVE IMSA GTU road racing was important. Here we see STP and Entech Fieros with Valvoline Firebird. Clay Young was the main driver, with John Oates the occasional guest.

1985 LEFT GM’s sports car line-up in 1985, from front: Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Fiero, Chevrolet Corvette and Pontiac Firebird.

The Fiero was the least conventional of the range.

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1988 BELOW A revised suspension and braking set-up gave the Fiero the handling it should have had all along, but it came too late.

August 16, 1988, saw the last model roll off the Pontiac production line.

1986 ABOVE A fastback bodystyle had been proposed early on, but it wasn’t until 1986 that this was finally offered.

Suddenly the Fiero was looking less quirky – helped by the GT’s bodykit.

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MICHIGAN’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

The huge company behind many of the motor industry’s most exciting concept cars is

opening its doors for the first time – at its new M1 Concourse facility

PREFIX PERFORMANCE CENTER

THERE IS A COMPANY IN MICHIGAN that – while you might not have heard of it – over the past 40-plus years has been a part of some of the most important developments in the automotive world.

This firm builds some of the wildest and most advanced concepts and prototypes in the car business and aviation market, in addition to projects within the themed-attraction and entertainment industries. Within its walls are a world-class paint and finishing center, interior trim shop, engine-build rooms, composite shop, CNC-machining center, design and engineering department, lighting department and more. None of these facilities has been widely available to anyone outside the automotive industry – until now.

The company is Prefix Corporation, and this year it opens its Performance Center at M1 Concourse, which will be available to private garage owners, M1 Motorsports Club members and event goers. As we write this, construction has begun, with completion expected by mid2023. The project has been overseen by Prefix vice president Jhan Dolphin, who is as excited as we are over the plans for the Center.

“We can’t wait! When I first approached M1 with the idea of having a performance facility on site, it was really important that they understood that Prefix isn’t your typical automotive shop,” says Jhan. “The projects that we are so fortunate to be part of mean that we have the facilities, equipment and expertise required to build new vehicle designs from the ground up.

“We felt that it would be amazing to allow the private garage owners and visitors at M1 Concourse to have access to a company and resources like ours, that they normally 110

ABOVE Exciting new Prefix Performance Center will also feature a fuel station providing high-octane gas.

‘We have the facilities, equipment and expertise required to build new vehicle designs from the ground up’ M1 MOMENTUM

wouldn’t even know about. Prefix isn’t open to the public; in fact, the confidential nature of the multi-million-dollar full-scale concepts that we create, and other projects, means that most people don’t even know we exist.”

Jhan isn’t overstating Prefix’s importance; with more than 300 employees and two large Michigan-based facilities, it has a range of departments and specialized capabilities that provide industry clients with a one-stop shop of services and expertise.

Within that, the Performance division of Prefix builds race motors, works with OEMs on engine and drivetrain development, and specializes in high-end restorations, including luxury interiors and show-car paint finishes.

“The Performance Center at M1 was created to give garage owners easy on-site access to some of the basic services they need: brake jobs, changing wheels and tires, oil changes, etc,” says Jhan. “We’ll have three work bays with a couple of lifts, and a nice selection of required equipment. The idea is to be able to do basic maintenance and provide services for the garage owners there, as well as the groups that rent the facility and others who visit.

“But in addition to those trackside services, they will have access to specialists at our corporate headquarters in Rochester Hills.

Imagine someone who owns a vintage sports car or exotic, and has a ripped seat. Our interior-trim department can handle that. Or someone who has damage to their paint or just wants a completely new color. Our world-class paint team is perfect for that.”

The Prefix paint facility in Auburn Hills is recognized throughout the industry as a location that handles challenging projects that others wouldn’t touch, including the

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT From concepts, prototypes and development models to high-end craftsmanship, Prefix is a respected leader in the automotive industry.

None of its facilities has been widely available to anyone outside that ‘closed shop’ – until now.

PREFIX PERFORMANCE CENTER

production paint for the Dodge Viper, Ford GT, two-tone Maybachs for Mercedes, and the upcoming $300,000-plus Celestiq for Cadillac.

These paint and finishing experts will be available for advice and/or consulting on paint repair, full custom finishes, stripes and graphics, plus professional detailing. M1 client vehicles can be transported to Prefix’s corporate facilities, where the work will be performed.

The way Prefix will work at M1 Concourse is that the Performance Center will handle the basics Jhan outlines. It’ll also be able to carry out tech inspections to ensure cars heading out onto the track will be safe to do so. And – this is the most exciting part – the Center’s team will be equipped to make performanceupgrade recommendations and install, say, uprated brakes, superchargers, air-intake and exhaust systems, and suspension components.

In addition, a fuel partner has been added for on-site fueling, and a Prefix Pro-Shop within the Center will offer a selection of safety kit, performance products and automotive-related merchandise. This will be another exciting attraction, with videos, products and information that gives visitors a glimpse behind the scenes at Prefix and its position within the industry.

If more involved work is needed, Prefix will

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‘Paint and finishing experts will be available for advice on paint repair, full custom finishes, stripes and graphics’

BELOW Customers who are looking for something unique can take advantage of Prefix’s world-class trim department.

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operate a concierge service for M1 clients that covers restorations, restomods, paint striping and detailing, custom interior trim and bespoke fabrication, all carried out at the company’s Rochester Hills headquarters.

With each job, experts will fully evaluate the project and determine the steps required to, as Prefix puts it, “provide the car owner with a finished vehicle beyond their expectations”.

Many of the most attention-getting concepts will have been upholstered by the Prefix trim department, which will also be available to consult one-on-one with garage owners who are looking for something unique. And the Prefix engineers will be accessible for fabrication jobs, too.

Final word from Jhan: “A few have asked me what’s in it for Prefix, why would Prefix do this? Over the past couple of years, we’ve been impressed with what the M1 Concourse management has been able to accomplish, in creating a place that exudes all things automotive. They’ve created an automotive hub right in historic Pontiac that brings people from around the globe to enjoy the wonderful world of cars. It is exactly the kind of place that we are proud to associate our brand with.”

Thanks to Prefix at www.prefix.com.

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LOCAL HISTORY

RAPID MOTORS AND THE GRABOWSKY BROTHERS

DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS / NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY COLLECTION

DETROIT BEGINNINGS William Grabowsky, a Jewish immigrant from Prussia, arrived in the United States in around 1860. In old IRS tax records for the 1860s he is listed as a “peddler class 3” – a door-todoor peddler – living in the small town of Birmingham, Michigan. By 1870 he and his wife Rosalina had moved to Detroit, where they raised six children – two of whom would make automotive history.

In Detroit, William ran a millinery shop at 170 Michigan Avenue, where he offered “a $5 hat for $4” and “feathers and flowers cheaper than anywhere else in Michigan!” In 1870 his first son, Morris, was born, followed in 1874 by his second son, Max. Both would develop an interest in bicycles, motors and “anything electrical”.

In 1894 Max Grabowsky opened a shop at 380 Woodward Avenue, where he is noted to have worked as a “locksmith, gunsmith, bicycle repairer and doorbell hanger”. It was described as being “a small, but well equipped machine shop”. An advertisement for the business declared: “We are experts and repair anything repairable.” Morris worked as a clerk at the shop at times, but also took on several other jobs during these years including those of post office clerk, travel agent and hardware salesman.

M1 Concourse is built on land that has impeccable automotive heritage, as part two of our story of the historic site reveals WORDS C A R O L EG B O

OPPOSITE The Grabowskys’ first commercial ‘truck’ of 1901 had a 10mph top speed and a capacity of one ton.

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THE GRABOWSKY MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY Max’s repair business was successful, but he was interested in more than repairing things – he was interested in designing them. His real passion became gasoline engines and commercial motor cars. He had studied early commercial vehicles, and noted that for the most part they were simply pleasure wagons that had been modified to hold delivery boxes.

The wear and tear of business was often too much for these vehicles – and Max Grabowsky was very interested in designing something specifically made for commercial use.

Therefore, in 1900, he and Morris formed the Grabowsky Motor Vehicle Company in Detroit, and began to build a prototype for a commercial ‘truck’. It had a single-cylinder horizontal engine, a two-speed planetary transmission and chain drive, with a seat over the engine. It had a top speed of a whopping 10mph and a carrying capacity of one ton. The brothers finished this first truck in 1901, but upon testing discovered it was under powered.

Not ones to give up, they began building a second truck, this time using a 15hp two-cylinder horizontally opposed engine with a drivetrain similar to that of their first effort. Essentially it was little more than a seat, an engine and a frame. Max described their manufacturing of 115

THE MOVE TO PONTIAC

this vehicle in the following manner: “We had to start from scratch. We used structural steel, and tested the truck ourselves, then we designed, forged and machined every part of the vehicle in our own shop.”

In 1902 Max and Morris sold this truck to the American Garment Cleaning Company of Detroit, where it was driven for years. It was likely the first gasoline-powered commercial vehicle to be used in Detroit. In 1911 Morris Grabowsky looked back on this early venture and described it for the Detroit Free Press thus: “Nine years ago in Detroit I sold a motor truck to the proprietor of a carpet-cleaning firm. This may not have been the first motor truck built. There were a lot of people experimenting at the time.”

He continued: “But as far as records show, this truck opened the commercial-vehicle industry. It was anything but an auspicious occasion. The motor was a crude affair. We never were certain in advance whether it would run. People poked fun at it.”

The Rapid Motor Vehicle Company continued to manufacture a variety of commercial vehicles. By 1905 the firm had built 75 trucks, and it was time to expand; the decision was made to move to Pontiac. Investors from the city including Albert G North and Harry G Hamilton, who were partners in the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works, provided part of the impetus to shift to that locale. Also influencing the move was the ongoing transition from the manufacturing of carriages to that of automobiles, which was occurring there. New company officers were elected, which resulted in North becoming president, Max Grabowsky vice-president and general manager, Hamilton treasurer and Morris Grabowsky secretary.

Equipment was dismantled in the Detroit plant and moved into a section of the threestory Hodges Vehicle Company factory located on Osmun Street east of Saginaw in Pontiac.

This business had begun to close out its business in 1904. Interestingly, that same year when the Welch Motor Company moved to Pontiac, it used part of the Hodges factory to build cars before taking over the Clark Wireless Telegraph-Telephone Company building further south on Saginaw.

RAPID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPANY: A HUSBAND, A WIFE AND TWO SALOON OWNERS The same year as the brothers sold their first truck, they reorganized their business and formed the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company.

In March 1904, articles of association were filed with Albert Marx, Barney Finn, Max Grabowsky and Celia Grabowsky – Max’s wife – as stockholders.

Later in time, automobile historians would sometimes poke a bit of fun at this particular group of investors, saying that it consisted of a husband, his wife and two saloon owners.

Of course, they were correct. Albert Marx and Barney Finn did indeed own a saloon, which was located at 272 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. In fact, they had been mentioned in the Detroit Free Press in March 1904 after being summoned to police court for failing to close up their saloon at 11:30pm on St. Patrick’s night, which was a city requirement at the time.

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BUILDING A “LARGE, MODERN, PERFECTLY APPOINTED PLANT”

FROM TOP Max Grabowsky’s advertisement for his first Detroit shop, which eventually led to the formation of the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company.

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Rapid Motors quickly outgrew the space at the Hodges Vehicle building, so the company purchased a 20-acre tract of land north of Foot Street between Franklin Street and Saginaw Street in what had become known as ‘The Triangle’, which eventually became the M1 Concourse site. You can read the early story of this area in the previous issue of M1 Momentum.

The land was located just southwest of the Hodges Vehicle Company factory. In February 1906 the business moved into what was described as its “commodious, handsome new factory adjoining the railroad tracks”.

Production increased, as did the variety of trucks being manufactured. A 1906 Detroit Free Press

LOCAL HISTORY

article on the “Merchants of Saginaw Street” described the company in the following manner: “The Rapid Motor Vehicle Company builds commercial power wagons exclusively, and has a large, modern, perfectly appointed plant for this purpose. The concern now employs more than 175 men, and its wagons are shipped to all parts of the United States, Yucatan, San Domingo, Cuba and Finland.”

This article continued: “It turns out 500 wagons annually, and in its line claims to produce the best goods on the market in build, workmanship and finish, all parts being made on the premises. It makes four different styles of one-ton delivery wagons, three different styles of one-and-one-half-ton delivery wagons and a wide variety of passenger buses and wagonettes.

It uses endless solid-rubber tires on its wagons and is making Pontiac famous for its line, now rapidly coming into favor everywhere.”

The success of these trucks, as well as the great variety in designs and functions, in many ways needs to be attributed to the engineering genius of Max Grabowsky. He was noted for the “boldness and originality of his work”. He was described as “an original designer, not an imitator”, “a mechanical expert” and “a pioneer designer and recognized authority on commercial-vehicle manufacturing”.

be taken care of properly at the time.”

Road testing took place in and around Pontiac.

As the Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal of 1905 reported: “Pontiac has plenty of hills, plenty of unpaved streets, and quite enough sandy roads where it is hard to push a load, but it also has plenty of room in its busiest places.”

Road testing was not without its incidents, however, as a Detroit Free Press article of May 1907 attested. It described how a Rapid tester was crossing the bridge over the Clinton River just north of Pontiac when the steering rod broke on his truck. The vehicle swerved to the left into the river, ‘turning turtle’ as it landed. The truck was pulled out of the river “with no other break than the steering rod which caused the plunge”.

TESTING RAPID VEHICLES: ‘TURNING TURTLE’ IN THE CLINTON RIVER Rapid vehicles were known for their durability, and this was in part due to the testing procedures the company used. In the February 1907 issue of The Motor Way, a Rapid employee described the process: “We first take a new machine and run it inside for at least 24 hours. The object is to have all parts worn in properly, making the machine run smoothly. Then this machine is put on the road with its actual load, and tested out rigidly over the ordinary country roads, as stated above, with full load. This enables us to determine whether or not it contains any defective material, and such defects as may arise in regard to adjustments and which can

NEW FACTORY BUILDINGS AND A BIG CHANGE

FROM TOP Having developed Rapid’s continued growth from that initial delivery truck, in 1907 Max Grabowsky moved away from the business.

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By February 1907 Rapid was accepting bids for the construction of three new factory buildings: a two-story unit to be used as a woodworking department, a testing house and a dry kiln. That year, however, brought about a major change – the resignation of Max Grabowsky. Harry Hamilton succeeded him as general manager.

Morris Grabowsky remained with the firm, continuing his role as secretary. Rapid continued to grow despite Max’s departure, but more big changes were on the horizon.

The story of this historic site continues in issue 3.

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THIS PAGE 151-room boutique hotel opened in spring 2021. OPPOSITE Sophisticated decor and a Saatchi Art-curated collection – including Adrian Landon's gold-plated mechanical horse.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE DAXTON HOTEL Sublime luxury, discerning service and an exquisite art collection; this boutique hotel on Old Woodward Avenue offers it all

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IF THERE’S ANY PROOF NEEDED OF the upward curve of the area around M1 Concourse, it’s the Daxton Hotel on Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham – a popular area lined with eclectic and historic businesses.

This 151-room boutique hotel was opened in spring 2021 by local entrepreneur Mark Mitchell, who wanted to create something that reflected the cosmopolitan and energetic nature of the Birmingham community. The project started at around the same time that his son Daxton was born – hence its name.

From the start, Mark wanted to fill the hotel

with original works of art. The resultant 400-piece collection was curated by Saatchi Art, and means the lobby doubles as an impressive gallery. Large abstract paintings by Australian artist Stephen Rowe and a goldplated mechanical horse by Adrian Landon dominate the lobby and provide an immediate talking point – especially the horse.

Mark playfully claims that he had originally been looking for a stuffed unicorn for the lobby but, “having searched long and hard”, he admitted defeat and instead chose the horse, which springs into motion at the touch of a

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

button. Meanwhile, a large geodesic-dome structure by Michigan-based welder Andy Dafski sits over the bar area, and the 300-person Salon ballroom/conference room is illuminated with “dream-like” lighting.

What really sets the Daxton apart, though, is that there are unique works of art not just in the communal areas but in every bedroom, too, with artists from more than 80 countries represented.

The rooms feature floral scrims by local painter Louise ‘Ouizi’ Chen, arched doorways and well stocked bookshelves. On every floor of the hotel, guests will find a pantry replete with complimentary drinks and freshly baked treats.

Speaking of food, the walls of the hotel’s signature restaurant, named Madam, are lined with portraits by Karin Vermeer. Dishes from the eatery – which has just been declared Hour Detroit’s Restaurant of the Year – are chosen from around the world, deliberately simple in concept – they include burgers and pizzas – but beautifully created and presented. In addition, Madam has a separate 12-seat room available for private hire, away from the main dining area.

Mark Mitchell has also always been keen to point out that the Daxton takes its responsibility to the local district seriously, working with food charities to minimize waste and to redistribute leftovers.

A long-term resident of the area, Mark started his first business aged just 15, and went on to found the Visiting Physicians Association, a house-call practice located in Michigan, in 1993. This was prompted by the difficulties he experienced in finding adequate levels of health care for his grandmother at the time, and it grew into the largest housecall practice in the US, with more than 40 locations across 14 states.

He was also the founder of US Medical Management (USMM), Pinnacle Senior Care, Grace Hospice and The Home DME, which together provide home-based services to more than 50,000 patients annually. He sold his interest in USMM in 2014, while continuing as CEO for a further year.

In 2016, Mark started what has developed into Mitchell Family Office. This specializes in the management and investment of businesses in the healthcare industry. Its evolution has allowed Mark to focus on strategic initiatives, growth and new projects such as the Daxton Hotel – one of the brands in the legacy portfolio.

For more information, see www.daxtonhotel.com.

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DESIRABLES

120 M1 Concourse products 122 New products 126 Books 128 Watches

The latest temptations, from automobilia to the greatest reads, exquisite watches and clothing, plus exclusive M1 Concourse gear

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K AND SARAH BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY M1 CONCOURSE

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M1 MOMENTUM

Woodward Dream Show watch

Designed to evoke 1950s and ’60s hot rods, the WDS timepiece collection has been developed by the Detroit Watch Company. This $395 copper-dial timepiece is complemented by an all-black-dial version, and each design is limited to 50. m1concoursestore. myshopify.com

DESIRABLES

M1 CONCOURSE PRODUCTS

Ladies’ shirt

by Camp David

The Daisy M1 Concourse ladies’ distressed-look T-shirt from Camp David is available in three cool colors – Wisteria Purple (shown above), Navy Blue and Charcoal Grey – and costs $20. m1concoursestore. myshopify.com

M1 caps

by Finn Ryan

Half-zip stretch top by Finn Ryan

This $130 top is available in men’s and ladies’ sizes S to XXL. It’s made from a stretchy, warm nylon/spandex fabric mix, and features an embroidered M1 logo, check-print collar lining and contrast zip. m1concoursestore.myshopify.com

Available in gray or black, these unisex caps will keep the sun out of your eyes at summer car shows and your head warm during winter drive-outs. Costing $40 each, they feature an M1 circuit logo and have a nickle slider on the back. m1concoursestore. myshopify.com

Quilted vest by Finn Ryan

Our $170 snug red nylon quilted vest again caters for both men and women. Layer it up under an outer shell to keep warm while spectating trackside, or wear it over a simple T-shirt for a stylish, casual look for get-togethers. m1concoursestore.myshopify.com M1 MOMENTUM

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DESIRABLES

NEW PRODUCTS

Monopoly: Shinola Detroit Edition

Goodwool Car Covers

This special edition of the famed family favorite pays tribute to iconic Detroit landmarks, from Woodward Avenue to Bagley Street. It’s crafted from black-lacquered solid mahogany with an antique finish, and features tokens and other items bespoke to this edition. It costs $395. shinola.com

Goodwool takes a novel approach to car-cover construction – its indoor covers use pure Merino wool. Each shell is unique in replicating every detail of the car thanks to a 3D digital-layering program.

Merino wool is lightweight, super-soft and breathable – it keeps the humidity value between 40 and 60

Tumi TegraLite Luggage

Tumi’s Tegra-Lite luggage uses Tegris, a durable yet lightweight material seen in NASCAR and the NFL alike. Two cases are available, in carry-on and checked-luggage sizes.

Each has a built-in USB port, as well as uses a zipper-expansion system that provides an extra 5cm of packing space. Each one also has a removable garment sleeve, and you can customize your luggage with an optional accent kit. The carry-on model is $895 and the packing case is $1150. tumi.com 122

M1 MOMENTUM

percent inside the car, regardless of the outside temperature. The outer layer uses a blend of polyurethane and elastane to provide a snug yet adaptable fit, as well as water resistance. The best news is that the level of customization is unlimited – just like the Ferrari 275GTB cover shown here. Prices are bespoke to each car. goodwool.it

DESIRABLES

Acme Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi

This 1:18-scale Dodge Challenger is presented in a suitably 1970s shade of Butterscotch. The trunk, hood and doors open to reveal an nostalgiainducing interior and engine bay. It costs $139.95. acmediecast.com

Laird Utility Sicilian Cap

Fancy finishing off your Italian look on the Mille Miglia? This Sicilian-style flat cap is made from denim, with a suede peak and yellow topstitch detail.

It’s available in sizes from 6¾ to 7¾, and also comes in two further colors, with a corduroy peak. It’s $103. lairdutility.com

Mopar Parts and Accessories Vintage Circle Neon Sign

Made from hand-blown neon tubing, this retro sign can be hung in a window or on a wall, or set on a shelf. It

Ferrari 250 TR 1958 Lucybelle II Le Mans Model

Chevrolet Corvette Silhouette Tee

This 1:8-scale model recreates the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa driven by Ed Hugus and Ray ‘Ernie’ Erickson in the 1958 Le Mans 24 Hours. Nicknamed Lucybelle II, it finished in seventh place in front of

This stylish design is from Gabor Vida, and is available on a variety of garments, from a men’s ‘athletic-fit’ T-shirt through to a baby’s onesie. Prices vary depending on item and size, but the Tee costs $19. fineartamerica.com or silhouettehistory.com

M1 MOMENTUM

uses a 110V current, and is more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

No assembly or special wiring is required, and it measures 24in in diameter.

It sells for $619.95. wearmopar.com

150,000 spectators. The model, exquisitely crafted

by Amalgam, has used the original materials, archive imagery and drawings courtesy of Ferrari’s archive, as well as digital scanning of the original car. Set on a carbonfiber base, it costs $13,970. amalgamcollection.com

DESIRABLES

NEW PRODUCTS

McKlein Motorsport Calendar

The McKlein Motorsport Calendar never disappoints, and its 2023 edition is no different. Whether your passion is for the glory days of endurance and Formula 1 racing, or the gritty adrenaline of rallying, this 26-page

calendar has it all, from thunderous Ford GT40 to cheeky Mini Cooper. The spectacular driving talents of the likes of Graham Hill, Pedro Rodríguez, Walter Röhrl and François Cevert are captured in stunning black-and-white imagery that shows them doing what they do best. It is $51. rallyandracing.com

Abas Engineering 1932 Ford Model B

AutoArt Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R

This beautifully rendered 1:18-scale model features a highly detailed interior that’s visible via the opening doors, plus a

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similarly exacting replica of the engine bay, which even has a hood stay. The trunk opens, too, although it’s up to you to scalemodel your shopping in the back. It costs $249.95. autoartmodels.com

BMW M Motorsport Logo Graphic Men’s Tee

Part of the Puma BMW M Motorsport collection, this 70 percent cotton, 30 percent polyester T-shirt features a BMW M Motorsport car-inspired graphic print, with a BMW Propeller and M Motorsport print on the left sleeve. It’s available in sizes S to XXL, and retails at $50. us.puma.com M1 MOMENTUM

Abas Engineering hand-builds reduced-scale replicas of the 1932 Ford Model B. Aimed at kids from six to 12, these are made bespoke to the customer’s spec, and are powered by a 48V 40Ah lithium-ion battery with a two-speed reversible motor. The 30mph top speed can be reduced upon request – and there are hydraulic brakes to rein things in.

Three models are available: the roadster with a picnic basket; the hotrod with custom paint if required; and the banger-racing style, with stickers and decals. Prices start at around $10,330. abasengineering.com

DESIRABLES

BOOKS

The Archaeological Automobile: Understanding and Living With Historical Automobiles

FERRARI F40

This ground-breaking supercar gets put under the microscope in Keith Bluemel’s detailed tome

The interplanetary pull of the Ferrari F40 continues unabated. Despite a slight pivot in popular opinion regarding its usability as a road machine, and the lure of the F50, plonk an F40 anywhere and eyeballs will swiftly follow. The king of 1980s supercars? Countach and 959 fans may protest, but it wears its crown as triumphantly as its enormous rear spoiler.

It’s 35 years since Leonardo Fioravanti’s wedge broke the 200mph road-car barrier, and Keith Bluemel’s $84, 240-page book provides a spectacularly detailed look at the inner workings and construction of Enzo’s last personally approved project. There’s also an extensive guide to the F40’s long-lived GT racing career, which saw the Maranello machine punch above its weight against much newer machinery well into the 1990s.

Each major race is described in detail, and the archive photography will take you back to the early days of the BPR Endurance Series. There’s also, at the back of the book, a detailed guide to the car’s racing achievements.

While more bespoke photography would have been a bonus, the modern imagery is beautifully reproduced, and there are some truly evocative images of the F40’s factory construction. There are also some exceptionally illuminating technical diagrams.

As with any great car, it’s the people behind it who provide the biggest intrigue. Although the interviews with technical mastermind Nicola Materazzi and development driver Dario Benuzzi are fascinating, it would have been interesting to hear more from those intimately involved in the car’s genesis. The F40 came at a tumultuous time for Ferrari, with Enzo’s decline, the growing interference of what Materazzi calls Fiat’s ‘gray men’ and problems with the 348. While we get hints of this turmoil via Materazzi, we’d have liked to hear more voices from this era.

We can, however, read excellent first-hand accounts about the realities of working on F40s from the likes of DK Engineering and Bob Houghton, as well as the ownership realities via Nick Mason, John Reaks and more.

We also get insight into various notable examples, from the bespoke Brunei creations to Gianni Agnelli’s semi-auto. Very minor gripes aside, this is a well rounded book that will delight F40 fanatics. Bluemel’s masterful blend of technical prowess yet easy-to-read narrative means that it’s easy to find yourself absorbed by the car all over again. porterpress.co.uk 126

M1 MOMENTUM

Miles Collier knows a thing or two – or more than 100 – about collecting cars.

He’s the man behind the Revs Institute museum in Naples, Florida, which hosts an epic collection dating from 1896-1995.

He’s now put together his thoughts on the cultural impact of the automobile in a series of scholarly essays that form this tome. The engrossing read delves deep into what makes old cars so enchanting; a 500-page labor of love, it’s $106. collierautomedia.com

Classic Car Auction Yearbook 2021-2022 Adolfo Orsi’s full-color annual guide to the world’s market moves now also covers onlineonly auctions. There is plenty of granular detail

on overall trends, plus comments and results on 8431 cars. This includes pre-sale estimates, which are easy to contrast with the actual results – something auction houses conveniently omit come result time. There are also some amusing oddities – particularly in how the Uhlenhaut Coupé sale skewed the usual market make-up with one car. This $95, 416-page book is an essential reference for those who buy and sell on a regular basis. autobooks-aerobooks.com

50 First Victories: NASCAR Drivers’ Breakthrough Wins

The first win is always the hardest, and as Mike Hembree and Al Pearce uncover in this 252-page, $27 book, the path to the light of the victory lane is often shrouded in darkness. There’s luck and humor along the way, and sheer force of will – such as Mario Andretti defying team orders to win first, or father-son assistance in the Petty family, or Cale Yarborough sleeping in his car between rain-stopped race starts. Entertaining and heartwarming stuff. octanepress.com

DESIRABLES

BRUN MOTORSPORT 1966–2009

The man, the machines and the mustache – the rise, fall and rise of the Porsche-beating privateer

Lime Rock Park: The Early Years 1955-1975

Few teams can claim to have defeated a Works racing outfit within just a year of setting up shop, but Walter Brun did just that. With 964 pages, this expansive, $495, three-volume set chronicles the life and works of ‘Walti’ between 1966 and 2009 – yet it is Brun Motorsport’s rise and fall from 1983 to 1991 that anchors the tale. But to focus on this era is to diminish the talents of one of Switzerland’s most driven performers.

By the end of the 1960s he’d come to prominence in circuit racing and hillclimbing, winning a European title in the latter in 1971, the same year as his Le Mans class victory in a Porsche 907. After a decade of privateer racing in BMW Procars, DRM and endurance events, Walti moved into team management, and having bought the assets of the GS-Sport team, he purchased a Porsche 956. This brought Walti’s first Interserie win, and much more competitive showings in sportscar events.

The second volume runs from 1984-87, and covers a tumultuous period.

Successes soon followed, with Brun’s first WSC victories and a DRM title for Stefan Bellof, but it would be marked by tragedy. Bellof’s death at Spa in 1985 in a Brun car is still a great source of pain for Walti, as revealed in his foreword. However, it spurred the team on to greater success in 1986.

Brun won the WSC, beating the Works Porsche team, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, and would be highly competitive around the globe.

That’d be the high point, though – from 1988, there was a disastrous foray into Formula 1 (as EuroBrun), and a brave but doomed attempt to build the team’s own endurance racer. By the end of 1991, it was all over. As covered in volume three, Walti stepped away from the limelight, taking the rest of the 1990s to pay off his debts. But the passion never went away, and in 2000 he returned to the track for sporadic GT racing efforts up to 2009.

This is all captured in sumptuous archive photography, printed on quality paper. It’s a shame there isn’t space for Thomas Nehlert, Eckhard Schimpf and Peter Wyss to relay more tales of Walti’s unconventional antics. You do get fleeting hints of this character, with rare images of Brun gatecrashing Fiorano with a Porsche 959 for a magazine twin test with Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari F40 – the two swapping places midtrack, much to the chagrin of the Ferrari PR team.

This is only a small moan, however, because this lovingly produced book, which was instigated by Brun’s son Sascha, is a delight for avowed Group C fans. Just 350 copies are being printed, and it comes highly recommended. sportfahrer-zentrale.com M1 MOMENTUM

The US’s oldest continuously operated road-racing circuit has had as much drama offtrack as on, with financial crises, legal wrangles and disputes with race organizers. Tragedy and turmoil were also backed up with superb action, and this 680-page, $225 book is brimming with stories and 900-plus images. Terry O’Neil’s tribute to ‘the road-racing center of the east’ is filled with intrigue, and a great sense of the early days. daltonwatson.com

Raoul ‘Sonny’ Balcaen

While most teenagers were building box carts, Sonny was crafting a Top Fuel dragster at home.

He was always destined for great things, and his talents took him to the door of Lance Reventlow and the Scarab team.

From there he became

Jim Hall’s crew chief and then embedded in Carroll Shelby’s team, before striking out on his own with IECO, tuning the Chevrolet Corvair and later assisting with the setting up of the Petersen Museum.

Although Sonny rubbed shoulders with the greats, it doesn’t stop this being a refreshingly personal book ($40, 320 pages), and his tangible enthusiasm for motor sport and down-to-earth nature shine through – and that’s before you get to his other passion, wine. evropublishing.com

Saint Christophe: Dashboard Badges of the Golden Era of Motoring

While keeping an image of St Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, about yourself or your carriage was nothing new, by the 1920s a steady trade in intricate coins and medallions to be affixed to dashboards sprung up. Maximiliano Garay’s exquisite guide to the firms involved, such as Hermès, Lalique and Cartier, plus lovingly rendered imagery, make this 312-page, $90 book a fascinating read.

Just 500 copies are being produced. artonwheels.com.ar 127

DESIRABLES

Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Chronograph

WATCHES

This new take on the Pontos S blends the sporty vibes with a luxurious air. Featuring a sandblasted dial that comes in silvery white, it features two counters on the north-south axis, plus seconds, date and day displays. The bezel is crafted from scratchresistant ceramic, and is equipped with a tachymeter. Its doublestepped lugs and elongated push pieces hint at classic Maurice Lacroix models. The ML112 caliber is visible through a sapphire-crystal pane, while there’s a choice of either a nylon-and-nubuck leather strap, or a steel bracelet. It costs $3350. mauricelacroix.com

Breguet Classique Calendar 7337

This is the latest version of the Classique collection introduced in 2009. Its open-tipped hands, offcentered dial and guilloché pattern hark back to the brand’s early baroque stylings. The 7337 contains one of Breguet’s thinnest movements; the Caliber 502 is just 2.4mm thick, which slots into the 39mm white- or rose-gold case beautifully. Here, the offcentered dial is adorned with a hand-engraved Clous de Paris hobnail

guilloché pattern. The white-gold version has a blue alligator-leather strap, while the rose-gold model has a similar strap in brown. It costs $44,860. breguet.com

Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G

Motor sport and diving don’t usually make a good combination, but this watch is the exception.

It celebrates Tudor’s long association with both sports, and boasts ‘Snowflake’ hands with pushers inspired by the first Tudor chronographs.

At 41mm, it comes in matt black or sunray satin-finish champagne. It uses the MT5813 chronograph caliber, and features a steel-and-gold bracelet, jacquard strap or bund.

It’s $7250 as pictured. tudorwatch.com 128

Franck Muller Racing Collection

Franck Muller’s latest iteration of its popular Vanguard series takes the model line into automotiveinfluenced territory. Its hand-applied indexes and numbers have been inspired by motor sport aesthetics, while in place of the regular springbar strap, the Racing Collection models feature a strap that’s integrated M1 MOMENTUM

into the case with two unseen screws. The rubber strap is designed to hug the wrist as closely as a racing driver on apex.

The movement is automatic, and the model range is available in 18k rose gold or stainless steel, with a chronograph or classic hours, minutes and seconds. A variety of colors are available, and prices begin at $10,200. franckmuller.com

­ ­ Stony Creek Services mission is to be the premier provider of comprehensive insulation and acoustic solutions in the Great Lakes Area and Divsion9, who is the Midwest leader of acoustic treatments consisting of Whisper Wall, Newmat ceilings and fabric wall panels.

With the proven track record of both companies and providing premier insulation and acoustic products, there isn't a job out there we can’t handle.

Since 1986, NEWMAT Stretch Ceiling Systems have provided the architectural, design, acoustical, and lighting communities with the most creative and technically advanced ceiling solutions on the market.

Whisper Walls upholstered walls are exceptionally designer friendly and can be applied as either an acoustical, tack-able or decorative surface. Our wall systems allow the designer to create free form curves, decorative reveals or three dimensional surfaces without compromise to fit or finish.

K-13 is a spray-applied thermal and acoustical insulation typically used as an exposed ceiling finish requiring no additional barriers or materials.

K-13 meets project requirements for thermal insulation, noise control with an attractive natural texture that is available in standard and custom colors.

WhisperMural is a designers dream. When it comes to eliminating unwanted noise without limiting your design to standard acoustical wall and ceiling panel products.

This product has combined our superior acoustical control products and a specialized high resolution imaging process to create beautiful works of art that eliminate unwanted noise.

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9119 BUYING GUIDE

The 997 hits the sweet spot between classic looks and modern tech – and the GT3 makes the perfect track car

1997 W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

BUYING GUIDE

Model history 2004 Porsche 997 launched as second water-cooled 911. 325bhp 3.6-liter Carrera and 355bhp 3.8 Carrera S models made available, with either six-speed manual or Tiptronic transmission options.

2006 GT3 launched with 416bhp 3.6-liter Mezger engine and Porsche Carrera Cup-inspired chassis and body.

2007 Non-GT3 models facelifted. Directinjection engines mean no more IMS and an additional 25bhp for both models. Dual-clutch PDK replaces Tiptronic gearbox. Lighter, stripped-out RS variant launched in US a few months after Europe.

2009

THE 996 HAD PROVEN TO BE A POPULAR model, even if ardent Porsche enthusiasts did not quite take to the ‘fried-egg’ headlights.

Mechanically the new 997 was an evolution of that car, but inside and out it was a welcome return to a design reminiscent of the 993.

Upon launch it was available with either a 325bhp 3.6-liter flat-six engine, which was a carry-over from the 996 (Carrera), or a newly developed 355bhp 3.8-liter power unit (Carrera S), and you could choose from coupé, convertible or Targa bodystyles. A four-wheeldrive set-up was introduced later in 2004, complete with a wider bodyshell. For this guide, we’ll be focusing on the naturally aspirated 997s, including the GT3 models.

When it came to transmissions, a newly designed six-speed manual unit or a Tiptronic automatic were the original choices. Other than the additional power, the S versions also came with Porsche’s new PASM stabilitymanagement system.

The big update came in 2007, when new direct-injection powerplants were introduced, adding even more muscle. At the same time, 132

the sporty PDK transmission replaced the aging Tiptronic unit. In 2011 the 399bhp 3.8-liter Carrera GTS arrived, with the wider, four-wheel-drive bodyshell. It could be had in both coupé and convertible guises.

However, perhaps of greater interest to those who like to exercise their cars on the track is the GT3 model, which came in two distinct eras and with various RS versions, all of them increasingly hardcore. Launched in 2006, this era of GT3s would be the last to use the infamous Mezger engine, which could trace its lineage back to the racing cars of the 1970s. The GT3 model was facelifted in 2009, swelling swept volume to 3.8 liters and power still further – but that was just the start...

ENGINE AND GEARBOX Although intermediate shaft (IMS) bearings have been known to fail on a number of earlier non-Mezger engines, the issue is nowhere near as bad as some online naysayers have made out.

Post-2005 models have upgraded bearings, and Gen 2 cars got rid of the IMS shaft completely.

The rear main seal (RMS) can also drip oil,

Facelifted GT3 arrives with 429bhp 3.8-liter engine. RS model with 15bhp and more weight saving launched a year later.

2011 Carrera GTS with 399bhp introduced. Short-run GT3 RS 4.0 launched, with 493bhp.

2012 997 production gradually ceases.

Specs (997 S and GT3) Engine Power Top speed 0-60mph Economy

3.8-liter flat-six 355-399bhp 182mph 4.4 seconds 22mpg (est)

Engine Power Top speed 0-60mph Economy

3.6/3.8/4.0-liter flat-six 416-493bhp 193mph 3.9-4.3 seconds 18mpg (est)

and this can be sorted out when the clutch is replaced, because the gearbox needs removing to get to the seal. Cars built from 2007 onwards are less affected by this issue. If there’s oil dripping from the back of the engine, it could be due to the tandem vacuum pump; this is more common on Gen 1 models, largely because they are older.

Meanwhile, a small percentage of Gen 1 cars are affected by bore scoring – predominantly S models. An oily deposit on the left-side exhaust pipe and/or ticking during idling are tell-tale signs. A borescope will give you the best indication, so the only way to know is to get in there and have a proper look via a specialist inspection. Another tell-tale sign is one exhaust, again usually the left, being more coked up than the other.

The radiators are mounted behind the front bumpers, where leaves tends to accumulate and cause blockages and corrosion if not cleaned out regularly. The coolant crossover pipes are made from rubber, but with aluminum ends that go into steel. Corrosion can form here, so get the car in the air to find

ABOVE The Mezger engine in the GT3 models is extremely robust – remarkable, considering it can rev to 8000rpm. OPPOSITE Despite online horror stories, the IMS bearing issue on non-Mezger-engined 997s isn’t as bad as you might imagine.

‘The 997 was a strong seller throughout its life, and its looks have aged well as subsequent 911s have piled on the pounds’ M1 MOMENTUM

any issues or leaks, because it’s an expensive repair; you have to drop the subframe.

Manual gearboxes are robust, as are both the Tiptronic and PDK versions. Also, some of the specialists recommend transmission oil changes whenever the clutch needs replacing, which is around every 50,000 miles.

The GT3’s Mezger engine is a robust unit, with very little that goes wrong. However, given that the car will in all likelihood have seen track use – and not necessarily with the most adept drivers – do get the ECU checked by a specialist for any signs of damaging overrevving or messed-with gearchanges.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES Front suspension-arm bushes are known to deteriorate, leading to uneven tire wear. On the test drive, take the car over white lines and cat’s eyes – if you get two clonks, the bushes need replacing. Also look for splits in the rear coffin bushes and front A-frame bushes.

The braking system is typically strong on all variants, and more than up to the task of fast roads. However, the static pipes can 133

BUYING GUIDE

corrode. They are mounted in plastic clips on the underbody. One of them goes around the top of the gearbox, and if it needs removing you have to take the trans out. Mud gets stuck to these clips, leading to corrosion.

As befits a track-oriented car, GT3 brakes come in for a lot of punishment. Carbonceramic components were a pricey option when new, yet several aftermarket companies offer more cost-effective replacements. Some owners have fitted GT2-spec larger anti-roll bars to tame understeer, but this can make GT3s tricky on the limit.

‘Any GT3 will leave you astonished at the ability and sheer fun that come from a flat-six that revs to the heavens’

BODYWORK AND INTERIOR The 997 was well galvanized, so any major rust is likely to be from poor accident repairs.

However, you may find corrosion around the door-striker plate attached to the rear wing, and around the catch on the underside of the front bonnet. For GT3 models, it’s well worth taking a look for gravel rash on the body in front of the rear wheels, and do check for any stones stuck in the undertray or floorpan.

Inside, the only obvious signs of wear and tear on good cars should be around the driver’s side bolster and gearknob. Air-con condensers can wear out, so check that all is working well.

These are mounted in the nose of the car, and it’s an expensive job to fix.

BELOW The GT3 spawned several RS special editions, each of them stripping the car for lighter weight.

Which to buy

The 997 was a strong seller throughout its life, and its looks have aged well as subsequent 911s have piled on the pounds. The more powerful S is most common, with either Tiptronic or PDK trans in Gen 2 guise, and four-wheel drive was also popular. Convertibles generally command higher prices than the Targas and coupés, and are rarer, too.

A Gen 2, S or non-S, is the pick of the bunch, because these are less common – Porsche made a lot fewer due to the banking crisis. The ultimate ‘normal’ 997 is the manual GTS, which is priced accordingly. While the PDK models are great, it’s the manuals that will hold their value best due to their rarity.

The 997 GT3 is being recognized as peak GT3 – plenty fast enough and reliable, and without the bloat of far newer cars. However, they’re not as extreme as the early 996 GT3s.

The RS versions – in particular the 3.8 and 4.0 models – are collector gold dust, but any GT3 will leave you astonished at the ability and sheer fun that come from a flat-six that revs to the heavens.

Values 2007 Carrera S manual Concours Excellent Good Fair

$83,000 $69,000 $56,000 $44,000

2011 Carrera GTS manual Concours Excellent Good Fair

$122,000 $98,500 $82,000 $66,000

2007 GT3 manual Concours Excellent Good Fair

$183,000 $143,000 $114,000 $84,000

All values are taken from Hagerty Price Guide, winter 2022. Deduct 10-15 percent for non-manual transmissions.

More on www.hagerty.com 134

AUTOMOBILIA EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN GAS PUMP Charming vintage gas pumps track the progression of the automotive age from its earliest years – and they are highly collectable, too. Here’s what you should be looking for

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY A ARON HOP

AUTOMOBILIA

WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF A GAS pump, they visualize a modern multi-grade machine with a credit-card reader and built-in TV screen – the kind found outside the corner convenience store. To a collector, however, the term ‘gas pump’ elicits thoughts of relics from bygone eras, with the earliest units now coming in at more than 100 years old.

The first generation were basically hand pumps set on a barrel in front of a general store. In the early 1900s, with a rapid increase in the number of registered vehicles, the need for a better method of gasoline distribution was established. Bigger hand pumps, attached to large buried tanks at the curbside, began popping up across the country. These models were largely generic and simple cast ‘stroker’type designs; they were purely function based to do their job of getting fuel from the tank into the automobile. This all began to change by the late 1910s, and certainly into the Roaring 1920s, as ever more pumps and dedicated gas stations appeared on America’s highways.

There are many variations of these gas pumps, but the Bowser 97 Square Sentry is a good example of an early-style model. This particular version came on the market in 1922, and was hand-operated like the previous ‘blind’ pumps were. From the mundane appearance

of the earliest units, such models would see design and aesthetics coming into play from manufacturers across the country.

Pumps went from small and inconspicuous to large and imposing in a matter of a decade.

The Bowser also offered a globe mount at the top, which would have been illuminated at stations with electricity to further catch the motorist’s eye. Many units of this early style are referred to as ‘pre-visible’ models.

The next era of gas pumps featured arguably the most iconic model of all time, the ‘visible’ pump with a large glass cylinder. Even the most casual collector has likely encountered one of these in their adventures, because the use of such devices was widespread and prolonged.

The earliest visible models were in use by the late teens, but this style of pump commanded the market share as the 1920s progressed. The Bennett Model 810 ten-gallon visible pump shown here was manufactured in 1930, and is indicative of most models from this era and style. Many of these pumps were hand-operated, where the attendant would manually work the fuel up into the cylinder from the holding tank, before allowing gravity to drop the desired number of gallons into the customer’s tank. Some collectors refer to this style as a ‘gravity-feed’ pump.

Visible models also came with electric- and air-operated pumps for filling the cylinders as more and more stations gained access to electricity throughout the countryside after passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936.

The large cylinders gave comfort to consumers, because they could see the fuel being delivered from the pump into their vehicle’s tank – eliminating some of the concerns of being shortchanged at one of the earlier blind models.

Oil companies using visible gas pumps sometimes dyed their different grades of fuel, which furthered customers’ confidence in knowing that they were getting exactly what they ordered. Most visible gas pumps were FAR LEFT Erie 753 clockface pump was made in 1931. OPPOSITE Martin & Schwartz 80 with Mobilgas Special logo dates from 1946. LEFT Visible pumps such as Bennett Model 810 were popular in the 1920s.

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made with ten-gallon cylinders, but five-gallon models were fairly prevalent as well; there are also some odd-sized cylinder pumps still known to exist from small manufacturers, including a rare 15-gallon model.

Following the era of visible gas pumps came the ‘clockface’ models. While most visible versions reached to imposing heights, often nearing ten feet when sporting globes, this next generation stood a more modest six or seven feet tall – even with a globe atop. Instead of the earlier, manually operated pumps, clockface models used electric motors almost exclusively to drive both the internal pumps and the dial mechanisms; however, handoperated units of this type do turn up occasionally in collector circles.

The name clockface comes from the large clock-like dial at the top center of these pumps, with hands that would move in a clockwise fashion as the gasoline flowed through the meter to indicate both the flow of fuel and the volume dispensed. To further inspire consumer confidence, most pumps from this era utilized a small sight glass with a flow indicator, which would show that fuel was indeed flowing from the device and into the car’s tank.

Interestingly, many rural areas did not see widespread usage of clockface pumps, because by the time electricity was broadly accessible at remote locations, these models were no longer being manufactured. In fact, the earlier visible designs had stayed in use in these locales throughout this whole period.

The Erie 753 pump with Shell globe shown on the previous page was manufactured in 1931, and it is indicative of models from this era. Clockface pumps are some of the most widely sought after among collectors today.

A major innovation then followed the clockface versions: the ‘computing’ pump mechanism, which would be used in the 138

‘‘Computing’ pumps would measure both gallon flow and the total value of the sale; something we take for granted today’

1930s and for decades to follow. These meters could be set with current prices, and would measure both gallon flow and the total value of the sale, right on the pump face. This is something we take for granted today, but in the post-Depression era it was a major step forward technologically.

The first generations of the computing pumps stood tall, like the clockfaces, but they soon became shorter and more streamlined.

The Wayne 60 model with Speedway globe and ad glass (left) came into production in 1935; this pump is not particularly rare, but it is highly sought after in collector circles. The Martin & Schwartz 80 version with Mobilgas Special pump plate and top is an example of how the styling evolved; this particular model came into production in 1946.

This brief overview of gas pumps is the tip of the iceberg, to say the least. There are countless variations, because the generations overlapped and changed from one to the other.

Often the latest models would be installed at new stations or the highest-visibility/volume locations, and the existing pumps would be moved to less prominent locales or out to farms for use there; this being said, the same device may have seen use for decades as it made the rounds from location to location.

With this in mind, we often see color schemes or logos that, at a casual glance, do not fit the normal era of use – but it makes sense, knowing that the pump may have been repurposed or reused several times in its life.

For those interested in learning more, I highly recommend The Gas Pump Bible, by the late Jack Sim. It features images and information on more than 3000 gas pumps, and serves as an invaluable resource to collectors.

Thank you to www.checktheoilmagazine.com’s Aaron Hop, and to Automobilia Resource at www.automobiliaresource.com.

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Track tips Spare the horses Struggling in your quest for speed? Before putting money into the engine, see if your set-up can yield the answers W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K P H O T O G R A P H Y M A S E R AT I

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ARE YOU BEING EVADED BY THE LAP TIMES YOU think your car is capable of? Simply not going fast enough? It can be tempting to peer under the hood and think “what if?”

Yet while the allure of adding more horses to the corral is highly tempting, it may be worth taking another look at your set-up. A few simple adjustments will not only shrink lap times but also make the car much more fun to drive on the limit – and, most importantly, less likely to launch you into the scenery if something goes awry.

The best thing is that, unlike unnecessary investment in your engine, set-up changes can be very cheap indeed, yet yield huge gains.

Start by dividing corners into two types: fast or slow. Then, divide these corners into three sections – entry, mid-corner and exit. Next, while driving, try to note what you’re feeling in each corner, and in each section of said corner.

Of course, this is quite a detailed mental effort, and keeping the car pointing in the right direction is rather more important. However, with only a few short notes you can paint a picture of what’s happening based around three questions you need to ask: is it understeering or oversteering, is it doing this on entry, mid-corner or exit, and is the action mild, moderate or severe?

The key is to get all this down in notes as soon as you return to the pits. Add context to these notes by explaining what inputs you were making while the car’s reactions were playing out.

Such notes are the best way to help a chassis guru to make changes – but even if you’re doing M1 MOMENTUM

the work yourself, by thinking through the processes in a segmented form that mirrors going around the corner, you can adjust things slightly rather than take giant leaps.

For example, mid-corner oversteer in slow corners might mean that the front of the car is too stiff and lacks compliance. Softening the springs, shocks and sway bar might make a dramatic change – and cure fast-corner understeer while you’re at it.

Experimenting is key, and pursuing a stiffer set-up might yield results. A snappy or unpredictable car may mean it has a lack of roll support, especially if you’re pursuing a soft or friendly balance. However, a set-up can be too soft, just as it can be too stiff.

While YouTube paints the scene that oversteer is king, for the best lap time a balance that tends towards light understeer is usually the quickest.

Consider making the front end comparatively stiffer than the rear, so running the car fairly flat.

Too much understeer, however, will add time, because you’ll be forever waiting for it to diminish before getting on the throttle again.

Try dialing it out by increasing the rake angle (the difference between the front and rear ride heights) or make the back end stiffer. This will help the car to change direction quicker.

It’s a case of experimenting, and there will always be a trade-off – what works at one corner will not work at another. However, try different things, stick at it and keep track of your times, and you’ll be shaving seconds sharpish.

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How to...

Set up corner weights Ride heights and ballast are key to ensuring that your car corners consistently and you achieve faster lap times

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

IF YOUR CAR IS ACTING A BIT WEIRD THROUGH the apexes on track, setting corner weights could transform your confidence – and thus your lap times. So how do you go about doing just that?

PREPARATION The need to precisely hone the car’s ride height at each corner means you’ll require height-adjustable coil-overs. Whether it’s the spring base that’s tweakable, or the body, when corner weighting the spring-platform adjustment should be used.

Variable drop links are also a must. Corner weighing means that ride heights will differ from side to side, thus straining the sway bar. This increases the car’s static spring rate, leading to unpredictable straight-line steering. By fitting adjustable drop links, the onus for compensating for the difference in ride heights is put on these components rather than the sway bar.

Before starting a weighing session, make sure the scales are on a flat surface. The tires need to be at an even pressure all the way around, or how you’d actually like them to be on track. Incorrect pressures could raise or lower the car at a particular corner, leading to inaccurate weight readings.

Next, disconnect one drop link at the front and at the rear, in order to stop the sway bar trying to compensate for the ride-height changes. You’ll also need the driver to sit in the car, or put an approximation of his or her weight in the driver’s seat, to understand how much you’ll need to compensate.

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WEIGHT OF THE WORLD With the car jacked up, place the scales under all four wheels and allow the suspension to settle.

Take a note of the current mass distribution; obviously it’ll show the mass at each wheel, plus the percentage difference fore and aft, and side to side – but the most important figure is the cross-weight percentage. On most scales this is displayed as CR, and it figures the difference between the diagonal weights of each vehicle (eg right rear and left front). You’ll use these percentage figures to fine-tune the car’s mass.

You’re looking for a 50/50 percentage side to side in order to create a car that won’t surprise you apex to apex. Aiming for 50/50 front and rear is also a good idea, but you might want to change the weight for greater front or rear grip.

The cross-weight percentage, however, has to be as close to 50 percent as possible so that the car exhibits the same cornering characteristics when turning either left or right.

For rear-wheel-drive (RWD) models, more mass at the rear (say 45/55) would provide greater traction, while the opposite is true with FWD. For most RWD racing cars, though, 50/50 is preferred. Similarly, 50/50 front to rear is best for 4WD cars, so that traction is split evenly.

Increasing a particular wheel’s mass necessitates raising the ride height, because this increases the leverage of the car’s body to the wheel, which in turn increases the mass on it. To decrease mass at a wheel, the same principle dictates that you lower the ride height.

Perfecting the percentages takes time, M1 MOMENTUM

because adjusting one wheel will affect another, most often diagonally. Sometimes 50/50 perfection side to side, or your ideal front-rear percentage, is unobtainable; it’s better to accept this rather than have wildly different ride heights all around the car, because this in itself will have a knock-on effect on handling. A slightly uneven set-up and a more level car all round is far better.

ROLL WITH IT Changing the ride heights will also alter the roll-center location, leading to an increase or decrease in the roll moment at the end of the car, thus creating under- or oversteer. Different heights front to rear are therefore best avoided, unless the suspension geometry is designed to work in such a manner. The center-of-gravity position can be raised by jacking the car too highly, resulting in even more excessive roll.

If changing the ride heights doesn’t achieve your mass-balance aims, adding ballast is an option. These plates bolt into the car in various locations, which obviously makes that section heavier and alters the car’s mass distribution.

Once you have set the ride heights and achieved your distribution aims, you can lock the coil-overs off and adjust the drop links to connect the sway bar with the suspension without putting strain on the former.

Ready to go? Not quite: all this fiddling with ride heights means wheel alignment will be considerably out. Once that’s done, you can hit the track, leave corner-to-corner concerns behind and focus on one thing – getting faster.

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Choosing equipment Flooring Whether you’re looking for something comfortable to work on or a surface with style, there’s a garage flooring solution to suit

it. You’ll also need to apply primer before the epoxy-coating process begins.

There are several different epoxy options, but the best results are from ‘high solids’ and ‘100 percent solids’. High solids are usually sold with a number, which determines how much of the can is solvent. The 100 percent solids are much better, though, because they don’t shrink – yet the prep work must be perfect prior to application. The final coat should be urethane, which is more resistant to UV, and wear and tear.

However, a recent development has been the use of polyurea coatings. While the smell in the days and possibly weeks immediately after application is, at best, ‘challenging’, it provides a glossy look to the concrete, is easy to install, is less likely to be fouled by chemicals and is more durable in the long term. If you do take the polyurea route, make sure there is no drywall or exposed insulation that could trap the odor…

In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this, because it very much comes down to what you do with your car and the aesthetic you’re aiming for. Tiles are much easier to install and require little prep work, but the aesthetic is an acquired taste. Epoxy and polyurea coatings offer more protection to the concrete from leaks, and the opportunity to create artwork installations, but require plenty of prep work, the removal of your cars and equipment for much longer, and – in the case of polyurea – very understanding neighbors for a week or two post-install...

ALAMY

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

WE ALL KNOW GARAGES ARE MORE THAN JUST places to store or work on your automotive toys – they’re places of sanctuary, contemplation and, occasionally, car-calamity cursing.

Quality flooring can obviously improve the aesthetics, but if you’re more hands-on with your cars and motorcycles, you don’t have to trade off looks for practicality, either. If we’re talking utilitarian purposes, we’ve surely all seen the low-cost foam tiles for sale in discount stores and auto shops. While these do a job, they by nature expand and contract – and, unless finished in black, they are easily stained permanently by tires and leaks.

Garage floor tiles are a better option, and they available in two types: flexible PVC and rigid polypropylene. The former might be softerfeeling for the enthusiast mechanic, but rigid tiles are better for dissipating any moisture that forms underneath them or through the concrete.

They’re also much easier to install and will do a good job of avoiding tire stains. You can replace individual tiles fairly easily, too, and create attractive patterns to suit your garage theme.

However, if you need more protection for your concrete floor, have a rather more dramatic artwork theme planned or your cars are – shall we say – not shy in trying to return their minerals and chemicals to the earth, epoxy coatings may be the way forward.

Applying a coating will require a lot of prep work such as filling joints or cracks, and if you’re looking to paint your floor, now’s the time to do

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PA R T I N G S H O T As proud of your ride as this gal is of hers – a tow car for the children’s ‘Grand Prix’ races that took place on a parking lot in Detroit’s Livonia suburb in the mid-1950s? Bring it to the Woodward Dream Show on August 18, 2023. See you there!

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