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csl177
03-16-2010, 10:11 PM
Great weekend at Amelia, an automobile extravaganza! Weather was dodgy at first but cleared and the place was packed. Mercedes had a display and daily test drives available at the entrance to the hotel; when we arrived there were a dozen cars arranged for viewing including a 300SL next to the new AMG, which made an interesting comparison. Having already viewed the AMG up close, I still prefer the classic.

csl177
03-16-2010, 10:28 PM
The large private collection of John O'Quinn was a large part of RM's auction list and included some extraordinary autos. The preview tent was just outside our room, and as the cars were rotated (over 140) for viewing it was hard not to keep going back to see what was next. Results were impressive... rather than try to post photos and sales, here's a link: RM AUCTIONS (http://www.rmauctions.com/auction-results-overview.cfm?SaleCode=AM10)

csl177
03-16-2010, 10:44 PM
A handful of microcars caught my attention, particularly a BMW 600. Speaking with the owner, a pleasant gentleman from Colorado, we agreed the 600 was undervalued and much rarer than the popular-cute Isetta. We also agreed it would be great if it sold above $30K or so. Sitting next to him when bidding raced off, I gave him a thumbs up when it hit $40,000... he called his wife to give her the good news. And the bidding continued to an amazing $67,500! :eek:

We all were astonished, and Dave was damn near giddy. A world record! His very nice little Bianchina did well too. And my old friend's white 850 Abarth surpassed estimate by $30K! Small is IN. :D

csl177
03-16-2010, 11:03 PM
On the Concours lawn, a veritable feast was presented by organizer Bill Warner. Dream cars included Harley Earl's most famous creation:

csl177
03-16-2010, 11:23 PM
Behold the diminutive and fascinating turbine-powered Ghia Streamline, which ran well... smelling like a kerosene garage heater.:p

csl177
03-16-2010, 11:40 PM
And no turbine car display would be complete without THE Firebird!

Dino Scuderia
03-17-2010, 03:39 AM
I certainly enjoyed the show once again....could have done without all the wind though...that was the coolest temp I've experienced in the 6-7 times I have attended that show.

Nice pics!

csl177
03-17-2010, 10:37 AM
Early lots from the RM auction included a 1915 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London-Edinburgh Tourer, stunning 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Berlinetta, 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder and the unique 1912 Gobron-Brillie 12 CV Skiff Tourer.

henk4
03-17-2010, 10:40 AM
Great stuff, CSL, what about all the Etceterinis?

csl177
03-17-2010, 10:52 AM
Activity around the grounds were as interesting to watch as featured events...

csl177
03-17-2010, 11:06 AM
On to the lawn... some random shots, not specifically etceterinis! Perhaps I should have gone by catagory but then would have spent the whole day just taking pictures. Good thing I don't do this for a living... :D

henk4
03-17-2010, 11:06 AM
Big 40CV...and what on earth is this Offy engined contraption?

cmcpokey
03-17-2010, 11:16 AM
looks like it was a great show again. went there a few years back, and it was great if not a bit overwhelming.

csl177
03-17-2010, 11:25 AM
Two aero specials... from Cars You Never Knew Existed and Forgotten Fiberglass.

csl177
03-17-2010, 11:28 AM
That's Smokey Yunick's 1964 Hurst Shifter Special, Henk. From a time when Indy racers still experimented:
:: 1964 Smokey Yunick Side Car, Hurst Shifter Special :: (http://www.techspecsart.com/indyracers/1964SMOKYUNICK/index.html)

"1964 Smokey Yunick Side Car, Hurst Shifter Special
Perhaps the most unusual car ever to compete at Indy, Smokey teamed up with George Hurst to field the Hurst Floor Shift Spl. featuring an outboard driver capsule. In 1964, Yunick showed up at the track with one of the most radical cars ever to enter the 500-mile race. Called the Hurst Floor Shift Special, it featured a catamaran-like layout with the driver placed in a pod adjacent to a second pod containing the engine, front and rear suspension, fuel tank, and radiator. Unfortunately, his driver Bobby Johns—the guy who almost won the Daytona 500 with Smokey’s Pontiac in 1960—had trouble adjusting to the car’s handling characteristics and eventually backed it into the wall during the last day of qualifying."

wwgkd
03-17-2010, 11:58 AM
That williams speedster in post #11 has surprisingly compact suspension. Anyone know if it worked well, or why that particular setup was chosen in the first place?

csl177
03-17-2010, 12:01 PM
Some Etceterini...

csl177
03-17-2010, 07:40 PM
A few of the Ferraris...

kvisser
03-17-2010, 07:58 PM
I spoke with the owner, restorer and former owner/author about this gorgeous Birdcage. It had been campaigned by Stirling Moss and others with great success. It ended up a used, unloved old racing car that was sawed in half to install a v-8 into. That never happened and was lovingly restored in the 70s to its former glory with the larger 2.9 liter motor installed. The car was crashed and went thru a significant restoration 30 years later. This time, with the advance of knowledge, many earlier decisions were corrected.

Dino Scuderia
03-17-2010, 08:22 PM
The Birdcage won the Best of Show – Concours de Sport award at this show.

csl177
03-17-2010, 08:32 PM
Nice pics, kvisser... with other UCP folks in attendance it would have been cool to meet! Maybe we should wear a badge or hat to identify one another.:cool: Do you know if it is the #22 Sebring car Moss shared (seems impossible, but true) with Dan Gurney in 1960, chassis #2457? It had a crowd around it so unfortunately I didn't get to read the card. Here are a couple of detail photos:

csl177
03-17-2010, 08:34 PM
Dino and kvisser, please post your pics, would love to see more...

henk4
03-18-2010, 12:32 AM
Nice pics, kvisser... with other UCP folks in attendance it would have been cool to meet! Maybe we should wear a badge or hat to identify one another.:cool: Do you know if it is the #22 Sebring car Moss shared (seems impossible, but true) with Dan Gurney in 1960, chassis #2457? It had a crowd around it so unfortunately I didn't get to read the card. Here are a couple of detail photos:

makes the decision to cancel our trip even more regrettable...I think the Birdcage is #2458, at least it looks pretty much like this one, which raced at the Historics last year, as well as in 2008 and 2007, but a good paint job does wonders..I have no pictures of 2457.

TheScrutineer
03-18-2010, 02:17 AM
Hmm, one thinks there may be certain handling issues with that Indycar!

Love that Birdcage.

Dino Scuderia
03-18-2010, 05:44 AM
makes the decision to cancel our trip even more regrettable...I think the Birdcage is #2458, at least it looks pretty much like this one, which raced at the Historics last year, as well as in 2008 and 2007, but a good paint job does wonders..I have no pictures of 2457.

Indeed it is #2458....Supercars photographer captured the plate.

henk4
03-18-2010, 06:55 AM
Indeed it is #2458....Supercars photographer captured the plate.

so did Ultimatecarpage photographer in 2005......:)

csl177
03-18-2010, 10:14 AM
Points deducted for non-aligned screw heads. :rolleyes: Wait! Those should be rivets!

We attended the design symposium which was a disappointment. Freeman Thomas was the only designer to discuss process in a way that wasn't "me, me, me" but still, all 4 guys kept insisting that auto design was all about "millennials". During Q&A, someone rightly questioned such a strategy in the face of declining sales, social relevancy and aging boomers, a much larger market. None of them responded with a clue. No wonder Detroit is in trouble.

But the 917 drivers group moderated by Tim Considine and Sam Posey was great! Perhaps development and racing stories we've heard before, but lots of fun. Brian Redman, John Horsman, Vic Elford, Derek Bell, Charlie Kemp and Hurley Haywood. Here's a few photos:

csl177
03-18-2010, 10:38 AM
A bonus display was Bertone's BAT 11. Quite impressive in the flesh.

csl177
03-18-2010, 01:08 PM
The special guest honoree was Richard Petty, but Porsche was the feature car; specifically the 917. Terrific group of eleven to drool over.

csl177
03-18-2010, 01:31 PM
More Porsches... Collier's #2 being driven back from the judging stand elicited a scolding from a cranky old Ferrari guy: "Hey! Slow it down, slow it down!" like he was telling kids to get off his lawn. Too funny... maybe moving at 10mph. My freind's '69 Jennings car fresh from restoration was stunning. Besides the MOMO 935 he also hauled Piper's 917 for the show but never started it... a fun tow! :D

cmcpokey
03-18-2010, 01:50 PM
i love the 917s... it was surprising seeing them in person as to how small they actually are.

csl177
03-18-2010, 02:04 PM
How about some brass?

csl177
03-18-2010, 02:06 PM
i love the 917s... it was surprising seeing them in person as to how small they actually are.

They're tiny. Sitting in one, head and legs angled to the left make one understand how commited the drivers were to using the beast on track. The CanAm cars are more comfortable, but imagine driving such a compact package with upwards of 1100hp! :eek:

henk4
03-18-2010, 02:25 PM
well, the engine cover on the 917-30 is not really small. Having stood next to the 16 cylinder recently also does not give you this impression of smallness...

cmcpokey
03-18-2010, 02:25 PM
They're tiny. Sitting in one, head and legs angled to the left make one understand how commited the drivers were to using the beast on track. The CanAm cars are more comfortable, but imagine driving such a compact package with upwards of 1100hp! :eek:

i'd still love to try... and that yellow mercer was one of my favorites from pebble.

csl177
03-18-2010, 03:15 PM
Yeah, I love Mercers... America's first supercar.

Here's a couple of old track cars, the yellow one freshly restored by Geoff Hacker, the other a survivor:

henk4
03-19-2010, 01:30 AM
They're tiny. Sitting in one, head and legs angled to the left make one understand how commited the drivers were to using the beast on track. The CanAm cars are more comfortable, but imagine driving such a compact package with upwards of 1100hp! :eek:

coming to think of it, they are also look tiny because our everyday cars have grown so big so we got used that sort of sizes. Compared to an Austin Healey Frogeye, the 917 will look massive...

csl177
03-19-2010, 08:17 AM
Perhaps "tiny" is the wrong word (unless discussing the cockpit)... but certainly the proportions decieve.
It's not a big car compared to a GT40 or Ferrari 512, especially not compared to modern cars!

Speaking of small, what do you think of the yellow tanker above? Check out that cockpit: a bicycle seat. :eek:

henk4
03-19-2010, 08:29 AM
Perhaps "tiny" is the wrong word (unless discussing the cockpit)... but certainly the proportions decieve.
It's not a big car compared to a GT40 or Ferrari 512, especially not compared to modern cars!

Speaking of small, what do you think of the yellow tanker above? Check out that cockpit: a bicycle seat. :eek:

It should have the same dimensions as a 512, more or less, same class, same philosophy, but offhand I would say it is bigger than a GT40.
My experience with a bicycle seat at high speeds is quite good, but with a bike you can lean into a corner, but not with this yellow contraption:)

csl177
03-19-2010, 08:41 AM
Cobra CSX2171, pulled out of a Utah closet enclosure, hidden under a model A Ford for 30 years and displayed without even washing it:

csl177
03-19-2010, 08:43 AM
It should have the same dimensions as a 512, more or less, same class, same philosophy, but offhand I would say it is bigger than a GT40.
My experience with a bicycle seat at high speeds is quite good, but with a bike you can lean into a corner, but not with this yellow contraption:)

Fine then... it just SEEMS small. :D

henk4
03-19-2010, 08:51 AM
Fine then... it just SEEMS small. :D
or people would expect it to be larger:D

csl177
03-19-2010, 11:51 AM
A nice little group of British cars; Aston Martin Ulster, lovely AC, MG engine compartment, and a charming front-wheel-drive BSA.

kvisser
03-19-2010, 07:00 PM
Here are some motion shots I took. This is what makes this such a cool event, to see these magnificent beast strolling the green carpet at the Ritz. Very cool.

The cars were going very slow making it difficult to get much of a blur on any of the images.

Having a media badge made it a bunch easier to get where I wanted. I spoke with the head guy managing the staging area in front of the stands. He said that there used to be a bull pen for photographers but due to size contraints, I had to manage behind the ropes. Well, I managed to hang out with the cops outside the ropes and walk up to shoot what ever cars I wanted in the main thorough causeway. He kept shuttling other guys off but never bothered me. I like getting to events like this early, lets you get familiar with the guys running everything.

regards

johnnynumfiv
03-19-2010, 07:58 PM
Any pics of a blue '65 Aston Martin LHD convertible? or the red Bocar Stiletto?

csl177
03-19-2010, 09:04 PM
A media pass... nice, were you shooting for publication, kvisser? Access for clear views on Sunday would have been a pleasure!
But the rest of us did have opportunities. Here's Lucky Casner's Team Camoradi Corvette near the Dudley Cunningham's Bocar Stiletto, Saturday afternoon. The Stiletto is a remarkable survivor, though one look at the aero indicates serious high-speed lift and one imagines long straights driven carefully. Which may also explain why only 3 were allegedly built. Fun to see at vintage events, though...
it was known as Streamlined Lightning. Sounds great.

Think the message in the steering wheel had anything to do with the aformentioned aero? :D

johnnynumfiv
03-20-2010, 05:10 AM
I loaded that car onto the semi. It's sound is amazing. The crank mounted supercharger is about as big as the small block. :p We got a kick out of the DON'T PANIC. :D

kvisser
03-23-2010, 07:51 PM
I was doing some video for hd theater and shooting still for my own purposes, which is automotive gluttony. I love this event. It is unique on the east coast for its size and selection of cars.

I love the contrast of the old and modern, thrown into the mix. Its especially cool to watch, smell and hear these cars drive about.

kvisser
03-27-2010, 07:37 AM
Like many folks here, I've seen many a car in my life. I like the sporty stuff, vintage Ferraris, modern day Spykers, old school race cars, but I've never seen a car like the North's 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith. It was an inherited project that was finished by the owners.

It is simply spectacular.

The amount of work and craftsmenship in this car is astounding. I don't know how long it took but it had to have been thousands of hours.

It is truly one of a kind.

regards

ken

Dino Scuderia
03-27-2010, 07:53 AM
Yes, that one was amazing.