Scroll down to find the following stories:

Trailer Queen VS the Road Warrior

24th Newport Concours d’Elegance

2006 Monterey Week: Automotive Mecca

The Legacy of the 2006 Indy 500

Cars The Movie-Not to be missed

Dust Settles on Scottsdale-Arizona Auction Coverage

Muscle Cars: Forty Years Later or “Suddenly it’s 1964”
 

Otis, my man! Charles Rollins Editor

Otis Chandler was “The Man”. Weight lifter, sportsman, hunter, make that big game hunter, racer, biker, and surfer. Let’s not forget Publishing magnate i.e. unlimited funds to pursue previously mentioned passions. Wednesday October 11th Bench-Racing visited the soon to be nonexistent Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife in Oxnard.

Before he passed away, he made sure some of his friends got to take home their own objects of desire. Jay Leno got the Brough Superior (Lawrence of Arabia owned seven bikes and died from injuries sustained while crashing one), other motorcycles were promised to close friends. His will stated that after he was gone, his motorcycle and classic car collection should be divided amongst other members of the collector car hobby, it was not to be sold to one individual. Oh, by the way, you can’t take your car/bike with you until Gooding & Co. has verified funds; a total projected $20-$27 million dollars in funds. Our guess is that this number will be exceeded.
If the Southern California area is hit by a string of bank heists during the next few days just show up to the Otis Chandler auction (October 21st) and there you will find your suspect with a large bag of the ill gotten dough. It will be me just trying to grasp at part of the most significant classic car auction since Bill Harrah’s collection of 1,400 cars was dismantled in Reno, Nevada in 1981. It is arguable that if you bought anything from the Harrah’s auction, the combination of caliber, rarity, and condition of that vehicle was soon worth much more than you paid for it. General Lyon purchased a Bugatti Royale, along with 81 other cars during that event for $28.7 million. and later sold it for a record number, allowing him to continue operations as one of the nation’s largest home builders, an investment that worked out well for him at many levels.

For those of you that have owned concours level collector cars, you know the difference between an 80 point car and one that scores consistently in the upper 90’s and has best of show qualifications can be significant. Getting the car into that top 10 percentile can be difficult if not close to impossible, sometimes requiring a re-restoration of an already well restored car. The cars from the Chandler collection are bona fide, carefully chosen for their rarity (one of two, one of three, etc.) and top level restoration. The winning bidders actually get all of the trophies that were won by the car through the years. How much more are these cars worth then other similar cars, the market will soon answer that question. Otis himself would have jumped at the chance to purchase some of the cars available, by the way, all at NO RESERVE.
This was a collection in flux. Cars were actively bought and sold. Several of the cars had been bought and sold by Chandler several times over, either moments of remorse or unwilling participants in horse trading episodes. After the Guggenheim Motorcycle exhibit, the motorcycle collection was reduced by half, selling off most of the European bikes. Many of you are aware that Chandler had amassed the ultimate Muscle Car collection only to sell it off years before the now stratospheric appreciation of this genre. The Muscle Cars gave way to American Classics and a few significant European cars. Brass or Antique cars through the depression era classics were the final focus. The only constant, a Porsche or two somewhere in the collection. Otis, referred to as “The Hurricane” would orchestrate total reorganizations and shuffle the contents of the collection into a completely new display inside the 50,000 square foot building. The building itself has already been sold and is zoned as a Museum. The new owner will open a new museum in the future.

David Gooding, with assistance from collection manager Stu Munger and Bettina Chandler herself, spoke briefly on the significance of this sale and fielded a few questions from the media. “Dynamic” displays consisted of ride alongs in the Renault and the Dietrich bodied Dual Cowl Packard Sport Phaeton. A unique opportunity to experience cars that are considered objects perpetually on static display. A grand loop around the block in the Packard was a rare treat. The smoothness and utter silence of the motor begged for an extended journey through the surrounding agricultural landscape of Oxnard, but not today. We took photographs of the collection but it seemed a wasted and redundant effort since the photography in the auction catalog is superb. The lot descriptions leave you desirous, even if you read them without intentions. A couple of personal favorites were the Mercer Raceabout, the Renault Vanderbilt Racer, the Mercedes 40/45 hp or the 38/70 hp and similar large American Touring cars, and of course the 1912 35 passenger Packard touring bus/truck/depot hack. This one of a kind transport has been in several of the most recent Rose Parades and will always be remembered for transporting all of the honorary judges onto the field at Pebble Beach. Limitations include solid tires and a top speed of 18 mph but its history includes military service and a stint in Yosemite.
The motorcycle collection possesses two potential record breaking bikes. A strap tank HD and a 1901 Indian F Head Single (which might be the oldest American motorcycle extant). The most stunning feature is the collection of unrestored bikes. Looking just as they were when they were rolled out of barns, minus dust and cobwebs. Truly significant pieces of history, as they say, “anything can be restored to new, you can’t unrestore to original”. Several examples of early four cylinder bikes and manufacturers only heard of by true motorcycle aficionados: Flying Merkel, Flanders, Thor, Excelsior, and Curtiss. Some of these bikes will disappear after the auction, sequestered in private collections, not to be seen again for untold years.
Thanks for Gooding & Co. for their hospitality and conveyance of knowledge regarding the cars and motorcycles. This auction house has quickly become a major force in a highly competitive field and this sale will likely put it at the top of American Auction Houses. I remember being 16 and touring through building after building which was then the William Harrah Collection. So many cars that it was impossible to gather it all in yet significant cars stood out even to the untrained eye. Likewise, forever will the Otis Chandler Collection be remembered by those that were lucky enough to have seen and admired the cars and motorcycles as it fades into legend after October 21st, 2006.

Post Event Notes:

At 2:20 PM, David Gooding and auctioneer Charlie took the podium to start the action. After reading disclaimers and assorted thank you's, the widow of Otis Chandler, Bettina Chandler, took the podium for a few words about Otis and the collection. Lot number 1, a Keith Collins wall hanging tapestry set the pace for the way the bidding progressed throughout the afternoon and into the evening. No one in the house wanted to be the first bid and the auctioneer was forced to progressively lower the opening bid until someone painfully broke the ice. The left for a very long ladder of bids to climb back up to the final hammer price. An example: If the pre-auction estimate was $300-$450K, bidding would start around $100K and then slowly progress through a series of bidders until it would finally sell for $525K. With 100 lots, this process took a while but it was entertaining and Charlie kept it light and moving forward. He is a skillful auctioneer that pulled bids out of reluctant bidders without being offensive or condescending, no money was left on the table, no bids were missed (he even reopened bidding after dropping the hammer, he admitted he saw the bidders hand go up as he was lowering the hammer and just could not stop his downward motion). All the big players in the classic car collector community were snug in their reserved seats (a local pilot said there was quite a display of private/corporate jets at the local airport). I assert that the long bidding process was consistent with a crowd that hoped to pay below the pre-auction estimate but the rarity and condition of the cars filtered through these bidders until the rich and savvy ultimately raised their paddle and the final bid was hammered down.

There were dozens of active bidders throughout the night and the phone lines consistently produced high end bids including several successful ones. It was difficult to spot the bidders involved as there were over 1200 chairs and bids were regularly given with just a nod or partial hand gesture. Most lots exceeded pre-auction estimates though at times the lot seemed stalled at a substantial discount, a new bidder would enter and take the number skyward. Very serious bidding was the order of the event, no showboats blurting out bids or waving signal flags. Several cars that were driven up onto the large exhibition ramp held various members of the Chandler family. Grandchildren, sons, the house boy, and even the family dog “Duke”. The 35 passenger Packard touring bus, auctioned towards the end of the evening, held most of the family for a final farewell. The mezzanine that held the motorcycle collection was a special area for family and friends to observe the auction. Speaking of Motorcycles, all the bikes with the notable exception of the “strap tank” Harley and just a couple others, reached or exceeded pre-auction estimates. Most blew right through the high end of the estimate sometimes doubling the lower estimate. These bikes were helped along by the celebrity of being part of the Guggenheim Museum, ”The Art of the Motorcycle” and superior restorations at the hands of Steve Huntzinger.

Throughout the auction, the high prices achieved are a testament to the quality and rarity of the motorcycles and custom bodied cars offered. No matter if you collect coins, art, or cars, if you collect the best available, their value will always be there. Very few bidders went home with multiple lots and most went home empty handed. The No Reserve policy created the excitement and optimism required to bring in all the serious players and sales exceeded $32 million dollars (not counting bidders 10% premium, artwork, or books) which beat the previous record for a single owner/estate auction of $21million. Auction results are now available HERE

Trailer Queen VS the Road Warrior Charles Rollins Editor
 

Owners of collector cars participate in any variety of activities with their cars. The average member of the collector car hobby owns one or more vehicles that may get driven on occasion. This limited use may include a local cruise, car show, or the infamous spin around the block. Councours cars, as seen today at the Newport Beach Concours d-Elegance, find themselves at one extreme of the hobby. Methodic and costly restoration resulting in pristine examples of their marquee. Some driven only a few feet from a trailer to the display field, hopefully past the trophy tent, and the back onto the trailer. Two more tenths on the odometer yet strangely in need of a complete detail before it can be shown again. The cloistered life of a car affectionately known as, “The Trailer Queen”.

At the other end of the spectrum as far out as you can imagine are what I am going to call the “Road Warriors”. These are classic cars in every respect of the word but at any moment they might be reduced to a pile of twisted unrecognizable steel. Why? Because they are being driven and driven hard, sort of what they were originally built to do. I will break these road Warriors into two subgroups: Vintage Touring/Rally and Vintage Race. Vintage Racing is for vintage race cars. Lots of these cars only get track time since they are not legal to drive on roads or highways, so in a way they are cousins of the Trailer Queens. Race Cars that are street legal harken back to an age when some race cars were converted production cars. Yet not so altered as to lose their street legal status. Just look closely at some vintage race footage and you will see some cars still wearing their license plates. very likely to have been driven on the street to the event, altered in the parking lot, raced, then returned to street trim for the trip home.

With those thoughts in mind, I will leave the vintage racing discussion for another article and turn my focus to touring and rallying. Tours are gatherings of same marque, similar, or totally unrelated cars, drawn together for the pure enjoyment of a motoring trip. Tours can vary in distance and the event may be completed over any length of time. Maybe a trek across a number of states with a regional event or point of interest as the final destination or simply a route chosen for its invigorating characteristics. These events may have a theme: Oktoberfest, Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, North meets South, or organizers choice. They might be commemorating an important date or anniversary: the 50th anniversary of the Corvette, Ferry Porsche’s Birthday, Bastille Day, or A New Years Day tour consisting of maybe 70 miles over a couple of hours just to take advantage of the open road conditions. There is most likely a map but normally not any rigid schedule so the social aspect of the event is emphasized.

Sixteen years ago, Northern California’s Martin Swig founded the California Mille. Named after the famous Italian road race the Mille Miglia (a special edition watch is available from Chopard) this multi-day driving event for owners of classic cars is another way to enjoy the collector car hobby. Sticking to scenic two lane roads and exploiting those that are more curvy then straight, this multi-day classic car tour has spawned more then a dozen similar events across the United States. The Colorado Grand, Copperstate 1000, Texas 1000, New England 1000, etc. are like events featuring 5 star hotels and gourmet dining, entry fees are accordingly pricey. For enthusiasts with simpler aspirations, less need for luxurious accommodations and satisfied with standard fare, another breed of this style event has emerged. The No Frills Iron Bottom Motoring Tour, The California Melee, The SoCal TT, The Alpine 500, and the Carrera California offer no to low cost entry fees for a similar experience. Any of these events bring together a group of like minded enthusiasts looking for a pure open road experience. Punctuated by the allure of collector cars and the road going challenges that may be involved.

A rally is more formalized and normally driven on an assigned route with only designated stops or rest periods. Drivers and Co-pilots of such an event are required to subscribe to certain average speeds and must factor in traffic stops and speed limits to complete a perfectly timed leg. Precision and competition are the focus, not much time to enjoy the scenery or stop for roadside photo opportunities.
The “Great Race” is probably the most famous and features $270,000 in prize money with the Grand Champion of this cross country event taking home $100,000. Competitors battle the elements, road conditions and the clock for 10 days with the winner often decided by mere seconds.
The key to classic car rallies and tours is the car itself. Picking the right car is critical to a good experience and a good experience is critical to repeat participation. Open cars may seem a good fit, certainly an aesthetic and sentimental choice, but passengers take a beating from wind, sun, and the elements. Small to medium sized enclosed sports cars afford a more comfortable journey, adjustable seats and decent luggage capacity are a plus. Larger American cars and the older classics give riders the opportunity for a truly spectacular experience and some fantastic eye candy for the other participants. Some tours and rallies place restrictions on eligible cars, most subscribe to the 30 years and older rule while others require an application and acceptance policy.
Preparation is vital to an enjoyable trip. Some cars are built up just for trips such as these while others are pulled out of storage just days before the event, how’s your luck? Some breakdowns can’t be predicted but it’s wise to perform diligent maintenance and inspections so less time is spent wrenching and more time is spent breathing in the whole experience. Cars participating in tours don’t require any special equipment while rallies require calibrated speedometers and auxiliary timing devices.
Committing to such an event is great motivation for completing your project and some of us need the pressure of a deadline. Some cars in these events were once Concours competitors. After their owners had enough ribbons and trophies, they boldly left the trailer at home and put some real road miles on their machines. Participation can be a family event or a guy/gal trip. It should be looked at as more of an active vacation with historical significance where the journey is the trip. View yourself as an ambassador to the collector car hobby as people along the way enjoy the parade of cars.

Next time you are at a concours and someone experiences a mechanical malfunction necessitating a jump start or a tow, imagine having that same difficulty or worse but being 600 miles from home. At the mercy of the weather and diminishing road conditions, traveling roads that are not shown in most map books and a cell phone that has been displaying “No Service” for the last couple of hours. Don’t worry, your wipers work, the windshield defroster is doing its job, those old headlamps are lighting the way and the warm glow of the dash lights are all the comfort and security you need. Just as the original owner 30-40-50+ years ago did, and he didn’t even know what a cell phone was or a portable navigation system. He didn’t need baling wire, duct tape or zip ties but you have those items and more at the ready in your methodically packed trunk. Give yourself and your machine a test and an experience you’ll never forget.

24th Newport Concours d’Elegance

The 24th Newport Beach Concours d’Elegance was held on Sunday October 1st A carefully selected and arranged field of 200 cars was eagerly opened to the public starting at 10AM.  This is the third year the premier classic car event in Orange County, California has been held at the Strawberry Farms Golf Club. An esteemed group of 60 judges carefully inspected and evaluated cars in 27 different classes. The highest scores amongst the judged vehicles were eligible for class awards, honorary awards, and the coveted “Best of  Show”. In addition to a trophy, Chopard continued their generous participation and sponsorship by awarding the 2006 version of their Mille Miglia watch.

This years featured marque was Mercedes-Benz. A group of 12 original and restored Mercedes 300SL Gull Wing roadsters and coupes overlooked the field of significant classics. The newly opened Mercedes-Benz Classic Center was both an event sponsor and an exhibiter. A Mclaren Mercedes Formula One race car and a 1886 Benz Patent Wagen exemplified the scope and heritage of the featured marque. The patent wagon, the very first motorcar, and a 1894 Mylord Benz Coach, were dynamically displayed as they were driven around in front of the VIP lunch tent and the corporate box seat locations.  Joe Blow of somewhere choose this years concours to debut his 1916 Aston Martin , this car had not been seen by the public for over twenty years. Two extremely low mileage examples of the venerable Porsche 911 (one was unrestored with only 4,000 original miles) were displayed by the Auto Kennel of Costa Mesa along with Butzi Porsche’s personal 904 and an original 930 turbo. A Citroen land speed race car along with matching Citroen tow vehicle was joined by a full class of  racing and competition cars.  OC home builder William Lyon displayed his 1938 Mercedes 540K Special Roadster along with the original painting of the car created for the Newport Beach Concours program cover, poster, and souvenir ticket. Automotive fine artist Hector Luis Bergandi was the creator of this years signature artwork which was presented to the William Lyon family.

Several of Orange County’s upscale car dealers were present including: Bauer Aston Martin, Newport
Auto Center, and Family  Classic Car’s. Chopard again constructed a salon housing a just a sample of premium items and personal furnishings from their South Coast Plaza Store. A very large tent displayed the works of 12 artists specializing in automotive fine art.

At noon the three pointed star of Mercedes-Benz was saluted with a trio of flyovers. Two different P51 Mustangs and a Gruman Bearcat made repeated passes over the field of cars and spectators. The sound of 1000+ horsepower radial engines was easily heard from the field. A 1936 Rolls Royce Speed Wagon, a coach built Rolls Royce powered by the “Merlin” aviation motor. 

Just after lunch, the busy award stewards directed the individual class winners in a parade past the trophy tent with best in class invited to park in the coveted winner’s circle. Only one car from the winner’s circle is traditionally chosen as Best of Show but this year both a pre-war and a post-war car were selected to share in the honor. A dark blue 1935 Delahaye and a 1955 Mercedes Gull Wing Coupe (in rare original Strawberry red paint) were chosen as this years co-best of show selections.

Looking forward to next years event, the 7th of October has already been chosen to celebrate the 25th edition of the Newport Beach Concours d’Elegance. A very special display of best of show winners form the past 24 years has been arranged along with other automotive milestones and of course the best classic cars available.
 

2006 Monterey Week: Automotive Mecca

Once again, many of us made the annual pilgrimage to the Monterey Peninsula to become immersed in all things auto. Vintage Racing, Car Auctions, Casual Car Shows, and formal Concours. Besides the organized events, there are gatherings at every hotel and motel parking lot and breakfasts, lunches and dinners amongst friends using the occasion to schedule their yearly bench-racing and bull sessions. In addition to scores of interesting cars that were seen on the drive up from Orange County, 300SL roadster, Porsche Speedster, and lots of exotics, as soon as we got into town a caravan of 27 Lamborghini Gallardo’s passed us going the opposite direction. I think Lambos are the only cars that can get away with those paint jobs: lime, tangerine, you name it as long as it is outrageous.

Wednesday night we were lucky enough to have invites to Gordon McCall’s Motorsports Revival, AKA the Monterey Airport Hanger party. Mix aircraft, cars, gourmet food, high end personal furnishings (watches and jewelry) and almost 3000 guests and you have a very special evening with lots of static entertainment. Christie’s auction house sets up shop inside a hanger at the jet center situated right next to the hanger that hosts the Motorsports Revival. The hanger is open for a complimentary preview and this year a collection of significant Porsche cars was high on the list of cars to preview. The catalog description referred to these cars as coming from the same “collection” but never mentioned anyone by name (the mystery was solved on Saturday when all of the Porsches that did not meet their reserve showed up at the Blackhawk Display over by the Lodge at Pebble Beach). If one picked up the Blackhawk catalog, all of the cars offered at Christies were listed in their catalog. It made for very strange bedfellows and brings up questions pertaining to the placement of one brokers cars in another brokers auction, what’s up with this? Bentley, Lexus, Roush, 11-99 Foundation, displayed along with Corporate Jet manufacturers Falcon, Bombardier, Lear, and Gulfstream. There was also very unique and tasty food to snack on: sushi rolled to order, meat lollypops, bitefuls of prime steak complete with mash potatoes and gravy. Motor racing veterans were well represented by Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Pete Lovely, Dan Gurney, and Phil Hill.

Family friend and Car and Driver writer (and ex-Mercedes-Benz head of PR) Leo Levine, had made arrangements for dinner at Tarpy’s after the party. Leo had brought along old friend and 50’s sports car driver Gunter Teil. Günter and Leo became buddies after the war, Leo with Stars and Stripes and Günter driving Gullwings and Porsches.

We gratefully had so much to do on Thursday we had to formulate a timeline. First on our list was the launch of “The Tour” sponsored by Mercedes Benz so we had to be at the polo field by 8AM. Something I have learned that if you want to be a car guy you have to be able to get up PFE (pretty bleeping early). Why is it that to see the good stuff you have to get up PFE? Anyway there were at least a hundred people that got up earlier then us because all of the cars on the tour were already there in line when we arrived. The Tour was lead by a couple of Gullwing coupes, one driven by MBZ guest John Fitch. If you have not had the pleasure on meeting John Fitch, he is sort of a John Wooden type icon. Way into his 80’s Fitch still drives and even competes at Bonneville. He seems as lucid as ever and we were privy to a gathering of three old friends, our new pal Gunther, Sterling Moss, and John Fitch. No need to wish we were a fly on the wall, we were leaning on the same fender of that Gullwing pinching ourselves, thankfully we were wide awake. Two cars certainly jumped out as contenders for Sundays Best of Show. A fabulous Bugatti with a grill that reminds one of a Kurtis Roadster and an outrageous Delahaye with custom coachwork that honestly exceeds the confines of the word outrageous. What an amazing feast for the eyes and further a feast for the senses as one can enjoy the sounds and smells of the cars as they leave for their tour.

Have you ever stopped to think about what a culmination the Pebble Beach Concours is? At a minimum, months if not years of work go into the process of bring a car to the 18th green. Not counting the actual acquisition of the vehicle, finding or hunting down the right car, negotiating the purchase, transporting said car to the new owners location, these cars are brought back to a remarkable level of condition that takes four judges at least a half an hour to decode. The preparation and anticipation alone would be too much for most people to endure. Luckily it is not a quest on my list, it certainly keeps personal vehicle prep in the realm of enjoyable tasks. Enough digression, these 150 or so owners have a huge investment/commitment of time and money all for this moment. It may be their most proud achievement or it may end up in utter failure if something on the vehicle was overlooked, fails, or breaks just as dawn breaks on Sunday. Way too much anxiety for me.

We leaped ahead of the tour and found a suitable observation spot near the guard gate at Montera. We were able to see, hear, and photograph most of the cars as their respective groups drove past. It was refreshing to see most drivers and passengers happy and really enjoying the event. We hustled from Montera over to Laguna Seca where we were going to catch up with our racer friends. Thursday is a wonderful day for doing this as there is no racing hence the drivers and crew members are at ease and available.

The first group to catch our attention as we entered the paddock was the boisterous Trans AM assemblage. These enthusiasts choose an unconventional orderly disorder in the arrangement of their vehicles and transporters/trailers, much in the spirit of Trans AM paddocks of almost forty years ago. Instead of orderly rows, they had their trailers in a large square with the race cars parked together in the center. I think this group knows each other well and are mostly veterans of vintage racing. It was about time that someone mixed things up in the paddock and this turned out to be quite an affective presentation. 

The featured marque was Cooper and we found a group of around 20 participants from Europe that had arranged for their cars to be brought over for the event. All the owners that we met as they were prepping their cars were most informative and willing to share their time and answer our questions. A typical last minute story was told of one “chap” whose car was being held in customs for a paperwork glitch and even though it was on American soil there was a chance that it would not make the event. These little open wheel racers were interesting machines and so much simpler then any modern racer. A wonderful era when mechanical engineers with or without formal schooling could build their interpretation of a race car, bring it to the track, and compete with it and prove or disprove their theories. A simple, affordable, and partially naive time period when innovation flourished.

Event sponsor Toyota was the most visible and gracious hosts I have personally experienced at a race track. There were fan kiosks set up at several locations where complimentary sun block, water, credential holders, posters, and other FREE swag was being liberally handed out. A wonderful way to endure their brand to event attendees. Toyota had also set up an avante guard display of their albeit limited racing lineage. The Toyota 2000 GT and a Celica GT were on static display while last years Formula 1 car was run at speed on the track throughout the three day event. The display attracted modest attention but we must thank Toyota for stepping up putting forth a first class effort in their sponsorship

Adjacent to the Toyota exhibit was a small room with original racing photos and artwork. Although attendees come mostly for the sites and sounds of the races, this small display was appreciated by all that stuck their curious heads in and took a look around. The Rolex “moments in time” is a tent full of historically significant race cars. This is the third year of this special display and racing legend’s autograph session has been part of the program as well.  Inside the tent are carefully selected race cars postured in front of elaborate storyboards with historical and technical information on that specific car. Sometimes the race car sits in the tent all weekend but other cars are hurriedly shuttled in and out of the tent for activity on the track. Really amazing when a car is pushed out of a museum setting, fired up, and seen moments later racing at speed on the adjoining race track. When the session or parade laps are completed the car goes right back on display, engine block warm and clicking as it cools down.

There was a trackside garage dedicated to the Toyota F1 car. The crew was approachable and the car was fully on display. It was anyone’s guess what the crew was actually doing as they scurried around the car removing panels and hooking up cables and machines. Just a quantum leap in technology from most of the machines entered in the event but not lost on the crowd. The “hard pits” were again reserved for ex-Formula 1 cars. It is a fitting setting for these elite racers and it makes racing fans dream of an actual Formula 1 event at Laguna Seca. A beautifully prepared Gurney Eagle was driven by Bobby Rahal, it must be strange for these drivers to get into cars that fit more like pants then protective cocoons of the modern era open wheel cars.

Several friends  are regular fixtures at the Monterey Historics. John and Bonnie Miller alternately race their 1964 Safari Comet and Porsche Speedster. John Kirby is one racer that does not tell the stereotypical story of, “use to race a Speedster but they sold it”. The Comet and the Porsche are one owner cars from back in the day, never officially retired and now finding a second go round in the vintage racing realm. Funny side note, I asked John if I could get a detailed photo of his stock Bosch “blue tip” antenna for documentation purposes. He said he had the special key to pull it up and proceeded to unpack the front storage area of the Speedster looking for the key. He pulled out a perfect original tool kit, a program and souvenir cigarette lighter from an early 60’s Porsche Parade in San Francisco, and other memorabilia that would make Porsche enthusiasts think they hit the mother load of Porsche garage sales. Their two daughters had accompanied their parents this year so it was great to put faces and names together. Genuinely nice people with children cut from the same cloth. Across the row from them was the legendary Porsche 356 SL once owned and raced by Johnny Von Neumann but owned and raced since the mid-50’s by Northern CA resident Chuck Forge. Featured in many magazines including the Porsche Panorama, this sports car is truly a piece of west coast racing history. Besides starting life as a Gmund coupe, its roof was chopped off in order to make it into a lighter version 356 for racing. Chuck told us the story of purchasing the retired racer. He thought this new sporty car thing looked interesting and he wanted to drive one of the new small, lighter and more compact road cars. After driving the car for 5 years as regular transportation, he tired of being harassed by the local cops that persistently ticketed him including violations for not having windshield wipers (why would you need wipers on a car with only a vestige windshield?), he parked it in a warehouse. Years later a friend took him to a local vintage car race which re-energized Chuck’s interest in sports cars and now in racing. After looking into purchasing a suitable older sports car he, “remembered” that he had this old Porsche parked in the warehouse. Believe it or not he actually had forgotten about the car. Well he went down to the warehouse and it was still there. He has vintage raced that car for the last 20 years, I would not have believed that story if I had not heard it straight from him. As we left his paddock space I looked back to see that he had started up another conversation with another interested group of visitors, what a great ambassador to the sport.

Local Mercedes specialist Steve Marx was racing his newly acquired 300SL Gullwing. Steve has raced a 300SL Roadster for the last several years but sold that car and bought a very early Coupe that belonged to Roberta Yeakel. The early 300’s can be identified by “gooseneck” shifters and this one sports some very period correct looking plaid material on the seats. Our guest Gunter sat down and compared notes with Steve, Gunter owned and raced a 300SL coupe in Europe during the 50’s and took the opportunity to bring back some detailed memories of that time period. Bruce Canepa had a large transporter situated between turns 3 and 4. Friend Jimmy Castle had his Porsche 935 parked there along with his ’32 Ford roadster. I had previously made contact with Doug Black who had raced one of the ex-Safari Comets in Hawaii, mid 60’s. Doug made the trip from Arizona to Monterey and so I introduced him to Jimmy Castle whose father had raced one of the other Comets at the same time in Hawaii.  I had made copies of newspaper clippings documenting those races so the guys could look over race results and recall some of the experiences racing those Stroppe built race cars.

A 4PM engagement with a new Mclaren Mercedes SLR over at Quail Lodge was the only reason we had for leaving such a great venue. Short test drives were being offered in the Mercedes supercar and we were on the invite list. The fleet of four SLR’s were being dispatched every 20 minutes for a short loop on real roads in the Carmel Valley. The drivers were accompanied by an impressive list of qualified co-pilots. Justin Bell (son of Derek Bell) and Derek Hill (son of Phil Hill) bravely rode along as us rookies tried to experience this overly street qualified car. Carbon brakes, 600+ horsepower, paddle shift, etc. way too much car for mortal men. The overpowering thought as I drove the car was, “what a waste”. Besides having the financial means to purchase this car, it could never be driven to anywhere near its full capabilities on regular roads. It would make a great track day car and has been added to many private stables but how much frustration to battle rush hour traffic when most and sub $20K car could do the job. The only criticism I have of this car is it honestly is not different enough from an SLK or even the current SL to make the leap into instant reorganization like most Lamborghini’s or the Carrera GT, two cars that are not mistaken for anything but street legal supercars.

We deliver our guest back at Pebble Beach and finish the day with arguably the best hamburger in town, the one served at the “Tap Room” at the Lodge.  We stop off at the lavish media tent and utilize their computers and connections for some quick photo downloads, a practice that we intend to continue next year. It allows us to actually do same day updates so those of you unable to attend can at least see what is going on. Watch for our link to these updates next August.

Back to the hotel room to change clothes and race back to the Monterey Jet Center for the Christie’s auction. I was personally interested in the collection of Porsches that were to be sold.  With market prices heading upwards and past reasonable levels for most buyers, this would be the first opportunity of the week to check the pulse of the classic car market. A packed house, standing room only, made for some strong bidding although most prices reached were the low number listed in pre-auction estimates. A short film preceded the auctioning of the Porsches (reportedly from the same collection i.e. Blackhawk) appeared on the big screen showing the cars driving around the Monterey area and Carmel Valley. Unfortunately, someone had taken it upon themselves to top off the oil in every one of the Porsches. Besides these cars being capable of running a quart or two low (10 quart or more oil capacity), in the know owners keep them just below full to avoid the side effects of the sloshing oil. As every one of the 911 series cars was brought up on the stage and placed on the turntable and parked, the car was turned off and the auctioning was commenced.  An embarrassing column of oil smoke billowed through the engine cover. So much so that even though I knew what the problem was, I kept waiting for the flames to start. The most startling and humorous moment occurred when the 911R was driven up on the stage. A solid thirty seconds after shutting the car off, the excess fuel vapor in the engine ignited in a monstrous backfire jolting everyone in the hanger. Made me wonder how much of the air box was left intact. The auction moved steadily along with a very high percentage of sales. A big ticket Bugatti sold but the catalog cover car, the Ferrari “Breadwagon” went unsold. Overall a nice auction, a very civilized crowd and unintimidating auctioneer, a very comfortable atmosphere for buyers.

Friday morning I am up PFE so I can get to my volunteer obligation at the Quail Lodge. This year I joined a small group of guys that wear many hats on the day of “The Quail” a motorsports gathering. We were responsible for greeting and arranging the cars of the entrants. We then serve as a “Class Host” to them during the event. And finally we are given the class winner and we escort that winner to the Rolex winners circle.  Last year at this event I was responsible for our own Safari Comet along with “Suddenly” a 1957 Plymouth that belongs to the NHRA Museum in Pomona. This year, even though I still had responsibilities, I was able to find time to enjoy the show and see some of the other cars. There is always a great display of vintage racing motorcycles and this year I was in charge of the events featured class, “Race cars of the Targa Florio”. Every car was a well deserved entry and included multiple Ferraris and Porsches along with a massive Mercedes from the Petersen Museum. The Mercedes had been moved in the night before and had settled into the soft grass. We had to get several helpers to push the car out of the deep divots and repositioned with the rest of the cars.  One Ferrari was especially nice with a fresh restoration very much in evidence. When I asked the owner about the restoration he informed me that it was finish just days before and the car was put on a plane only three days prior to the event. Four choices of food were again offered, included with your admission, and a lunchtime favorite is the CHP escort of 20 some race cars from the nearby Laguna Seca race track. An offbeat moment occurred when a stock looking VW Beetle lit its mini sized jet engine and created show stopping noise and blasted to nearby trees and bushes into submission.  I heard lots of positive feedback about the new Lexus sedan that was being shown on the field. Many current Mercedes and BMW owners expressing interest in the gorgeous execution of the 400 series Lexus. Best of show is selected by the exhibitors, no judges at this show, it is self judged. This years honor went to the ex-Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS from the Petersen Museum. I was very pleased with this selection as an ailing Bob and Margee Petersen made the effort to personally attend the show and since the stunning Rolls Royce was totally disrespected at Pebble Beach last year. I heard that he proudly wears the Rolex that was awarded in addition to the cool stylized trophy to the winner of the best of show. Entrance to the Bonhams Classic Car Auction is also included with admission to The Quail so we wandered across the street to take some pictures and observe the auction that was already underway. We arrived in time to watch some competition Porsches go across the block. Bonhams quickly ran out of chairs for the crowd that swelled with the migration from The Quail show.

Almost reaching full vehicle intake capacity we dragged ourselves to downtown Monterey for diner and to check out the RM auction. After diner and a large Italian ice cream, we tried to absorb the selection of cars which were nicely arranged in an open plaza adjacent to the Double Tree Hotel. The actual auction takes place inside the main ballroom of the hotel. Cars are driven onto the main stage then forward to a turntable. The turntable rotates the car so that it is pointed towards a ramp that will allow the car to leave the stage and exit the building behind the stage. This auction house is now working with ESPN and this event along with the January Scottsdale RM auction will be shown on cable television. They had a goofball group of interviewers with microphones and cameras that were interviewing bidders and sellers. By getting close to one interview I could listen in and watch the actual taping of the interview. For such a high brow event, the interview was given by a less then knowledgeable person and in a tone/manner more like a WWE pre-event interview. I guess they are trying to compete head to head with the spectacular hit SPEED TV has had with their coverage of the Barrett-Jackson auctions. You would have to peruse the online catalog to realize the scope of cars offered by RM, from $10K VW Things to multi-million dollar Ferrari’s. This is the largest of the week’s auctions in both numbers of cars, attendance, and actual numbers of bidders. Preview Monday through Thursday with the actual auction happening Friday and Saturday. This auction can go late into the night so be prepared.

Saturday was reserved for the number one draw of the week, the Monterey Historics. Taking up the vintage racing torch back in the early 70’s, Steve Earle and his crew never seems to have trouble finding the most desirable vintage race cars to fill the race classes. Their toughest job must be deciding who gets to come and race and who gets a disappointing news that their car has not been accepted. This years featured marque was Cooper. Besides the name being resurrected recently by BMW and the new Mini, Cooper was one of the very early formula cars to adopt a rear engine layout. Sir Jack Brabam won his F1 world championship driving one.

Having visited the track on Thursday, most of our observations and static photos were done allowing us to really enjoy the racing. Toyota stepped up to fill the sponsorship void left by Chrysler and it was quite a thrill to watch the Toyota F1 break the track record. The race classes are very full and in just a few laps the field is strung out enough so that there is constant action. These cars are generally well prepped so the attrition rate is light and whether or not you subscribe to the rumors of predetermined passing and coordinated dicing, there is no place else to see this caliber of race car at race pace and sliding through the turns.

A walk up to the “Cork Screw” turn is a must and don’t miss the view on the way down.  Plenty of food choices are available trackside and paddock access is included with your ticket. Advance ticket purchase can save you a few bucks. Count on the schedule to go as planned so don’t be late and allow for traffic and a bit of a hike from your final parking area. Only early morning fog will delay the event. Everyone practices on Friday but know that classes are split on Saturday and Sunday. If you are interested in a particular class like Trans AM or Vintage Formula One check the schedule before committing to one day or the other. You can technically fly into San Jose and attend the races for only one day but staying in Monterey or nearby Salinas will allow you the flexibility to attend multiple days of track activity not to mention the scores of other events and shows. Indy Track Roadsters have been announced as next years featured marque.

Saturday evening is an invitation only preview of the Automotive Fine Arts Society (AFAS). Besides getting to rub elbows with VIP’s and honored guests like Sterling Moss, Jay Leno, Dan Gurney, Ralph Lauren, and some scantly clad models that looked like they should have been handing out 2 for 1 passes for a local strip club. Tent sponsor Lincoln had two prototype vehicles on display and they were pouring some nice wine. Inside the tent was a wonderful display of car art: paintings, prints, sculpture, illustrations and more. During the Sunday concours this tent is quite packed so this is a good opportunity to enjoy the show as there is lots regardless of your artistic taste or budget.

The putting greens between the shops and the Lodge are occupied by manufactures show cars and prototypes. If your timing is good, you can see the cars just before the car covers go on, not to be removed until Sunday morning. Cadillac, Ferrari, Spyker, Lexus, Mercedes, and Ford/Lincoln/Mercury make for a great show outside the normal venue of the Detroit, Los Angeles, and other international auto shows.  We blew it and missed the Christies Auction and Pebble Beach Retro Auto automobillia tent since these close early in the evening. We did power through the Blackhawk exhibition giving us a second shot at a couple of Porsches that did not sell at Christie’s on Thursday night. Back to the hotel to download photos and prep for the Pebble Beach Concours, the true definition of PFE.

Sunday morning, 5 AM’ish, we make the pilgrimage to the Lodge in the dark hoping to get parked and in position for the early morning parade of Concours entrants onto the 18th green at Pebble Beach. For me, the cars entered in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and like no other gathering of classic cars in the world. Better then that is to be there early on Sunday to see, hear, and smell the cars as they are driven down from the Polo Field. The anxious owners faces, the electricity in the air, and the anticipation of the day makes for quite a remarkable moment in time. Something made this year a tad more interesting. I happened to be next to an older gentleman that had what we believe to be a heart attack. I happened to turn around just as his eyes were rolling back in his head and literally watched as the color drained from his face. Had I turned around a moment later I would have reasoned that this fellow was just taking a short snooze (after all it was very early in the AM). Well myself and pal Devin jumped into action and proceeded in getting him revived and medical aid to respond. It was a bit disconcerting that it took almost 45 minutes to get him evacuated and that certain persons in the Pebble Beach Concours organization (literally 10 feet away) made the Concours a priority over this gentleman’s life. As a test of your personal taste and judgment it is always fun to pick your one, two or three picks for best of show. Believe it or not, one car normally screams best of show but this year there were three all capable of making their mark. It is funny to go over your photos after the event and notice that you took twice as many photos of these cars then any of the others. This years honor went to long time entrant Robert Lee and his Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drop Head Coupe. This car was deserving but sometimes like the Oscars one nominee has a slight edge for intangible reasons and this was Mr. Lee’s turn. Please enjoy all the photos, you can only capture photos of the cars early in the day/morning as the massive crowd soon fills the field making clear shots of the cars near impossible. As with a fish swimming upstream, we make our way to the exits as most ticket holders are just arriving but our day is done and a five hour drive home remains. One of these years we must stay for the awards ceremony but even the best of us are on major overload but soon enough we are looking back thinking there was something missed or something that we can’t forget to do next year. BTW,  the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature Aston Martin and the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg group. The iconic 1932 Ford will be celebrated, as will cars involved in the very early push to power. A preservation class for postwar cars will also be offered for the first time, and there will be a class for Brooklands race cars.

We say it every year but you should find time to attend these events at least once in your life. Even if it means traveling long distances, you will not be disappointed, I have only been disappointed in myself for the couple of years I have missed.

PHOTOS HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE

Charles Rollins
Editor Bench-Racing.com
 

The Legacy of the 2006 Indy 500

The rain finally subsided long enough to get Pole Day and Bump Day in the books. Although not as dramatic as many of the past Pole Days, the speed and efficiency of this years qualifying efforts was flawless. Within a couple of hours on Saturday morning most of the field was filled and qualified drivers could go forward with their race prep during the practice periods which included most of Sunday as it went without any actual bumping.

The 33 car field for this years 500 is an elite and nepotistic group. Five qualifiers are sons of past winners: Michael Andretti, Larry Foyt, Al Unser Jr., Arie Luyendyk Jr., and PJ Jones. One is a grandson, Marco Andretti. There is one set of brothers with Jaques and Buddy Lazier. One qualifier’s Grandfather owned the speedway, Ed Carpenter. Scott Sharp and Tomas Scheckter are sons of famous racers. And there are six qualifiers that have previously won the “Greatest Race in the World”: Castroneves, Weldon, Unser Jr., Cheever Jr., and Rice. Almost one third of the field with family ties to past 500’s and 20% of the field having drank the milk previously.

The bump day that was not. Marty Roth, an apparent threat, hit the wall just as Larry Curry was live on TV bragging about how he had helped Roth with his set up, an awkward moment. Ryan Briscoe was suited up and Foyt had a car in the tech line ready to make a qualifying run when the car was pulled out of line. Some say Foyt did not want to bump Medeiros and PDM racing from the field as they are one of the last grass roots teams’ still making magic in May.

Conspicuously absent were any Champ Car drivers. Races in Houston and Monterey Mexico were scheduled during the month of May eliminating the chance of these drivers practicing or qualifying for the race. With reunification talks stronger then ever, this was a peculiar way to set the schedule. With Champ Car scheduling a night race in Houston on the same night as a NASCAR race, I guess they didn’t look at their calendars at all while setting their May schedule. A night race on Saturday with a NASCAR race set for Sunday, that makes sense but to schedule them for the same night and even the same time? The bucking bronco street/parking lot course was a joke and even though the Long Beach street race is a proven commodity, part of that package is the sun and fun, not the flood lights and bugs.

Monday noon, 9 AM Pacific, the 90^th Indy 500 drops the flag. Even with all the negative press and lack of ticket sales, you can’t beat this race for riveting action and suspenseful tactics. Anytime you have to make 6-7 pit stops during one race, where speeds are consistently above 210 mph, with over $10 million in purse and awards, and with 11 seconds separating the pole from the slowest qualifier (all Honda engines this year), this race should be a barn burner.

Indy is Indy. Happy 90^th Anniversary.

Charles Rollins

Cars The Movie

During a long overdue family vacation to Yosemite, spring week April 2006, my daily paper was the infamously neutral USA Today. What an amazing publication that caters to hundreds of thousands of hotel overnighters, giving vague ideas of weather all over the world, barely covering all sports, and lightly touching upon national and world news. All within 20-30 pages, don’t spare the color print. Anyway, I happened upon a large article in the entertainment section regarding the upcoming release of a Pixar animated feature movie titled “Cars”. I had been aware of this movie since early 2005 when a trailer was released and then the movie was delayed for several months, finally a release date of June 9th was made official. The USA Today article told me what I was hoping to hear, the guys at Pixar did their homework! Reading down the list of movie characters assured me that this movie is right on. A hippie van with voice by George Carlin, a Hudson with voice by Paul Newman, the star of the show, a NASCAR named McQueen (although after a Pixar employee that passed away during production), I can’t wait. A Bench-Racing reader sent photos of a life size McQueen car that has been made but I was warned that publishing the photos might get him in severe hot water. Keep your eyes open for the life size animated NASCAR making promotional appearances soon! I am a Pixar fan and like Formula 1, sometimes I think I enjoy it more for the technology then for the actual racing/movie. Toy Story, Monster’s Inc., Nemo, it does not matter if you are 3 or 93 these movies blow you away with their technical recreations that have you baffled at exactly how did they do that? Even the trailers available online are worthy, not only are these great movies but the humor runs deep, so deep that some of the animated features even have “out take” reels rolling with the credits. Damn, how funny is that? Don’t miss Cars.

Charles Rollins CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON CARS

Dust Settles on Scottsdale

Big numbers were again the biggest story from this years series of automobile auctions happening in and around Scottsdale Arizona. Barrett-Jackson, of course, along with RM Auctions, Russo& Steele and Silver played matchmaker with thousands of available collectable cars and ten’s of thousands of registered bidders. The results, as you may have heard or witnessed, were again bigger numbers than the year before. Barrett-Jackson auctioned over 1000 cars during their six day event, Russo&Steele doubled the number of cars offered to around 400, and RM while holding steady on the number of cars offered started their auction a couple of hours earlier so as not to run the event as late into the evening.

Rain and mud, as you may remember from last year, was replaced by dry cold windy and dusty conditions. Barrett-Jackson’s 35th edition of their Scottsdale auction yielded over $100 million in sales of 1084 vehicles breaking the previous years record and equaling the total of the ‘04 and ‘05 auctions combined. Although it is an irrelevant number, the average sale price of a car was $92K. It was certainly the only place to be if you were selling (reportedly over 6000 cars applied for the 1000 auction spots) and apparently the 4852 registered bidders were eager to buy. The new tent allowed for seating of 8000 people and two big screens made every seat adequate. The center sections closest to the stage were reserved for bidder’s only (name tags were affixed to the seat backs). The extreme sides and center back was for anyone with a credential (bidder, guest, media, consignor) and the rear 25% of the floor seats was open for non-bidders (i.e. paid between $20-$50 to get in for the day). Along the back wall in what would normally be known as the “Cheap Seats” was the exclusive “Sky Boxes”. A full 100 yards from the stage. So far away that bids were relayed by means of a waving flag and two way radio. If a bidder was out on the floor (instead of up on the stage) a very well choreographed frenzy of activity was rapidly executed. A ring man would quickly make direct contact with the bidder and a bidding relay team of other ring men would bridge the distance to the stage, some relay lines going the full 100 yard distance, using air horns and waving handkerchiefs to signal bids. The remote Speed TV cameraman would run over to the bidder, flick the spot light on and “BAM” you’re on live television. Saturday or “Prime-time” was really great entertainment with prices regularly breaking $100K and up to the highest seller of the event, the GMC Futurliner at $4.1 million.

Side Comment: All pre-auction releases made it know that 9 of the original 12 Futurliners are still in existence. This bus was very nicely restored but this price, like many prices achieved during this auction, was hard to justify. Unconfirmed but reliable sources (multiple) report that the inebriated bidder flaked on his $4 million bid and when all the shuffling was done the bus sold for around $1 million. No retraction has been issued by B-J at this time.

My realization this year was that even though a solid 90% of the people in attendance were rolling their eyes at the prices and making disparaging remarks about the bidders, at the same time there was an undetermined small percentage that was convinced that this was a good and safe place to purchase a car. I spoke with several of these successful bidders and although their focus, experience, and savvy could be called questionable, they were all very happy and excited with their purchases. One gentleman that had just purchased a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner for $142,500, one of Craig Jackson’s proclaimed “New World’s Records” i.e. just paid more than anyone else, just decided to “come to the auction and get some cars”. When asked if this car was something he had desired for a while or if it meant something special to him he replied, “This is my first Dodge...I thought it would go for around $125K...no special reason...I have my eyes on 5 or 6 other cars”. Another successful bidder when questioned on a classic Packard he had just purchased didn’t know if it was a six or eight cylinder, small matter. So to those bidders and buyers I say “Good for you”. These cars were some of the most desirable and well restored cars on the planet and if you had to have it you got to take your shot at it. As far as values are concerned, this was a full retail environment, throw in complimentary booze, live TV, a cheering crowd and the coaxing ring men in your face and all bets are off. Results say prices were 40% above most pre-auction estimates, a good place to sell a car. Ford and Chrysler shared the main entrance with opposing displays but Ford really stepped up with a continuous drifting exhibition just outside the tent. They also had a new Mustang strapped to a dyno with a simulated drag racing Christmas tree. You could sign up to jump in the car and take it down the imaginary strip, pretty slick. My compliments to the staff of Barrett-Jackson for pulling off an amazing and very entertaining event. The coordination and flawless appearance of the show is to be envied and the are certainly king of the hill.

Across town at the Arizona Biltmore, worth the trip if only to admire the Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel, was the RM Auction. Their 160 car auction catalog was thicker then the 100+ B-J catalog but if reflected the European style and overall class of this auction house. This auction featured several desirable vehicles for the sporty car crowd like the James Bond DB 5 coupe with ejector seat (note to self, if a car has a sunroof style rook panel on the passengers side only, BEWARE) several 289 Cobra’s, several beautiful Ferraris from the 50’s and 60’s, a Speed Six Bentley, and several collectable examples of Mercedes and Porsche. Where this event suffered was not in the final auction results but the focus of cars offered and varying condition of those cars. The Bond car was well worn with many loose parts (it still sold for $2 million), a unique 1958 Duesenberg “Kollins Le Grande” that looked presentable in the program was at best “skanky”, and although none appeared to be of the “quick re-spray” variety, many needed obvious work. This does play into the hands of the auction house as RM has a top rated restoration business. It seemed that the consignors tried to offer a broad spectrum of vehicles: SEMA show truck, celebrity cars, muscle cars, American Classics, sports cars, and even concept cars. RM would do better sticking to their strengths and catering to the “Pebble Beach/Robb Report” crowd exploiting that niche if for only a few hours on Friday. We were distracted by the jewelry displayed in the lobby by local Scottsdale Jeweler Molina. Their diamond expert Yuan shared his knowledge and graciously let us appreciate the absolute beauty of a ten karet square cut diamond being being offered for a mere $635K. Unfortunately the prize of Molina’s collection, a 70 karat showpiece being offered for $27 million was not available for inspection, appointments were accepted.

Now over to our favorite place to actually consider purchasing cars, Russo & Steele. Operating out of a stand alone tent on a patch of desert across from Roger Penske’s uber dealership and race car museum. This event grew from 220 cars in ‘05 to 400 cars offered, the limit R&S had set for available auction slots. We were personally greeted by their PR person and at his insistence, given a quick walk around to see their premier offerings. #1 Pontiac GTO (prototype), ‘68 Hemi Cuda drag car Mr. 5-50, #2 Cuda which was a 130 MPH 1/4 mile car, and #1 Daytona. A quick handshake from Drew Alcazar, president of Russo & Steele (ex B-J employee that started Russo=for European sports cars & Steele=for American Muscle Cars, and we set out to canvas the field. By sticking with their strength and staying focused a solid collection of very desirable cars, mostly American, a majority being Muscle Cars, but with a few Hot Rods, Sports Cars, and Classic to round out the offerings. In general, the cars offered were restored to a very high standard but the increased number of cars offered: 4 winged Superbird/Daytonas, 2 Barracuda Drag Cars, 2 vintage Corvette endurance cars, 4 Mustang GT 350’s, etc. diluted the bidding pool. Without a huge number of bidders present, there were too many cars chasing too few dollars. There was also great disparity in the actual presentation of the cars parked on display. With four rows of cars parked underneath the two long display tents, the cars in the outside row, rear ends of the car facing out, were mostly ignored. A makeshift corral of about 40 cars was relinquished to a dirt lot out towards the parking lot, talk about the cheap seats. I would have to assume the quality of placement was based on the entry fees paid. Word to the wise, if you are going to get all dressed up and go through the efforts to transport a car to AZ for the big show, step up and pay the big bucks for the premium exposure, the old stepping over a dollar to save a dime deal. A huge gala was thrown on Thursday night preceding this auction. Car owners were very accessible, and the smaller venue was more inviting and welcoming to bidders that were perhaps intimidated by the mega B-J event. With the intense surge in the Muscle Car market R&S has positioned itself well for Scottsdale and I look forward to see the auction in Monterey.

I can’t find many negatives to this years round of AZ auctions. Enthusiasm for car collecting is now at an all time spike which means increased values. Increased values means more investment in a higher quality of restoration and more cars being offered for sale. I don’t think these events can grow much bigger without diminishing the quality of the final experience. It is not that they won’t try to grow and rake in a few more bucks but the number of bidders would have to increase in proportion. Auction houses should select their niche and exploit it instead of trying to assimilate and be everything to everyone. In the immediate future, the Monterey auctions don’t overlap like Scottsdale and the cars being offered are more unique so the bidding can be more disciplined and focused. Everyone that purchased a $100K car made us bottom feeding collectors look good and sane. Just turn on the replay of Speed TV’s coverage so your wife can see someone paying more for one car then your entire collection, that should temper her resistance just a little but keep her away from that jewelry case at the Biltmore.

Charles Rollins

Muscle Cars: Forty Years Later or “Suddenly it’s 1964”

Just over forty years ago, the “Muscle Car Era” dawned in the US car market. Until the very early 70’s, Detroit fed the hungry young consumers horsepower, and it was good. Most of us thought that time had come and gone and the likelihood of another era of high performance was nil. Here it is, the start of 2006 and the buzz is once again Muscle Cars both old and new. No matter if it’s $300,000 Hemi Cuda’s changing hands in Scottsdale or the current rendition of the GTO, Mustang, Charger, Challenger concept, and now the Camaro, Muscle Cars are once again big news.

Unless you have been too busy contemplating why your Avanti isn’t going up in value or if you are still depressed over the death of American Motors (ie, you have had your head stuck in the sand for since the 80’s) wake up and take notice. The baby boomers are flush with cash and anxious to purchase vehicular momentos from their youth. Now the question is, “Purchase the real deal (‘64-’71 good ole American Muscle) or enjoy the fruits of technology and enjoy the latest crop of retro-stylized fuel-injected nephews of the originals”? Tough question!

Finding, purchasing, restoring, and enjoying that special Muscle Car that you once had or wish you had in High School or College is in a word, Bitchin’. We envy you lucky owners of these time machines. But not so many weeks ago your mettle was tested when the price of fuel had all Muscle Car enthusiasts a little aghast at the pumps and considering trading in their big blocks for Isettas and Jollys. Twenty gallons of 91 octane at $3.75 a gallon, sheeeit! Hats off to you higher compression ratio studs throwing down the VISA card for 15 gallons of racing fuel, but I digress. I dare not use the term investment but arguments can be made for the blue chip value of certain original Muscle Cars. It used to be that there were only so many of these cars. Now it is very common to Clone a car born with a slant six and three on the tree into a big block with a floor mounted Hurst shifter. Dilution of the gene pool is not always a good thing. There is also something to be said for the feel, sound and smell of an original Muscle Car. The feel may not be a plus but just try to replicate that sound. As far as smell, burning rubber is great but it seems we have been spoiled by emission controls and now these pre-catalyst cars have noticeable exhaust stench. For sure, original and period correct Muscle Cars have their pluses and minus’s.

As the 1965 Mustang ushered in Detroit’s Pony Car wars, coincidentally the 2005 Ford Mustang has also hit the target. Showroom stock GT’s along with a score of aftermarket tuners have busted the American Sports Car market wide open (I know the GTO was again there first but not in the numbers the new Mustang has achieved). How long do you think Ford has sat on the ‘05 design? Did they milk one or two more years out of the old stampings and underpinnings, adding 40th anniversary badges to the last batch, garnering the last few sales before releasing the “New Mustang”? Daimler Chrysler and now GM (Camaro due in ‘09) have followed suit complete with trim black (matte) stripes and period correct names, badging and high horsepower engines. These cars not only go like Jack the bear but they can carve a canyon with the best of the euros. With their much improved suspension, tires, transmissions, sound deadening, traction control, and super efficient power disc brakes with abs, Muscle Cars from the 60’s and 70’s are soon in your rear view mirror. Alright so maybe there are four doors where there once were two. You didn’t have children in car seats back in High School, heck children’s car seats were more like launching platforms so the flying child would miss the dash and go straight through the windshield, more digression. Your pals were spry enough to squeeze in past the folded front seat, now as the boomers hit their mid-40’s to 60’s, ease of entry to the rear seats is mandatory. You can have it all with the a/c cranked and the indash 6 disc CD player supplying the sound track, replacing the memories of the old 8 track piped through two feeble rear deck mounted speakers, sans amp.

COPO, right, just try to delete the heater or for that matter, just try and order a car. What was once optional is now standard: alloy rims, stereo, disc brakes, a/c, heater, intermittent wipers, power windows and locks, power steering and brakes, etc. All the good stuff and a factory warranty, can the original Muscle Cars compete? Not that the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction will decisively answer that question nor will the increasing crop of resto-mods (Elenor/Bullit/Cobra/Continuation/Etc) even dent the sheer numbers of the new Muscle Cars coming from Detroit. Will these new cars actually cause a drop in price of the original Muscle Cars or will they make the originals even more popular therefore raising values? The question of respect and street cred lies with the bad boys that prowl the streets in these new age machines, even if it is getting a little pricey to sport a poseur pack of cigs rolled up in your tee shirt sleeve. Will they be assigned a derogatory acronym like the RUBS? Maybe we could call them McBacon’s or Notyl’s (Muscle Car Boomer Air Conditioning ON, Nostalgia On Two Year Lease). I have to be careful here because I am certainly tempted by the upcoming Shelby Cobra GT500 Mustang. Send in your and I will post the good ones Charles@bench-racing.com.

Just like our Gov with the fat lip, look for an increase in mid-lifers wrapping their cars around trees or launching themselves off a cliff after there 400+ horsepower steed surprisingly bites them. Word to the wise, practice burnouts before attempting them in public. A bucking stall upon parking lot exit is most embarrassing. Sort of like dropping your Harley at the start of the Love Ride. A class at your local high performance driving school or club driver education session would be advised. High horsepower cars are more dangerous than handguns and nobody is checking out driver skills, salesmen only check credit.