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2015's Best of Show, the 1924 Isotta Fraschini By Dan Clarke June 28, 2016 – Even though the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is still nearly two months away, a heads-up may be timely. Car buffs not terribly deeply-pocketed may need time to adjust their budgets.
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Not something you see every day: this prototype 2004 Ford GT CP-1 was the very first running Ford GT assembled with a fully functioning drivetrain and interior. by Steve Magnante June 8, 2016 - When Ford sought to properly celebrate its centennial of operations with a suitable halo offering, the reborn Ford GT was the stunningly successful result.
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1956 Maserati a6g 2000 AllemanoTASTE News Service, April 1, 2016 - Named as one of the top three most anticipated Concours in the world by the prestigious British automotive magazine, Octane, La Jolla Concours d'Elegance has become a must-have "Save The Date" for automobile aficionados internationally.
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1934 Kellner-bodied CabrioletBy Rich Taylor January 14, 2015 - While most of the 1678 Rolls-Royce Phantom II chassis built between 1929 and 1936 were bodied by coachbuilders in England or America, a special few high-performance Continental versions were clothed by Kellner et Cie at their fashionable factory right on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Kellner dates back to 1861, when Georges Kellner first began making carriages. He switched to automobiles in 1903. His son Georges Jr. took over in 1910.
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Photo of winning Isotta Fraschini Cabriolet courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance TASTE News Service, August 17, 2015 -- An Italian Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet that once turned heads and garnered top prizes in the classic era glided to victory at the 65th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday. The competition drew 219 cars from 16 countries and 29 U.S. states to the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links. It also raised over $1.8 million to help people in need. Through the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, these charitable funds will benefit…
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1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta. The first Ferrari to race in the Pebble Beach Road Races when it competed in 1951. photo: Steve Burton/Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance TASTE News Service, August 8, 2015 - Ferraris return to compete on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links this August 16 when the marque of the Prancing Horse takes center stage at the 65th annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. "Our plans to feature Ferrari have been many years in the making," said Concours Chairman Sandra Button. "But it seems particularly appropriate to be showcasing this marque now, since a Ferrari…
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TASTE News Service August 2, 2015 - Niello Concours at Serrano will celebrate its 12th anniversary on October 4, 2015. The setting will be Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills, just east of Sacramento. Featured will be Cadillac automobiles and a salute to 60 years of Ferrari in America. Deemed last year’s Best of Show was a 1952 Bentley Mark VI convertible entered by Leon Garoyan of Davis, California. Among the other presentations were the Honorary Judges Award, which went to Raymond Lacy III of Arcata for his 1957 Triumph TR 3. The Tour Award was taken by Lynn…
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TASTE News Service May 30, 2014 – Featured marque at the 2014 edition of the Niello Concours d'Elegance will be Packard. The show will also be celebrating Maserati's 100th anniversary. Serrano, just east of Sacramento in El Dorado Hills, is the host venue for the October 5th gathering. A series of low-key events for car owners and car appreciators defined as Concours Raduno are summer preliminaries to the main event. These will be held at locations not too far from Serrano and are casual affairs where people can enjoy a drink and an appetizer and maybe hear a little music…
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Mark will guide us through the woods by Dan Clarke We meet Mark Curtsinger in front of a restaurant on Dolores Street in Carmel. He will be driving us to our Land Rover Experience, where he will also be our instructor. His first request is that we sign papers releasing his company from liability if something bad happens to us. I've just finished a nice lunch in the sunny courtyard of Le St. Tropez and am feeling quite relaxed . . . right up to this moment at least. Driving on cliffside roads in California and on the Amalfi Coast…
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Bruce Canepa with first Duesenberg by Dan Clarke Sunday was the Niello Concours at Serrano. The Serrano Country Club setting doesn't have an ocean view, but references were made to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, nonetheless. If this 10th year tradition in the El Dorado Hills area just east of Sacramento doesn't quite have the panache of Pebble, it's still a damned fine car show. The event honored Rolls Royce, as it did in its inaugural edition a decade ago. Also celebrated at this October 6th gathering were the 50 year anniversaries of Lamborghini and the Porsche 911. This year's…
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by Dan Clarke Owner is asking $46k for this '63 409 convertible. My brother and I were in Reno last week. We were there to attend Hot August Nights and the first Barrett-Jackson Auction to be held in that city. On Wednesday evening we drove out to the opening party at the Convention Center, site of the auction. As we got further away from the casinos, Reno was looking less familiar to me. The city's main street is called South Virginia after it leaves downtown, eventually becoming Hwy 395. Same road, just different definitions. I was noting all the recent…
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by Kevin Clarke Is it the winning bid?Watching Barrett Jackson auctions of classic and collector cars on the Speed Channel is a guilty pleasure in my house. Whether they were telecast from Scottsdale, Las Vegas or Palm Beach, they were too far away for me to consider a trip from Washington state to see them in person. I was delighted to hear it announced on a recent telecast they were coming to Reno, Nevada to partner with Hot August Nights. Though I don’t understand why, I had never attended Hot August Nights either. It is reportedly the largest gathering of…
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556-hp Cadillac CTS V-Sport gets final dusting on way to auction block.Known for its auctions of high-end automobiles televised from Scottsdale, Palm Beach and Las Vegas, Barrett-Jackson expanded to Reno in a big way last week. They generated more than $14 million in gross sales of exotic automobiles during their inaugural Reno auction held in that city's convention center. In addition, they affiliated with the successful and long-running Hot August Nights. “Bringing our auction and the inaugural Barrett-Jackson Cup to Hot August Nights proved to be a successful and exciting experience for all involved,” said Criag Jackson, the company's Chairman…
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by Dan Clarke President of the Capitol City Auto Club Thunderbolts, Harold “Baggy” Bagdasarian talked his fellow members into sponsoring a car show in November of 1950. Twenty-two entries were displayed at a downtown Chevrolet dealership and 500 spectators paid 74-cents each to attend (apparently, a price of 75 cents or more would have subjected the sponsors to a federal amusement tax). While the Thunderbolts car club backed out of involvement after a couple of years, Bagdasarian decided to go it alone, using the name “Autorama” for the first time in 1953 (that year Hollywood was experimenting with “Cinerama,” a…
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by Dan Clarke Cars used to be exciting. But that was a long time ago. Automobiles have evolved since I first began noticing them. If reliability is the standard by which you judge, then the modern products are much better. They're reliable. They get better gas mileage. They might last for 200,000 miles—maybe longer. And, if truth be told, most of them are faster than cars that seemed pretty quick when I first started driving. All that said, there isn't much produced these days that stirs the blood. You hardly ever see a convertible and all sedans tend to…
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