While most of the crew went to the historic races, West Coast Associate Editor Koch & myself spent the bulk of our time at the auctions. All of us made it to Concorso Italiano and Pebble Beach, however.
Koch and Muscle Machines Editor Terry McGean are in L.A. and Associate Editor Matt Litwin’s taking the day off, so not everything’s in yet, but we have 16.5 GB of images downloaded so far. Even with dozens of pages of print coverage coming, that means there are thousands of photos that won’t make it. Here are a few of mine.
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, the eventual 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show.
Obligatory Leno shot, entering Pebble Beach in his Blastolene tank car.
Buick Y-Job. GM had their full Motorama display on hand.
Want to attract a crowd? Take the nose and cowl off your 1937 Maserati 6C Monoposto and start wrenching.
Nothing cures cold, wet feet like a blast of scorching jet exhaust from the 1955 Chrysler/Ghia Gilda turbine car.
I am seldom outdone in the hosiery department, but I bow to you, Herbert Wysard, owner of the 1952 Glöckler-Porsche Wiedenhausen roadster.
Koch, Mark McCourt & Litwin on the 18th fairway. If you meet Jeff, ask him what his shirt said. He wore it special for Pebble.
Over at Bonhams: Fiberglass 1936 Avions Voisin C28 replica from Sahara. Hey, it’s a 4.2-liter Jaguar 4X4 underneath. And say what you will about Matthew McConaughey, but Steve Zahn is awesome. The $23,400 selling price was slightly off their $80,000-plus estimate. They made it up elsewhere.
You’d have to be generous to call reaction to Concorso’s new airport location “mixed,” but the cars were, as usual, fantastic. Ferraris lined up here for the Ferrari Club’s award.
New and old FIAT 500s. Interesting to see FIAT with a factory presence here in the U.S.
The car that made me fall in love with sports cars–1956 Ferrari Testa Rossa.
Our 2008 Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car award winner…I forget what the award is called. Something about style. The car is Art McCauley’s 1965 Ferrari 275GTB SWB. When Art told us he was up late on Wednesday night rebuilding the fuel regulator, we knew we had our man. Photo by Koch.
Over at the Kruse auction at Concorso, they had 26 assorted ex-Hertz Mustang GTHs.
They came in by the truckload, and there will be 100 more at Auburn.
I’m thinking someone said, “What if instead of AC, Shelby and Ford power, it was MGB and small-block Chevy?”
There were two bids on RM‘s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta: an opening $4 million, and the $4.1 million it sold for.
Across the street at Russo & Steele, more obigatory celeb spotting: Adam Carolla buys a 1970 Miura S.
McCourt then steals Carolla’s Miura. Had to be done.
Gooding‘s 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe, high sale of the weekend–and highest ever sale in North America–at $7.92 million, on their way to $64.2 million.