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BMW V-8 POWER DROVE CLASSIC RUNABOUT

Helm Gloeckler had a vision. The semi-professional race driver and boating enthusiast saw a combination of elegant Italian runabout with an aluminum BMW V-8 engine, the same one that was powering the 503/507 series. Having the means to bring such dreams to reality, Gloeckler created the BMW Abbate V8. Since only two were made an Abbate is even rarer than the 507 cabriolet, which prompted Bonhams to add the boat to its BMW single marque auction "Power by BMW", taking place in Munich this autumn.

The auctioneer admits it was at first reluctant to include the Abbate. This sale was to be exclusively about BMW motor cars and motorcycles. But one look at the mahogany beauty persuaded Bonhams that it deserves a place. Gloeckler partnered with Giulio Abbate, a member of Italy’s most famous boat builder families, and together they realised the project by modifying the BMW V-8 engine. They converted the tuned 503/507 dual carburettor motor and added an extra cooling system, specially designed exhaust heaters, and an enlarged oil-pan. Gloeckler’s boat not only served his personal ambitions but became an admired show-piece for BMW technology.

Philip Kantor, Head of Bonhams European Motoring Division, comments: "It has everything going for it: great looks, great history and a great engine. Who could resist?" Certainly this writer couldn't, having been raised in Ontario, Canada, where high-speed wood-hulled boats were famous for their beauty and performance. I'm equally an admirer of Italy's Riva runabouts. The BMW Abbate V-8 runaboat is estimated to sell for €175,000 – 240,000. Here's hoping the buyer puts it in the water and not in a museum.

KARMANN-GHIA 2ND GENERATION COUPE CELEBRATES 50TH

Every year in late summer my brother Alan and his wife Claudette leave overheated Florida to spend at least a month in Europe. Because they formerly worked for the US Army hospital in Frankfurt (where they met) the couple have never stopped admiring the European lifestyle, consequently the trip usually begins somewhere in Germany. I'm hoping they might find time to attend what is certain to be one of the most spectacular automotive events of the season, the Volkswagen T34 50th Anniversary celebration in Georgsmarienhütte on 11-14 August. Admittedly it's a long way north of their current base in the Black Forest but take the train, guys! You may never see anything like this again. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could afford the journey.

What's so significant about the Volkswagen T34? For the benefit of viewers who don't dig code numbers, the T34 replaced the original Beetle-based Karmann-Ghia coupe. It was built on the more advanced VW 1500 platform and not only enjoyed considerable more performance than the original Ghia but improved braking and handling. Arguably it was even better looking and came close to being a "poor man's" Porsche, at least when compared to the 356B. Some of its styling details later appeared on the second-generation Chevrolet Corvair and on the BMW 2002.

You'd think such a car would become a marketing sensation but that never happened, though sales were reasonable during the period from its introduction in 1962 through to 1969.

I'm aware of the T34 during a previous life as assistant public relations manager for Volkswagen Canada. It was my job to help launch the VW 1500 sedan and wagon along with this exquisite coupe. But what I remember most is the mysterious appearance of a prototype cabriolet. There one day, it seemed to be gone the next, whisked away by a VW management that either wasn't convinced of the marketing possibilities or wouldn't spend the money required to stiffen the body with the top chopped off. Estimates on the number of prototypes built vary but there were at least ten fully-functional models. Amazingly five still survive in Germany. I'd be willing to bet they'll all make the journey to Georgsmarienhütte.

There are still a number of T34 coupes to be seen at shows in Europe, the UK, and North America, yet in spite of my close relationship with the car those many years ago I can't recall ever seeing one on the road. But if I do I will salute what is surely one of the collector car world's most under-rated and overlooked production coupes. Meanwhile, brother Alan, have fun wherever you are.

GREAT VINTAGE RACING TO HONOUR JAGUAR IN MONTEREY WEEK

With so much happening during the Monterey classic car celebration it's easy to overlook the fact that an equally impressive three days of vintage car racing takes place at nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California. This year's events, especially, will be worthy of attending, for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2011, as it is properly called, will feature a fabulous Jaguar Heritage Display, celebrating the cars and drivers that achieved success with the fabled marque.

Among the fast cats will be the 1950 Jaguar XK120 driven to victory by a 23-year old Phil Hill at the inaugural Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950; the 1951 C-Type that made its American debut with Hill at the wheel (only 53 examples of this marvellous racer were constructed); a Group 44 1974 Jaguar E-Type – winner of seven straight races when Bob Tullius took the 1975 SCCA B Production Car Championship; a specially-prepared XJS that won the 1978 Trans Am Championship Category 1 with Tullius and his Group 44 team; and the Silk Cut 1988 Jaguar XJR-9 in which Andy Wallace, Johnny Dumfries and Jan Lammers won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the sixth Le Mans win for Jaguar, bringing to an end Porsche’s seven year non-stop reign.

Aside from the Jaguars a field of 550 vintage race cars will take visitors back to the golden days of racing. Race groups range from pre-1940 sports and touring cars to the historic Trans-Am and Can-Am cars of the ’60s and early ‘70s. Modern era cars will be seen in Group 6B’s ’81-’89 FIA Manufacturers Championship cars and in the IMSA GTP class. The races take place on August 19-21 and tickets, hospitality packages and reservations for general camping are available by calling 800-327-7322 or available online at MazdaRaceway.com.

BEST WAY TO SEE A MOTORING EVENT? TAKE THE TRAIN

No doubt a number of classic car enthusiasts from the Toronto area will be heading south to Detroit this weekend to attend the concours d'elegance at St. Johns (formerly Meadowbrook), one of the largest and most important events in the east and well worth seeing. And I have no doubt that they'll be enduring a miserable drive to get there. Detroit is only 200 miles from Toronto but the trip, on Hwy 401, begins with massive congestion for the first 50 miles and then continues on an absolutely flat, straight, expressway all the way to the tunnel under the St. Clair River. I've got some helpful advice for you, friends. Take the train.

Via Rail operates a fast (by North American standards) run with stops in Oakville and London Ontario to Windsor, from where you can rent a car for the rest of your journey. Buy a business class ticket and enjoy the added convenience of priority boarding and a delicious meal with beverages included. American enthusiasts coming from the west or east can do something similar on Amtrak. Why drive when you can sit back, relax, and arrive rested?

I think the organisers of concours and similar events are missing something by not working closely with tour operators who can organise rail trips to nearby destinations. Just a few years ago the fabled Orient Express provided a special train to the Goodwood Revival, complete with sleeping cars and fine dining. The train remained parked at nearby Chichester, providing the lucky (and wealthy) patrons with their own private hotel plus elegant transport to and from London. I once attended the Monaco Grand Prix with a group of friends who thought I was crazy for insisting that we take the train from our villa in nearby Villefranche. As we zipped past lengthy traffic jams leading to the principality it became obvious that my sanity was still intact.

Before it was torn down to make way for a housing development my son and I rode the train from our home near London's Victoria Station to see the vintage car races at Crystal Palace. It was my first experience in using a railway to reach a racing event but I never forgot it because I didn't have to endure long waits getting into car parks, nor the traffic congestion leading up to them. We arrived home relaxed and contented. I became convinced, and still am, that race and concours planners should take a serious look at how railways can make the journey more convenient.

Using our Comments box below, I challenge classic car fans around the world to recommend railway connections to vintage and contemporary races, concours, and auction weeks. Take the train, avoid the pain.

PORSCHE 911T RESTORATION COMPLETE, READY FOR RAFFLE

Back in December of 2010 I posted a blog about a 1973 Porsche 911T that had been delivered to Porsche Classic in Stuttgart, Germany for a total restoration. The work was being done on behalf of the Porsche Club of America, which would raffle the car to its members. The winner is to be announced at the club's annual Porsche Parade, held between July 31 and August 7th at Savannah, Georgia.

I'm happy to inform you that the restoration is now complete and as you might expect from a job performed by Porsche craftsmen, some of whom have been with the company since the car was originally built, the result is sheer perfection. It may not be stretching a point to say it is even better than new. Needless to say, every last detail has been examined and rebuilt where necessary, from body to engine to upholstery. Many a Porsche enthusiast, including myself, will be more than a little envious of the winner.

Porsche’s media site explains: “We regularly reported about the progress of the full restoration on our website, supplemented with numerous pictures and film material of the individual work steps,” says Barbara Böckenhoff, who is responsible for project coordination at Porsche Classic. PCA members also received updates through the club’s online newsletter. In this way, Porsche Classic was able to demonstrate its outstanding expertise and its ideal factory restoration facilities to customers in the USA in particular – with more than 100,000 members, the PCA is the largest Porsche Club in the world. In the Porsche Classic workshop close to Stuttgart, work is carried out only with original tools, original parts (or parts reproduced on the basis of original drawings) and using original data and dimensions. Alexander Fabig, Head of Porsche Classic: “Every year we service and restore around 250 Porsche classic cars from all over the world, from the 356 through to the last air-cooled 911 model, the Type 993.”

I've always been fascinated by the idea that a vintage automobile can be sent back to the factory for repair and restoration. It's not a service offered by every car manufacturer but the Europeans believe that maintaining the image is good business. Another example is the BMW 2002 that was built virtually from scratch by BMW Heritage when the factory discovered it still had 95% of the parts in stock. As a former 2002 owner, that's one classic I'd love to own.

AN ODE TO INLINE 6-CYLINDER ENGINES

It seems to me that for most collectors, power is a mighty aphrodisiac. 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder cars get passed up in favour of V-8s and those same V-8s get massaged with superchargers or turbochargers or whatever else makes them go faster. The only good news is that the lesser-engine examples sell for less, especially if they have automatic transmissions.

Now, I can appreciate performance as much as anyone else but I actually have a preference for inline sixes. I like their smoothness and enjoy the mellow sounds vs. the V-8 rumble (a Ferrari V-12 is something else, of course). So I can appreciate this Old Cars Weekly "car of the week," which features a Pontiac LeMans Sprint powered by an overhead-cam straight six-cylinder engine, once offered as standard fair in the Tempest and LeMans. The article reminds us that "the base one-barrel six wasn’t bad — it offered 165 hp — but the hotter 215-cid “Sprint” was even better, rivaling many of the smaller V-8s on the scene at the time for performance and giving the mid-size Pontiacs an interesting twist." "At 215 hp — eventually that number grew to 230 by 1969 — the hi-po Sprint engine was nothing to sneeze at, and some observers at the time felt that the lighter Sprint Tempest and LeMans offerings were more balanced and outperformed their V-8-equipped versions."

Owner John Mingesz had wanted to own a 1966 Pontiac GTO, V-8 powered, of course, but when he had to chance to purchase a Sprint he found much to like. He has since done a lot of work to bring the car up to show standard and tells us "I’d say now it’s got the power of a small V-8, for sure." You can read the complete and interesting story by Brian Earnest of Old Cars Weekly here.

On the way into Victoria BC for a Sunday morning drive I came upon a show organised annually by the local Mustang Owners Club and naturally couldn't resist stopping. Everywhere I looked were V-8s that could be labelled as fast, faster, and fastest. But I was pleased to discover among them three examples of restored six-cylinder Mustangs, two with automatics. Those engines, long and slim and elegant, left plenty of space under the hood and would be easy to work on as well as economical to run. Guess which three cars, among the dozens on display, were my favorites? Yes, six can be sexy.

[Photo Credit: Brian Earnest]

WHERE THE LAND MEETS THE RIVER, CLASSIC CARS AND BOATS WILL GATHER

Here in the Pacific Northwest we often rave about the beauty of the Canadian Gulf and U.S. San Juan islands, and indeed they're quite lovely. But coming from Ontario I'm well aware of another island paradise, located in the St. Lawrence River and known as The Thousand Islands. This is where the Province of Ontario and the State of New York meet… their cultures blending in the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario. Obviously it's a wonderful place for boating and with so many historical sites among the islands and waterfront villages the Thousand Islands are home to more classic powerboats than anywhere else except, possibly, Lake Tahoe.

Because vintage boats and cars go together like apple pie and ice cream they're a natural pairing for a Concours d'Elegance, although a suitable meeting of land and sea is necessary, which is why such events are rare. But for those of you within driving distance of Alexandria Bay, NY, this is your lucky weekend. The Antique Boat Museum, situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence, will be the setting for a classic car show on Sunday, July 17. This event will combine over 50 classic cars from the 1950s with a dazzling collection of handcrafted, antique wooden boats from the glory days of American and Canadian boat building. Among the pristine Corvettes, Mercedes-Benz, Ferraris and Bentleys will be a most unusual 1963 Aston Martin DB4C, one of only 28 left-hand drive convertibles. With a top speed of nearly 150 mph, it was one of the quickest of its time.

No doubt the boats will be equally spectacular and some may be quite modest in size but perhaps none quite as humble the wooden lapstrake outboard seen above. Regardless, I think this little 16-footer is very handsome, just as I did when it was new. Yes, she was mine, the marina is located where the lake and the river meet, the year is 1963, and that's my ex and our son Philip Jr. Like several cars I've owned in the past I wish I had it today. Fortunately that good lady is still one of my best friends.

PHOTO PREVIEW: GOODING & COMPANY AT PEBBLE BEACH

You can always count on Gooding & Company to fill its auction catalog with high-quality automobiles and this year's Pebble Beach affair is no exception. Here Gooding gives us an online photo preview of this year's selections, at least those consigned to date. Unfortunately clicking on the thumbnails doesn't provide an enlarged image but there is at least a pop-up with a brief description of each vehicle.

My own choices would be the gorgeous bronze Jaguar XK 120, the 1948 Chrysler Town & Country convertible, and the 1935 Bentley 3-1/2 litre coupe. Note that I've kept my selections under $1,000,000, not having won the lottery or met that rich widow. However I could be equally happy with any of the five award-winning, coachbuilt Ferraris, including the 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe by Pinin Farina seen above. 

The Gooding auctions take place on August 20 at 5 PM and August 21 at 6 PM, in the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center at the corner of Portola Road and Stevenson Drive. Signs along 17-Mile Drive will direct cars to the Gooding & Company site, and parking can be found in several lots nearby throughout the week.

CADILLAC BIARRITZ WAS MORE BIZZARE THAN CAR

There I sat at my computer, looking at this photo of Old Cars Weekly's "Car of the Week," thinking unkind thoughts about its over-the-top size and styling, when I suddenly remembered that as an ad agency creative director I'd been responsible for helping to promote the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Biarritz in Canada. What could I have claimed in an ad or commercial that was complimentary about a car for which I had neither love nor admiration?

What I felt, however, was irrelevant to the person who bought it new. Elvis Presley died in August of 1977 and according to Old Cars Weekly, "not long after a Tennessee woman who apparently worshipped the legendary crooner decided she needed a Cadillac to remember him by. Actually, she decided she needed a pair of them, so she ordered two loaded-to-the-gills 1978 Eldorado Custom Biarritz Customs — a brown one and a brilliant white car with a red interior. After getting the keys from Bill Gatton Chevrolet-Cadillac in Bristol, Tenn., the woman took the cars directly to the inspection station, then straight home to her garage. There, she parked the white Eldorado, with 145 miles on its odometer. And the car never moved again."

This must be one of the most extraordinary examples of low mileage vintage automobiles that I've ever seen. Heck, if I had the funds I'd be tempted to buy the monster myself. But first, I'd have to look back at how I felt about such cars in the years just before downsizing. The Eldorado Custom Biarritz was then the ultimate example of what the auto industry referred to as a "personal luxury car." Meaning that men, mostly executive types with large egos, wanted a car that made a sporty statement about themselves: long hoods, short rear decks, plenty of power, plush interiors. At the lower end if you were a GM loyalist you could buy a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, if you were moving up an Oldsmobile Toronado would be your car, and at the top level it would be a Cadillac Eldorado.

In those years I had difficulty relating to such cars. And I certainly wasn't an Elvis Presley fan. Give me a Jaguar E-Type and a Miles Davis soundtrack and I'd have been a lot happier. So why would I now be content with a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Biarritz in my parking spot? Blame it on nostalgia. Blame it on memories of happier times when, if I'd be honest with myself, driving such a car might have brought more satisfaction than the Vega station wagon I chose as my company car.

IN BOSTON GOOD TIMES COME IN SMALL SIZES

I've only been to Boston once, thanks to a Volkswagen new vehicle media presentation, but I've always wanted to return. And this weekend would be ideal. It's the occasion of Gould’s 16th Annual Microcar & Minicar Classic Event. Organized by microcar collector Charles Gould, the event offers three micro-tours, including a drive up the 2,006-foot Wachusett Mountain, as well as a gourmet feed, a cruise night, a tour of Charles’s Matchbox Motors collection and a huge farewell breakfast.

Dave LaChance informs us, in his Hemmings blog, that "a highlight of the weekend is Saturday’s trip to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for Micro Mini Car Day, where many car owners take great delight in offering spectators rides around the grounds."

Microcars may be small but they're fascinating and of historical interest for the role they played in Europe's revival after WW2. Among the cars expected are a 1966 Velorex Oscar, 1959 Panhard Dyna Z16, 1959 Auto Union three-cylinder two-stroke, a Citroën H Van, various Messerschmitts, Isettas, Goggomobils, Minis, Fiats, Citroëns and Metropolitans. Japanese Kei-class cars, including a Honda AN600, Z600 and S600, a Subaru 360 Coupe, a Sambar truck, and a Mazda R360 coupe add a unique oriental dimension to the event.

I'll say it again... I wish I was in Boston!

[Photo Credit: Hemmings]