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VANCOUVER ALFA ROMEO HITS GRAND SLAM AT VILLA D'ESTE

There are larger shows, more lavish shows, more famous shows. But no concours can match the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este for its setting, the classic beauty of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and Villa Erba, and above all, the elegance and originality of the participating automobiles. Situated by the shores of Italy's Lake Como it is one of the most romantic locations in the world. I know. I've been a guest in an historic Lake Como chateau owned by a multi-millionaire and even though that was many years ago I've never forgotten the experience.

For me and all the classic car fans in British Columbia the 2012 Ville d'Este became extra-special when the prestigious Coppa d'Oro (Gold Cup), the Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este (Best of Show by Public Referendum), and the Best in Show by Jury became a grand slam win for Vancouver's David Cohen. His magnificent 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS, 6th Series Coupé by Figoni swept all three categories. Cohen remembered this car from his childhood in South Africa and when he finally got the chance to purchase it in 2002, orchestrated a superb restoration at RX Autoworks in North Vancouver.

The organisers of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este boast that "visitors breathe an air of authentic aristocracy, rather than the slightly commercial atmosphere of other events." Indeed, the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, one of the world's leading hotels, lapped by the waters of Lake Como, is a very special place in which to stay at any time. But when those grounds are graced by some of the most beautiful cars in the world there's nothing quite like it. Appropriately the show also includes motorcycles and contemporary prototypes, which seems appropriate since the first Villa d'Este took place in 1929, when concours were contests for the most beautiful new models.

[Photos: Trofeo BMW Group]

WITH JUICE FOR JUST ONE PHOTO, WE GRAB A RARE METROPOLITAN

This year's All-British Field Meet in Vancouver was the best yet, what with many vehicles we hadn't seen before, a wonderful selection of MGA and Lotus to celebrate marque anniversaries, and the sunshine that helps make this city so beautiful. What could possibly spoil it? My stupidity, that's what.

I'd failed to recharge the battery in my camera before leaving Sidney and after just one shot, yes, one... it was lights out. Leaving me with only a single photo to illustrate an entire article. Ain't gonna work, folks. However that car was particularly interesting, thus I'll offer this short blog so that you might at least get to see it. Well... part of it.

The car in question, which I spotted the moment I wandered over to the Nash Metropolitan group (amazing how many of these little cars still exist around here), was unlike any Metro I'd seen: a Metropolitan station wagon. Was such a thing ever produced or was this a one-off? Apparently two prototypes were built by Pininfarina in 1956 but rejected by AMC's management, who preferred to reissue the 1955 2-door Rambler station wagon.

So was this car one of those prototypes or was it a modification of an existing coupe or convertible? I could have quickly learned the truth by chatting with the owner but I was in the company of two friends, one of whom was having mobility problems. Both were eager to move on and I missed my chance. And that's doubly sad because, as you can tell from my only show photograph, the Metropolitan was pulling a custom-made matching trailer. I'm guessing that both were a special build and even if lacking the history of a prototype they made for a unique and handsome pair.

Next year I'll go to the ABFM with a fully-charged battery (though some might say I've never had a fully-charged battery). It's a show not to be missed.

MONACO GP AND INDY 500 INSPIRE ARTISTS

If you're an open-wheel motor racing fan this coming weekend is the best of the entire year. Two of the sport's greatest events take place on the same day, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500. Yet they couldn't be more different, for the Monaco GP is a Formula 1 race around a tight, twisting street circuit, while the Indy sees 33 cars hurtling around a 2.5 mile oval. (Note: I use "oval" generically for the Speedway is actually four turns with two short and two long straights seperating them.)

To be honest I wish they were not on the same day for it means too many hours as a couch potato watching the races on TV. I'll record Monaco on my PVR and replay it at 8 AM, take a mid-day break for fresh air and exercise, then return for the Indy in early afternoon. I'll skip all the hoopla building up to the start and try to be on hand for the traditional call of "gentlemen and ladies, start your engines."

Motor racing has always provided inspiration to automobile artists and our friends at CarArt are keen to point out that several of the painters in its stable have produced works based on the Indy 500. The above painting by Colin Carter is a superb example, which he describes thusly: "Johnny Rutherford dominated the 1980 Indy 500 with his bright yellow Pennzoil Chaparral. Starting from the pole he led the race seven times for a total of 118 laps and crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Tom Sneva to claim his third Indy 500 victory."

Paul Dove's F1 rendering is as different in style as the two types of open wheel racers, yet it captures perfectly the speed and drama that could only exist in the streets of Monaco. Of his 1987 Monaco painting Paul says, "Sparks fly as Ayrton Senna in the Lotus 99T leads Nelson Piquet in the Williams FW11B up the hill toward Casino Square, on the way to his first of six wins in the principality."

I've watched both races live and to be honest I'd rather be in Monaco, partly because of a preference for F1, and partly because the scenery and ambiance far exceeds that of Indianapolis. Or just about every other race circuit for that matter. But this year finds a fellow Canadian, James Hinchcliffe, in the number two spot on Indy's front row. This young man is one of the hot new talents in Indy racing and may become the only Canadian other than Jacques Villeneuve to win the 500. So I won't miss a moment of either race.

By the way, you'll find other impressive examples of motor racing by a variety of artists on the CarArt site. Well worth a look at www.carart.us.

DRIVING A FUTURE COLLECTIBLE WHILE ATTEMPTING NOT TO ENVY THAT OTHER GUY AND HIS ASTON MARTIN ZAGATO

During this past weekend, when I was attending the All-British classic car show in Vancouver, I was given the opportunity to take the wheel of a Volvo C30 SportHatch for a few hours of city and expressway driving. My friend Paul Enock, who owns the car, was feeling tired and rather than risk our lives and that of his lady friend he asked me to take over. I was delighted to do so because, though I have a background that includes test driving performance cars I've been away from the game for the past couple of years. Not that this Volvo is particularly fast but the turbocharged 5-cylinder engine can deliver quite a rush and the C30 handles exceptionally well.

I had two gripes. (Don't worry, this is not turning into a test drive, though you can still find my 2009 review here on the About.com site.) The first involves the brakes, which offer plenty of stopping power but don't activate until the pedal's halfway depressed. The second is about rear seat access. Sandra was forced to sit back there but it took two kind gentlemen to haul her out. No, Sandra's not a large person; egress from the rear seat is best accomplished by a very skinny snake. I would also add something I'd ignored in the About.com review: the pedal offset takes some getting used to and I never did, perhaps because that About test car had a clutch pedal on the left side, which gave my other foot something to do. Paul's C30 features a 6-speed automatic.

Shortly after my too-brief reacquaintance with the C30 I was perusing my favorite UK car site, Classic Driver, and came upon a review of a classic Aston Martin Zagato, with managing editor Steve Wakefield driving. After a brief moment of envy (in spite of my lengthy experience no vintage owner has ever offered me the opportunity to try their 4-wheeled treasure) I settled down to watch Steve's video. Incidentally, he refers to it as "a drive around the block" but his idea of a block is the size of Manhattan Island, so you get plenty of time to view it from the passenger's seat.

As videos go this will not win any awards. The camera is mounted on the passenger's side and shows a close up of the driver's face throughout. But it's the background that captivates. Steve navigates several roundabouts, giving him a chance to explore the handling while demonstrating to hapless North Americans how roundabouts should be entered. We see the scenery passing at a rapid rate when he finally gets on the motorway. And we get a momentary sense of how it feels to drive a classic sports car. Only a track test could be more fun.

Classic Driver was attending the annual Bonhams all-Aston sale at the factory in Newport Pagnall. That very Zagato later went on the auction block, where it sold for £1.2 million. So maybe I'm being optimistic for expecting that someone would let me drive a car valued at over US$1.9 but it would be nice if your writer someday got a chance to wheel a less exotic classic. Setting that childish envy aside, however, I'm still pleased to have driven the Volvo C30. Soon to go out of production it will someday be a collector car.

[Photos: C30 - Philip Powell. Aston Martin - ClassicDriver.com]

THE CAR THAT SAVED CHRYSLER WHEN THE AIRFLOW DEFLATED

Not many would turn their back on a Duesenberg Boattail Speedster in favor of a Chrysler. And in a real world perhaps I'd take the Speedster, too, but mine is a fantasy world and I'd be more than happy to become the owner of the 1935 Chrysler Airstream being offered at Auctions America's Auburn Spring Classics on June 1-3. Whereas the Duesenberg will sell for over $1-million the estimate for the Chrysler is a mere $ 30,000-40,000.

The Airstream Chryslers have always fascinated me inasmuch as they were Walter P.'s backstop if the radical Airflow didn't succeed. Which, as we all know, was a marketing disaster. The Airflows represented advanced aerodynamics but unfortunately the cars were ugly. Hey, that's what happens when engineers, not stylists, make the design decisions! By contrast, the Airstream was a very pretty car, even handsome, and definitely elegant. Dunno about you but I like elegant.

Auctions America describes this Airstream as being "dark blue with an exceptionally well-preserved taupe interior." Features include wide whitewall tires, a crank-out windshield, robe rail and footrests in the rear, and a Phinney Walker clock mounted in the rear view mirror. (The clock alone would do it for me.) Raymond Dietrich was the designer, applying many streamlined touches to the Airstreams, including the raked windshield and V-shaped grille, teardrop headlights, front fender and tail lights, and Chrysler’s winged messenger escutcheons on the fender skirts. It comes with a 274-cid, 105-hp straight-eight and three-speed manual transmission.

If you have the money for the Duesenberg Boattail Speedster, well, go ahead. You have my blessing. But if your resources are more restrained (read: normal) I recommend the Airstream Chrysler. Click here for more info and a complete rundown on all the fabulous classics coming on the auction block at the Auburn Spring Classics.

TITANIC II TAKES TO THE SEAS AND YOU CAN BE A PASSENGER

If, after watching films and TV shows and reading countless articles about the Titanic, you've wondered how it would have felt to be a passenger (before the iceberg struck), you're about to get your chance. A wealthy Australian businessman, Clive Palmer, is planning a full-size replica and will put it into cruise ship service in 2016. No, this is not one of those urban myths. It's for real. As the fifth richest person in Australia, Palmer has over AUD$5 billion in personal wealth from his successful real estate and coal mining businesses to contribute. CSC Jinling Shipyard in China will build the ship.

You needn't worry about this Titanic sinking. The build and technology is totally modern. No rivets or faulty steel, for the Titanic II hull will be entirely welded. It also incorporates a larger rudder, plus bow thrusters, to provide greater maneuverability in case of unexpected obstacles. Not that there should be any with today's above-and-underwater radar, modern navigation, and safety equipment. And don't feel guilty over those sweating stokers in the engine room, faces masked with coal dust. The new Titanic will be powered by contemporary diesel engines.

No news yet about the interior decor but one might expect the design to be influenced by art deco. Aside from that the accommodations, dining and entertainment areas, and all the fixtures and fittings, should be totally modern, designed as much for a great cruising experience as a trip to the past. The Titanic II will be 270 meters (886 feet) long and capable of holding 1,680 passengers. That's small compared to newer liners like the Oasis of the Seas, which measures 360 meters (1,180 feet) long and can hold 5,400 guests, but I'd be willing to bet that Titanic II is fully booked every time she sails.

Appropriately the maiden voyage in 2016 will trace the original Titanic's, from England to New York, steering far clear of any icebergs, of course, but I'm pleased to note that the four stacks that helped make Titanic's silhouette so distinctive will be included in her modern sister. Though only for show as they're non-functional. On the other hand it's appropriate that the ship's horn sound identical.

With four years to save enough for a ticket, I'll see you on board. And the band plays on.

HOW WE ALMOST WON OUR FIRST AND ONLY DRAG RACE

I've never had much interest in drag racing. To me it's like being in an F1 race, accelerating flat-out at the start then quitting at the first corner. But I do appreciate the physical and emotional thrills of raw power when applied from a standing start. Thus, when I was invited to participate in a drag racing event, I accepted gladly. Only to end up looking like a fool.

This tale goes back to the 1960s. I was a part-time automobile journalist specialising in radio and television, with a full-time job as assistant public relations manager of Volkswagen Canada and with some minor league success road racing a modified Beetle. The producer of our TV show, Wheelspin, wanted to film a drag racing event and chose a weekend when I'd been loaned a Lotus Seven for road testing. When we arrived at the track, the competitions manager informed us that a special category had been created for imported cars and invited me to enter the Lotus. And so, with a loaner helmet on my head, I lined up beside a much-modified Volvo.

With my road racing background I obviously knew how to get away quickly and how to shift gears in split seconds. The Lotus and I finished first. This meant that I'd race again, now against another, faster, sedan. Once more I crossed the line ahead and found myself competing in the final run. My competitor was driving a sports car (I don't recall the make, nor that of the aforementioned sedan), which was definitely quicker than the cars in the first two heats. Nevertheless the lightweight Lotus edged ahead and as we approached the finish line I was sure to be the winner.

In the blink of an eye the engine quit. The guy in the sports car became the import class champion and I felt like an idiot as I coasted past the line and pulled off to clear the track for the next race. My producer was almost as embarassed as me, especially as the crowd, accustomed to growling V-8s, had been cheering this little British upstart. And because, as host of a TV show about motor racing, the spectators had expected a showy performance and up to then were getting one.

So what had caused the engine to stop running at such a critical moment? We'd run out of gas! And how could we let this happen? The Lotus Seven, being a bare-bones sports car, didn't have a fuel gauge and I'd assumed that the dealer who'd loaned it to us that very morning had filled the tank. We'd only driven about 70 miles to reach the track and there'd be plenty of fuel remaining. Wrong. No one at the dealership had topped it up and I, foolishly, hadn't used the measuring stick that substituted for a gauge. After a fellow racer had generously given us a few gallons and after we'd done the requisite shooting and interviews, I slunk away, hopefully unnoticed.

Thus ended my one-and-only attempt at drag racing. The track people generously invited me back for a repeat performance but as the Lotus wasn't mine I couldn't accept. My only regret is that I came so close to winning my first-ever drag race and even after all these years would love to have that trophy sitting on a shelf.

I'm still not a drag racing fan but I can understand the thrill, even in a topless, hapless Lotus Seven. Fortunately it loves corners.

[Photo: Tires2012.com]

CARROLL SHELBY, WE NEVER KNEW YOU

Character. Race Driver. Innovator. Place the adjective "extraordinary" in front of those words and you have a description of Carroll Shelby, who died last week at the age of 89. The Internet and the print and broadcast media are alive with news of his passing and I can add little of value, for in spite of a long association with motorsport I never met the man, nor was I privileged to be in his presence. So I won't attempt a personal eulogy here except to say a few words about the car I most associate with Carroll Shelby, the Cobra.

Shelby was first a race driver. He came from the era of Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Roy Salvadori (with whom he teamed in 1954 to win LeMans in an Aston Martin), Dan Gurney, and Jim Hall. But the all-American, Texas-style chicken farmer had an idea, which was to wed a European chassis with an American V-8 to gain the ultimate combination of handling with power. Not an unusual pairing, however his choice of chassis was truly inspired: the very British AC Ace sports car.

Anyone who knows Cobra history is already aware of how Shelby and his team turned the svelte 6-cylinder Ace into a monster by substituting a Ford 289 V-8 and altering everything needed to make the car handle with all that power. My first exposure came at Mosport when Canadian sportsman Chuck Rathgeb entered two Cobras for Eppie Wietzes and Fred Hayes. Seeing and hearing those cars drifting through the turns, tail hanging out, and then accelerating onto the straights, was a delight to watch and hear. The Corvette had met its match and I acquired a new respect for a man named Shelby.

How Carroll Shelby made a deal with Ford to apply his magic to the Mustang is another tale oft told. I have nothing to add except that two of my friends own Shelby Mustangs. The only difference is that the cars are 44 years apart in age. I've been privileged to ride in Yale's 1968 Shelby Mustang (autographed by Shelby on the instrument panel) but my other friend Chris has yet to take me out in his 2010 Shelby Mustang 500 (also autographed though not in person). Yale keeps his as a classic show car, whereas Chris keeps adding performance and appearance options.

Even in his final years Carroll Shelby was breaking records. He reportedly holds the world record for longest living heart transplant recipient. According to the Los Angeles Times he had been married seven times. In a Facebook announcement he revealed that he had been hospitalized over the previous months with pneumonia. Over the last week, he reported that he had started to feel better and had been seeing a physical therapist. “I’m ready to get back to work,” he wrote. “My mind keeps racing with new ideas. I spend my time thinking about the next car I want to build while working on getting stronger. It’s hard for me to rest when there is so much I want to do.” Sadly, used hearts, like used cars, do not come with a guarantee and that long-lasting performance machine idled to a halt.

The prototype Cobra, CSX2000, has remained in Carroll Shelby’s possession since the day he had it delivered to Dean Moon’s shop in early 1962, but the first production Cobra, CSX2001, will appear at next month’s Dana Point Concours d’Elegance: Suddenly this concours takes on a special significance. Meanwhile Motorbooks, by fortunate co-incidence, has just published the only authorized biography of Carroll Shelby ever written: "Carroll Shelby: The Authorized Biography by Rinsey Mills." Priced at $35.00 it is available through Motorbooks.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and anywhere automotive books are sold.

Television, too has been quick in saluting Carroll Shelby. In honor of his recent passing, Velocity is presenting the world premiere mini-series King of the Road: Carroll Shelby, debuting Sunday May 20th at 8:00 PM (ET/PT). The three part series will follow Shelby’s exploits from a hard-working Texas farmer to the victory lane at LeMans and then, after his racing career came to an abrupt halt, his partnership with Ford to create two of the most iconic muscle cars to date. Unfortunately my cable company does not carry Velocity but I've no hesitation in recommending it to those more fortunate.

RECORD-BREAKING 84.1 MPG ECONOMY RUN BEATS OUR FUN RUNS

Looking back at the years when I was involved with import and sports car clubs, I realise I was fortunate to enjoy an era of plain and simple fun. The clubs organised amateur road races and hillclimbs for those of us interested in competition, but they also promoted rallies that weren't so serious and didn't involve speed. You could bring along a spouse or friend and let them participate in timekeeping or even search for clues in humble treasure hunts.

I particularly liked racing and hillclimbing yet also enjoyed what the clubs called "economy runs," contests to see who could achieve the best gas mileage. Judging was rather unsophisicated though effective. At the start of the run your car's fuel tank would be filled. At the end, under the watchful eye of a monitor, the tank would be filled again and the number of gallons noted. The car with the lowest number won, though only if it arrived within a specified time limit. Creeping along in slow motion wasn't allowed, nor was impeding traffic. Incidentally, the country routes rarely exceeded a couple of hundred miles. Long distance economy runs were left to the professionals.

Even (or especially) for someone accustomed to racing, the club-style economy runs weren't boring. It was a real challenge to find ways of using less fuel while maintaining a decent speed. I don't remember all the tricks we used but certainly coasting downhill was one, changing gears early was another, drifting up to red lights in order to avoid accelerating from a dead stop was yet another (I still do that), a very light throttle foot was a necessity, and so was looking far, far ahead while simultaneously scanning side-to-side to get the big picture. Being aware of traffic and possible hazards could avoid sudden stops and starts.

What caused me to recall those events was a press release from Volkswagen praising a man-and-wife team who set a world record for the longest distance on one tank of clean diesel. Mileage experts John and Helen Taylor completed a 1626-mile drive in a Chattanooga-built Volkswagen Passat TDI—without stopping to refuel. They drove a stock 2012 Passat TDI SE with six-speed manual transmission. The previous record for the most miles covered on a single tank of diesel was 1526.6 miles, achieved with a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion diesel in Europe.

Over the course of three days and driving through nine states, the couple averaged 84.1 miles per gallon, spending only 4.65 cents per mile. The three-day drive commenced on May 3, 2012 in Houston, TX and ended on May 5, 2012 in Sterling, Virginia. To make the drive as realistic as possible, the couple included 120 pounds of luggage and drove during daylight hours to experience normal traffic situations. Additionally, they took turns driving and didn’t travel more than 14 hours per day.

I don't know what tricks they used (certainly more than we did in our club runs) but that's a phenomenal accomplishment and proves what many automobile journalists, and some car companies with products to promote, have been saying for several years: clean diesel engines are capable of providing equal or better mileage than most hybrids.

I congratulate John and Helen Taylor, and Volkswagen, but in time electricity will dominate, for diesel fuel still comes out of the ground and needs to be transported to the pumps. Makes me wonder if, some day, car clubs will hold economy runs for battery-powered cars. Don't know how they'd calculate who wins but I'd enjoy being a competitor. Consider that a plug for the future. (Bad joke. Sorry, couldn't resist.)

THE BEST CLASSIC FORD AUCTION, EVER

'Tis a most unusual sale, especially if you like Fords. Michael Dingman, a Ford director for 21 years, obviously liked them a lot and being a genuine car guy he collected classic Fords. They're being auctioned along with one of the world’s most impressive automotive sign collections; in all, nearly 50 vehicles and 1400 signs. RM will be offering the Dingman collection on June 9–10 in Hampton, New Hampshire.

My favorite among the cars is the 1936 Ford Model 48 Gläser Cabriolet seen above. A choice partly motivated by the fact that I have a liking for Fords from the 30s, itself influenced by my second-ever automobile purchase, a 1935 5-window Ford coupe, complete with rumble seat. The Gläser Cabriolet was designed and built in Germany and added a unique touch to the Detroit factory styling. You don't have to be a Ford fan to appreciate the beauty of this vehicle.

Michael Dingman's taste, however, went far beyond the traditional classics. The sale includes a limited production 1986 AC Cobra, one of a select few specially built by Roush Racing’s top technicians for a handful of top Ford Motor Company automotive executives, and the first 2005 Ford GT, chassis number 2, built for him by the Ford Motor Company as a token of their appreciation for his 21 year tenure on the company’s board.

When it came to speed Mr. Dingman didn't limit his collection to Fords. The auction includes a pair of Porsches; a 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and a 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster, both custom built by leading Porsche racing specialists to full 930 Turbo specifications, and heavily modified with extra performance equipment.

The sign collection features more than 1,400 rare and desirable neon, tin and porcelain signs, predominately automotive, spanning the 1930s through 1950s, and is joined by a selection of other memorabilia. Click here for a wonderful video interview with Michael Dingman as he explains his enthusiasm for historic Neon signs and classic Fords.

[Photos: RM Auctions]