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ON THE SHORES OF LAKE COMO, DREAMS OF A CLASSIC AUCTION

This is the time of year when my imagination takes me to Europe, as a spectator at the Monaco Grand Prix, and as an admirer of great classic cars at the Villa d'Erbe concours on the shores of Lake Como. I won't be attending either one due to a slight problem known as "lack of funds" but that won't stop me from dreaming. And it won't stop me from making fantasy bids at RM's Villa Erba auction, held in association with the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on May 25th.

The auction will be one to remember with only 40 of the very best classics sourced from around the world. I've chosen to feature four in today's blog, four that I'd be delighted to own, each one rare and unique. Leading off is the car shown up top, a 1929 Bentley 6½-Litre Sedanca de Ville by H.J. Mulliner. I have a special affection for any car born in the same year that I entered this world (yes, I'm that old/young) and this Bentley appeals to me for its elegance and for the statement it makes about its owner. It was Bentley's 1929 Olympia Motor Show car.

It has a single overhead cam inline six-cylinder engine with three SU carburetors, producing 180 bhp from 6,597 cc. A four-speed manual transmission, semi-elliptic front and rear suspension, and four-wheel drum brakes are part of the specification. The coachbuilder was H.J. Mulliner, of Chiswick, who designed it as a Sedanca de Ville with a Barker-patented "de Ville extension." Since 2007 the car has been on display at the Bentley factory in Crewe, as well as being shown in the Bentley Company's heritage museum.

No less than five Ferraris will be offered, including this 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' by Pinin Farina, a car with a fabulous racing history. It was one of three works 375 MM competition cars entered at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans as an integral part of Ferrari’s manufacturer's championship team. It raced at the 24 Hours of Spa and the Carrera Panamericana, and won the 12 Hours of Pescara. It is the only works race car to have been driven in the World Sports Car Championship by three World Champions: Hawthorn, Ascari, and Farina.

The impressive specifications include a 340 bhp, 4,494 cc overhead camshaft V-12 engine with triple Weber 40 IF/4C carburettors, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with transverse leaf springs, live axle with parallel trailing arms and semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel drum brakes, and tubular steel frame. This fabulous Ferrari, a concours winner, has appeared at Pebble Beach, the Louis Vuitton Classic, and the Goodwood Revival.

If I were to bid on a car purely because of its appearance, I'd surely choose this 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Coupé Superprofilée. It was designed by Jean Bugatti, Ettore's son, who created some of the most beautiful cars the world has ever seen. It is based on the Type 41 Royale, a massive, ultra-luxurious car that Bugatti intended as the ultimate statement in motoring. The Type 46 retains some of the Royale's styling but in a more manageable size and a more affordable (relatively) price.

"La Petite Royale," as it is sometimes called, features a 140 hp, 5,359 cc SOHC inline eight-cylinder engine with three valves per cylinder, three-speed manual transmission, front semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension, rear inverted quarter-elliptic leaf spring suspension, and four-wheel cable-operated drum brakes. It rides on a substantial wheelbase of 138 inches.

While it's not unusual to see a Mercedes 300SL at an auction, you won't see one like this twice. The 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster has not only enjoyed a 5-year comprehensive restoration, it has been upgraded with contemporary technology to make it suitable for everyday driving. This includes changes to the valves and valve seats for use with unleaded fuel; a "123" electronic ignition system developed by a Dutch firm for F1 racing; and "Easydrive" electric power steering. Easydrive uses a hidden computer-controlled electric motor to assist steering effort and is manually adjustable according to the driver’s preference.

Originally delivered in Switzerland, it also includes a factory hard top and a new set of fitted luggage by Karl Baisch. The 2,996 cc overhead cam inline six-cylinder engine produces 240 bhp, delivered through a 4-speed manual gearbox. A coil spring independent front suspension, coil spring single-point swing axle rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes complete the basic specifications. Some 300SL collectors may baulk at the changes made to this car but if it means being able to drive it almost anywhere, anytime, well, that makes sense to me.

As mentioned, these are just four outstanding classics out of forty to be auctioned, but RM has been wise enough to make the entire catalog available for downloading. So click here and enjoy yourself and if fortune allows you to be a real, live bidder, good luck. I can, by the way, make myself available for a ride in that beautiful Bentley, born in the same year.

HONEST TED'S SPRING SALE OFFERS TEMPTING DISCOUNTS TO CLASSIC CAR FANS

Every year at this time Wilkinson's Automobilia shop in Vancouver, BC, features "Honest Ted's Spring Sale," with massive discounts on model cars, books, brochures, clothing and a vast range of automobilia, until May 04. A few examples of in-store purchases offered from 20% to 60% off include: 1:43 scale models - 25% off; 1:43 Porsche models - 40% off; books - 25% off; 1:18 scale models 30% - 50% off; 1:24 scale models - 25% off; 2012 Formula 1 clothing up to 30% off; sales brochures - 20% off. And as they say, much, much more.

Having an empathy with mass-produced cars as well as rare classics I found myself attracted to a circa 1963 Peugeot 404 diecast model in 1:18 Scale by Norev. Just a humble sedan, you might say, but in French automobile history it enjoyed a role as a well-liked and highly successful family car. Appropriately, it is available for an equally humble $69.95 CDN. You can find this and many other unique models by visiting the store at 2531 Ontario Street in Vancouver, B.C. Or you can call (604) 873-6242.

Buy online, however, and enjoy 20% off any orders placed between Saturday April 27th and Saturday May 4th. As most of Marque1's viewers reside hundreds to thousands of miles from Vancouver, this is an easy way to take advantage of these great deals. Just click on eautomobila.com to see everything that's available.

TALENTED ENGINEER RECREATES 1905 FRENCH STEAM CAR

Building a replica of any car is never easy but to reconstruct a 108 year-old steam car is a task very few people would dare to attempt. Which makes this 1905 Gardner-Serpollet a triumph of ingenuity and determination. An enterprising British gentleman named Anthony Henry Marchetti Bever B.Sc used his extraordinary engineering skills to build it from the ground up.

Having tracked down the rudimentary remains of an original 1905 Gardner-Serpollet in France, he started with just a set of instruments, then researched and built the car following the original designs to the letter. Bever crafted most of the components of the car himself with little outside assistance or guidance, making patterns and machining items where necessary, including the 15 hp engine and axle. The plywood coachwork is shaped around an ash frame with separate fenders covering the wheels. Leather seats accommodate four, though with little protection from the elements.

Sadly, Anthony passed away before the car was finished but the final touches were completed by a skilled team and the Gardner-Serpollet is now to be offered at the Historics Brookland auction on Saturday, March 9th. The buyer will also acquire a set of brass Ducellier, Nirona and Willoco Bottin acetylene lamps, which themselves are valuable items. An impressive history file is also included along with drawings, the Serpollet System manual, a large sales brochure (which alludes to the fact that an example was made for His Majesty King Edward VII), and various technical manuals and photographs. Importantly, there is also a reprint, in English, of the Driver's Manual for Serpollet Cars describing the components and how to look after them, plus the oiling, the driving, and how to deal with potential problems.

The steam era was a brief yet important chapter in automotive history, with relatively few survivors to show us what it was like. I was fortunate to get a ride in a 1914 Stanley a few years ago when an antique car club overnighted at the motel next door and was impressed by the silence and easy flow of power. The downside of all such cars was, of course, the time required to build up a head of steam, along with range limitations, although steamers could travel much further than their battery-powered competitors.

I hope whoever buys this mechanical work of art takes it out on the road where possible for it deserves to be seen, both as a reminder of motoring's early days and as a salute to the talents of its builder.

SENSUOUS AUTOS FEATURED IN UNIQUE MUSEUM EXHIBIT

Never admit you're a fan of Art Deco unless you plan to furnish your premises with the elegant 1930s design style. That's what happened to me when I was blessed with a gorgeous French-Canadian girlfriend, a great job in the ad agency business, and a tolerant ex-wife with a background in decorating. Girlfriend, ex-wife, and friends showered me (well, okay, a few raindrops) with art deco furnishings for my remodeled agency office.

Not that I didn't appreciate their generosity but while I liked Art Deco I wasn't planning to wrap my workspace in the stuff.

I was wrong, of course. The result, with some input from yrs truly, was so stunning that the agency president would bring visiting clients to have a look. I wish I had those furnishings today. I also wish that a genie would transport me to Nashville this summer when the Frist Center for the Visual Arts will present "Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles, an exhibition of unique and luxurious autos from the 1930s and '40s."

The 1929 L-29 Cord up top is a glorious example. The Burnt Orange paint job, ordered by the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is stunning... but what else would you expect from an architect whose second home and school, Taliesen West, was in Arizona with its beautiful earth tones?

Art Deco influenced automobile design as much as it affected architecture and everything from radio cabinets to dishware to women's fashion. Indeed, some of the most beautiful automobiles of that period drew their inspiration from the unique style, including limited-production cars and custom prototypes like the Pierce-Arrow, above. Designed by Philip Wright, only three of the nine examples survive and one will grace the Sensuous Steel show, which will display 18 automobiles and three motorcycles drawn from some of the most renowned car collectors and collections in the automotive world. None could be more sensuous than the French cars of the period, as epitomised by the Delahaye.

It is entirely appropriate that this display should appear at Frist Center’s landmark historic Art Deco building, which was completed in 1934. Organized by Guest Curator Ken Gross, former Petersen Automotive Museum director, the exhibition will be on view in the Center’s Ingram Gallery from June 14 through September 15, 2013. Perhaps the Timeline Genie will transport me there.
[Photos: © 2012 Peter Harholdt]

MEET ME ON THE CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES FOR THIS FABULOUS AUCTION

Seekers of the unusual, which is yours truly as I can't afford to buy any of this stuff anyway, should be delighted with the offerings at Bonham's Paris auction on February 07. The event is called "Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais." That's French for "The Great Marques of the World at the Grand Palais." The Grand Palais is certainly a palatial location; it's an historic Beaux-Arts exhibition structure located on the Champs-Élysées.

The offerings include more than 600 lots, among them hood ornaments, books, posters, cars and motorcycles. Many of the cars are French, of course, creating an opportunity for international buyers to bring back something truly unique. The 1922 Amilcar Type 4C Skiff in our feature photo is a superb example, with its body clearly inspired by powerboats of the period, as were the boattail examples of the 1930s, Auburn in particular.

And now for something really different, folks. It's an aircraft... but not just any aircraft. This exquisite deHavilland Gypsy Moth is the very plane that Robert Redford (or at least his stand-in) flew in the 1985 movie Out of Africa. If you've never seen the film you should. Not only did it win seven Academy Awards but the flying sequences were among the best I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Flying high and fast in a jet may be fun but flying low and slow in an open aircraft is a romantic adventure.

As a Canadian I suppose I should be aware of all the cars that were named after my home country but the only one I knew of until now was a Volvo. In 1963 the company opened an assembly plant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to build cars for the North American market from factory kits. The 122S sedans were called Amazon in Europe and Volvo Canadians here. I've no idea how or why the 1948 Peugeot 202 came to be called Canadienne, or why the French spelling was used. On the other hand, the French like to do things their own way, which probably explains why Peugeot wouldn't name it a Peugeot Woodie. Only 3,000 1948 Peugeot 202 Canadiennes were produced, making this one a rare find.

Your visit to the Bonhams auction should tie in nicely with the Salon Retromobile at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, February 6-10. The world's largest indoor classic car show, Retromobile is one of those "must see in my lifetime" events. I'm still hoping and if I make it I'll meet you for coffee on the Champs-Élysées.

[Photos: Bonhams]

AUCTIONS, CONCOURS, MOTOR RACING TAKE THE CHILL OUT OF WINTER

For me the month of January represents 31 days of survival, struggling just to keep warm during winter's chill. I say that even though I live in a place, Sidney, BC, where the temperature rarely drops below freezing and it's not unusual to see little or no snow. But for the car enthusiast January represents a bonanza of exciting events, some of which are televised while others receive ample coverage via the Internet.

It begins with the Detroit Auto Show. The media days have now ended, hence a seemingly endless supply of new car announcements and photos on the Net is available while the public pours through the doors of Cobo Hall. Just as the press packs its bags the Scottsdale auction week begins with five days of Barrett-Jackson's extravaganza. Closer to the end of the month the racing season starts at Daytona, where the 24-hour road race for sports cars and prototypes whets our appetite for more.

The Daytona 24-hours and the Barrett-Jackson Auction can both be seen live on Speed Channel. The former is fun to watch because some of the race takes place at night and because an international cast of drivers and manufacturers participate. The auction, by contrast, proceeds at snail speed, so you can tune in or out during the five days of mouth watering coverage. Incidentally, Barrett-Jackson estimates 300,000 visitors will attend, so don't let anyone tell you the collector car business is small-time. Remind them, also, that the week also includes auctions by RM, Gooding & Co., and Russo & Steele, where some of the most spectacular automobiles roll onto the stage.

Barrett-Jackson is offering an online preview of its TV coverage, featuring the fabulous Richard Hubbard collection. The Camaro up top is just one of his desireable cars. You can watch the preview by clicking here.

With so much happening in January, what's left for February? Plenty, if you live in Florida. There's the Daytona 500, of course; the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance; the Sarasota exotic and classic cars show (I'll be there for that one); the Winter Autofest at Zephyrhills; and several small but interesting affairs. Or, if you're seeking an excuse for a trip to France I highly recommend the Paris Retromobile, a huge indoor classic car show.

Now, uh... will someone please hand me my scarf and gloves?

THE SHELL 4000 RALLY. TOUGH. LONG. GONE

It was Canada's unique contribution to world motorsport. It was the longest rally in the world. It was colorful, exciting, dramatic, and attracted drivers and manufacturers from several countries. And it died before the rally could grow into the lasting event it deserved to be. I'm talking about the Shell 4000, a potentially great national rally spoiled by a combination of commercial needs and indifferent media coverage.

The event was initially known as the Trans Canada Rally but everyone called it the Shell 4000 because it was sponsored by Shell Oil and the route was, more or less, 4000 miles from start to finish. The original choice of "Trans Canada" was to create the impression that the rally ran from coast to coast when, in fact, it started in Vancouver and ended in Montreal (or the reverse in alternate years). The Shell 4000 was the only FIA sanctioned rally in North America.

A promotor and sports car enthusiast named Jim Gunn was the man who conceived the Shell 4000 and remained its chief organiser throughout the brief period of its existence. It was the indefagitable Gunn, aided by Peter Bone, who encouraged Shell to sponsor the event and never stopped working to make the rally a success, but in the long run he was defeated by the same apathy that Canadian media had shown to all forms of motorsport.

I should explain that the Shell 4000 had little in common with modern world championship rallies, now better known as "rally races." Nor was it identical to famous European events like the Monte Carlo and Tulip rallies, themselves like racing on snow or ice but still demanding navigation between sections with points lost for being early or late. Canadian speed laws were too low for fast highway driving, while local authorities seemed unwilling to temporarily close a few miles of road. Tenacious police, particularly in the prairies, looked upon the rally as a harvest for radar traps. (I should add that a few special speed stages were added from 1965.)

Yet that didn't mean the rally was a long-distance cruise. It attracted several well-known international competitors plus a modicum of manufacturer support. Ford, Studebaker, Rootes, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Chevrolet participated, directly or through dealers.

It was tough and it was hard on cars and drivers. Stirling Moss' sister Pat was an experienced European rally champion, as was her co-driver Ann Wisdom. They gave it their best, driving factory-sponsored cars, but never won. NASCAR stock car racer David Pearson surprised everyone with his entry but ended up frustrated and defeated. One of his competitors was Belgium's Olivier Gendebien, multiple LeMans 24-hours winner and South African Rally champion (he did finish fourth in Canada). After years of trying, American rally ace Scott Harvey, a Chrysler engineer, finally won the last running of the event. The great Alpine rallyist Henry Taylor finished second in 1965, the same year that F1 ace Pedro Rodriguez participated, saying the rally was tougher than any race he'd ever driven.

The country's vast size plus its topography and weather meant that every leg was different from the last. British Columbia and Alberta offered twisting mountain roads with nasty drop-offs. With the event being held in early May many prairie roads were often deep in gumbo (mud). Ontario and Quebec provided a variety of weather and driving conditions. And everywhere there continued a relentless push to maintain times while getting little rest during the brief hours alloted for sleep. Fatigue was often a deciding factor. Little wonder that even the big names lost multiple points or went off the road.

The Shell 4000 lasted from 1961 to 1968, when Shell opted out, and with no major sponsor willing to take over, Canada's first and only international rally came to an end. Shell Oil never saw the press coverage it needed to cover the cost of its participation and the conventional Canadian media (enthusiast publications aside), already prejudiced against motorsport, was reluctant to treat the rally as much more than a novelty.

I believe the Shell 4000 needn't have died. What it lacked was a budget large enough to hire a major public relations firm, rather than leaving the job to the organisers. The pr people would undoubtedly have found ways to get the press involved while at the same time developing community events along the way where locals could participate, meet the competitors, and safely watch the cars in roped-off spectator areas. Could it be revived? I doubt it. Too expensive to meet modern standards. But a retro rally for vintage cars, running from Halifax to Vancouver, would not be impossible. All we need is a modern day Jim Gunn and an imaginative sponsor. Try the Tar Sands operators. They could use some positive publicity.

PS:
The above photo was taken by Nigel Matthews at the 2012 Birmingham classic car show. It was one of six built for rallying by Triumph's competition department. Three cars, identical to this, were shipped to Canada for the Shell 4000. All the black & white photos originally appeared in Canada Track & Traffic magazine.

I covered the rally for CT&T in 1965 under my former pen name "Phil Murray." You can read that vintage article by clicking here.

CLASSIC CAR CHRISTMAS CARDS WITH CLASS

You'd like to send Christmas cards featuring classic cars but the local card shop has little of value to the enthusiast. You could go online but you'll spend hours searching for sites offering quality art and printing. What to do? I'm here to help you with links to a publisher that has the cards you've been looking for. They're not inexpensive compared to boxed sets at retail shops but the artwork is superior, while the variety means you're certain to find something to match your taste.

The card seen up top represents a 1939 Pontiac Silver Streak hood ornament. The size is a large 5" x 7" and comes with the name of the artist and the image on the back. Priced at $5.95 each, $5.45 for ten, $5.25 for twenty-five. Below is an exquisite French Delahaye, also sized 5" x 7", produced on digital offset printers using 110 lb. paper stock. It sells for $8.95 each, $7.95 for ten, $7.50 for twenty-five cards.

Each card is coated with a UV protectant on the outside surface which produces a semi-gloss finish. The inside of each card has a matte white finish and can be customized with a text message up to 500 characters in length. To purchase the Pontiac card click here. If you prefer the Delahaye, click here. Or you can go to the FineArtAmerica home page and view hundreds of images, both cars and other subjects. Just don't ask me to choose between the Pontiac and the Delahaye.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: AN OMELETTE AND THREE GLASSES OF WINE

Much as I hate to admit it, Christmas is approaching faster than a speeding railroad train and that brings the problem of gift buying. So I'll try to help you a little in the coming weeks with suggestions for the classic car fan. And what better beginning than a book of great road stories guaranteed to stimulate your imagination during those long winter months.

A comfortable chair, a warm fire and (in spite of the title) a single malt scotch would go well with this one, entitled An Omelette and Three Glasses of Wine, En Route With Citroens. This lavish book, produced by Andrew Brodie of Yellow Chevron Publishing, features eight road trip stories in France, published in automotive magazines over the past 30 years. The writers include Phillip Llewellin (arguably the best motoring writer of his generation), Dale Drinnon, and Paul Horrell. The cars range from an early 50s Citroen Big Six to the Citroen SM Grand Tourer, with a Maserati Khamsin story included as the Italian company was then owned by Citroen and the cars had a common technical heritage.

This book is liberally illustrated by world famous photographer Martyn Goddard. Most of the photos have never been seen before and include a mix of reportage and beautifully crafted car images. Trip notes are included. Not your average coffee table book, An Omelette and Three Glasses of Wine is superbly printed on high quality paper, one you'll want to pick up and re-read whenever the wanderlust strikes. 144 pages, 136 photos, hard cover. Order it now from Wilkinson's eautomobila.com. $89.95 Canadian.

1928 MERCEDES WINS BEST OF SHOW AT PEBBLE BEACH

With a powerful 6.8-litre engine, the Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo represented the finest German automobile engineering of the 1920s. It was bought new by Frederick Henry Bedford, who no doubt enjoyed showing off the car's performance and beauty. Following his death it was placed into storage and lay undisturbed for over 30 years. It was subsequently restored by the family.

The Saoutchik Torpedo was one of just seven such cars built by the stylish French coachbuilder, all different in small detailing. In the late 1930s Jacques Saoutchik created some of the most curvaceous, elegant (and even extravagant) cars ever to set wheels on this earth. As a sculptural artist he was on the same level as Lalique, Bel Geddes, and Joseph Hoffman.

Texans Paul and Judy Andrews, owners of the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo, were ecstatic. "I’m not sure I can put into words how I feel,” said Paul Andrews, founder and CEO of TTI. "It’s probably the most wonderful feeling I’ve had in my life. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. We’re all excited. We’re tickled to death." Of his car, he said, "It’s the whole package. There’s not a bad line on this car. It was the sports car, the high performance car of its era, and then Saoutchik gave it style and grace. It has power and it has beauty."

Other nominees for Best of Show included a 1935 Duesenberg J Gurney-Nutting Speedster owned by the William Lyon Family of Newport Beach, California; a 1931 Duesenberg J Derham Tourster owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini III, of West Orange, New Jersey; and a 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupé owned by David and Adele Cohen of West Vancouver, British Columbia. The latter car won all the major prizes at this year's Villa d'Este show in Italy.

[Photo: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]