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FERRARIS TAKE TOP DOLLARS AT SCOTTSDALE AUCTION WEEK

With the 2013 Scottsdale auction extravaganza now ended, the competing firms are releasing their sales records, each claiming to have outdone last year's results. I won't comment here on Barrett-Jackson's numbers as it is inevitably number one, being a week-long event, whereas the others are one- or two-day affairs.

Incidentally the excitement generated over B-J's sale of the original George Barris' Batmobile at $4.2 million turned that auction into a circus. The new owner says he intends moving a wall so he can keep it in his living room. Personally I don't get it. Perhaps because I never saw the movie.

Overall, the total amount of money that exchanged hands during the week was enough to buy a small country, which tempts me to comment on social philosophy but having no expertise in that area I'll resist.

I do, however, have some knowledge of Ferraris and what became obvious is that the fabled Italian marque is once again the car to own if you're a collector. A  remarkable number went under the hammer at all the auction venues, with two at stunning prices. The "winner" was Gooding & Co., which sold a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider for $8.25 million. It broke the record for both a steel LWB California Spider and the most valuable car ever sold in Arizona auction week's history.

Ferrari enthusiasts will tell you there is nothing sweeter than a GTO, with its Colombo V-12 engine, which may explain why the two top sellers were both GTO's, though of a different type and model year.

Over at RM's Arizona Biltmore location a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 'Competizione' (above) sold for a record $8.14 million. RM generated more than $36.4 million in sales with 89 percent of all lots sold. The results represent an all-time high for the international auction house in Arizona, a more than 42-percent increase over the 2012 sale, generated in part by a smaller, "more elite" offering as the company continued to focus on the top tier of the market.

Gooding's sale marks the sixth consecutive year the auction house achieved the top-selling lot during January’s annual auction week. In addition, it sold six of the top 10 most valuable cars of all the houses.

One thing is certain. It's the auction companies that really get rich with these events, thanks to their commission systems. So you can't blame them for boasting about the numbers, encouraging future sellers to work with them in upcoming auctions. Nothing against Barrett-Jackson but I wish they didn't have a monopoly on Speed Channel's TV coverage.

[Photos: Gooding & Co./RM Auctions]

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.

THE BEAUTY OF THE SMALL TOWN CAR SHOW

The great concours d'elegance flow across Europe and the Americas like a moveable version of the Cannes Film Festival, each displaying an extraordinary array of classic and vintage cars, many worth millions of dollars. But few among the world's enthusiasts can afford the cost and time of attending. For them, indeed for all of us, hundreds, if not thousands, of shows are locally produced so that owners can display their cars. One such example happens right here in Sidney, BC... also known as "Sidney by the Sea."

This show is produced by the Torquemasters Club. As the name suggests, many of the members drive hot rods and customs. Those among us who prefer sports cars and restored but unmodified vintage automobiles are in the minority. Nevertheless I would never critisise the work of rodders and customisers for some of it is pure artistry.

After two years in a dusty parking lot next to the community center the show returned to Beacon Avenue, Sidney's main street. And if numbers matter, it was a huge success, all of the side streets for five blocks being converted to show space. The only disappointment was the weather. No, it didn't rain, but the overcast and chill breezes coming off the ocean were not typical of summer days in this corner of the Pacific Northwest. I'd liked to have seen more spectators, too, especially for the food vendors. Perhaps it needs a little more publicity.

The cars shown in this report are just an example of what was there, chosen more from my personal taste than a democratic selection. Yes, that's a real Sabre Jet from the Korean war era, mounted on top of a pylon. Not seen in this photo is a vendor offering freshly made Belgian waffles. If you like waffles, Belgians are the tastiest by far.

But was this a real Porsche 550 Spyder? The moment I saw it I had to find out, for it was hard to believe such a rare and valuable racer would be parked on a Sidney street, even for a car show. And, as I suspected, it was actually a 1955 replica, by Beck, so well constructed that I didn't feel let down, only pleased that Porsche's racing heritage would be represented here. Power came from a Porsche Super 90 4-cylinder engine.

For a total contrast you'd have to go far to beat this magnificent 1958 Edsel. Representing all that made the 50's so memorable, it also demonstrated everything that was wrong: oversized, overchromed, over the top in everything. So who cares? We're in 2012 and looking back gives us more pleasure than complaint.

As you'll have gathered by now I'm not a big fan of hot rods but heck, I'm a car fan first. This combination of rod with custom-made trailer is not only unique but represents the best in mechanical artistry. It deserves a prize for originality which, of course, is what rodding's all about.

Though unmodified classics were in the minority, those that did appear were of a high standard, especially the 1939 Ford coupe. It represents the age of streamlining, when cars looked as though they could cheat the wind, even if they couldn't. Add a little art deco to the mix and you've got pre-war Ford design at its best.

A number of entrants in the show used it as an opportunity to advertise vehicles that are for sale. You could argue that such signs cheapen the event and you'd make a good point, yet I can't blame the owners. Perhaps a little more subtlety in the signage would help. Didn't stop me from being tempted by the 1979 Fiat roadster, though.

You'd have to love big old vans to lavish so much work and expense on restoring one. But I'm glad the owner of this 1952 GMC went to all that trouble. Beautifully rebuilt inside and out, I'd have given it the "best in show" prize. There... and you thought I was just a sports car guy!

Finally in this report, the only true "classic" in the show, if you take the term to mean cars recognised as such by the Classic Car Club of America. Making this lovely 1931 Cadillac even more fascinating is that it was built in Canada, believed to be the only Cadillac V-12 made in this country. My wish for next year's Torquemaster's show is more like it, along with more sports cars and unmodifieds. And more visitors to our lovely seaside town.

[Photos: Philip Powell]

NOTE: You'll find dozens more show images on a club member's Flicker site by clicking here.

The World's Best Car Show? One You Can Walk To

As a car enthusiast few things please me more than attending an automobile event without using my car. That's why I'm really looking forward to the Torque Masters Car Club's car show and swap meet on Sunday, Sept. 19th. The location, at the Sidney BC Mary Winspear Centre, is so close that I can walk there in five minutes. I can even come home for lunch. What could be better than that?

I've been attending auto races, including tracks like Monaco, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Lime Rock, Sebring, Mosport, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, for decades. I've been to dozens of new car shows, such as the New York and Detroit Auto Shows, the Geneva International Auto Show, the British International Auto Show (when there was one), and of course Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. I've attended some of the famous Concours d'Elegance like Pebble Beach, Palm Springs and Kirkland. Yes, we had fun when we got there but every one of those events involved long drives and even longer lineups. I was worn out by the time I reached the gate.

While I obviously have happy memories of such events (especially races where I was competing) the one I remember with the most fondness was a day of vintage car racing at the now defunct Crystal Palace circuit in England. At the time, my family and I were living in London, having been transferred there from New York by the great and benevolent ad agency J. Walter Thompson. (You've watched Mad Men? I was Don Draper. But that's a story for another time.) The point of this tale is that we lived around the corner from Victoria Station and the race circuit was a short walk from the Crystal Palace station. My son and I strolled over to Victoria, boarded a train, had a pleasant half-hour journey to our destination. Somewhat weary after a day's spectating, we were then delighted to be able to relax all the way home.

I've also gone to the Monaco Grand Prix by rail and believe me, there's only one better way to reach that track: by boat.

The Torque Masters show is a local event and won't be as glamorous as those I've mentioned. Still, the club expects up to 400 cars from BC and nearby Washington State. It's not an invitational; entrants can arrive and sign up on the spot. Although most club members are hot rod and custom enthusiasts, the show is open to all kinds of vintage automobiles. So if you're reading this and you own a sports car, classic, or just an interesting vintage automobile or truck, shine it up and c'mon over to Sidney. I'll be the guy ambling along with a smile on his face.

[Photo: Philip Powell]

Are Hot Rods the last Real Roadsters?

In the beginning "roadster" referred to a sporting open car with a rumble seat. Then it became a 2-seater sports car with no frills and few comforts. If it had such niceties as wind-up windows and a snug-fitting top it was a convertible. Or a cabriolet. Things change with time and thus, when it was launched in 1995, the BMW Z3 was called a roadster, and so was the Mercedes SLK 230, probably because the term conjured up images of open roads and pure driving pleasure. Today the word is frequently flaunted by misguided marketing types to suit their advertising needs. But there is one place in the automotive spectrum where "roadster" still means something in its purest form and that place is the world of hot rods. The American hot rod is largely based on pre-World War II open cars and coupes, in particular late-run Model Ts and 1932 Fords. Stripped down, lowered, fenderless, and topless, the open hot rods were called roadsters and still are.

For roadster devotees the most important event of the year is the Grand National Roadster Show (which dates all the way back to 1950), highlighted by the awarding of a trophy for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. And to mark this year's show, the Petersen Automotive Museum will present a dozen previous winners in its Bruce Meyer Gallery until January 31, when the next winner will be named. The Petersen Museum has several previous AMBR winners in its collection, among them the Bill Niekamp 1929 Ford roadster that won the very first AMBR award in 1950. Pictured above are Niekamp’s Ford, Rudy Necoechea’s Undisputed 1932 Ford from 2008 and Ermie Immerso’s Golden Star 1925 Ford, winner in 1989 and 1991. So if you live in Los Angeles or are there on vacation, be sure to visit the Museum for a look at roadster history. You can check first by clicking here or for more on the Grand National Roadster Show, click here.

[Photo Credit: Petersen Automotive Museum]