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BEST REASON TO VISIT PALM SPRINGS: 2012 DESERT CONCOURS

It's early February of 2012 and there are a number of places I'd rather be than here in Sidney, BC. And that's because I love sunshine, warm temperatures, and beautiful scenery, especially when they're all in the same location. Add great classic cars to the list and one place leaps to the top. Palm Springs, California, home of the Rancho Mirage Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance.

Not long ago this was a two-day event. Now it encompasses ten days of excitement, beginning with the Desert Classic Vintage and Historic races, Friday through Sunday, Feb 17-19, at the Chuckawalla Valley Raceway in nearby Indio, California. Okay, it's not exactly ten days non-stop, for there is a break after the races until Friday, the 24th, when the Tour Classique begins. And that, to me, is a good thing as it allows visitors time to enjoy everything that Palm Springs offers. I'd recommend an early morning side trip to the Salton Sea area to participate in a hot air balloon ride, surely one of life's more inspirational experiences.

The Tour Classique on Saturday is where owners of selected concours cars have an opportunity to drive their vintage automobiles over interesting desert roads in the Coachella Valley, and where the public has a chance to see (and hear) them driven. As well, the event now includes a classic car auction, offering visitors a chance to buy their own piece of history. The Desert Classic Auction takes place on Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, with previews on Friday, the 24th.

Of course the highlight is Sunday's Concours d'Elegance, featuring more than 250 exceptional classics from Europe and America. Many of these rarely seen cars are from private collections and museums, and they'll be competing for coveted "best of show" and class awards. A "celebration of the motorsports lifestyle," the concours includes fine food and wine, up-scale vendors, music, and displays of other collectible items such as such as jewelry, watches and art. As a bonus, car club members are invited to display their vehicles in the Car Club Corral, located adjacent to the concours area.

One thing I do find peculiar about the Desert Classic is the change of location, the third in its brief history. Initially held on the golf course at the city of Palm Springs, it moved to the La Quinta Resort and Club in 2010 and returned in 2011. Now the Desert Classic heads for the Rancho Mirage Country Club in Palm Desert. Not that the venue is any less attractive with its spectacular mountain views, but it does suggest that the organisers have had trouble finding a permanent home. Let's hope this one is in it for the long run.

[Photo of Cadillac Fleetwood at 2011 Concours: Gerry Maceda]

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: A DELIGHTFUL '72 DATSUN

Every year there are cars at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction that make me wish I was there but because I stayed home I missed the opportunity. This is one, a 1972 Datsun 510 Wagon that sold for $8525. At that price it was a real bargain although if I'd been bidding the numbers might have gone higher. And yes, you are correct. If I'd paid more attention to the 2012 B-J catalog that I was recommending on this very site I'd have known about the Datsun and could have bid by phone. I might have even persuaded Marque1's Nigel Matthews, who was there, to check it out for me.

Ah well, hindsight, etc., and the world is full of "what ifs" and "I wish I had," along with too many "wait 'til next years." Put me in that latter category as I don't expect to be any wealthier then and nice cars at the bottom end of the price scale will still attract me.

The good folks at WindingRoad.com found the Datsun Wagon while they were perusing cars that humble folk like we auto journalists can actually afford. The writer said he tries to stay away from modified or unoriginal cars "but this one was too hard to pass up." Judging from the photo and the specs it appears that any modifications must have been minimal, for it still has a 1.6-liter engine in US specification plus its original rear-wheel drive. The wheels are not stock but I don't have any problem with that, nor with the green paint job. Or was the 510 available in that colour when new?

Nissan/Datsun enthusiasts, along with vintage race fans, will be well aware that the 510 was a fast, chuckable, and fun car that could easily be modified for competition. Paul Newman, the actor and race driver, drove a Datsun 510 when he began his racing career in 1972. Of course a wagon was not likely to be seen on a track, but as a street car the one featured in this blog would be a delightful combination of practicality with good times. Well, there's always next... no, no, I won't say it.

ARTIST SHOWS US WHY FERRARIS ARE RED

Back when the demands of commerce had yet to mar the beauty of Grand Prix racing, it was a tradition that team cars must appear in their national colours. Thus the Ferraris would be red, which we've come to permanently associate with the Italian marque. It was this that inspired Canadian artist Paul Chenard, in a new painting for a Colorado collector, to portray the Ferrari team as it appeared prior to the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Interestingly, these cars were not "pure" Ferraris, for the Lancia racing team, lacking the finance to continue, had been absorbed by its Italian competitor at the end of the 1955 season. Its promising D50 then became the basis for the 1956 Ferrari, initially rebadged as the Lancia-Ferrari D50, and then simply the Ferrari D50. Several of designer Vittorio Jano’s innovations were removed, but not the lightweight four-overhead-cam V-8 engine, which was shorter than the straight six or eight engines used by Maserati and Mercedes-Benz.

The twin panniers located between the front and rear wheels were another distinctive feature. They contained the fuel and oil tanks. Normally located in a large tank at the rear, the fuel load could affect a car's handling as it decreased, whereas the central location helped maintain balance through the corners. The panniers also had aerodynamic benefits.

The 1956 Monza GP was a race of good luck, generosity, and plenty of drama. The great Juan Manuel Fangio, driving a Ferrari and with an eight-point lead in the world championship, was forced to pit with a broken steering arm. When team-mate Luigi Musso refused to turn over his car to Fangio (they did that in those days) Peter Collins relinquished his Ferrari seat, giving up his own chances of becoming champion. Meanwhile a young Stirling Moss, in a Maserati, ran out of fuel while in the lead with just five laps to go.

Stirling recalls “I spotted (Luigi) Piotti, the Italian Maserati privateer, coming up behind and gestured frantically for him to use his car to push me to the pits”. Luckily for Stirling he understood and the Maserati’s proceeded to the pits nose to tail, with Stirling’s 250F receiving what would be in modern terms, a splash and dash. Moss won the race and Fangio, in his red Ferrari, won the championship.

Artwork © Paul Chenard

TOUR OF A LIFETIME FOR ITALIAN CAR ENTHUSIASTS

If you admire Italian sports cars (and who doesn't?) here's one event you won't want to miss. It's the annual Car Guy Tour, which kicks off on the beautiful shores of Lake Como and runs for ten days, beginning May 6th and ending May 16th, 2012. Organised each year by Frank Mandarano and sponsored by Keith Martin's Sports Car Graphic, the Car Guy Tour visits the great styling centers, including Italdesign, Pininfarina, Zagato and Bertone. It will also visit world-class restoration shops and major collections.

As if that were not enough, the Tour will take you to legendary companies such as Maserati, the Maserati Collection, Lamborghini, Borrani, Pagani, Schedoni and the Alfa Romeo Collection. Is Ferrari included? You bet it is. Participants will spend one complete day in Maranello visiting all that is Ferrari: including the Ferrari Galleria, the first official Ferrari Store, a Ferrari F1 warm up, with time for shopping and lunch at the famous Cavallino Ristorante.

According to the Car Guy Tour's car guys "May is one of the most beautiful months to be in Italy; the sidewalk cafes are bustling, the flowers are in full bloom, and the number of tourists are at a lower level." Having been there in May, for an entire month, I couldn't agree more. I would also go along with the suggestion that you come early and enjoy Lake Como. Take the fast boat to Bellagio for lunch or the slow boat for a leisurely tour of the lake, getting off to explore the little villages and coffee bars. And keep an eye for those gorgeous wood-hulled Riva speedboats, the Ferraris of the boating world.

The Tour will officially end in Modena, the "automotive and gastronomic capital of the world." But you might want to allow yourself a little more time and take in the Historic Monaco Grand Prix on the weekend of May 12th and 13th. This will be the perfect time to experience beautiful Monte Carlo and the period European racing cars on the circuit and at speed.

The price may seem a little steep if you don't have deep pockets but to be honest I think it's quite reasonable considering all that's included. Tickets for a person traveling alone are $6,000; for a double they're $8,200 ($4,100 per person). Air fare is extra but if you act now you should be able to find a discount. In fact, if the Car Guy Tour appeals, I'd suggest signing on soon, for seats are limited. More information is available from the Car Guy Tour Website, by e-mailing to frank@carguytour.com, or by calling Frank Mandarano direct at (206) 310-8380.

MERCEDES RESPECTS CORPORATE HISTORY WITH RESTORATION OF OLDEST 300 SL

No doubt all automobile manufacturers respect their corporate histories but the Germans do more to preserve the cars that made them successful than those of any other country. At least that's the way it seems when you regard the fabulous museums of BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. Not only do they populate them with a broad selection of vehicles representing the marque, they also have little hesitation in restoring some of the rarest and putting them on display, or even providing demonstration runs at vintage race meets.

The latest, and one of the most stunning, is featured in a Hemmings newsletter article by Mike McNessor. His fascinating story details the restoration of the second in a line of ten original Mercedes 300 SL racecars. The very first 300 SL was destroyed by the factory decades ago but in this instance Number Two is equally worthy of our admiration and respect. It has been with Mercedes since it was hand-built in 1951-52 and holds the distinction of being the oldest SL in existence. With the SL celebrating its 60th anniversary this year Mercedes decided to display the car looking as close to new as possible, without totally removing the patina absorbed during its fabled history.

As Mike reports, the car was used as a training and backup vehicle for the race team, and was never involved in an accident, so the chassis and body panels were as straight as original. It is one of the two vehicles built by hand in Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s Stuttgart-Untertürkheim racing workshop. The ensuing eight 300s were used mainly for racing in 1952 and were manufactured in the Sindelfingen factory. As related in Mike's story "the restoration of the original bodywork was particularly complex and took about five months to complete, from May to September of last year. Mercedes-Benz’s experts strove to make the delicate shell look like it was formed out of one piece of sheetmetal as it originally did, working out previous restoration efforts and deformities that happened over the years along the way."

The 3-liter, overhead-cam six was actually a reworked version of the engine in the Mercedes 300 (W186) luxury sedan. Output was boosted to around 170 hp. It was placed in the tube chassis at a 50-degree left-tilt so it would fit under the car’s streamlined hood. Today's equally meticulous German engineers rebuilt the original engine then ran it for ten hours on a test stand. The chassis was completed in the course of several months at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, with every single component cleaned, examined and reconditioned where necessary.

The interior has been fitted with new blue tartan seat covers, but the headliner and the rest of the interior fabric were cleaned and replaced. The aluminum seat frames were reused without needing any significant work. All of the other appointments, such as the wooden steering wheel, gearshift knob and gauges, are also original pieces. As Mike McNessor says, "the finished product is an amazing piece of automotive history and a testament to the work Mercedes-Benz Classic is performing on old Benzes these days." And proof, once more, that when it comes to auto manufacturers preserving and displaying their past, no one does it better than the Germans.

[With thanks to Hemmings and Mike McNessor]

THE CAR COLLECTING HOBBY, BIGGER THAN YOU THOUGHT

The next time someone wags an accusing finger at you and suggests that enthusiasm for old cars is merely a niche hobby, try firing back with some convincing new figures from the Vintage Racing League. For example, VRL tells us there are an estimated 10 million people who own vintage, historic, classic and antique cars. That alone is quite remarkable. So is the way those numbers are spread around the globe:

* 4 million in the Americas
* 5 million in the UK & Europe
* 1 million in the rest of the world

Ever wonder how many car clubs exist worldwide? A few thousand, maybe? How about an estimated 100,000? The number of cars owned by the members must be staggering and should awaken any automotive marketer to the possibilities of reaching this vast group of enthusiasts. According to the VRL there are an estimated 100,000 merchants who sell the collector car community $50+ billion in products and services annually. That makes said community an economic force to be reckoned with.

Yet these numbers are, in one sense, misleading. That's because for every vintage car owner there are countless folk who don't own, and may never own, an automobile old enough to qualify and who probably can't afford the cost of buying and maintenance. Count me among them. Much as I love old cars and write passionately about automotive history I do not possess a collector car and even if I did, keeping it running is beyond my means. (I'm not a Mr. Fixit: my reaction when something goes wrong is "call the guy.")

Nevertheless I love the hobby and participate by collecting automotive fine art prints, models, books and other literature, and by attending concours and vintage races. I'm one of multi-millions around the world who support a category known as "automobilia." Some belong to car clubs, many don't, which makes it impossible to attach a number and to be honest, the word itself is meaningless to non-enthusiasts. Tell someone you collect automobilia and they haven't a clue what you're talking about. We need a new way of expressing that segment of the vintage car hobby. Any suggestions?

I'm uncertain about where the VRL got those numbers but even if they're not quite accurate it should be obvious that car collecting and its associated interests, such as concours d'elegance, vintage racing, and automobilia, is far more than a niche. It's huge, bigger by far than most collecting hobbies. So next time you're accused of dallying in a small-time affair, show them the numbers. You may not turn the accuser into an enthusiast but at least you'll get some well-earned respect.

[Photo: Philip Powell]

TEASED BY A PRETTY, AND PRETTY RARE, SPORTS HATCH

It was a late May morning back in 1958 when I took time off from my job as a radio announcer in Barrie, Ontario to attend the Hockley Valley Hillclimb, a 1/2 mile dash up a twisting dirt road in a scenic area near Orangeville, Ontario. There was magic in the air, caused by the intoxicating odour of Castrol R motor oil (an essential in those days), mixed with the sight and sound of fast sports and touring cars. Along with a few hundred other spectators I walked up the hill to find a viewing spot, kept out of danger by watchful club marshalls.

About a half-hour into the event, after several cars had made their ascent, I heard an approaching racer, a sound that reminded me of a tenor saxophone in full song: John Coltrane on wheels. Moments later one of the most beautiful sports cars I'd ever seen came drifting around the turn. It was an Ace-Bristol in Canadian racing colours, white with green stripes, driven by Peter Hayes. The few seconds in which Peter's Ace performed left a lasting impression. From that moment on, the Ace-Bristol would be among my all-time favorites.

Peter and his brother Fred came from a well-off Toronto family and both boys were handsome enough to become models, a useful source of revenue if you were into road racing. Fred Hayes went on to drive Cobras and Sadler Specials for Chuck Rathgeb's Comstock racing team but it was Peter's Ace-Bristol that earned a permanent place in my heart. Later I would learn that the Ace could be purchased with a choice of three 6-cylinder engines: the original AC, a Ford Zephyr version, and the exotic Bristol. The latter was, in fact, an update of the pre-WW2 BMW 328 sports car engine, which Bristol had acquired as war reparations and was using in its own cars.

In the early 60s, I became editor of Canada Track & Traffic magazine, then the country's only consumer car mag. The office manager was Diana Carter, a young woman who successfully raced touring cars when she wasn't keeping the books (and her co-workers, most of whom were racers) honest. Diana had somehow become the owner of an AC Aceca, similar to the one above, but was anxious to sell it. And who better, as prospective buyer, than the editor who'd earlier fallen in love with the Ace-Bristol?

I borrowed the pretty hatch for an hour, eager to experience the performance and handling, and though it was a delight to drive the AC Aceca lacked the refinement I'd come to expect from other sports cars I'd been testing. But then I came to my senses and realised I couldn't afford to keep such an exotic machine, certainly not on my income as a car mag editor. Nevertheless I still have a fondness for the Aceca which, as a collector car, sells for more than ten times what it was worth then.

[Story Lead: Daniel Strohl/Hemmings]

A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY WITH THE LONDON TO BRIGHTON RUN

Here I go, being sentimental again, but after all, we romanticists do contribute something useful to this world, don't we? Or perhaps our emotions simply  work overtime. In writing this blog about the annual, and long-running, London to Brighton run for veteran automobiles, my mind immediately returned to 1970 when I was working for an American ad agency in London; a Canadian transferred from New York.

At the time, though interested in the classics, I had difficulty relating to the veteran models, which in no way resembled modern cars. Nevertheless I departed our west end flat on a drizzly morning (what else in November London?), and rode the underground to the start in Hyde Park. What I saw there left me astonished as a long line of antique automobiles, some built in the 19th century, waited their turn to depart. The drivers and passengers were bundled up for the weather, not in fashionable Burberry coats, but in outfits identical to those worn decades ago. Some were carrying wicker picnic baskets of food and drink, as they might have in Victorian times. And no one seemed in the least bothered by the rain. Except me. After watching a couple of dozen cars depart and still unsure of the relevance of it all, I returned to a warm home and a welcome cup of hot English tea.

Decades later and just a tiny bit wiser, I now realise what a fool I was not to have spent at least an hour chatting with the owners. I'd have learned much about veteran automobiles and come away with a deeper appreciation of both the vehicles and the event. And that brings me to this year's London to Brighton, and to three cars that Bonhams is auctioning on the eve of the Run, having secured an entry, thus assuring the new owners an opportunity to participate. Mind you, it doesn't give them much time to learn how to manage those ancient vehicles, which can't be easy. Those who complete the entire run from London to Brighton will, however, be rewarded with a well deserved bowl of hearty chilli con carne and mulled wine provided by Bonhams.

Oldest car in the sale is a 113-year-old 1898 Fisson 8hp Twin-Cylinder Six-seat Wagonette, believed to be the only surviving Panhard-style Fisson. Almost as old is a 112-year-old 1899 Panhard-Levassor Type M2F 6hp Wagonette. The French firm was responsible for developing the Système Panhard, essentially the layout of the modern motorcar, and the Type M2F 6hp Wagonette is an excellent example. The third car up for auction and entered into the Run is the rare 1902 Deckert 8hp two-seater seen above.

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run was first held in 1896 and today is the world’s longest-running motoring rally. The event, which drew an amazing 500,000 spectators last year, takes place on Sunday the 6th of November, with the first (and oldest) cars leaving Hyde Park at sunrise. And by the way, this is no sightseeing tour. Some of the cars can barely make it up the hills and will struggle to reach the finish line. Technical skill and knowledge is needed in case of a breakdown. And the weather can be cool and damp. Nevertheless I'd truly love to be there, riding along as a passenger. I'd be turning the clock back and getting it right this time.

[Photo: Bonhams]

AT LAST, F1 WEST AND F1 EAST IN USA!

Not since the great road races at Watkins Glen has Formula One had a permanent home in the United States. By 2013 it will have two, one in the east and one in the west. The announcement today of the New Jersey F1 race is great news for fans in New York and New Jersey, and even for enthusiasts living hundreds of miles away.

I'll admit that when I first heard of the possibility months ago I was skeptical. With a mildly prejudiced view of New Jersey, nurtured when I lived across the Hudson in New York, it seemed an unlikely place for a race. Manhattan would have been a better choice, I thought, though the chances of blocking off the streets for a motor race were between nil and none. But after learning of the circuit layout and its location I've done a complete turnabout. This New Jersey F1 event could be a huge success.

The locale is just fine with me, for the view on TV should be spectacular. New Jersey governor Chris Christie confirmed that the race would be run on a street circuit around the Port Imperial area in Weehawken and West New York, with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. She went on to say that "it will be a 3.2 mile road race, run on existing roads through Port Imperial and at the top of the Palisades in Weehawken and West New York... people from the whole world will come to New Jersey to see this unique and exciting course."

No doubt they will, but I can also see fans coming from Toronto, Buffalo, and Boston, who might otherwise go to the Montreal F1 race. And I can imagine tens of thousands pouring in from New York City, possibly even arriving by ferry or other forms of public transit. I'll even go so far as to suggest that if you like the Monaco and Valencia GPs because of their spectacular seaside setting you'll find this one attractive for the same reason.

The mayors of Weehawken and West New York, both of whom are enthusiastic about the event, are eager to point out that the intention is not to use public funding as it would be deeply unpopular in the present financial climate. Weehawken mayor Richard Turner and Felix Roque, his counterpart in West New York, believe the race could kick-start a stagnant local economy. "In these uncertain economic times when every direct and indirect revenue source is vital, our own Formula One race could be a very positive boost to our citizens," they said in a joint statement.

I noted that the course has been laid out by none other than the same Hermann Tilke engineering group that drew up the plans for Austin's F1 race, as well as the new Indian GP circuit, and new or recently-built tracks in the Mid-East, such as Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. A positive step, for Tilke is an experienced race driver who knows what makes racing exciting for both competitors and spectators.

June, 2013, seems a long way off, by which time we'll learn much more about the New Jersey race. And by then the first Austin, Texas F1 race will have been run and won. I'm looking forward to both races and, God willing, I may be able to attend at least one of these events. Having covered, as a race reporter, the Watkins Glen and Mosport GPs back in the 1960s, it might be appropriate, don't you think?

[Photo Credit: The Telegraph]

LEGENDARY NASSAU SPEED WEEK RETURNS TO THE BAHAMAS

Nothing could be nicer, in the midst of a frigid winter, than to fly south to Nassau, enjoy a welcoming planters punch, then watch several days of great road racing. That's the way it was, from 1954 to 1966. And hopefully that's the way it will be as the Nassau Speed Week (renamed Bahamas Speed Week) is being revived in 2011: November 30 to December 04.

For the racing fraternity, the original Speed Week combined a vacation with a chance to have fun. There were no championships involved, no fight for points, just a chance to duel it out on an airport circuit. Cars and drivers came from Europe, from the US, and from Canada. The parties, it was said, were as good as the races. If you couldn't beat the guy into the first corner, well, heck, you could always toss him into the pool. And nobody cared.

Decades have passed since those halcyon years but the combined efforts of racing enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic plus the willing Nassau tourist folks are turning back the clock, then giving it a special twist. These will not be vintage track races. The now-international airport can't be closed and there are no Bahamas race tracks. Instead, a temporary street circuit has been set up for timed sprints by vintage sports racers. Each contestant will be allowed three laps, in an effort to set best time. Running next to the sea, the track nicely combines a fast straight with several turns, assuring that a combination of skill and power is needed to win.

You, as a spectator, might miss the fender-to-fender racing that comes with vintage events but that shouldn't deter you from attending. There's something special about watching vintage cars being driven at speed, including the sounds of once-great engines. For the drivers it's an opportunity to test the cars and themselves without taking unnecessary risks. Nobody really cares who wins, except the winner. The same applies to hillclimbs and amazingly (to me at least) Bahamas Speed Week includes a hillclimb! I'd worked on Grand Bahama Island as a young guy, attended the 1963 Nassau Speed Week, and visited Nassau since, but never saw anything taller than an anthill. But apparently the Fort Charlotte road is vertical enough and long enough for challenging timed runs.

In some respects the Bahamas Speed Week is aimed more at owner/drivers than we humble spectators. They'll be feted and entertained, and led on a tour to an island paradise owned by Sir Sean Connery. Considering all the great cars that James Bond drove it would seem appropriate that he might be in attendance, but the organisers have made no promises.

For an amusing aside to our trip to the original Nassau Speed Week, click onto this Constellation airliner blog.