“Art Car” Porsche 911 | Nicole James photos
For what feels like months, the Classic Car News team has been sharing stories -– almost daily -– of the unique cars set to cross the various auction blocks this week in Monterey. Wednesday, I got to see some of those cars as I went window shopping and day dreaming at Russo and Steele.
I realized my taste in cars is all over the place, although I generally tend to have expensive tastes and, of course, I am all over anything that remotely resembles a race car.
Here in Monterey, I found myself expanding my interests to cars that were a bit different than my normal style.
| 1989 Porsche 911 Coupe I can appreciate a Porsche, but it’s not usually something that gets me excited. From the moment I laid eyes on photos of this car, I was absolutely hooked. To me, the colors, the textures and the different techniques all come together for a look-at-me sensation that is vibrant yet peaceful. Dubbed “Masterpiece II,” the car was painted in 2012 by Canadian artist, Jean-Pierre Lafrance, for the “Art Car Project.” |  |
| 1957 Ford Thunderbird Recently I was scrolling through Facebook and one of those dumb little quizzes came up: What classic car are you? Of course, I took the quiz. It analyzed my profile and, needless to say, I was absolutely shocked my answer was not a Ford Mustang of any generation but a Ford Thunderbird. Why or how I’ll never know, but since the idea was presented I’ve been paying more attention to them. I love the contrast between the whitewall tires, black paint, and white top on this Thunderbird. |  |
| 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Monospecchio I remember going to the book fair in elementary school and buying a poster of a Testarossa and making my dad hang it up in the garage. It truly is the poster car for my generation and, given the chance, I would buy one in a heartbeat. This particular car was initially purchased by a prominent Ferrari enthusiast who took very good care of the car as it sat in his collection for a number of years. It has recently been serviced and ready for a new home. |  |
| 1963 Apollo 500 GT Coupe At one point or another every car enthusiast has looked at a car and thought, “eh, I could have done it better.” But how many of them are able to turn their vision of the “perfect car” into a reality? I am truly envious of the few who were able to create functioning cars, and that is part of why this one appeals to me. It is the vision of Milt Brown, at the time a young college graduate, and was his American answer to the European sports cars. Produced between 1962 and 1964, 47 Apollos were built, and of those, three cars were offered as automatics –- this is one of them. |  |
| 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing I have always had a thing for the gullwing Mercedes. The styling is absolutely timeless and who doesn’t love the gullwing doors? It has such a clean elegant vibe that is made more significant with stunning silver paint and red interior. |  |
| 1965 Ford Shelby GT350 fastback Finally, the best has saved for last. The 1965 Ford Mustang is an iconic car as is, and it’s only made better when seen in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes and some lovely Shelby badges. With the release of the 2016 Shelby GT350, the original classics are in the spotlight again, reminding us of the ‘60s when these cars were breaking necks and killing egos on the streets. This particular car is car 199 of 562 produced and comes documented in the Shelby American World Registry. |  |
