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December 23, 2013

Photos courtesy American Honda Motor Co.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles about cars that someday likely will be considered classics.

At the Turin auto show in 1984, Honda, the Japanese automaker, and Pininfarina, the Italian design house, unveiled a concept car called the HP-X. H stood for Honda, P for Pininfarina and X for eXperimental. The car’s wedge-shape was reinforced by a series of sculpted ridges that streaked back from just behind the front wheels and over the rear tires. One of Honda’s V6 racing engines positioned behind the two-seat cockpit.

The concept laid the groundwork for a car Honda’s Acura division would reveal five years later at the Chicago auto show. The name was changed NSX, now was short for New Sports car eXperimental, except at this point the car no longer was experimental. It was the prototype for the NSX that would launch in the United States as a 1991 production model.

Honda had returned to Formula One racing in 1988 as engine supplier to the McLaren team, and McLaren’s Ayrton Senna and Indy car racer Bobby Rahal were among those who helped develop the NSX’s dynamic capabilities. The car’s aluminum body was designed by budding auto styling superstar Ken Okuyama, who accented the production car’s wedge shape with a clever wing-style spoiler that stood proud of the rear deck lid as it spanned from one rear fender to the other.

The car’s V6 engine spun to more than 7,000 rpm, where it produced 270 horsepower, more than enough to create excitement for someone driving such nimble and lightweight vehicle.

The NSX was Japan’s first widely distributed, world-class sports car and was pitted against everything from Ferraris to Corvettes.

NSX production ran from 1990-2005, and those cars still sell at used car rather than collector car prices.

That very well will change, especially with Acura showing a new NSX that goes into production in 2015 as a world-class but hybrid sports car with a twin-turbocharged V6 to power the rear wheels and with electric motors turning each of the front wheels for an all-wheel powertrain.

And, after all, if you buy a new NSX, what better companion for it in your garage than one of the originals?

Russo and Steele seminars to examine vintage racing and restoration

Commentary

Larry Edsall

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December 23, 2013

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Not only can you buy a classic car at Russo and Steele’s annual January auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., but you can learn a lot about the hobby as well through seminars the auction stages each year.

In previous years, topics have included buying and selling advice from experts and even how to deal with your collection as you near the end of your ability to be the active custodian of your collector cars.

Two seminars will be offered at Russo and Steele in January, one on vintage racing and the other on the art of vehicle restoration.

“Vintage Racing: Putting the Pedal to the Medal” will be offered Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. and will feature:

Lyn St. James, the first woman to win rookie of the year honors in the Indianapolis 500 and a four-time driver in recent years in the vintage racing car reunions at Goodwood in England;
Cris Vandagriff, whose grandfather was the riding mechanic for Barney Olfield at Indy and whose father was a pioneer in post-war sports car racing. Cris, who turned Hollywood Sports Car into the largest Ferrari dealership in North America, has competed in vintage racing cars since 1989 and later left his dealership to become full-time general manager of VARA — the Vintage Auto Racing Association — and later bought the Historic Motor Sports Association;
D. Randy Riggs, editor of Vintage Motorsports magazine with lots of seat time in a long list of vintage racing cars;
Brian Ferrin, who races the historic Bud Moore/George Foreman Trans-Am Mustang;
Mike McGovern, chief instructor at the Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving School;
Chris Hines, a racer whose ArrowLanes LLC prepares and maintains late model stock cars and vintage racing sports cars.

On Friday, Jan. 17, the Russo and Steele seminar subject will be “The Art of Vintage Restoration” with a panel that includes:

Lance Coren, an auto appraiser who specializes in Ferraris, Shelbys and other exotics cars;
Bob Smith, whose Coachworks Inc. restoration shop has sent dozens of cars to the show field at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance;
Alan Taylor, whose Alan Taylor Co., specializes in the restoration of pre-war American and European automobiles, many of which have gone from his shop to Pebble Beach.

Eye candy: A gallery of tail lights from the 1950s and ’60s

Car Culture

Larry Edsall

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December 21, 2013

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Photos by Larry Edsall

They don’t make them like that anymore may be a cliche, but it also rings very true when it comes to the design of automotive tail lamps.

Remember how, if you are of a certain age, back when you were a kid and you could identify every car on the road just by the glowing shape of its tail lights at night?

Try that today as you cruise down the freeway, and it doesn’t really matter if it is day or night, because safety regulations and other factors have pushed the styling of tail lamps from exciting toward generic.

But not back in the day, especially in the later 1950s and early ‘60s when entire auto bodies and seemingly every detail of each visible component was fresh and new — O.K., and sometimes downright bizarre — each year.

Here are just a few from that era that we’ve seen in the past few months as we’ve visited classic car auctions, shows and concours.

First new Mustang will be sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction

Media

Larry Edsall

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December 20, 2013

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The first retail sale of the new 2015 Ford Mustang GT will occur during Barrett-Jackson’s 2014 Scottsdale auction. All proceeds from the sale will go to JDRF, the former Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for its work on type 1 diabetes research.

“We’re kicking off the next 50 years of Mustang in style with a 2015 model featuring a sleek all-new design, world-class performance and innovative technologies,” Steve Ling, North America car marketing manager for Ford, was quoted in a press release announcing the first retail sale of the new pony car.

“We’re thrilled to be able to take advantage of Mustang’s popularity to help achieve the dream of ending juvenile diabetes,” he added.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Ford unveiled its new Mustang, which won’t be available at Ford dealerships until the third quarter of 2014.

The person posting the highest bid at Barrett-Jackson will have to wait to take delivery, but will get the first retail sales unit and will be able to specify transmission, color and other options. The car also will be autographed by members of the Mustang design and engineering development teams.

The 2015 Ford Mustang GT will be powered by a V8 engine producing more than 420 horsepower.

JDRF has been a frequent beneficiary of special Ford sales through Barrett-Jackson.

“Ford’s charitable vehicle sales at Barrett-Jackson have raised more than $3 million for JDRF through the years,” said Jeffrey Brewer, president and CEO of JDRF, “and these funds are helping us make tremendous progress towards therapies and treatments that will make life better for people with type 1 diabetes today as we work to find a cure for this terrible disease.”

Ford has supported the JDRF effort since 1983.

April 17, 2014 will mark the Mustang’s 50th anniversary. Each 2015 model Mustang will celebrate that milestone with a badge showing the galloping pony logo and the words, “Mustang – Since 1964.”

In addition to the special Mustang auction, Ford will stage a hot-lap riding experience at WestWorld during the auction featuring the Shelby GT500, Focus ST and Fiesta ST. The Mustang created for the Need for Speed movie (see photo) also will be on display. That car features a custom wide body, unique 22-inch wheels and larger air intakes for its supercharged V8 engine. The movie debuts March 14, 2014.

MUSTANG VS. CAMARO: At Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in 2009, the first retail sale of the then-new Chevrolet Camaro brought $350,000. Use the “Share your thoughts!” box below to guess what the new Mustang will bring at Barrett-Jackson in 2014.

My Classic Car: A father shares the story of Maxx Christopher’s Opel GT

My Classic Car

Reader Stories

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December 20, 2013

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Maxx (at far left) and the Christopher family fleet, including Dad’s classic cars and Maxx’s older brother Cody.

(Editor’s note: This story was written by Maxx Christopher’s father, Andrew.)

I write this story with sorrow and with joy, to tell the story of my son Maxx Christopher’s love affair with cars from the time he was crawling, pushing Hot Wheels Johnny Lightings cars across the floor.

Maxx always loved cars, car movies, car shows, working on cars and just talking about cars.

When Maxx was 4 years old, I bought a 1971 Pontiac GTO (a restoration project), As I began the restoration, Maxx started helping me in the garage, first by holding the light and handing me wrenches and sockets. At an early age, Maxx got to know his way around a toolbox.

Maxx watched and participated in transforming my ’71 Goat into a show-winning car, winning trophies in several shows including the GTO North West Regionals.

But this was only the first of several show cars that Maxx worked on with me over the years. There was a 1972 Olds Vista Cruiser, 1968 Mercury XR7 GT 390 Cougar, a 1972 Olds Cutlass “S” , and a 1974 Triumph TR6. Maxx had become quite knowledgeable about classic cars.

Photo courtesy Andrew Christopher — Photos courtesy Andrew Christopher

When Maxx was 13 he saw a picture in a car magazine of an Opel GT and fell in love with it. Maxx told me that someday he was going to get a Opel GT and my answer to him was that you never see Opel GTs.

But as fate would have it ,the next week one popped up in the local want ads. Maxx and I went to look at the Opel GT. There was a complete car, but all apart in boxes.

I bought the car for Maxx for a $1,000.

After all those years helping me restore my projects, Maxx finally got a project of his own, and I thought this is going to be fun spending time with my teenage son wrenching on his car in the garage. I told Maxx I was not going to work on the Opel unless he is alongside me. He participated on every aspect of the restoration.

The next three years are full of cherished memories for me, spending time with Maxx restoring his Opel GT — time we spent together was not only car talk but what happened in high school that day along with leaning life lessons not only for Maxx but for me.

By the time Maxx turned 16 his Opel was completed and wearing stunning bright orange paint. Maxx drove his Opel GT to show off his car at its first car show a month later and took two trophies — best sports car and best high school car. He was so proud and I was so proud of him.

Maxx continued to drive his Opel GT to school and to car shows, taking home trophies until he left to for the Job Corps Urban Forestry program on the Oregon Coast in October 2009 to begin training to become Arborist. The Opel GT stayed in my garage while Maxx completed the 13 months of training.

When Maxx retuned to Southern Oregon he loved being able to drive his Opel GT on the mountain roads again.

With the economy being slow, Maxx had a hard time finding steady employment as an arborist, but he didn’t give up. Then he found an arborist job on the other side of the world, in New Zealand, on the Internet.

Maxx applied for a work visa and he was off to New Zealand at age 18, leaving his Opel GT behind again.

After five months missing America with work coming to an end, Maxx returned home, only to find a still bad economy with scarce employment opportunities. He decided to join the military and serve his country in December 2011. In January 2012 he passed his armed forces test and his physical.

But two days before he was to be sworn in, he lost his life at the hands of a drunk driver. It was February 4th, 2012. Maxx had climbed into the back seat of a car that had been driven over to pick up Maxx and a friend. They got in not knowing the driver had just consumed a ½-bottle of rum and was five times over the legal limit.

Today, the Opel GT sits in my garage and remains a part of our family, and I can feel Maxx is riding along with me when I drive his car.

First BMW ‘Batmobile’ competition Art Car coming to Amelia Island Concours

News and Events

Bob Golfen

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December 19, 2013

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The first BMW Art Car ever created, a 3.0 CSL GT racer painted by the acclaimed artist Alexander Calder to run in the 1975 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will headline a special BMW “Batmobile” class at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance on March 9, 2014.

The Calder project, which melded motorsports with fine art, was inspired by French race driver and art auctioneer Herve Poulain. BMW race cars used as painting canvases by the world’s most-renowned artists – including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol – became an annual tradition for the German automaker.

Driven by Sam Posey, the 1975 Batmobile qualified first in its class and 11th overall as it carried Calder’s colors through the world’s most famous endurance race. A driveline failure ended its race early, but not before BMW had made a major impression on both the art and the racing worlds.

BMW’s groundbreaking Batmobiles presented fans with a new kind of all-out road racing and marketing during the mid-1970s. The 19th annual Amelia Island Concours will present a number of these historic cars in its special Batmobile class.

For more information about the Amelia Island Concours, see ameliaconcours.org.

New events in Arizona and the California desert launch 2014 concours d’elegance calendar

News and Events

Bob Golfen

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December 19, 2013

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Photo courtesy Arizona Concours

Another year of top-drawer concours d’elegance events across the nation is coming around again, including two brand-new ones added to the 2014 docket.

The inaugural Arizona Concours d’Elegance starts off the January collector-car auction week in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area on Jan. 12, 2014, at the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. Long envisioned as a focal point for the famous Scottsdale/Phoenix auctions, the concours will feature 78 exceptional automobiles on landscaped lawns within the art deco splendor of the Biltmore.

For more information about this inaugural event, see arizonaconcours.com.

Meanwhile, Concorso Italiano has spawned another new concours that takes place in Palm Desert, Calif. The new Desert Concorso on March 30 is a celebration of Italian cars, but other European sports and GT cars are invited to join in the festivities that include Italian food, fashion and culture.

For more information about the concorso, see desertconcorso.com.

The original Concorso Italiano on the Monterey peninsula moves back to its old location at Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, Calif., while changing the day it takes place from its longtime Friday slot to Saturday, Aug. 16

For more information, see concorso.com.

Here’s a listing of major concours d’elegance events taking place during 2014 in the United States:

2014 Concours d'Elegance Calendar

Major concours d’elegance events taking place during 2014 in the United States

Event	Date(s)	Location
Arizona Concours d'Elegance	Jan 12	Phoenix, AZ
Cavallino Classic	Jan 22-26	Palm Beach, FL
Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance	Feb 23	Boca Raton, FL
Amelia Island	Mar 9	Amelia Island, FL
Desert Concorso	Mar 30	Palm Desert, CA
La Jolla Concours d’Elegance	Apr 13	La Jolla, CA
Keels and Wheels	May 3-4	Lakewood, FL
Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance	May 4	Pinehurst, NC
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance	May 31-Jun 1	Greenwich, CT
The Elegance at Hershey	Jun 16	Hershey, PA
Concours d’Elegance of Chicago	Jun 19	Barrington, IL
Keeneland Concours d’Elegance	Jul 20	Lexington, KY
Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance	Jul 21	Hillsborough, CA
Concours of America at St. John's	Jul 27	Plymouth, MI
Concorso Italiano	Aug 16	Seaside, CA
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance	Aug 17	Pebble Beach, CA
Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance	Sep 14	Radnor, PA
The Boston Cup	Sep 22	Boston, MA
Hilton Head	Nov 3	Hilton Head Island, SC

If your concours is not listed but should be, please use the feedback link so we can update this calendar.

Mustang corrals in Charlotte, Vegas for pony car’s 50th anniversary

News and Events

Bob Golfen

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December 19, 2013

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The Mustang Club of America and Ford Motor Co. have announced a joint celebration marking 50 years of the original pony car, the Ford Mustang, from April 16 through April 20 in two places at once.

Open to everyone, including the multitude of Mustang enthusiasts, the twin parties take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. The Mustang fun will include live music, cruises, ride-and-drive, exhibitions, celebrities and of course, pony rides.

With a brand-new 2015 Mustang all saddled up and ready to run, Ford is focusing on its wildly successful progeny. More than nine million of them have been sold in the past half century, and nearly everybody has a Mustang story to tell.

For more information, see www.mustang50thbirthdaycelebration.com.

Horseless Carriage Club to tour Southern Arizona

News and Events

Bob Golfen

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December 19, 2013

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Photo courtesy of Horseless Carriage Club of America

How time flies when you’re driving an ancient automotive device, so crank up Ole Bessie for the 77th anniversary Horseless Carriage Club of America convention and tour. It all takes place Feb. 10-15, 2014, on the snowless roads in and around Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Photo courtesy of Horseless Carriage of America

It you can get there early, as in Feb. 9, there’s a pre-tour shakedown run.

Highlights of this chug-chug around southern Arizona include Tombstone and the OK Corral; the strange, artsy town of Bisbee; incredible Karchner Caverns; a real, live ghost town; the Mexican border; plus lots and lots of beautiful Sonoran Desert. Bring water.

For more information, get out your kerosene-powered computer and log on to: hcca.org.

Mecum, NBC team on auction coverage for three years

Media

Larry Edsall

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December 18, 2013

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Mecum Auctions and NBC Sports Group have announced a three-year contract that will provide more than 425 hours of classic car auction coverage, including 125 hours of programming in 2014.

This is the second such major deal for a classic car auction house announced this week. Earlier, Barrett-Jackson and the Fox family of networks released news of their new deal.

NBC’s coverage of Mecum Auctions begins with Mecum’s 10-day January auction at Kissimmee, Florida, where the auction house plans to offer some 3,000 vehicles for bidding.

Kissimmee coverage begins at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) on the Esquire Network. Coverage on Esquire continues until January 24, which NBCSN joins the effort.

Finally, at 3 p.m. January 26, NBC will show a one-hour special featuring the highlights of the Kissimmee event.

Esquire Network, NBCSN and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family of networks.

The NBCSN and NBC coverage will be streamed online via NBC Sports Life Extra. Coverage can be seen on desktop computers through NBCSports.com/liveextra. There are apps for watching the online coverage on iPhone, iPad, IPod touch (at the App Store) and on Android handset and tablet devices (at Google Play).

After Kissimmee, the Mecum/NBC contract will show coverage of 2014 auctions at Houston, Kansas City (both the April and December sales), Indianapolis, Seattle, Harrisburg, Monterey, Dallas, Chicago, Anaheim and Austin.