Do you collect for pleasure or for profit? According to a recent survey by insurer Chubb, among collectors, 30 percent of those who might be buying a classic or collector car in the next year say they expect to do so as an investment, while 25 percent say it will be for pleasure.
Of all the categories reported, art and classic/collector cars were the only ones in which profit outpaced passion. The other categories were jewelry and gemstones, wine, watches, spirits, designer accessories and sports memorabilia.
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The survey also revealed that 79 percent of collectors of objects in the above list have bought or sold using online auctions.
Chubb illustration
Chubb also offered survey results for the items most enthused or collected by those surveyed. Most popular were wine (51 percent), jewelry (50 percent) and watches (47 percent). Last on the list, at 24 percent, were classic and collector cars.
Chubb said the survey, its first “measuring collectors’ approaches and behaviors toward valuable articles trends and risk,” included 1,212 people 18 or older with a household income of more than $50,000 a year and who have purchased “a valuable article” in the previous year.
The survey also revealed that among collectors, 40 percent recently began collecting wine, with spirits also growing in popularity. Reasons given by new wine collectors were love of wine (62 percent), influence of a friend or colleague (30 percent) and excess income (30 percent).
Those collecting wine reported spending 9 percent of their annual income on the hobby, making it the least expensive of collecting pursuits. For comparison, people collecting cars spent 12 percent of their annual income on the hobby.
Dutch firm Ugur Sahin Design has reimagined the Ferrari F50. Dubbed Project Fenix, the concept was created to celebrate the firm’s 15th anniversary.
The design’s integrated basket-handle rear wing and black body line are clear references to the original F50, but its larger front air intakes and slim headlights and taillights are more modern touches.
The original F50 was a mid-engine two-seater with a targa top, but it’s unclear from the renderings if Ugur Sahin retained the targa roof for Project Fenix.
Ferrari launched the F50 in 1995 as the successor to the F40. Just 349 were built in a production run that lasted through 1997, and Ferrari also fielded a GT racing version. The F50 was in turn succeeded by the Ferrari Enzo.
Ugur Sahin didn’t mention what is underneath its supercar concept’s transparent engine cover, but the original F50 was powered by a 4.7-liter V-12 that made 520 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, and was related to Ferrari’s F1 engine at the time. The F50 could get from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds and a 202-mph top speed, according to period estimates. Those are still respectable performance figures today.
It’s unclear if Ugur Sahin plans to turn Project Fenix from a design study into a working car, but the company has overseen a handful of coach-built supercars. It previously teamed up with U.S. tuner Mallett on a small batch of Chevrolet Corvette “Z03” coupes, and the Corvette-derived Anandi. In 2014, Ugur Sahin also unveiled a Ferrari 458-derived concept called the Project F, although it didn’t immediately get any takers for a production version.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
Mercedes-Benz and New York fashion houseProenza Schouler have launched what they are calling “a new experience in luxury fashion and responsible design.” They add that this “capsule collection” of seven gender-neutral styles was inspired by travel and the open road.
“Each piece from the collection is a study in color and craftsmanship that reflects the passion of both brands for exquisite materials and outstanding design,” according to the news release.
Musician Ellery Harper and his mother
Laura Dern models the T-shirt
“Recycled cashmere blankets, offered alongside naturally tanned blanket harnesses, showcase Proenza Schouler’s take on the iconic Mercedes-Benz star, featured in an abstract print in various colorways, including ecru, marigold and sky blue.
“The olive-green eco cotton trench coat offers a new interpretation of a travel staple, and is designed as a finishing piece, with a statement star motif jacquard lining.
“The knit turtleneck is made from a luxurious recycled cashmere, and the eco cotton tie dye t-shirt, a quintessential Proenza Schouler staple, is produced using organic and eco-friendly dye methods.
“Accessories include an oversized graphic weekend tote made from recycled wool, and keychains crafted out of upcycled leather and featuring the Mercedes-Benz brand logo.”
The advertising campaign for the new products is dubbed “The Power of Two” and features actress Laura Dern and her son, model and musician Ellery Harper, on a mother/son road trip.
Take a first-generation Chevy II Nova station wagon, insert a 350cid V8 crate engine and other resto-mod mechanical components, redo the interior with the bucket seats and center console from a period Cadillac, and what do you have?
“First-generation Chevrolet Nova’s remain extremely popular in collector car circles,” the seller notes. “Many were produced; however, the survival rate was low. For this reason, quality examples as the one offered here are few and far between.”
According to the Standard Catalog of American Cars, Chevrolet launched its compact Chevy II model in 1962 to compete with the popularity of Ford’s Falcon. In 1963, Chevy started calling the upscale version of the Chevy II the Nova. In 1964, Chevrolet produced 35,670 4-door Nova station wagons.
The seller notes, however, that this is no as-from-the-factory station wagon. It is underpinned by a Mustang II front end and a Yukon 8.2/disc-brake rear, and has only 700 miles on its ATK 350 V8 crate engine. The odometer shows nearly 50,000 miles, but the seller states the actual mileage since new is unknown.
Based in Grand Prairie, Texas, ATK Engines traces its heritage to a sister company, Vege Moteren, which was founded in 1936 in Holland and after World War II specialized in producing parts for the military vehicles the American forces left behind.
The seller adds that the wagon has an automatic transmission, power windows, and heat, but the air conditioning “needs connected or updated.”
The interior reportedly has been updated to SS trim level and has a B&M Shifter and power windows.
“Currently could use new armrests (on backorder),” the seller points out.
The exterior has been repainted in red with a white top and the wagon rides on vintage wheels “for the sleeper look,” the seller reports.
“This is an excellent build and a great-running reliable car,” the seller assures.
Champion racing driver Bob Bondurant, who returned from injuries sustained in a crash that ended his racing career to create an iconic school of “high performance driving,” has died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88.
While Bondurant was well-known in the 1960s for his dominating driving skill that brought him championship trophies and a coveted spot on Carroll Shelby’s racing team, he later became best-known to the public as the founder and proprietor of the groundbreaking Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.
Bob Bondurant
A cause of death was not revealed in an obituary from the family, but Bondurant had been in an assisted-living facility in the Phoenix area for some time.
Bondurant’s story is one of resoundingsuccess against all odds, working his way up from humble beginnings in motorcycle racing, rising to the top among American racing stars, and then turning a crippling injury into a life-fulfilling opportunity.
In 1963, impressed by Bondurant’s success in West Coast sports car racing, mainly in Corvettes, Shelby asked Bondurant to join his Ford-powered Cobra team. In 1964, Bondurant went with the team to Europe to drive Cobras, competing at Spa, the Nurgurgring, and in the Targa Florio.
Driving the Cobra Daytona coupe, newly designed by young visionary Peter Brock, Bondurant and Dan Gurney won the GT class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a stunning victory and a first for an American team. Bondurant followed that in 1965 by helping Shelby’s team win the FIA Manufacturer’s Championship.
Bondurant trackside with Carroll Shelby
He was at the top of the racing game by 1967, having driven to victory in a multitude of Corvettes, Cobras, prototypes and other competition machines, including winning in Europe in the company of such American racing heroes as Shelby, Gurney and Phil Hill.
“From the age of 23 to 34, Bob became one of the most iconic race car drivers in the world,” according to the obituary information. “He had won the National Corvette title, Le Mans GT, the World Championship and the Baja 500. Between 1961 and 1963, he won 30 out of 32 races in Corvettes.
“Bob is the first and only American to bring the World Sports Car Championship trophy home to America in the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe #26. He then rose to the highest level in racing with Ferrari in Formula 1 and prototypes.”
Bondurant left F1 where he was just beginning to excel so that he could race in the fast and aggressive Can-Am series, along with close friend and team driver Peter Revson.
He was driving a Lola T70 Mark II at Watkins Glen on June 23, 1967, when everything suddenly changed. A steering arm broke at 150 mph, causing a violent crash in which the car rolled eight times. Bondurant was fortunate to survive, but among his various serious injuries was terrible damage to both feet.
Track workers rush to help Bondurant after the Watkins Glen crash
Bondurant recalled later that one of his first questions to doctors was when he could drive again. They replied that he should worry instead about whether he would ever walk again.
(Note that Peter Revson was killed in 1974 in a tragically similar crash during practice for the South African Grand Prix, when a front-suspension failure on the Shadow DN3 he was driving caused the car to crash heavily into the track’s barrier wall.)
During the months of recuperation that followed the Watkins Glen crash, Bondurant pondered what should follow the end of his racing career. In his hospital bed, he mapped out plans for a driving school like none other, one that would teach students the finer points of car control, whether they were experienced or budding racers, or regular drivers who wanted to hone their everyday skills.
Bondurant with Nissan’s Yutaka Katayama and actor James Garner
Bondurant already had experience as a driving coach, having taught actor James Garner how to drive on a race track so that he could perform with a realistic portrayal of a Formula 1 driver for the acclaimed movie Grand Prix, directed by John Frankenheimer.
Shelby had established a small performance-driving school at Riverside Raceway in California but was about ready to give it up, just in time for Bondurant to take it over. While Shelby had used three Mustangs for his student cars, they weren’t included in the deal, and Bondurant started his school using three Datsuns.
Datsun even featured Bondurant in an ad for 510 sedans:
As the story goes, when the school opened in 1968, he had three students. The following week, he had two more, but they were A-list Hollywood actors Paul Newman and Robert Wagner. Newman became a dedicated racing enthusiast and remained close friends with Bondurant.
Bondurant and Paul Newman hamming it up
From there, word spread and the school had reached such success that Bondurant in 1971 moved it to larger facilities at Ontario Motor Speedway in California.
But the total package came to fruition in 1990, when he relocated the school to his own purpose-built facility in Chandler, Arizona, just south of Phoenix, which had a technically challenging 1.6-practice course of Bondurant’s own design. Ford sponsored the school for a number of years, supplying Mustang and Formula Ford open-wheel racers, followed by sponsorship by General Motors and, currently, Fiat-Chrysler.
Bondurant designed his own track for teaching
Celebrities are still part of the scene – Christian Bale went through the course in 2018 in preparation for his role as driver Ken Miles in Ford v Ferrari — but the main thrust of the programs is teaching car enthusiasts the finer points of performance driving, both for safety and for getting the most out of high performance automobiles.
The instruction also has included specialized classes for police officers and security personnel, as well as teen drivers being taught the rudiments of safety and control. And of course, budding and experienced race drivers honing their craft.
Bondurant with actor Christian Bale
In 2018, the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving celebrated its 50th anniversary, but there were storm clouds on the horizon. In October 2019, the school – which was being operated by Bondurant’s wife, Patricia, as president and chief executive officer – declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and reportedly was looking for a buyer.
The school closed for business, then was sold to an investment group in March 2019, the new owners comprising three car and driving enthusiasts who named their company Stig Investments after the famous anonymous race driver in the British TV series Top Gear. The price tag was reported as $1.675 million.
Bob Bondurant’s legacy lives on
The investors vowed to keep the school in operation with a hands-on approach, and they renamed it Bondurant High Performance Driving School. The school was soon re-opened with the new team at the helm.
Earlier this year, the owners announced Bondurant’s name was being removed, the school renamed as the Radford Racing School, partially because of copyright issues with the Bondurant family. Pat Bondurant remains the president and CEO of a business entity called Bondurant Racing School.
But even under the Radford name, Bondurant’s dream lives on, as the school continues to teach new generations of students the methods that the star driver devised during his racing career. And they are being taught on the practice course that Bondurant had designed to present a series of technical challenges to drivers, both experienced and novice.
Funeral service information has not been announced, although in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Team USA Scholarships, which can be contacted [email protected].
In July, 40-year-old Casey Putsch posted a video on his YouTube channel lamenting the death of his dream to drive in the Indianapolis 500.
Putsch, a vintage racer who founded the Genius Garage, has 1.3 million followers of his YouTube videos and his video lament was seen by Louis Michael Meyer, who not only is the great grandson of three-time Indy 500 winner Louis Meyer, and the grandson of famed engine-builder Louis “Sonny” Meyer Jr., but who with his brother, Matt, and father, Louis “Butch” III, own Legacy Autosport.
The result is that Putsch has signed to drive the Legacy Autosport entry in the Road to Indy Pro 2000 Championship series in 2020, Putsch has announced.
“I am extremely excited to do this with the Meyer family,” Putsch is quoted in the news release. “They are an old school real team that sees the big picture and know how to get things done. I have been welcomed to the team with open arms, or as I like to put it the family. I really enjoy their company and am looking forward to fighting for a podium in 2022.”
“My goal is to race in the NTT Indycar Series and the Indy 500, be a positive public figure for young people and show that you can still dare to dream and attain impossible dreams even if you are 17 years older than the next oldest person in the field,” he added.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum took the 1928 Miller that Louis Meyer drove to victory in the 500-mile race for a photo shoot with the Legacy Autosport team. That’s Casey Putsch in the car with Meyer’s grandson “Butch” left, and his sons Matt (center) and Louis Michael (right)
“I was a big fan of Casey’s YouTube channel and reached out to him after a video he put out about his struggles in racing,” Louis Michael Meyer is quoted. “He went into details about some situations he had been dealing with and I really understood what he was saying and thought that maybe working together we could break past some of the barriers.”
“We are looking forward to the 2022 season and beyond with Casey. He is a one-of-a-kind spokesman, a talented driver and great human being. Pay close attention to his journey, it’s going to be unique and exciting.”
When the Legacy Autosport team, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum invited the crew inside for a special tour:
Artists from age 9 to 47 are among those gaining top honors in the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens annual creative competition, and in a surprise result, all of the winners are from the same country.
“While we had entries from all over the world, we’d like to give a special mention to the country with the strongest participation, displaying their passion with an array of numerous works of art,” FIVA vice-president Natasa Jerina, is quoted.
“Perhaps unexpectedly, this country was – Ukraine!”
This is the work of 16-year-old Karina Zalievska
The winners in the sketch/painting/illustration category were all from Ukraine, with 47-year-old Andriy Duleba in first place, 16-year-old Karina Zalievska in second place and 9-year-old Viktoria Ostrovska in third place.
“Our aim was to set a challenge that would bring a little spark of joy into the gloom of the pandemic, focusing on young and young-at-heart enthusiasts,” Jerina added. “eWe at FIVA believe that if there’s one positive message to take away from the pandemic, it’s the value of the precious gift of quality time – time spent getting back to the garage, getting our hands dirty, sharing laughter and making memories.”
Winning the photography category was 18-year-old Jehangir Foroogh of India, and with a special runner-up award going to Ukranian Viktor Khodeev.
“We are sincerely grateful for such a high assessment of our candidates by FIVA,” said Anatoliy Shumskiyis, president of the Ukranian Automobile club. “Next year, we will send even more artworks for the competition and strongly advise the same to our colleagues all over the world.”
Although it was never exported to the US automotive marketplace, Aston Martin launched a subcompact car in 2011 called the Cygnet.
But this car was no young swan. It actually was a Toyota-produced iQ hatchback, sold in the US as the Scion iQ.
Aston Martin invested a reported 175 man-hours into converting the iQ into the Cygnet, the result being a car that cost about three times as much as the iQ. Even with the Aston upgrades, consumers were not eager to ante up for the car. Aston had planned to produce around 4,000 units a year, but by 2013 had found buyers for fewer than 150 of the 300 or so it actually built.
But it turns out that the Cygnet was not the famed British brand’s first foray into a compact marketplace, and one of the earlier examples will be up for auction November 17 at the H&H Classics sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, UK.
In the 1980s, Aston Martin produced 26 examples of the Frazer-Tickford Metro | H&H Classics photos
The car is a 1982 Frazer-Tickford Metro, of which only 26 were produced, making it even rarer than the Cygnet.
In late 1954, the David Brown Corporation purchased coachbuilder and engineering specialist Salmons and Sons at Tickford and its factory at Newport Pagnell. Brown had put Tickford coachwork on Aston Martin and Lagonda vehicles since the late 1940s and soon after the purchase, moved Aston Martin to the Tickford works.
In the early 1980s, Aston Martin and Metro worked together to create 26 examples of the Frazer-Tickford Metro, three of them exported to the US market, including the car going to auction.
The car was ordered as a 1.3 S model with left-hand drive by Wendal “Rick” McBride, official photographer for Ferrari (and reportedly involved in the naming of the De Tomaso Pantera).
McBride displayed the car at the 1982 Los Angeles Auto Show, and since then it has been driven only 15,000 kilometers. It is being consigned by only its second owner, according to H&H Classics.
The car wears a paint shade called Cairngorm Brown and has a saddle-leather interior with chocolate-color piping, a beige headliner and Wilton carpets with leather edging, H&H reports. It also has a Uher stack stereo, full body kit, a quartet of Marchal fog lamps, sunroof, electric windows and cruise control.
The 1.3-liter engine was performance-tuned by Aston Martin with a Weber twin-choke carburetor, hotter camshaft and larger valves, all of which boosted output to 80 horsepower.
H&H notes that at £11,600, the car was “significantly” more expensive than a Porsche 944 and was owned by McBridge until his death in 2013. The car was reworked and put back on the road a couple of years later and in 2018 got a new windshield, interior refreshening including Alcantara headliner, and new exhaust system.
Legoland Parks and Ferrari have announced a “Build and Race” interactive attraction opening in Spring 2022 at Legoland California Resort.
Build and Race will have visitors to the resort building, testing and racing their own Lego Ferrari cars.
“Ferrari is renowned for manufacturing cars unique in terms of performance, innovation and design, setting the standard for luxury and excellence within the automotive world,” Legoland California president Kurt Stocks is quoted in the announcement. “We have millions of young guests who can be inspired from this to create their own unique cars in this one-of-a-kind testing and racing facility.
“The Build and Race experience has been designed to engage with both Ferrari and Lego lovers of all ages, aligning with Ferrari’s strategy to reach out to its younger fans,” added Annabel Rochfort, director of location-based entertainment and Esports for Ferrari.
According to the announcement, Build and Race, which will be included in the resort admission price, will include three zones:
A Lego pit crew member will greet guests as they enter the attraction, “sharing Ferrari fun facts, race history, and showcasing themed Lego race gear and awards. Once inside the garage, guests have the opportunity to sit in a life-size Ferrari F40 model developed by the Lego Group and have their photo taken.
“The journey continues as guests get to tap into their creativity and build their own Lego Ferrari car to race at one of three racetracks which include the test zone, steering test track and speed test track. Each track offers guests different obstacles, challenges and a chance to clock in the fastest time.
“A Duplo build zone offers younger guests the chance to drive their imagination and design their own creation out of bigger bricks as well! LEGO minifigure mechanics and crew members will prompt build inspirations throughout the entire experience.
“Finally, once guests have customized their vehicles, raced them through the obstacles and heard the engines roar, they will be able to create a custom digital Ferrari race car. Guests can digitally scan their vehicle and further customize their Ferrari along with their minifigure racing driver.
“Once complete, the cars are digitally projected on a Lego racetrack based on Pista di Fiorano… and guests can compete with other cars digitally for the fastest race lap!”
Futuramic! If ever a word expressed the unbridled optimism of postwar America, it was the Oldsmobile brand for the styling design of its premium cars.
The Pick of the Day, a 1949 Oldsmobile 88 fastback coupe, has the added verve of being “a surviving California custom built in 1959,” according to the St. Louis, Missouri, dealer advertising this unique ride on ClassicCars.com.
The ad calls the Oldsmobile a “Futurama,” and the dealer goes into exuberant detail about the unique qualities of this rock ‘n roll build created more than six-decades ago.
“This hot rod has it all!” the dealer crows. “It has the superb hot rod sound, stunning paint/interior combination, and classy looks to span decades! Oh, and magazine features spanning a couple decades!
“Under the hood of this mean green machine is a 324 Rocket V8 with ‘57 Oldsmobile J-2 heads and a 3/4 race camshaft. Fueling the top end is a Rochester 4-Jet 4-barrel carburetor. The engine breathes through custom headers and dual exit exhaust!
“The transmission is a 1937 Cadillac LaSalle 3-speed manual top loader – beloved by the first hot rodders for its durability and simplistic linkage install.”
While the car’s owner (the Oldsmobile is consigned to the dealer for sale) seems to know a lot about the car’s history, the name of the customizer is not revealed in the ad, and might have been lost to the rust of time. Although, it might be noted in the printed articles about the car.
The Oldsmobile drives beautifully, the dealer adds, so much so that, “driving doesn’t feel appropriate – this is cruising bliss.” The coupe also has its share of attention from publications, the dealer adds.
“Documentation exists to help validate this car is the car featured in Hot Rod June 1986, Rod and Custom February 1990, and Hot Rod Deluxe in May of 2010,” the ad says. “The seller also states he has documentation for the upholstery work from 1959 being done by Benne Stohr of Bilt-Rite Auto.”
The Oldsmobile’s green theme is carried over into the wildly striped custom interior that was pieced together so long ago, when tastes were maybe a bit different than they are today.
“The interior is stunningly stylistic with two-tone ivory-and-green upholstery,” the dealer says. “The seating position is comfortable, and the Moon gas pedal completes the look! The Radson Engineering Corporation tachometer helps date the custom build and works as designed.”
The asking price for this period-custom Oldsmobile is $49,000.
To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
