As a dedicated auto enthusiast, our CEO, Mitch Katz, has for many years been a member of the Checkered Flag 200 Club, which consists of supporters of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Mitch was recently profiled in Finish Line, Peterson’s flagship publication.
The early results of automotive streamlining were nothing less than art, which is why the Portland Art Museum is celebrating the era with a special exhibit. Featuring 19 rare streamlined vehicles,The Shape of Speed: Streamlined Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1930-1942, opened June 16 and runs until September 16.
1,000 miles over five days, all arranged by friends Rich and Jean Taylor, who started their company, Vintage Rallies, in 1993 with the New England 1000. They host three other events: the South West Passage, Mountain Mille and Texas 1000.
The dual-SL strategy was genius, as those who felt tempted by the Gullwing’s design but unable to afford its $7,300 price could buy something with a similar look for a little more than half that. Or, it made the perfect addition to the garage for those already buying a 300 SL!
There are so few roads in scarcely-populated West Texas that we can’t do an event there every year without repeating parts of the route. So every five years or so, after we’ve all forgotten the route details, we shift Texas 1000 from the picturesque Hill Country of Central Texas to the monumental landscape West of the Pecos.
With the introduction the Urus, Lamborghini joins fellow Italian marques Maserati and Alfa Romeo in offering a high-performance SUV. No surprise there; Lamborghini showed the Urus concept more than five years ago. Bentley entered the fray last year, and Ferrari and Rolls-Royce will be next with utility vehicles.
RM/Sotheby’s is offering a 1960 Giulietta Sprint Speciale in a beautiful shade of dark blue, with a pre-sale estimate of $125,000-$175,000. The value rise for these cars has been most dramatic since around 2010.
The Mille Miglia is a transcendent and transformative experience. When you are driving down a narrow road on top a ridge in Tuscany, with valleys stretching below on either side and the smell of the farms on the air coming into the car it’s easy to forget city traffic jams and overheating 65 year old cars.
Danville, CA, about an hour’s drive from San Francisco, is not the most convenient locations for a classic car museum, yet the quality of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum’s exhibits, unique design and other area attractions make it worth the trip.
