Named for a North African windstorm, the original 1967-1973 Maserati Ghibli blew through the ranks of Italian GT’s as a 150+ mph instant classic and – to most eyes — one of the most beautiful cars ever made. There is no questioning the original Ghibli’s place in the pantheon of motorized Italian masterpieces.
Founded in 1990 as a fundraiser for the Phoenix Art Museum, the Copperstate 1000 has burgeoned into one of the preeminent vintage rallies in America. It offers fine lodgings for a four-day all-inclusive trip on an unbeaten, carefully curated trail.
While I am drawn to many vehicles because of their design, my real joy comes in driving. There are certainly cars that might be considered by some to be a bit “visually challenged” but nonetheless deliver a rewarding experience behind the wheel.
The Corvette long carried a stigma of crudeness versus the Europeans, and the Chevy bowtie just doesn’t carry the status of a Porsche crest. That reputation had been eroding since the late 1990s, though not everyone noticed. Today, any Porsche 911 driver not looking at the new Stingray with just a twinge of horsepower envy ought to check his pulse.
As the first production car to bear the Bugatti name in thirty-five years, the EB110 had big shoes to fill. The 560 horses produced by its 3.5L V-12 fit snugly into those French racing boots.
This is the perfect weekend to take advantage of the meek March temperatures and brush up on all things automotive. While there’s a lull in major car events as many are still sleeping off Amelia or gearing up for the New York Auto Show, there are still local opportunities to get that weekly injection of petrol.
The Diablo’s design was more elegant than the Countach, which had become festooned with all manner of body add-ons, including a rear wing that looked like a Boeing 727’s horizontal stabilizer. Like the Countach before it, the Diablo also grew a young fan base and became a poster car in many boys’ bedrooms.
Festivals of Speed celebrates its fourth year of providing the Amelia Island weekend with an upscale festival for as many as 20,000 enthusiasts with a thirst for speed. The varied roster of show cars offers something for every niche of the automotive interest.
Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island auction is the penultimate sale of collector cars in this year’s Amelia Island weekend festivities. The docket is headlined by an estimated $32,000,000 worth of Jerry Seinfeld’s Porsches.
