Friday, August 30, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Monterey Motorsports Reunion - FZ Restoration Livermore



MCD 7572 Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013   Photo Gallery
 Turn 3 – Trans Am action (photo: Michael DiPleco)

Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013 – Photo Gallery

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013 was staged August 15-18 on the 11-turn, 2.238 mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California. The thrill of racing wheel-to-wheel is the theme at the Reunion, described as a “museum springing to life” and a cornerstone of the Monterey Classic Car Week.

A banner entry list of 550 historic vehicles raced on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit, known for its hairpins and challenging drops in elevation. The spectrum of entrants covered nearly every era, dating as far back as a 1911 National 40, and also included 26 Formula 1 Grand Prix cars from the period 1966 to 1984. All the famous racing manufacturers were present, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, McLaren, Aston Martin, Porsche, Bugatti, Talbot Lago, Alfa Romeo, Ford. But it was the iconic Chevrolet Corvette, widely hailed as America’s Sports Car, which stole the limelight as the featured marque in celebration of its 60th anniversary.
MCD 7614 Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013   Photo Gallery
1967 Chevrolet Camaro (photo: Michael DiPleco)

In addition to Dennis Gray’s report and photos and Tim Scott’s picture gallery, photographers Michael DiPleco and Mark Coughlin offer the following perspective on the 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
MCD 7848 Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013   Photo Gallery
1911 National 40 and 1916 National AC (photo: Michael DiPleco)

MCD 8045 Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013   Photo Gallery
1963 Ferrari 250 GTO (photo: Michael DiPleco)

MCD 6290 Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013   Photo Gallery
1971 Ferrari 312 B2 (photo: Michael DiPleco)

source: http://www.sportscardigest.com/monterey-motorsports-reunion-2013-photo-gallery/

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Lawyer lands 'good deal' on new Ferrari after flood mishap - FZ Restoration Livermore



 Play VideoThe owner of a silver Ferrari abandoned in a flood-prone downtown tunnel last month will soon be revving the engine on a new 2014 vehicle thanks to publicity generated by a famed photo of his car in over a metre of water.Tunnel flood2:45


 The owner of a silver Ferrari abandoned in a flood-prone downtown Toronto tunnel last month will soon be revving the engine on a new 2014 vehicle thanks to publicity generated by a famed photo of his car in over a metre of water.

"RSA (Insurance) Group came through, they paid 100 per cent of the loss, and Ferrari thought it was great publicity and gave me a very good deal," said lawyer Howard Levitt, whose 2010 two-door sports car was photographed in an idle pool of water in a Lower Simcoe Street underpass after a record rainfall drenched the Greater Toronto Area on July 8.

Levitt said he narrowly escaped from his car as the underpass south of Front Street quickly flooded when a water main broke.
 

"If I had not left the car when I did ...I would have drowned," said Levitt, describing how cellphone lines were jammed that night as he attempted to call 911 for assistance.

A brief downpour during the early evening hours on Tuesday created a similar scene at Lower Simcoe as two Beck taxi cabs stalled in the middle of the tunnel with passengers inside.

Toronto fire Capt. Murray Manson described the tunnel as a "dangerous" and a "problem" area most likely due to its proximity to Lake Ontario.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Pebble Beach Concours: 1934 Packard Wins Best of Show - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666




 Winner of Best of Show at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance, a 1934 Packard 1108 Dietrich Convertible.

 A 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria that spent much of its life in Puerto Rico — painted a garish red and orange and thrashed about as a taxi — was named Best of Show on Sunday at the Concours d’Élégance here.

The Packard, entered by Joseph and Margie Cassini of West Orange, N.J., has been the subject of an intensive three-year effort to bring it back to its former glory. It was nearly too far gone to save, Mr. Cassini, a New Jersey Superior Court judge, said in an interview afterward.

“When it came back from Puerto Rico in 1968 it was almost rusted through,” Mr. Cassini said. “It was rescued by a serviceman who brought back it to the United States. From there it went to an owner in New Hampshire, then to another owner in Ohio, from whom I bought it in 2010.

“Each owner wanted to restore it, but the task seemed too daunting,” he said.

Mr. Cassini, who entered a 1938 Horch 853A Cabriolet that won Pebble Beach’s Best of Show honors in 2004, said this victory was an emotional one for him.

“My parents were alive when we won with the Horch, but they’ve since passed,” he said. “I was thinking of them as I heard it announced that we’d won today. This is the pinnacle of our world – our Olympics. When you win here, you realize you have one of the finest cars in the world.”

Mr. Cassini says that he is the car’s fifth owner. “It was purchased originally in New York by a Mr. Ricardo Lacosta, a lawyer from Puerto Rico. He had it shipped there and it was in his ownership, and then his family’s ownership, for many years. But it eventually was turned into a taxi. It was painted red and orange, probably with a paint brush, and driven all over Puerto Rico for many years.”

Somehow the car survived the abuse, the sun and the salt air until the serviceman obtained it and shipped it home.

Mr. Cassini said he had been interested in purchasing the car since the 1990s, “but I never thought it would be sold. The gentleman who had it planned to restore it himself, because that is what business he is in, but he never quite got around to it. Eventually he realized it was a project that he wasn’t going to be able to undertake until it was too late to save the car. It was ready to fall apart.”

Mr. Cassini turned to RM Restorations for help in returning the car to showroom condition. “It took more than 10,000 man-hours,” Mr. Cassini estimates. “But now it is perfect. Everything works. The radio, the lights, the windshield wipers – it runs perfectly – and it easily completed the whole Tour d’Élégance, probably 100 miles, on Thursday.”

His plans for the car going forward are unclear, he said.

“I think I’m going to put it on a trailer and give it a rest. Yes, it can go back to being a trailer queen for awhile. It has earned it.”
by Jerry Garrett
 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Corvette Madness at Laguna Seca - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666


Corvette Madness at Laguna Seca



Few events in the automotive world compare to the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Every August, 500 historic race cars crowd the paddock area for three days of throwback speedway action. Each year, one car reigns supreme. In 2013, it's the Chevrolet Corvette. 

Over its 60 year history, the mighty Corvette has been a regular winner at Laguna Seca. In 2012, Corvette took a one-two finish of the six-hour Le Mans Monterey. Corvette Racing's checkered past doesn't stop there, last winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011 for a total of seven titles in the famous endurance race. This weekend, hundreds of Corvette enthusiasts roared through the Monterey Peninsula to celebrate the cultural and sporting heritage of the badge. Racers took to the track in all previous six generations, while a lucky few experienced Laguna's famed corkscrew in the C7 Corvette. Off the track highlights included " Stingray Island," a display highlighting the legacy of top-flight racing and concept Corvettes through history (who doesn't love seeing the Mako Shark in person?!?). 

 Saturday's events were punctuated by a camouflaged-preview of the Corvette C7 R. It took two lightening quick laps around the course, darting quickly back into trailer confinement, but not before soundly solidifying the racing potential of the latest Corvette generation. 
source: http://www.complex.com/rides/2013/08/corvette-laguna-seca-pebble-beach/#gallery
by Nick Schonberger


http://www.fzrestoration.com

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - The BMW 507 at the Pebble Beach Concours - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666


2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance features the BMW 507




Pebble Beach – It is part classic auto concours, part new car auto show, part art show and it’s pure spectacle. These rare cars are not mere beauty queens. They must run to compete. That’s right they must be fully functional period correct autos. BMW’s highlight at Pebble Beach was the 507. These are beautiful and very rare cars as only 252 made between 1956 to 1959. The complete 507 variants were all displayed. There were the Series 1 and Series 2 507 models. There were also two one-off designs displayed – a 1958 3200 which was a creation by an Italian designer using a 507. We have also seen the 1957 Lowey Pichon 507 which is not running so was display only.

The 507s were on a prominent location along the west edge with the ocean directly behind them. The morning was challenging as it was cool and the thick fog kept 507 car takers busy wiping the moisture off. BMW Classic brought a red 1958 3200, a nice and unique variant of a 507. The Blue 507 was a local Malibu car that has been owned by the same owner for the last 20 years. It was also the shows winner in the 507 category. It is fascinating to think that one of the 507s was brought in from Switzerland and one from Germany.

The BMW 507 Roadster made its debut in New York City in 1955. It left journalists as well as the public absolutely spellbound. Penned by noted designer, Albrecht Graf Goertz, the 507 featured a long and sleek engine compartment, cockpit perfectly tailored to the driver and passenger and short, muscular rear end and gently sweeping curves gave the carhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png absolutely beautiful, timeless design.

The 507 offered a new take on the traditional BMW face with the double kidney grille vertical instead of horizontal, sweeping elegantly between the headlights across the entire front end of the car. The 507 also had a lot to offer within the engine compartment, boasting an aluminum V8 acknowledged as the first light-alloy V8 in the world built in series production. This truly exclusive car went to only about 250 proud owners between 1956 and 1959.
source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2013/08/23/2013-pebble-beach-concours-delegance-features-the-bmw-507/
by Chuck Vossler

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Friday, August 16, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - History of the Pebble Beach Road Races Part 3 - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666


50 11 5 PB EMcAfeeEdgar 620x468 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races

 Ernie McAfee (left) did the modification work for John Edgar on Edgar's MG-TC. It was the car that Bill Pollack drove at the first Pebble Beach (Photo: Edgar Collection) 

The second event in 1950 was the “Del Monte Trophy,” for Classes D and E (1500-3000cc). The seven starters included the “Edwards Special Sports Roadster,” driven by Sterling, of course. Others included four supercharged MG-TCs. John Edgar entered his supercharged TCs for Bill Pollack to drive. Bill would go on to win the main events at the next two Pebbles.

John Edgar (1902-1972) was one of those fascinating characters who populated the fifties-era sports car scene. John, along with Pollack, was also in the April 1950 Palm Springs. Edgar, the heir to a Ohio manufacturing company fortune, moved to Los Angeles in 1943 and enthusiastically joined the Southern California “car and motorcycle craziness.” His first sports car was a 1947 MG-TC he bought from Roger Barlow’s Los Angeles dealership (where salesman John Von Neumann sold a TC to Phil Hill). Unsatisfied with its performance, Edgar took it to Ernie McAfee, who turned it into a Ferrari-beating hot rod. For the rest of the decade, Edgar became one of the leading wealthy “sportsmen” who sponsored the very best cars and drivers, among them Jack McAfee, Carroll Shelby, Richie Ginther, Pete Lovely and Phil Hill. John’s son, William Edgar, a prolific motorsport journalist, has preserved his father’s legacy.


Pollack drove the Edgar TC in the Del Monte Trophy race. In practice John had Bill use Edgar’s brand-new XK120 because he wanted to save the TC for the race. Pollack’s remembrance of that race was memorialized in American Sports Car Racing in the 1950s (1998 by Michael Lynch, Will Edgar and Ron Parravano): “Ernie had that thing ready to orbit the earth. There were some big Allards and Jaguars ahead of me. When the flag fell, I went up the outside of the pace and was really hauling butt, going by everybody and got out in front. But then, all of a sudden, the car just quit.” Edwards won handily followed by two supercharged TCs.
50 11 5 PB Edwards leads 620x416 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
 Sterling Edwards ahead in the Edwards special sports roadster. Note the spectators lining the course. (photo Bob Devlin Collection)

“The Monterey Unlimited Class Race” was next on the schedule. The “unlimited” meant that it included all cars over 3,000cc. Originally, ten cars were entered, but at the last minute, three were withdrawn. This left three XK120s including those of Phil Hill and Don Parkinson, two Allards, a “Canon” special and an Auburn-Ford. This last was interesting in that it was a 1933 model “Breexymobile” Auburn with a 1937 4-liter Ford engine. Among the Allards was Al Moss in his J2. (Moss started and ran Moss Motors for many years). He was an also-ran in this event, but the next year, he flipped his Allard at Carrell Speedway and never raced again until in vintage some 40 years later. In addition to the Allard, Al had an MG-TC he purchased new and kept for his entire lifetime. He used to drive it from his home in Arizona to Monterey, race in the Historics, and drive it home. A very cautious driver, he always finished dead last.
50 11 5 PB Al Moss 620x484 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races

Al Moss coming out of Turn 4 in his Cadillac-powered Allard J2 at the November 5, 1950 race at Pebble Beach. Al started and ran Moss Motors for many years. Moss Motors is an important source of parts for collectors as well as vintage racers. (Photo: Al Moss Collection)

Michael Graham in his Cad-Allard took the lead and stayed there. Phil Hill, trying to pass, had to take an escape road on the first lap and dropped back to fifth. Back on the road, Phil passed one car after another. At the checker, he was only 10 second behind Graham. During the race, Hill had cooked his clutch. Don Parkinson came in third half a minute behind Phil.

The fourth and final race of the day was “The Pebble Beach Cup,” a 25-lap main event. The field was open to the first four finishers of the previous three races. Not all, however, decided to run. Although he finished only fifth in the second race, Arnold Stubbs was on the grid in his MG-TC with a V8-60 engine (the famous 2Jr). Stubbs was one of the very early Southern Californians who participated with the Cal Club even before that first Palm Springs. (He was Phil Hill’s navigator in the 1952 Mexican Road Race. They finished sixth in a Ferrari). Although disqualified after the Cypress Point event, John Von Neumann entered, so perhaps the SCCA officials had withdrawn the disqualification by then.

A total of 13 cars and drivers sat on the grid waiting for Al Torres to make his run up the side, turn, and drop the flag. Stubbs in his MG took the lead followed by Michael Graham’s Allard and Bill Breeze in his XK120. But on the second lap, Graham made a pit stop for repairs on his cooling system. On the sixth lap, Breeze passed Stubbs and took the lead. By the 11th lap, Phil Hill went ahead and went on to win.



 
Phil Hill in his modified XK120 Jaguar on his way to winning the main event at the first Pebble Beach leading Bill Breeze in another Jaguar. (Photo: Bob Devlin Collection)
 50 11 5 PB PhiBreezel 620x436 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races


 
During the time I was writing my book, Pebble Beach Remembered, Phil talked to me about the race. He and his pal, Richie Ginther, modified the XK120 extensively, having enlarged the 3.4-liter engine to 3.8 as well as reducing the overall weight of the car. During the third race, because his clutch had blown, Phil had to shift without it. He and Richie (Phil’s pit crew) didn’t have time to fix it before the main event. He was supposed to start in the middle of the pack, but the only way to get going was to push-start the car. So he started at the tag end. The problem was that when the flag dropped, the engine wouldn’t start. Finally, after a number of push-starts, he was off and passing car after car. At about half way, he was in front. But Richie held out the pit board reading: “Long Lead.” Since Phil didn’t know he was leading, he assumed Richie meant someone name “Long” was ahead. So he pushed harder and harder, trying to catch “Long.” When the checkered flag waved, the engine was starting to overheat and wouldn’t have made another lap. Phil Hill had just won the first important race of his career. He went on to become America’s first World Champion. And 1950, culminating in Pebble Beach, put road racing well on its way to becoming a major factor in U.S. motorsports.
50 11 5 Phil and Kjell History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
Race chairman Kjell Qvale presenting the main-event winner's trophy to Phil Hill. (Photo: Qvale Collection)

I would like to thank John Burkhard, Will Edgar, Michael Lynch and Kjell Qvale for their contributions for this article. If you are interested in more detailed accounts of the races at Pebble Beach, my book, Pebble Beach Remembered (2005) is still in print. Call 800-289-3504. Kjell Qvale is featured in two books written about his life: I Never Look Back (2005) and Lunches with Mr. Q (2002). Bob Devlin wrote Pebble Beach: A Matter of Style (1980). You can probable chase down copies of these two on Amazon as well as American Sports Car Racing in the 1950s.
http://www.sportscardigest.com/history-of-the-pebble-beach-road-races/3/
[Source: Art Evans]
 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - History of the Pebble Beach Road Races Part 2 - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666



50 11 5 PB MullinManney 620x448 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
 Henry Manney in his Crosley Hot Shot leading Stan Mullin in his MG-TC (Photo Bob Devlin Collection)

The 1950 Pebble Beach course was laid out entirely within the confines of the Property and, because the land is all private including the roads, any laws of that might prohibit racing didn’t apply. The first course was 1.8 miles in length and was in an irregular rectangle. You can drive it yourself if you wish. The Start/Finish was on Portola Road. All of the turns were right-handers. Proceeding in a clock-wise direction, turn right on Sombria Lane, right on Drake Road, make a sweeping right onto Stevenson Drive and then a sharp right back onto Portola.

The circuit was exceedingly dangerous. Spectators stood or sat right at its edges and trees lined the circuit. In a contest between a car and a tree, the tree was inevitably the victor, often with dire results for the car and sometimes the driver as well. (My close friend, Ernie McAfee, was killed against a tree there in 1956, marking the end of racing at Pebble Beach.) Not only that, the roadway isn’t very wide, so passing was challenging. The 1950 Pebble was organized, as were all subsequent ones at that location, by the San Francisco Region of the SCCA. A crowd of an estimated 10,000 turned out to watch.

That year was also the first for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. When Edwards and Morse planned the race, they decided to stage a Concours in conjunction. A separate committee was formed to organize the event. The site was a practice tee and driving range on the golf course adjacent to the Del Monte Lodge. A total of 31 entries showed up. They included sports, luxury and antique cars. The oldest was a 1904 Buick. Kjell Qvale entered a 1950 Daimler Drop Head Coupe. Don Parkinson (Jaguar), Bob Gillespie (MG-TC) and Sterling Edwards (Edwards Special) entered the cars they drove in the race. Sterling Edwards won “Best of Show.” All the cars were clean and polished, but not what would today be considered in “Concours condition.”

Technical inspection and practice took place on Saturday, November 4. The first race on Sunday was “The Cypress Point Light Car Race.” It was for SCCA Classes G and F (750-1500cc). All of the 19 starters were MGs except for two Crosley Hot-Shots and an Austin A-40. After the start, Los Angeles attorney Stan Mullin in his MG got into a traffic jam and had to choose between hitting some spectators or a tree. He chose the tree. Although he was not injured, his car was severely damaged. Afterwards, he was awarded the “Best Sportsmanship of the Day Trophy.”

 
50 11 4 PB pic KVN 620x392 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
John Von Veumann won the very first race run at Pebble Beach in 1950. In this photo of John in his MG-TD, he is leading Dick Scott in an MG-TC. Scott failed to finish.  (Photo: Julian Graham)

John Von Neumann won in his modified MG-TD followed by two TCs. After the race, he was disqualified for having Methanol in his fuel and for not draining his fuel tank on arrival. Subsequently, he obtained statements to prove that some “pump fuels” also contained Methanol and that many other contestants also didn’t drain their tanks. It’s interesting to note that in an article about the race in the SCCA magazine, SPORTS CAR, Von Neumann is not mentioned and Bill Kerrigan, who finished second behind Von Neumann, is listed the winner. Other accounts, including an article in Road & Track, list Von Neumann as the winner. At any rate, however, John had the distinction of taking the checkered flag in the very first race at Pebble Beach. The Von Neumann MG is now owned by Don Martine and is on display at the beautiful Martine Inn in Pacific Grove (between Monterey and Pebble Beach). Don vintage races it occasionally.

John Von Neumann (1921-2003) was a fascinating character as well as my friend and neighbor. He burst on the racing scene at that first Southern California event at Palm Springs on April 16, 1950. He entered the same car—the modified TD—but blew its head gasket in practice. So he borrowed a Riley for the main event, but ran out of gas. John came from a famous Jewish family (distantly related to the Harvard mathematician). He father was a well-known surgeon in Berlin. But when Hitler came to power, the family fled to Austria and then to the U.S. Young John attended New York University and later transferred to the University of Southern California.

Then the war came along, so John enlisted in the Army and took basic training at the Torrey Pines Army base (where he would later race). After the war, he made his home in Los Angeles, became interested in sports cars and was one of the three founders of the California Sports Car Club. In 1952, he heard that Porsche was making a sports car, so he took the train to New York City, bought one from Max Hoffman and drove it back to California. Von Neumann entered that Porsche in the May 20, 1952 Pebble Beach. Although he failed to finish due a mechanical problem, he led his race—The Pebble Beach Trophy—for a while. His Porsche, the first seen on the West Coast, created a lot of interest. To make a long story short, John went back to New York, bought another Porsche, drove it California and sold it. Eventually, he became a dealer and finally the Western States distributor for both Porsche and VW. He added a Ferrari franchise to his empire and quite successfully raced different models himself. Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Ken Miles also drove for John during the fifties. In 1971, Von Neumann sold his distributorships to Porsche and VW (they were separate then) and joined the ranks of the super-wealthy.
52 12 1314 TP pic JvN 620x499 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
 

John Von Neumann won the main event for cars under 1500cc at the December 1952 race at Torrey Pines in his Porsche 356. The course at Torrey Pines used roads that were part of an Army base in WWII. Von Neumann took basic training there. Von Neumann was the first Porsche dealer in the West and then the Western States Distributor of Porsche and Volkswagen. (Photo: Art Evans Collection)
50 11 5 PB JVN 620x406 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races

John Von Neumann in his supercharged MG Special ( Photo: Qvale Collection)

source: http://www.sportscardigest.com/history-of-the-pebble-beach-road-races/2/
by Art Evans

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - History of the Pebble Beach Road Races Part 1 - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666


Phil Hill in his Jaguar XK120 at Pebble Beach Road Races



 The Pebble Beach (now expanded) Weekend has become, arguably, the premier vintage automotive event in the U.S. Held each August, it includes not only vintage races at Laguna Seca, but also the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance along with a number of other Concours, many auctions and parties, parties, parties.

The Pebble Beach celebration recalls what sports car racing in the U.S. was like during the fifties. It was unique and very different from American circle-track or drag racing of the time. It was also different from previous decades or those that came after.

First of all, it was an amateur sport. But unlike most amateur sports – except perhaps for something like the Olympics and some college sports – it attracted considerable press attention and often thousands of spectators. Many of us raced the cars we drove every day on the street. And most of us drove it to the track and – hopefully – back again. One of the racing rules then was that competing sports cars had to be licensed for the road and include such items as a passenger seat and spare tire.

We raced on temporary circuits like the one at Pebble Beach. This was, after all, road racing. For the most part, our temporary venues were located in or near resorts and sports car racing then was as much a social event as a competition. Today, some of us remember the parties more than the races. Bongo bashes were the cat’s meow. Officials and course workers were all volunteers and events were social for them also.

It was like a fraternity or maybe akin to a military unit that saw combat. Owning a sports car then put us in an exclusive society. When we passed each other on the highway, we would wave. Many of us are still friends years later and we still get together now and then to socialize.

The first Pebble Beach took place on November 5, 1950. The location of the course was on roads within the Del Monte Properties. Much of the Monterey Peninsula is taken up by the Properties, encompassing some 20,000 acres and more than 150 miles of private roads. In addition to hotels, clubs and perhaps more golf courses than people, there are quite a number homes on the Property. It is a gated and privately guarded community. Lots and houses are owned by the residents while all the other land is owned by the Del Monte Properties Company.

While the 1950 Pebble Beach was the first race ever organized by the Sports Car Club of America, it wasn’t the first on the West Coast. To put it in context though, perhaps a little history is in order. The first road race after WWII was held in the small town of Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes Region of New York on October 2, 1948. The first on the West Coast was in Northern California at Buchanan Field in Concord on November 20, 1949. It was organized, not by the SCCA, but by the Northern California MG Club, headed up by Kjell Qvale. The main event was six laps around a three-mile course laid out on the airfield’s runways. Kjell’s brother, Bjarne (Barney), won, in an MG (of course). The next in the West was at Palm Springs on April 16, 1950, put on by the California Sports Car Club (not then a Region of the SCCA). Sterling Edwards in his Edwards Special won the main event. In May 1950, the MG Club had another race a Buchanan Field and the Cal Club raced at the Santa Ana Blimp Base on June 25.
49 Buchanan 620x265 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races
The lineup of MGs at Buchannan Field near Concord in Northern California. The 1949 race, organized by the MG Car Club, was the very first road race held on the West Coast after WWII. (Photo: Qvale Collection)
The Del Monte Properties on the Monterey Peninsula seemed to be to be as an unlikely location for road racing as was Watkins Glen. Wondering how it came about, I contacted my friend, the eminent motorsports historian, Michael Lynch. He told me that one man, Sterling Edwards, was largely responsible. Edwards, a member of the San Francisco Region, was a wealthy heir to a steel-cable manufacturing business. In addition to racing himself, Edwards was interested in race organization. He also constructed a number of cars. The first was the Edwards R-26 Special he made in 1949. It was a ground-up All-American creation with a tubular-steel frame, a light-weight aluminum body and powered by a highly-modified Ford V8-60 engine. It was the car he drove at the two 1950 Southern California races as well as the first Pebble. Sterling continued his car-building efforts with a second special and then he made an attempt at manufacturing a sports car he named the Edwards America. While actually very advanced and attractive for the day, each cost more to make than he could sell them for. So after making five, he gave it up.

Sterling was a close friend of John B. (Jack) Morse, then president of the Properties. The company was trying to attract people to stay at the Del Monte Lodge (now the Lodge at Pebble Beach) as well as sell vacant lots. So Edwards convinced his friend, Jack, to provide the venue. It was a natural fit. A race would generate the publicity desired by the company and the SCCA would have a place to stage events. Sterling was named the chairman of the race committee but because he had entered to race, Kjell Qvale assumed the chair.

Qvale was significant in the development of the sport in Northern California. He was instrumental in organizing the MG Car Club race at Concord in 1949, plus the first Pebble and later, the Golden Gate Park events in San Francisco. A native of Norway, he was born in 1919. In 1929, he immigrated to the U.S., lived through the Depression and became a Navy pilot when WWII came along. Kjell started in the car business with a Jeep dealership in 1946. Later that year, he took a ride in an MG. After a ten-minute spin, he was enthralled. After selling the Jeep dealership, he formed British Motor Car Distributors, LTD in San Francisco and became the Northern California MG distributor. After adding Morris, Riley and Jaguar cars during the fifties, The Qvale Automotive Group became dominant in the Northern California car business
50 11 5 KjellTorres 620x606 History of the Pebble Beach Road Races

 Race Chairman Kjell Qvale and Starter Al Torres. (Photo: Qvale Collection)
 
by Art Evans
 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Mullen Automotive Museum to debut 1930 G.A.R. at Pebble Beach - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

Unrestored 1930 G.A.R. Type B5 Roadster - front 3q



 

The Mullin Automotive Museum, a Southern California institution devoted to the preservation of French art and automobiles from the Art Deco era, will debut its restored 1930 G.A.R. Type B5 Roadster (chassis No. 795) at the 63rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 18.

The museum’s G.A.R. is an early example of a sophisticated French race car produced by a nearly forgotten marque. It will be entered in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance’s European Classic Class.

A rarely seen marque, the G.A.R. name was derived from the first three letters of its founder’s surname, Gardahaut. Crafted in small numbers in the Parisian suburb of Asnières, the 1930 G.A.R. B5 roadster was an expensive investment in its day at 26,000 Francs. Chassis No. 795, one of approximately three or four G.A.R. B5 models in existence, is a shining example of G.A.R.’s signature voiturette race cars’ advanced design and modest size.

 Unrestored-1930-G.A.R.-Type-B5-Roadster---engine

The nimble competition car features a sophisticated 1.375-liter inline eight-cylinder engine, which enabled it to reach speeds of 130 km/h. The Mullin museum’s example was successfully campaigned in motorsports for several years, racing at the 1930 Algier-Djelfa race and the 1932 Circuit de L’Aisne.

One of the most challenging tasks to date for the Mullin Automotive Museum was restoring this 1930 G.A.R. Type B5 roadster. Because of the G.A.R. marque’s short life (1922-1934) and the low number of vehicles produced, very little is known about the French automaker.



In August 2012, the Mullin Automotive Museum brought the daunting task of reviving chassis No. 795 to automotive restorer and historian Brian Hoyt of Perfect Reflections. After almost a full year of extensive research and restoration work, the nearly forgotten G.A.R. has solidified its place in automotive history.

“The G.A.R. meets every criteria we look for when bringing a new vehicle into the Mullin collection. It’s a special example of an important French race car that led a short life, yet captured significant wins with some of the most sophisticated engineering of its day,” said Peter Mullin, founder and chairman of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “It brings me great joy to offer the public a chance to experience such a special car for which they would likely otherwise never encounter in their lifetime.”
 
 
 

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Weekend Celebration Pebble Beach Concours - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666

0808-pbposter



When Edsel B. Ford II came upon the 1956 Lincoln Continental MK II last year, he admired the long lines and elegant custom styling of the automobile, but he didn’t immediately recognize it. Imagine his surprise when he learned the car had, in fact, belonged to his mother, Anne, as evidenced by the original owner’s manual inscribed with her name.

In all fairness, Edsel was just 8 years old when his father, Henry Ford II, ordered the car for his wife, who drove the luxury vehicle for about two years before selling it to her personal assistant for use as a daily driver.

The car, now impeccably restored, will be among the many pre- and postwar custom-bodied Lincolns featured at the 63rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 18 at Pebble Beach Resorts. The 1956 Lincoln currently belongs to Rick Schmidt, whose father Jim discovered the dilapidated vehicle in a classified ad. Had they not already owned a 1956 metallic mint green MK II that had belonged to Benson Ford, and a 1956 sapphire blue metallic MK II that had belonged to William Clay Ford Sr. — both brothers of Henry Ford II — the Schmidts would not have taken on the project.

“It seemed only right to have the trio of 1956 MK IIs originally owned by the Ford brothers,” says Rick, “so we bought the car and dove into the project, taking on our biggest restoration challenge yet. It is now a stunning car, and we’re thrilled to bring it to Pebble Beach.”

The 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature:

Simplex — Among the rarest of early 20th century marques, just 48 Simplex automobiles are known to survive. Intended for only the most prestigious clientele, these chassis, which sold for the outrageous price of about $5,000, were bodied by the best coachbuilders of their day. The marque later merged with Crane, replacing its sporting cars with a more luxury image.

Vanvooren — Early in its history, Carrosserie Vanvooren was licensed to build Weymann fabric-bodied cars, but soon developed its own elegant and refined French designs that have stood the test of time. Vanvooren coachwork graced all the best marques of the day — Hispano-Suiza, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Delahaye. It also collaborated on cutting-edge creations, such as the Corniche prototype done with designer Georges Paulin.

Additionally featured will be: Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche 911, BMW 507 and French motorcycles.

source: http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/show-news/lincolns-to-lamborghinis-hit-the-beach-for-2013-concours

http://www.fzrestoration.com

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Weekend Celebration to launch 60 years of Corvette at America's Car Museum - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666





 

In close collaboration with General Motors and the Northwest Chevy Dealers, LeMay–America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Wash., is set to welcome ’Vette lovers from around the world.

Beginning Aug. 9, ACM will become a Corvette hotbed as the museum celebrates six decades of America’s quintessential sports car with the debut of the “60 Years of Vette” exhibit.
 
0808 vettelogo

The display, which runs through the end of the year, will explore Corvette’s design evolution since the first polo white with red interior C1 rolled off the assembly line in June 1953.

The Aug. 9-11 opening weekend will kick off with a special showing of three of the most important concept cars in Corvette’s history — the 1959 Stingray, 1961 Mako Shark and 1965 Manta Ray — before they head south to participate at the Pebble Beach Concours.

Chevy product displays on the plaza and the arrival of the “500 Corvettes” enthusiast group, which takes over Haub Family Field on Aug. 9, will also highlight the three-day grand opening.

Whether you’re a collector or merely curious, prepare to be blown away by the unforgettable 60th anniversary of this automotive icon-only at America’s Car Museum.
 

Friday, August 2, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Goodwood Festival of Speed Some Top Cars of Interest - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666


 Ex-Denny Hulme McLaren M8D Can-Am

 
The 2013 running of the Goodwood Festival of Speed featured hundreds of great cars, motorcycles, drivers and riders taking to the 1.16-mile Goodwood hill climb during the Festival weekend. The record 196,000 spectators at the 20th Anniversary Festival were treated to some truly exceptional sights and sounds as they basked in the blazing sunshine of Britain’s warmest weekend so far this year.

Highlights at this year’s Festival of Speed included a massive, triumphant-looking sculpture outside Goodwood House to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 911, as well as the fine selection of significant racing Porsches that took to the Festival hill climb. Goodwood also honored the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 60 years of the World Sports Car Championship, the 50th anniversaries of McLaren, Lamborghini, Mini Cooper S, Ford Lotus Cortina and the European Touring Car Championship as well as the 40th birthday of the World Rally Championship.

We typically narrow down our Festival of Speed “Cars of Interest’ to a list of twenty, but for this 20th Anniversary running of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we just couldn’t do it. With more than 500 examples of biggest, best, fastest, loudest and most outrageous vehicles of all time invited back to Goodwood, such a selection made it almost too difficult to choose even thirty, but we gave it our best effort. Given the particular focus on Porsche, we paid extra attention to those famous cars from Stuttgart that powered their way up the hill at Goodwood, but if we missed your favorite, we certainly welcome your comments below.

 Senior Photographer Tim Scott also provided the following images of our Top Cars of Interest
DSC 56501 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest
 

1957 Maserati 250F Lightweight – Juan Manuel Fangio piloted this 250F to his fifth and final Formula 1 World Championship. Chassis number 2529, the curator of which is Swiss classic car specialist, Lukas Huni, is the 250F in which Fangio won the 1957 Argentine, French and German Grands Prix, clinching the Championship with his 24th and last GP victory at Nurburgring. In the race, he beat Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins on the penultimate lap after a minute-long pit stop that had placed him a long way behind the British pair, which were running non-stop, in their Lancia-Ferrari V8 F1 cars.
DSC 54241 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest
 

 

1938 Mercedes-Benz W154 Silver Arrows – Driven by Jochen Mass at Goodwood, the dominant W154 gave the Mercedes-Benz racing department its greatest number of victories during the Silver Arrows era. Mercedes-Benz won almost all major competitions in the 1938 season and in 1939, the final racing season before the Second World War, Manfred von Brauchitsch, Rudolf Caracciola, and Hermann Lang repeated their triumphs of the previous year in the W154.

 DSC 55031 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest

 

1963 Aston Martin DP214 – Based on DB4GT chassis, Aston Martin produced two Project 214 models to compete with Ferrari and others at races like Le Mans.

 DSC 56591 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest

 

1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 – Driven by Stirling Moss at Goodwood, a sister car sold for nearly $30 million at the Bonhams Goodwood sale.

 DSC 57281 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest

 

1917 Miller Aerodynamic Coupe – The Golden Submarine first appeared at Goodwood in 1996. The 4-cylinder powered streamlined racing car was designed and built by Fred Offenhauser and Harry Miller for Barney Oldfield. The car competed in 54 races with 20 wins.
 
DSC 6096 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest
 

1995 McLaren F1 GTR – Won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours at the hands of Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya and J.J. Lehto.

 DSC 61641 Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013   Top 30 Cars of Interest

 1934 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B – The ‘Don Lee Special’ raced at the Indy 500 in 1946 and ’47. Don Lee, father of arch-entusiast Tommy, was the most successful Cadillac dealer on the West Coast.
 
 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Vintage and Exotic Car Restoration Livermore - Goodwood Festival of Speed Double World First - retrospective gallery - FZ Restoration Livermore- (925)294-5666





Turbo the Snail

The world’s first 150mph, high performance, super-fast snail qualified for the starting line up at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013, and made a sensational ascent of the famous hill climb to delight an international audience at a sold out Goodwood.

In a double world first, the festival’s organisers confirmed that it is the first time ever that a snail has been allowed to take part in the globally famous hill climb event on the Goodwood circuit.

To celebrate the upcoming cinema release of TURBO: a high velocity 3-D comedy about an underdog snail who kicks into overdrive when he miraculously attains the power of super-speed, Twentieth Century Fox have built their own racing snail which was unveiled at the spiritual home of all things speedy over the weekend! 

Fresh from the test track, Turbo got his premiere performance on the world famous Hillclimb at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013. 

Festival of Speed audiences were able to meet TURBO in the family area at Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 11th to 14th 2013. Guests were able to rev his engines to trigger the snails amazing light display for the chance to win a ride in the super charged snail.  Turbo took part in the Hill Climb on Sunday 14th July 2013 at 13:15pm.