Picking up where I left off when I had just finished a reshape of the front clip. I had some serious planning to do. As you may know by now none of this project has been formally drafted, just sketches and my brain going non-stop planning and laying things out in my head. Lots of trial and error as well.

In shaping the rear shell I started at the very bottoms of the rear fenders and worked my way up and forward toward what will become the front edge of the rear shell. In my previous installments I explain quite a bit about shaping the metal. But the difficulty here with my limited tools and metal shrinking ability, was to make large panel sections. I had to slice each rear fender into pieces running front to back. I then tacked them together tightly on the buck until the rear shell was covered. Overall, it turned out nice.

So it was finally welded up and fit in place. I like it! It sort of looks like postwar streamliner meets prototype racer.

My next challenge was to finally remove the buck. But  my concern was with the buck removed and no body bracing in place yet, the body could kink or sag. I found out pretty quickly that with all the compound curves and hammer forming the alloy body became really quite rigid. It held up its own weight with no problem. I was even able to get it out into its first daylight!

So the next trick was to layout the inner support structure for the body. The F-Vee chassis as it sits has a pretty robust cage and ladder type frame. So my plan was to build off of that, similar to the pictures I have collected of the Romesche-Porsche and Petermax Mueller cars. I fabricated cross sections that would act as a firewall and front bulkhead just in front and behind the driver cockpit. Here you can see the firewall mocked up and held in place with Clecos. The final mounting will be done with rivets.

I then went to work on the front wheel wells as this also acts as part of the support structure for the forward clip. I shaped and bead rolled the panels for strength. The different panel sections making up the inner support structure are strategically laid out so that the body can be removed pretty quickly if needed.

So the front clip is pretty well mocked up with all supports in place. Now I turn my attention to the very challenging rear shell! First off I had to start on my wheel wells and supports for the rear. Everything is laid out keeping in stride with the idea of the hinge system.

I finally came up with a way to hinge the shell. I fabricated the hinge system and got it working but it will definitely need fine tuning. Here you can see some different angles of the rear shell. I like how things are coming along but getting the rear shell to line up when closing takes a little work. I used Dziuts fasteners to lock it down. It will also have leather straps reminiscent of the 550 Spyder that will hold the hood and rear shell in place.

I’ve now got all the panels riveted in place and I can roll the car around. I still don’t have power hooked up but its getting close! Here are a couple more pictures out under the sky.

I’ve now turned my attention to building out the cockpit. This basically consists of finishing up my seat position, building the seat frame and enclosing the side areas next to the seat. I hid all of the wiring and also made plenty of room for the extinguishing system to remain operable.

The windscreen came next. It took some time to get the shape just right using paper templates, but once I got it I new it was just what I was looking for. I then transferred the template to Lexan and cut it using a “nibbler” shear. I made my frame out of aluminum which will be riveted to the Lexan and to the body surrounding the cockpit. I also plan to do some leather covering in the cockpit.

Finally, I’ve officially decided to paint the car silver. As much as I want to leave it raw aluminum, I just think it’s going to complete the look in Silver. Maybe I’m being too picky, but with the Silver paint, racing numbers and the hood stripe designating the appropriate engine displacement I think the car will look complete. The above pictures are taken at our family farm where I grew up. Just a few houses down the road is an old school pinstriper and painter. He couldn’t keep me out of his shop when I was a kid and now he’s pretty excited to help put the finishing touches on the car. Hopefully my next posting will show the final product! T
Thanks for reading and happy motoring!

This rare 275 GTB Competition (S/N 06885GT) was the very first officially built by Scuderia Ferrari. Early in the cars life it was raced briefly at the Nurburgring and Targa Florio as a prototype. After being acquired by Ecurie Francorchamps the cars was painted yellow and driven by Mairesse and Blanton.

The car went thru a scrutinizing process to be homologated for the 1965 Le Mans. At one point, the car was 500lbs lighter than production cars. After ballasting with weight it met the standards and was accepted into the GT class.

The race wasn’t looking good at the start where Cobra’s and several prototype entrants led the field. However the reliability of Ferrari’s 12 Cylinder engine proved true and by morning the GTB, although overheating was leading the GT class. Due to quick thinking on the teams part, a hole was cut in the the front allowing air to cool the engine. This led to a 3rd overall and 1st in the GT class.  Later it took an outright victory at Nassau.  The 275GTB is rightfully considered as a worthy successor to the 250GTO.

This 166MM, being number 2 of 24 produced, makes it extremely rare. In 1949 this was the very car featured for the Ferrari Salon. It currently wears a leather upholstered interior which would have been a “Lusso”  designation from the factory.  This gives the car a dual purpose sports touring/racing appeal.

Although this 166MM is  a “Touring Barchetta”, It was delivered with several racing options. The car was race proven in short order as it competed successfully in the 1949-1957 Mille Miglia along with several other notable races.

After the cars retirement from racing it spent a pampered life in Bill Harrah’s Collection from 1967 to its closing in 1978. Since that time the car changed hands and finally landed  in the Oscar Davis private East Coast collection. This car was an award winning 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance entry.

I’m a numbers geek, a bean counter. I pride myself on having supported an automotive addiction with my automotive addiction. My dream of having a self-funded rotating collection has actually worked. Finding a desirable car, whether it be a classic or modern vehicle, buying it right, learning it, loving it and making it better than how I found it for the next owner. This has been a passion of mine since I was 13 years old. Now at 32 years old I’ve owned over 70 cars and have done so without going into the red. Most importantly making great friends along the way who love the cars just as much as I do.

So when I was asked to determine if the Volkswagen designed, French built Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Supercar could be considered a collectible several thoughts came to mind.

Questions:

1. Can a  car that costs $1.9 Million USD – - – NEW, Right now, In the current world market, be considered “collectible”?
2. At what point does your estimated, $1.9M investment earn a return.
3. Could it be worth $2.5M in ten years?
4. How much will it cost to own in those ten years?
5. What is the true cost of ownership?
6. Where would I get the car serviced?
7. Does the Veyron possess what it takes to win me over? So far, very few “modern” cars have it.
8. How can I answer any of these questions without getting behind the wheel?

The Truth:

I struggle with the term “Modern Collectibles”. Shouldn’t a truly collectible item stand the test of time?  And as for the test of time, could it be true that somewhere around the mid 70′s auto manufacturers, smitten by safety regulations and smog control,  began to lose the characteristics collector cars posess?  Sure there are post ’74 cars that might be desirable due to low mileage, limited production, engineering quality or racing history but the majority of these, with a few exceptions, I think most pre-date 1975.

And speaking of Character…  Having driven cars all the way from Pre-war to modern exotics. It seems to me that somewhere along the way a certain character that really great cars, even family cars possessed, has been lost.  In losing the character many cars became blah, boring, and unfortunately most feel similar to each other in the way they drive. This is why you won’t find many “reviews” on new cars on The Motoring Journal. I do drive them, but I was always told “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”.

For me, it takes a lot of hard driving and maneuvers to make today’s refined  cars really stand out. So many feel so much alike. In comparison, a SWB 911 put up against the 246 GT Dino can be differentiated with very little drive time and ridiculous “tests”. When you do get these cars into the maneuvers and shakedown they really come to life, both with their own pizazz! Follow me?

Collecting

So what makes a car collectible?

• Production #’s- The lower volume of any built car, the greater the rarity. Rare is collectible.
• Racing History- Winning races always adds to a vehicles value to some extent. The more significant the race, typically the more value. Multiple races with the same car, even more value.
• Documentation- A paper trail documenting the cars history, services, ownership etc. Always adds value.
• Engineering Feats- If the automobile utilized technology or engineering marvels it makes the car more collectible. If the manufacturer did this with success, it adds even more value. However not all engineering “feats” were successful…
• Cult Following- If the vehicle has a faithful following  you typically have added value.
• Film/Print/Movie- People collect movie cars. The star factor can add a few bucks.
• Manufacturer Provenance- Perhaps just the name “Bugatti” will make hearts melt (so far I’ve found this true). If the manufacturer is known for exquisite design, engineering, power, rarity and so-on, it can make their cars collectible.

The Bugatti Veyron

So the date was set for Friday, March 9th, 2012 at 11AM. Factory Pilot Butch Leitzinger, The Metallic Sprint Blue – Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport and yours truly were determined to find out what makes this Supercar so special. Butch gave me a quick run down and walk-around with the Veyron before we set off. On first inspection I like the cars size.  So many “sports cars” and “exotics” are getting big and bogged down with a lot of nonsense that they’ve lost the “sports”  or “exotic” part of their name. Not the Veyron. The sexy, tightly skinned body is a form that has been shrink-wrapped around function, around perfection. In performance weight is everything. It’s the common secret behind every performance car. The Bugatti wears and throws its weight around with such agility you would never know you’re are driving 4,938 lbs of machine. I guess when most of your weight is made up by your power-plant and the components to transmit that power to the ground, you’re going to perform just fine.

The interior is thoughtfully laid out, simple to understand and use. Entering and exiting the car is easy unlike many other exotics. It’s user friendly. Even the seat-back has a spot to hang your jacket. The seat adjustment sliders are manual, again a no-nonsense approach. Of course you can have your Veyron built with power seats and just about anything else you like. Telescoping and tilt for the steering wheel are simple to get dialed in. Rear view sight from your side mirrors is great. The interior rear view mirror has a built in reverse camera which might be the one gadget that I found difficult to use in the glaring Florida sunlight when the targa top is off.

So we set off for some road time but we thought it best to stop and fuel up. The 26.4 Gallon fuel supply requires premium grade dispenser gasoline. In “easy” driving conditions the W16 Mid-Chassis Engine configuration is capable of  an estimated 14 MPG. Not bad for 16 Cylinders and 4 Turbos that make 1001 Brake Horse Power. But when you put your foot into it, and we did, you drop down to the 5MPG consumption level. Something that’s not so super about a super car. But I can think of far worse things to spend money on than fueling a Bugatti Veyron….

Upon exiting the fueling station we were limited to a busy 40mph traffic zone. I thought this may make the car difficult to drive. However, this was far from true. What struck me with the Veyron is that it delivers, all the time, on all levels it connects to the human senses, at any speed. It never lets you forget that you’re in the cockpit of the pinnacle of styling, engineering and power.

Let me explain. From an artistic design perspective you can spend hours looking at this car parked. The Veyron is a work of art in every respect. A drivable sculpture. At city speeds with the top off, the growling engine is constantly inhaling and exhaling, combine this with the 4 Turbochargers and you have one of the most magnificent engine tones I have ever heard. I am convinced the acoustical elements flowing into the cockpit are enhanced due to the design of the rear engine enclosure and intake ports.

The intake ports are positioned  just behind the driver and passengers headrest.  They double as aerodynamic cowls similar to the streamliners of the Avus track days. You can see they are like bullhorns sending sweet overtones from the engine, subliminally whispering into your ear at lower throttle. It’s as though you are taunting this beast with your foot on the accelerator pedal and it’s sending audible love notes back to you on demand. At one point I actually told Butch to listen closely as the turbos spooled and wastegate blow-off said my name “Chrrrrrisssssss”! He heard it too!

Velocity

As we head South from Amelia Island down First Coast Highway the road opens up and traffic thins out. I have a healthy fear of this car although I am quickly getting the idea we have a mutual respect for one another. Something that all healthy relationships should have… Now that we’re out of the 40mph zone I can finally get it beyond the first of seven gears. Don’t get me wrong, first gear is easy driving. The paddle shifting with the DSG type dual clutch system is effortless. While in 1st gear, with the dual clutch, 2nd gear is already engaged. When the time comes (which is mind boggling at 6,000RPM) to shift there is no clunk or jarring as felt with certain other exotic cars paddle shifting. The Bugatti Veyron shifting is fluid and the power surge is incredible. As expected the engine clearly changes tones from gear to gear but the feeling is like nothing I’ve experienced in any other transmission design. The other point I should make is that you really cannot screw up in shifting this car. You can’t over rev because the car will shift for you at redline.  When in manual mode, you’re in control all they way to red. The only mistake one might make, if you’re accustomed to other forms of paddle shift, is letting off the accelerator  in “between” gear shifts. With the Bugatti, you keep your foot in it, as much as you dare…

This type of power and velocity is simply narcotic. For a junkie like me, it’s addictive. Imagine standing in front of an “idling” jet engine. The whistling turbine power. This is the sound of the 4 turbo’s singing at lower RPM’s. They’re always harmonizing and at around 3,000 RPM they ever-so slightly over-ride the engine tone. As you lay your foot into the accelerator pedal, the engines growl turns into a roar. The turbo’s, with minimal lag are right on boost and catch up to the engine harmony. All while the car is rocketing from your previous speed, whether it’s 30MPH or 130MPH. This is the point where most would say your “Pinned to your seat”. I beg to differ. You’re on the verge of getting sucked into a 16 cylinder monster! The seat feels like the only thing saving you from being devoured! It’s a roaring lion. Under full load, the Veyron is pulling something like 1.7G’s of force.  Addictive.

The windows automatically rolling up at 97mph minimize the cockpit wind noise. With the top off the car, the cabin wind  was hardly noticeable until upwards of 120MPH. Top on, the driving experience was never overpowered by wind noise, even in excess of 150mph.

As you would expect with the all wheel drive system, the Veyron is stable at any speed, connected to the driving surface. The rear spoiler protrudes upward to assist with downforce. Entering, driving through and exiting turns at any speed is exciting in this car. Many cars do so much of the driving for you, they cause you to feel disconnected from the machine. The Bugatti is different. It is constantly working to bring you into a more intimate driving relationship with the car and the road. At times I felt the car knew exactly what I enjoy and look for in motoring, sometimes more than I knew myself. This connection will deepen your passion for driving. Imagine taking the best of every possible aspect in automobile engineering and driver experience in one automobile. This is the Veyron.

The bond the Bugatti Veyron creates between man and machine might have something to do with the developmental testing as Butch explained, “To properly program the cars computers, testing was done at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. A driver would go out with a Bugatti technician and laptop in the passenger seat. The driver would perform sudden swerves and erratic driving maneuvers while the technician, often holding on for dear life, would watch the cars computer system on his laptop and program changes accordingly.” How would you like to be the 200MPH guinea pig on that R/D day? This attention to fine tuning has paid off in huge dividends to those fortunate enough to own or even get behind the wheel of the Veyron.

And speaking of 200MPH, you’ve probably heard of the “Speed Key”… Without the speed key you’re limited to a mere 230MPH. Yes, to reach the Bugatti’s top cruising speed you must use a key to unlock the full 253MPH driving mode. It reminds me of  my childhood when dad finally took the baler twine (Redneck Governor) off the carb linkage on the go kart. Suddenly, there was a whole new world of speed!

With the Veyron’s speed key you’re not unlocking more horsepower. What you’re unlocking is a slightly lowered stance, a different pitch to the rear spoiler and the front air ducts close up. The speed key is strictly aerodynamic. I began to wonder if unlocking the speed key sends a beacon back to the Bugatti factory, letting them know someone is about to have the ride of their life? Either way this is engineering excellence.

Unfortunately on Amelia Island it was difficult to find space to truly stretch the Veyrons legs. I did however come up with a place where we could give the Veyron some room to play.

If you followed my coverage from Amelia Island 2011 you may have enjoyed the Hangar House story. I thought it might be best to use the airstrip as a safe place to see what the Veyron can really do. Hangar House and Airstrip owner Bill Amos thought it was a splendid idea under one provision, he got a ride.

At the airstrip, we safely reached 150MPH + cruising speed with room to brake. The runway itself isn’t particularly long but this was the best way to truly feel the refined, unending power this car has. At 150MPH where many cars begin to taper away, the Bugatti is just getting started. It is absolutely amazing. Under braking the rear spoiler turns into an air brake. It literally flips up to brake against the air. In my opinion, one of the many great design features of the car. From 150MPH  the braking was effortless and as exhilarating as the acceleration. The car never gave an inch in extremely hard braking, even on the runway’s not-so well traveled surface. From a safety and usability viewpoint, this is a car you would be confident putting your wife, mother or other loved one into the drivers seat.

This French built Supercar assembled on the  Bugatti family property known as Chateau Saint Jean possesses all of the character qualities that I would look for in a collectible car. If you buy a Veyron you’re in the “Top Brass” of the Supercar world. There are currently 325 Veyron, Grand Sport and Super Sport cars combined in the world. Throughout the US, there are 10 factory trained technicians to service your Veyron. And if you were wondering, as I was, the highest mileage privately owned Veyron checked in at just over 20,000 miles. Factory test cars have well over 100,000 miles and still going.

But what about the cost?

Bugatti Veyron Cost of Ownership

• Purchase Price: $1,400,000.00 EURO or at today’s exchange rate $1,866,619.37
• Approximately $130,00.00 in sales taxes depending on where you live and how good your accountant might be
• My insurance quote for 1 year: $38,849.10 (With Discounts!)
• Estimated Annual Service (suggested every 3,000 miles or 12 months): $20,000.00
• Tires: 1 Front $6,500 and 1 Rear $8,700.00
• Misc Service and detailing: $7,000.00
• Annual Fuel Estimate for 3,000 Miles: $1185.00

Cost Breakdown

• Initial Purchase w/tax est: $1,996,619.37
• Annual Total Cost (including tire usage) : $97,434.10
• Monthly Estimated Cost of Ownership: $8,119.51
• Daily Estimated Cost of Ownership:  $266.94
• Hourly Cost of ownerhip (24 hours a day): $11.12
• Driving Cost Per Mile: $32.48

Note: Estimated Costs do not include annual State registration taxes which seem to be rather vague and inconsistent with my research…

It seems to me, when you reach a certain monetary threshold in automobile value there is a protective bubble from massive depreciation. Market value might fluctuate a little but I don’t think the collector car market has ever truly “crashed” and I don’t know that it ever will.

Additionally, It’s safe to guess that the majority of people who are buying Veyrons now are not affected by economic downturns. I’m sure those who are buying Veyrons in 15 years will not be affected by the “global financial crisis”.  I would imagine buyers of this caliber do not use common excuses to haggle on price, like some of us would. They like it, they buy it. And I know they’ll like the Veyron.

After all things considered, to answer the question of the Veyron being worthy of “Collector” status. I would say without a doubt, yes. Aside from specific race history (because of the lack of a class/series for it to race in) the Veyron meets all of my criteria for a collectible vehicle.  And as far as standing the test of time well… Look at what vintage Bugatti sales have done. Bugatti, even with an absence in the company’s timeline, has stood the test of time.

With the Veyron being so young, only time can answer the $1,900,000.00 question… What will my ROI look like?

After a short 4 years of production lasting from 1945-1949 only 45 examples of the H.R.G. Aerodynamic model were produced. Three of those being shipped to the US.

This particular Aero model was owned by Florida driver, Phil Stiles. It was raced at Watkins Glen in 1950, and at Palm Beach Shores. After this the car was slightly banged up and the front end was due for a facelift. This is when the fenders were chopped.

Time went on and as with many old race cars, this H.R.G. was in rough shape and was forgotten about. The badly damaged car was found by Gary Ford, its current owner, lying in a farmer’s field in Pennsylvania in the 1970′s. Many years later while discussing the car with Ian Dussek of the HRG Owners Club, it was revealed that this is the very car Ford watched race as a child at Watkins Glen.

The car was recently restored to its current condition. Gary opted to leave the front clip how he saw it last race some 50 years earlier, with the forward sections of the fenders cut off.

The 250GT Comp cars are considered the true forerunners of the series of race cars establishing Ferrari as a major force in Sports Car Racing.

Chassis #0555 accomplished an impressive race history which included seventh overall in the 1957 Mille Miglia, 1st GT in the Targa Florio and numerous winnings as it campaigned through 1961.

Notes From Chris:
So rare and such a beautiful Scaglietti design. On top of that, this may be the only Red over Blue color combo that actually works. Leave it to Ferrari. The car belongs to a collection with several other rare early Ferrari’s. Enjoy the photos!

Delage was founded by Louis Delage in 1905, he started racing in 1906. The victories were many and the Delage reputation was made. In 1929 the most elegant of the Delage line, the D8 series, was introduced to rival Bentley, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta Fraschini, Duesenberg and others; by 1935 Delage faced financial disaster and the company was sold to archrival, Delahaye. The Delage marque lived on until 1953.

Delage also produced some of history’s fastest race cars and the first V-12 racing engine; only Delage and Mercedes-Benz produced cars that dominated Grand Prix racing, won the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, and held the World Land Speed Record.

Only 99 D8S Sports Models were produced between 1929 and 1933, and this car is one of only seventeen existing today. This dramatic coachwork was created by Freestone and Webb, an English coachbuilder noted for attractive bodies on Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars.

Note from Chris:
This car was absolutely magnificent! As you can see every angle boasts a very rich and sophisticated design. One of the pictures below even shows sensual curves in the cars shadows as they hit the ground! I hope you enjoy my pictures-

The 375 MM is powered by a 4.5-liter Lampredi-designed V12 engine resulting in 300 Horsepower.

Bill spear continued to race this car in 1954 winning at the Thomson Raceway and at Watkins Glen where he set the course lap record of 86.6 mph, which still stands today. Spears sold the car in 1955.

The car continued to race until October of 1973 under various owners. Following the October 1973 Watkins Glen Races, owner Ian Gunn brought the car home and put it up on blocks until 2009.

It has never been restored.

Notes from Chris:

As a fan of originality in cars, it was nice to see that this car had never been restored and only mechanically refreshed since brought out of storage in 2009. The car was beautiful to photograph and even more amazing to hear run! Enjoy the photo’s and feel free to comment!

The word “patina” often gets used to justify carelessness in a cars ownership. In my opinion, true patina tells a great story and I can only imagine the scuffs and scratches shown on this 375 MM are worth a thousand words.

Entering the winners circle at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

I’m a pretender. In the show world of pristine category-one cars, I remain an aspirant. I am as my restorer intended me to be — reborn for the open road. But that open road continues to remain elusive. Somehow I have had my head turned by the allure of the Concours. Yes, I ‘m aware of my blemishes, but in my favor, I possess a heritage of respected genes, a number of attractive curves, and good color. Taken together, it seems these attributes go a long way toward leveling the playing field.

It all began innocently enough. Shortly after I was purchased from Slim Wheatley, my restorer, my owners introduced me to the 190 SL Group at its Athens, Georgia, convention in September 2006. I recall my happy surprise when it was announced I had won the “People’s Choice” award. It was  so easy then…no late-night polishing, no pre-show anxiety—just a dusting off and enjoy the show! This would have been the time to drive away, but it was not meant to be.

The following spring, the local chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America hosted a national meet in our sleepy North Carolina town of New Bern. My owners thought this might be fun as many of our N.C. friends had not seen me before, and it was a good excuse for a party. With a heroic effort by Dave Polny of 190 SL Services, I made it to the show field on time with working brakes. This was my first time to be judged, actually, and as I felt those peering critical stares, I began to understand what would later become recognized as full-blown show jitters, a universally felt but universally denied phenomenon. AACA judging, while not as technically stringent as that by the owner-judges of the 190 SL Group, is a great opportunity to get one’s tires wet for the show experience. I have gotten many useful tips and ideas in each of the Club shows I have entered. The AACA has three levels of judging against an objective standard rather than the other cars present and culminates with the Holy Grail of AACA— the Grand National First Prize. But I digress; at the Awards Banquet that evening in New Bern, my owners listened attentively as the 3rd… and 2nd place awards were announced, thinking this was my best chance, but nothing, and then they heard it: “First Place Junior Award to Blueberry.” Well, this was exciting, and my owners began to succumb to the show bug. Talking to a cute red MGA parked next to me that day, I discovered another AACA natoinal meet was to be held the following month in upstate New York. I was registered, loaded into the trailer and primped at our destination.  Another banquet and I had won a First Place Senior. The die was now cast, and I realized a growing dynamic akin to an elephant in the living room. With each award, I was spending less time driving around town checking out other cars. But I was enjoying my new-found status, and more people were visiting my garage to check me out. I was on a high that was to crash too soon.

The Pittsburg Vintage Grand Prix is an annual summer car happening not to be missed. An endless number of sport and collector cars of all marques, each with its own show field, and a road course through the park within sight and sound of the display cars make for an exciting day. From the show line, one could appreciate the revving engines, winding gears and squealing tires as vintage race-prepped cars negotiated the course. A special treat for me was to be in the company of a couple of other 190 SLs. This does not happen with regularity, even at M-B shows. It was good to see the 190 SL of David and June Hay, who a number of years earlier gave my owners their first drive in a sister roadster. It really started as a good day, and I counted more clicking cameras than in any show prior. But it ended all too soon when I overheard a noted M-B restorer, also in the show with a couple of his cars, proclaim to my owner that I would never amount to anything! The shock of it all was like being hit by a Divco Milk Truck. It was a dejected roadster that was hauled back to  Michigan that evening, and the next few days were my darkest since being left to rot before Slim Wheatley rescued me. Fortunately for me, I found support at this key time from Bruce Adams, an important restorer in his own right, and Karl Bekemier, a Pebble Beach veteran. Both of them provided much needed encouragement to continue my show career if I was enjoying it. It was the light of hope that I needed, and I immediately set about my preparations for the 190 SL Group Convention in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Blue Grass horse country of Kentucky, with its winding roads and hills, is a sport-touring car’s joy. The drive the day before the Concours was exhilarating and refreshingly helped clear the ports, but I was aware that my undercarriage was getting dustier with each mile. On return to the convention site, my cover was hastily thrown on, and my owners went off for some human activity. My thought was, “Hello! What is this all about?” I was reassured about 4:00 AM when my owner emerged from the hotel with his detailing bucket, moved me under a parking lot light, and set to cleaning the signs of the prior days drive.

And well he did as later that day, I placed second in Concours just ahead of the Tunis gold roadster of Ron and Lucy Rapp. The day belonged to Dave Preston’s “Strawberry” with Best of Show, but I was happy and felt vindicated from the Pittsburg darkness.

The AACA announced their Grand National Show for 2008 to be held in March at Melbourne, Florida. While a long trip, it would nonetheless be my best opportunity until 2010. We made arrangements, and my humans were accompanied by friends Margery and George Hubbard, restorer of the stunning pearl-mint 190 SL, “My Way.” Every car show has its story aside from the award winners. In this case, it was the threat of a major hail storm heading directly for the show field shortly after noon. We were alerted to this by the sight of a representative of my insurance carrier on a golf cart frantically racing up and down the show lines urging us to flee the field for safety! As if we had any safe place to go! The hail storm never materialized, but the humans were able to fill the local bars earlier than planned. I’m not sure who was happier, the owners or the Hagerty Insurance representative. There was time to finish the judging before the storm threat, and I drove away with my AACA Grand National First Prize. I was happy and enjoyed a new-found confidence because in a period of 19 months, I had done the best that could be expected in my own club, the 190 SL Group, and had won all three major awards of the AACA. I was beginning to wonder what would be next.

Owner Larry Rotta with Blueberry

The Ault Park Concours d’Elegance in Cincinnati is one of the older of the major charity-based Concours. This type of show usually has in its favor a large selection of rare and extremely fine cars, as well as the fact that the ladies dress for a party. Judging spans a wide range between the casual walk-by to the more serious white glove,  some hundred-point inspection. Rarity and uniqueness count for much. My experience is that judges, who do have a daunting task, are basically looking for cars that speak to them. the Ault Park judges fell somewhere in between and spend a few minutes looking me over and asked for a look under my hood. While observing the process, I noted that in our class of 20 or so cars, the judges looked carefully at most of them, including a Healy Silverstone, a 1933 MG in police rig, and a 1954 Corvette roadster. I was in very good company and happy there were no Gullwings in the area. Later in the afternoon, representatives of the awards committee, with their box of blue ribbons, began the stroll down our line. They headed straight for the Silverstone with a “Best in Class” ribbon, passing me by without a glance. After chatting up the people gathered around this cars, they proceeded to three other cars, awarding them additional First Place ribbons, and then left the field. It appeared as though the action was over, and I watched my owner and his grandson head off for the hot dog stand. Shortly after they left and the crowd was thinning, another couple in straw hats stopped in front of me, consulted their clipboard, and ceremoniously stuck a yellow “Award of Distinction” ribbon on my windshield. This was cool, while my owners missed the moment, I didn’t.

I learned something else at Ault Park. It is common at these events for representatives of other shows to be present and looking for noteworthy cars for their own shows. I discovered this when some of us award winners were invited to attend the inaugural Louisville Concours to be held at Churchill Downs in October.

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Not only does his girlfriend adore this car. She has to have it.

NOTE: The human male species has a rather particular weakness to the human female species when the female exhibits excitement toward the automobile.

This puts him in an interesting situation. Endless scenarios are running through his head. It would be simple if the two were married. He buys her the car. Of course any guys insecurity brings out a slightly jealous side. He knows that every man who see’s her driving the Pantera will have Jaw on Floor syndrome. Not only are they lusting after the exotic Italian machine, now there’s a gorgeous brunette saddled into the cockpit and yes, she knows how to drive.

Not even 24 hours pass and she has him back at the Ford dealer listening to her negotiations on the car. She’s buying it and there’s no turning back. His insecurities and concerns immediately disappear. He follows her as she drives her new toy from the dealer to his house. With every acceleration, every turn the car becomes more and more alive. From the outside looking in, he’s fall in love.

Over the summer months a sort of love triangle develops and before he knows it, he’s engaged to her. The Pantera is like a pet that goes everywhere with them. It’s a part of their life story together and it will be for decades. It’s her daily driver and as time goes on, though other cars have come and gone and the Pantera spends more time in the garage then on the road, it’s still there. It always has been and that won’t change.

Driving the Pantera is still a pleasure but even simple tasks like parking at the grocery store have become a chore. The car attracts such a crowd that she sometimes wishes she could disappear to a back country road to rekindle the fire they once had for eachother.

As life moves along the Pantera moves out to the storage shed where it will stay for quite some time. It happens to the best of them. Suddenly the old saying “Out of sight, out of mind” becomes true and the car see’s less and less daylight. Those sweet memories of falling in love and the car that built a lifelong bond between a young man and woman will never fade. But the Pantera’s paint on the other hand, shows its age. It has aged well, it has been loved, it has been maintained and it peacefully awaits the day it will see the road again.

The once strong and youthful man hasn’t aged quite as well as the Pantera. His health is fragile and after a short battle with cancer his time on earth has passed. The widows tears fall as she looks through old pictures and journal entries about the Pantera. Nearly 15 years have passed and what would have been a monumental anniversary is just weeks away.

Through a friend at her church, the widow learns of a young man who is an ace mechanic and has the same passion she once had for De Tomaso automobiles. Within a day the young man is looking the car over and she kindly grants him the noble task of making it road worthy. Though she doesn’t have much interest in driving the car she asks the young man to bring it back to life, and allow people to enjoy its beauty once again.

He does just that. Leaving the car as original as possible the young man fixes or updates only the things that need it and lovingly tours with the old Italian girl.

That very car is the green Pantera shown in the photo’s accompanying this story.

Happy Motoring~