But first, we'd like to reach out to our usual reader demographic here at the ol' Patio Boat, beagle haiku fans:
Katie the Beagle
Thinks a supercar ride would
Surely make her carsick.
Outside the entry to the Concours, we saw quite a few vehicles that had been in the previous day's RM collector car auction:
Did I say collector cars? Make that collector vehicles. This Chris-Craft was sweeeeet.
1933 Marmon Sixteen Five-Passenger Sedan by LeBaron: sold for $330,000.
Detail from a 1927 Pierce-Arrow Series 36 Three-Passenger Doctor Coupe: sold for $66,000.
On further reflection, we liked this Caddy, too.
We couldn't afford the whole Studebaker. How about just the symbol?
I'll take them all! Um ... you better throw in the tent, too. There's barely room for one little MGB in our garage at home.
Okay, on to the front gate!
This cool little covered-body motorcycle was just outside the gate. I have no idea what it was, but it sure was shiny.
In honor of the Concours's "Great Race" grouping (watch this space for a near-future blog post) the Concours had the two main vehicles from the 1965 movie The Great Race, the Leslie Special (top) and Professor Fate's Hannibal 8 (bottom) on display at the opening. The movie hasn't really held up well over time, but it did inspire a tremendous event, The Great Race time-and-distance classic car rally, an event that takes dozens of pre-1969 cars -- many of them from before World War II -- on a rally route that sometimes stretches as far as all the way across the country.
I managed to catch The Great Race a couple of years ago when they racers stopped in Ypsilanti for lunch on their way all the way around the Great Lakes. This year's Great Race drove the length of the Mississipi. Next year they're going from Maine to Florida. I think it'd be a lot of fun to give it a go one of these years. Alas that my 1976 MGB is far too new to participate. I'm sure Monique will understand when I explain why I have to clear out more room in the garage for a truly ancient car.
Say hello to Henry and Malcolm.
Say goodbye to Henry and Malcolm. Our leisurely pace did not suit the teenage inspection tour de Concours.
A display Indy Car for the Detroit Grand Prix.
1940 Indian Sport Scout motorcycle.
Dodge Ram radiator cap.
And now, some Corvettes....
The first-generation Corvette, the C1.
A classic C2 mid-60s coupe. We'll get to visit an entire Concours class of these in a future post because it's the 50th anniversary of the release of the 1963 split-window coupe.
A late 60s or early 70s C3 convertible Stingray, the swoopiest of all the Vettes.
Off to the side, the poor little unloved and kinda wedgy C4 Corvette. Really, Chevrolet, what made you look at a Triumph TR7 and say, "Hey, that's the look we need for our next Vette!" (Actually, I really do like some of these, but Monique is pretty firmly opposed to ever seeing one in our driveway on the grounds of ... well, sheer wedginess, I reckon.)
C5 Corvette, the return of some swoopiness.
This Corvette race car is from the most recent generation of Corvettes, the C6.
The newest of Corvette generations, the 2014 Stingray C7. For some reason these always look better to me in person than in photos. It sits high on the list of "cars I'll probably buy after I win the big prize in Powerball."
Speaking of cars that involve Powerball-scale money, next up we have the Supercars!
The rear view seemed appropriate, since you'll only ever see most of these pulling away from you at a great rate of speed.
2012 McLaren MP4-12C Coupe.
2014 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. If you need to get ice cream home quickly from the grocery store so that it doesn't melt, this would be a good choice. It goes from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds.
This one came close to securing Malcolm and Henry's "People's Choice" vote. My favorite part about looking at this car was when Monique asked why those windows on the back weren't closed, and I explained that they weren't windows, they were engine vents made out of glass so that everybody can see your engine. She thought I was pulling her leg. The mystical appeal of supercars remains lost on my beloved wife.
2012 Lotus Evora S.
An old-school supercar, a 1986 Lamborghini Jalpa 2 Door Targa: assembled by cavemen using flint knives and bearskins, it could only manage 0-100 kph (62 mph) in a laggardly six seconds, as measured by sundial. I tried explaining to Henry and Malcolm that this was the hot car when I was in college, but they sadly just shook their heads as if I was explaining the pressure gauge on a Stanley Steamer.
2014 Jaguar F-Type. I think I need to figure out a way to weasel a test drive in one of these.
2014 Chrysler SRT Viper TA. A spin in one of these would be okay, too.
2014 Aston-Martin Vanquish. I'm not sure the photos really captured it, but this is a great looking car.
2013 Falcon F7.
Porsche 997 Turbo Cabrio.
Ferraris.
Jaguar E-Type coupe. This was just set up in some catering tent near the supercars. These are beautiful. I wonder if I can get one delivered as a side dish for a tray of ziti.
A Lingenfelter custom Corvette. This has the looks of a '66 Vette on a modern Corvette frame.
And finally, a 2008 Lamborghini Reventon Coupe. This was number 12 of a 20-vehicle production run. It has a 661 hp V12 engine, does 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, and has a top speed of 211 mph.
If you're wondering what car collected Malcolm and Henry's vote for the "People's Choice" award, this is it. Malcolm and Henry don't drive yet, but when they do eventually get their licenses we expect them to drive very, very fast.
Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm glad you've covered the flat, road hugging beasts of the show and can now move on to the more stately cars at this year's Concours, not to mention the funny and the funky ones.