Media | New England Auto Museum

11 Jan

The 2019 Amelia Concours Will Honor Indy’s Revolutionary Innovations on March 10th

1926 Miller 91ci Front Drive – Photo courtesy of The Brumos Collection

Article Courtesy Chris Brewer, Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Jacksonville, FL – On the 110 th anniversary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the
24 th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will celebrate the brilliant and radical ideas and the ground breaking cars that helped revolutionize America’s great race.

From its earliest days, the “500” was the cradle of innovation and the nursery of famous, sometimes obscure and occasionally infamous cars that drove the Indy 500 to become not just “the greatest spectacle in racing” but the most important auto race in the world.

Speed has always been the ultimate goal and the defining virtue of the cars that raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indy’s ceaseless technological innovations dated to the days before World War I when a Grand Prix Peugeot showed the sport the way forward with its seminal high-revving DOHC four-valve engine. It ended the age of the behemoth, bringing science and fresh technology to Indy’s pursuit of speed.

1968 Lotus 56 Indy Turbine- Photo courtesy of the Bruce Linsmeyer Collection

The brilliant and revolutionary Peugeot begat the exquisite Millers and the mighty Offenhauser that reigned at Indy from 1935, finally surrendering its crown after its 28th “500” victory in 1976. Across three decades — 1931 through 1952 — Diesel power, as epitomized by the 1934 Cummins 2-stroke Diesel defied and defeated not only Indy convention but draconian fuel consumption rules in 1934. Cummins Diesel power went on to claim Indy’s coveted pole position in 1952.

By then the “500” had changed speed, shape and style through the Miller front wheel drive era of the 1920s through 1949, the birth of the Roadster in 1952, the rear engine invasion of the 1960s with the introduction of Formula 1 technology and the arrival of Formula 1 World Champions Cooper and Lotus. Ground effects arrived at Indy from Formula 1 in 1979 and, as in 1961, everything changed with speeds climbing steeply.

Some innovations came along too far, too fast turning Indy’s engineering and design orthodoxy inside out. Turbine engines twice came close to Indy’s victory lane, none with more engineering flair than the Lotus four-wheel-drive Type 56 that, in 1968, retired from the lead less than 23 miles from the richest payday in motorsport. A year after Jim Hall’s Chaparral 2K became the first Indy 500 ground effects winner, Dan Gurney’s radical stock-block Chevy V-8 Eagle BLAT — Boundary Layer Adhesion Technology — blew established ground effects doctrine apart, started from the front row of the “500”, and a week later won the Milwaukee 150-miler from that last row. It was promptly legislated out of existence.

Al Unser Jr. drives the Penske-Mercedes PC 23 to victory at Indy in 1964 –
Photo courtesy of Daimler-Mercedes-Benz

Indy’s radical game changers got their ultimate revenge a quarter century ago when a new rulebook was written to lure major car manufacturers to the “500” with generous specifications for turbocharged stock block pushrod engines. Penske Racing’s brain trust read those rules with extraordinary care and the Penske-Mercedes PC 23 powered by the mega-horsepower Mercedes-Benz 500I V-8 was the result. It was such a leap that the 1,000-plus horsepower Mercedes 500I “pushrod” turbo V-8 became known as “The Beast”. It dominated the entire “Month of May”, upset Indy’s status quo and was, as the turbines and Dan Gurney’s BLAT Eagle before it, promptly banned.

To those who live for Indy’s Month of May, the “500” is the one race worth any cost. As race car technology advances the sanctioning bodies in some forms of motorsport have struggled to reduce speeds and expense in the name of fairness, economy and competition. To many of the brilliant, brave and creative people who design, build and drive Indy Cars such behavior is a kind of perverse technological sacrilege that is at odds with the vision of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s founders, the thousands who have raced there and the millions who, across two centuries, have cheered them at “the greatest spectacle in racing.”

Tickets for the 24th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance are available online.

Special event tickets, including Thursday’s Guardians of Porsche Wine Dinner and Sunday’s Club Amelia, are selling quickly.

For more info and to purchase tickets visit, https://www.ameliaconcours.org/shop/tickets

About The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

THE AMELIA will be held March 7-10, 2019 at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and The Golf Club of Amelia Island. For the Amelia’s full events schedule, including Saturday’s Cars & Coffee at the Concours and Sunday’s premier Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, visit www.ameliaconcours.org . The show’s Foundation has donated over $3.45 million to Community Hospice & Palliative Care and other charities on Florida’s First Coast since its inception in 1996.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance| 904-636-0027 | E-mail | Website

am194 am195

18 Dec

Tim Considine’s epic Le Mans treatise leads the field in Christmas book recommendations

“Yanks at Le Mans” details every American who raced there between 1923 and 1979. Here, Tony Adamowicz swings his and Sam Posey’s 512 M through Tertre Rouge in 1971. Unable to match the dominant Porsches and not even in the fastest Ferrari, “Tony A-Z” and Posey would put in a gritty performance to carry their increasingly crippled NART Ferrari to a podium finish
Photo by RAINER SCHLEGELMILCH

It won’t be out till 2019, but order it anyway. Other books, too.

Courtesy Mark Vaughn, West Coast Editor, Autoweek

What would make the eyeballs of your car- and race-loving special person light right up on Christmas morning? One of these here books, that’s what. Imagine the look of delirious joy that will smack his or her grille when they unwrap something as interesting and car-worthy as one of these? Except for maybe the Le Mans book, which won’t be out until next year. But you can put a little card saying it’s in the mail.

Twice Around the Clock: Yanks at Le Mans by Tim Considine

From the first Model T at the first running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there have always been Americans present in one capacity or another. Now, finally, their stories are told, in glorious, intricate detail by author — and sometime Autoweek contributor and famed motorsports journalist — Tim Considine. He poured 28 years of his life into this book: writing, researching and interviewing the American drivers, team owners and crew members who raced at Le Mans over almost six decades. Considine covers the years 1923 to 1979, and if there’s anything not in here, it probably didn’t happen. But what did happen is a cavalcade of riveting race reporting, wonderful anecdotes and hundreds of interesting stories I guarantee you won’t find anywhere else.

All your favorites are in it: Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Carroll Shelby, Bob Bondurant — even Roger Penske, who co-drove a Luigi-Chinetti-entered Ferrari with Pedro Rodriguez and who was running third up until he missed a shift coming out of Mulsanne Corner and blew the engine. “Bonnier was behind me in a (Porsche) Spyder, and with all the smoke, he went off into the trees and wrecked. I remember, he was mad as hell at me.”

Surprise winners Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt on the podium, their win in Chinetti’s Ferrari 275 LM likely because some gripless experimental Goodyear tires, changed every hour, saved them from the transmission weakness of similar Ferraris that year. Photo by LAT

There are more stories.

In 1965, when Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt were paired in Luigi Chinetti’s Ferrari 275 LM, the car was shod with gripless experimental Goodyear tires that had to be changed every hour. This wound up saving them from the transmission weakness of similar Ferraris that year and lead to them winning the race. But was there a third driver (which would have disqualified them?). Considine investigated, but the controversy endures to this day.

“It’s all about the stories,” said Considine. “It’s hard to choose, but I think my favorite pull quote of all was from a dentist, Dr. Edwin Abate, an amateur from San Jose who paid 25 large to drive one of Barbour’s rent-a-ride Porsche 935s in 1979, the P.L. Newman/Whittington brothers year. Big rains in a 935 at Le Mans!

“Abate said, ‘I remember going down the Mulsanne, with the one wiper going, and lightning going off down at the end of the Mulsanne. I said to myself, ‘Dear Mother Mary, if I get killed here, that’s it … I can’t help it, I really love it here, it’s magnificent!’ He looped it in practice, slid off near the end of the race, but finished eighth overall and second in the IMSA class won by Newman. The magic of Le Mans.”

The Mulsanne Corner crew, The vaunted Cunningham team’s unconventional signaling pit crew – 16-year old self-described “military brats” sent on scooters in response to a request to the Paris embassy for help . Photo by Terry Andrews

My own favorite story is one year when Briggs Cunningham needed a team of signal workers to man the Mulsanne corner signboards. Someone called the U.S. embassy in Paris — because why not? — got patched through to the Embassy Transportation Officer, a known racing enthusiast, who called his teenage American son. “Round up four of your friends, you’re going to Le Mans!” They got there on Vespa scooters, found the Cunningham team, got the signboard and scootered out to the Mulsanne corner. The boys’ story is told in sleepless detail, including one of the youth’s romance with a French local. Considine tracked down one of the boys — now men — somewhere in South America, got previously unpublished photos and gave the episode a whole page in Volume 1.

Yes, Volume 1. There are three volumes, all three of which slip into a single case that will make any bookshelf the envy of motorsports enthusiasts everywhere. At $350, this ain’t cheap, but for that, you get three big books, 925 photos, over 1000 pages, a million stories and 28 years of Considine’s life. I guarantee it is supremely worth it. Buy it here.

Other books:

50/50 The Story of Champion Race Car Driver John Paul Jr. and His Battle With Huntington’s Disease, By John Paul Jr. and Sylvia Wilkinson

Already reviewed here, the book deserves another mention because of John Paul Jr.’s remarkable story. Born with a 50/50 chance of getting the terrible disease that claimed his grandmother, mother and sister, JP started exhibiting symptoms in 2000. Advances in treatment, combined with JP Jr.’s incredible will, have kept him alive. You can’t help but think that he will overcome this just like he overcame challenges on the racetrack and in jail, where he served time for complicity in his father’s drug dealing that financed the pair’s racing for several years. There is an awful lot packed into this one life and one book. Buy it here.

The Prototype by Sam Mitani

Full disclosure: I know and like Sam Mitani. We have both worked at car magazines our entire adult lives. Fuller disclosure: I am a character in the book: the thinly disguised “Mark Taylor of Auto News Weekly.” (Ha!) The book is a spy thriller set in the high-shrimp-and-fois-gras world of pampered car magazine writers, which is in itself kind of hilarious, at least to me. The protagonist is a low-seniority magazine staff member who stumbles into an international criminal conspiracy. It’s a fully functional spy thriller with fast cars, a couple private jets and several beautiful PR professionals. Yes, this is the life I/we lead. You’ll be drawn in by the plot and you’ll even stick with it as it gets progressively farther out there, including the surprise ending. And you might even get a kick out of the insider petty politics of some car magazines (not this one!). I hope they make a movie out of it. I want Redford to play me. No, he’s too old. Maybe Brad Pitt. Buy it here.

The Amazing Adventures of Stroker McGurk – Comic by Tom Medley

If you are a hot rodder of a certain age, you remember the work of Hot Rod cartoonist Tom Medley and his goofy but intrepid main character Stroker McGurk. Stroker comics appeared in Hot Rod from 1948 to 1965 and this book has all 70+ of them. See Medley’s presentation of motorsports innovations like the multi-engined lakes racer and the parachute used to slow the car that worked a little too well. McGurk never gave up, even when maybe he should have. At only $14.95 each, you can buy one of these for every hot rodder on your list. Buy it here.

Pete Brock’s P70

The Road to Modena: Origins and history of the Shelby-DeTomaso P70 Can-Am Sports Racer by Peter Brock

When Pete Brock himself hands you a copy of his latest book to read, you read it. Thus, at the Art Center College of Design’s annual Car Classic, I saw not only the book but the car it was about. Both were stunning. The car looks beautiful even today, 50 years after it was created. You might not have heard of it because it never ran a lap in a race. Blame the gigantic egos of Carroll Shelby and Alejandro de Tomaso. Had they gotten couples counseling and been able to work things out, the P70 would have taken its place among the Lolas, Coopers, Brabhams, McLarens and Chaparrals of its day. This is the story of what happened. Buy it here.

Classic Car Auction Yearbook 2017-2018 by Adolfo Orsi and Raffaele Gazzi This annual publication started 25 years ago and rounds up the global auction action from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. Total sales of classic cars in that time topped $1.2 billion (or 1 billion Euros or 900 million English pounds). Leading the world by far are U.S. auction sales at $764 million (the UK is a far-distant second at $148 million so, USA! USA! USA!). Such are the stats you get with this stat-dense book. Look up your favorite model and see what it went for: A Lancia Appia topped $8000 at Bonhams Goodwood sale. So there’s hope for us all. Buy the book here.

Other books we haven’t read but which look promising enough that we’ll list them anyway:

Car Stories: Down the Road and Back by David Fetherston is a collection of auto-related tales by this lifetime automotive writer and publisher, gathered from years of driving in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and the U.S.A. over the last 50 years. Buy it here.

Legacy of Justice: An American Family Story is about the Justice Brothers, Ed, Zeke and Gus, and the lubricant company of the same name that sponsors race cars around the world.

Stardust International Raceway: Motorsports Meet the Mob in Vegas, 1965-1971 Who knew there was this competent road course and drag strip out in Vegas 50 years ago?

Goldenrod: The Resurrection of America’s Speed King is the story of the restoration of the famous land speed race car built by the Summers brothers to set the wheel-driven land speed record that would not be broken for 25 years.

So there, saved you a bunch of shopping. Merry Christmas!

Mark Vaughn – West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn covers all car things west of the Mississippi from his Autoweek lair high above the LA metropolis.

28 Nov

Amelia Island Concours to Salute Jaguar XK120 70th Anniversary in March 2019

Amelia Island, Fla. – It was done in haste. It was to be an alluring delivery system to introduce Jaguar’s brilliant new XK engine intended to power the substantial Jaguar Mk VII luxury sedan.

But the Mk VII wasn’t ready, so Jaguar Chief William Lyons and his men created a quick solution. They shaped it on a shortened Mk VII chassis, painted it bronze, named it the “Open Two-Seat Super Sports” and took it to the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show just to show off their new XK engine.

Yet the elegant new engine that brimmed with twin-cam competition-bred sophistication played a supporting role when Jaguar’s “Open Two-Seat Super Sports” took to the Earls Court stage and stole the show.

amelia_19_2 This year marks the 70th anniversary of the speed record and the first race victory that set the Jaguar XK120’s course and gave it its immortal name.

On a super highway in Belgium the new Jaguar (with full windshield and top erected) recorded a top speed of 126.448 mph. With the windshield and top removed it was timed at 132.6 mph. The XK120 became “the fastest production car in the world” eclipsing the existing record by over 22 mph.

Perhaps the XK120’s most impressive number was the price tag: for 1,000 Pounds Sterling one could own the fastest production car in the world. The XK120 had no equal on the road or in the showroom, standing alone atop a short list of aspirational cars.

Clark Gable told Jaguar Chief William Lyons he wanted the XK120 “. . . like a child wants candy.”
Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover Limited

No one was immune to the XK120’s charms. Clark Gable got the first one to arrive in the United States. Then Gable had the legendary George Barris customize his second XK120 so he could drive in greater comfort.
Gable’s Barris-customized XK120 will be the “Hollywood Star” of the 2019 Amelia’s Jaguar XK120 class. The display will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the XK120’s coronation as the record-setting “fastest production car in the world.”

Al Keller’s XK120, winner of the 1954 Linden, NJ NASCAR road race
Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover Limited

The XK120’s competition record is as eclectic as it is deep. The record-setting XK120 was converted to right-hand drive. The car then raced to the type’s first victory, winning the Silverstone One-Hour Production Car Race. Future World Champion Phil Hill won the first Pebble Beach Cup with an XK120 in 1950. Jaguar XK-power won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times in seven years from 1951 through 1957. In 1954, Al Keller’s XK120 coupe won the NASCAR road race at the Linden, NJ airport!

“Jaguar’s XK120 is a landmark car. It was the first sports car I ever rode in,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “I was just a kid but the smell of the leather and the wood has stayed with me. The XK120 is simply unforgettable.”

Now in its third decade, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is among the top automotive events in the world. Always held the second full weekend in March, “The Amelia” draws more than 300 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. The 24th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 8-10, 2019. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org

Courtesy Vintage Road & Racecar Staff and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

09 Oct

Porsche 962 to be honored at Amelia Island Concours in March, 2019

The Amelia Island Concours will celebrate the car’s 35th anniversary in 2019

Amelia Island, Fla. – Racing is in Porsche’s blood and over the past 70 years the German sports car manufacturer has created some incredible racers; the 904, 917 and GT1 to name but a few. However, one of its creations stands as one of the most successful in all of motorsport and will be celebrated at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours. That car is, of course, the Porsche 962.

Next year the Porsche 962 will be 35 years-old, hard to believe when it still looks the part today. The 24th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is to honor the prototype racing car that dominated America’s IMSA series. In that formula, the 962 won no less than 54 races with 1985 being its golden year, taking the top step at every event bar one. The 962 also won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hour race three times.

The 962 was born out of necessity as the Group C Porsche 956, that had won Le Mans in 1982, did not comply with IMSA safety regulations. This issue led Porsche to evolve the design of its first monocoque racer and create the compliant 962. When international rules changed in 1985, the 962C ended up replacing the 956 globally.

962-2

Porsche’s 962 was ahead of its time with its extensive use of ground effects, something that kept it competitive for an unusually long period. Star drivers such as Mario Andretti and his son Michael, Indy 500 winner Al Unser and his son Al Jr., Derek Bell, and AJ Foyt have all claimed victory behind the wheel of a 962.

An amazing fact is that with victory at Le Mans as well as Daytona in 1986 and ’87, the 962 had technically been undefeated in 96 hours of endurance racing. Between its first IMSA win in 1984 and the final competitive victory in 1999, Porsche’s 962 tallied 142 victories and won 35 international championships.

About The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Now in its third decade, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is among the top automotive events in the world. Always held the second full weekend in March, “The Amelia” draws more than 300 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island and the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. The 24th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 8-10, 2019. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

Courtesy Tyler Heatley, autoclassics.com

14 Aug

Lime Rock Park Historic Festival’s Honored Guest Brings $40M Bugatti

Peter Mullin to be the Honored Guest & Collector at Historic Festival 36, Bringing With Him the Fabled “World’s Most Expensive Car”

1936 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic famous as “World’s Most Expensive Car”

LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Sunday in the Park Concours d’Elegance and the Gathering of the Marques, to be held on Sept. 2, 2018, as part of Lime Rock Park’s 36th annual Historic Festival, will be one of the largest showing of motorcars in the Northeast. According to organizers, more than 1,000 motorcars and motorcycles are expected to be showcased along the 1.5-mile Lime Rock Park track, including more than 50 Bugattis—a record setting amount.

Held over Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 30 – Sept. 3, 2018, the festival is the only North American classic car race and concours held in the same location. Historic Festival Chairman Murray Smith explained, “No other event in the U.S. combines a first-class Concours d’Elegance with quality vintage competition on the same property, all on the same weekend. This year, the registrations have been impressive and we fully expect to have over 1,000 vehicles on display.”

Sunday in the Park is segmented into two parts: the Concours d’ Elegance, a showcase of nearly 300 outstanding and rare entries that will be judged with class winners honored during an award ceremony, and the Gathering of the Marques with 800-plus vintage and historic cars of all types.

Peter W. Mullin, the American businessman and philanthropist, will be the honored guest and collector for the Historic Festival 36. Mullin is the founder of the M Financial Group and chairman of its subsidiary, M Financial Holdings. Additionally, he serves as the chairman of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial. He is the founder and patron of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.

Peter was born in South Pasadena, California near Los Angeles, California, and after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, he founded Mullin Consulting in Downtown Los Angeles in 1969. He served as its chief executive officer until 2003 and as its chairman until 2006.

Mullin co-founded the M Financial Group with Mark Solomon, Carl Mammel, and Eli Morgan in 1978. He serves as the chairman of its subsidiary, M Financial Holdings. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it offers life insurance and other financial services to “the ultra-affluent and corporate markets.”

An avid car collector, Mullin established the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, in 2010. Additionally, he serves as the president of the American Bugatti Club. He is also a member of the Bugatti Trust.

1936 Bugatti Type 43 Roadster

As well as being Honored Guest and Collector, Mullin will be racing one of his Bugatti’s during the Bugatti Grand Prix portion of the Festival and will be bringing with him four show cars, including Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic – which was described as “the world’s most expensive car” in 2010 when it was purchased by Mullin. The $30 to $40 million dollar car was purchased by Mullin in 2010 and is on display at the Petersen Museum in California.

Additional multimillion-dollar Bugattis featured at Sunday in the Park will include the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Gangloff Drop Head Coupe from the Ralph Lauren collection as well as the Type 59 Grand Prix Bugatti of Greg Manocherian. “These Bugatti’s will be making rare and much-anticipated appearances,” Smith said.

More information about Peter Mullin will be found in The Daily Rev, the program guide available during the Historic Fest. Learn more about Lime Rock Park’s at Historic Festival 36.

1931 Bugatti Type 49

To read more about Peter Mullins’ Bugatti’s to be featured at Historic Festival 36, upload this document overview of each vehicle.

Courtesy Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 36

27 Jul

Teens Turning Wrenches – Summer Auto Technology Program at Brian McMahon H.S.

By Robert Koch, Norwalk Hour

Norwalk, Conn. — Learning has been a hands-on experience for a dozen incoming freshmen enrolled in a summer automotive technology course at Brien McMahon High School.

“I’ve always liked cars,” said student Dalia Fouquart. “I’ve learned about the engine of a car and the parts in the engine. It’s nice I get some hands-on activity. I’m actually building an engine here.”

New England Auto Museum partnered with BMHS to offer the summer enrichment course, which began July 3 and wrapped up on July 25.

“One of our main focuses is education,” said Michael Scheidel, NEAM founder. “And with the dire need for mechanics and hands-on people of all disciplines in the automotive industry, it makes sense.”

The course is part of an overall high school transition program for arriving freshmen, provided by the Carver Foundation and Norwalk Public Schools. The classes are co-sponsored by Norwalk-based Black Bridge Motors, and conducted by Black Bridge owner Scott Gilbert and chief mechanic Stan Diguiseppi Jr. in the former auto shop classroom at BMHS.

Scott Gilbert and Stan Diguiseppi Jr. talking to BMHS students about the importance of the mechanic’s toolbox at Black Bridge Motors’ shop in South Norwalk

Students enrolled in the four-week course have met three times a week. Each student has assembled a plastic, scale model V-8 engine — provided by NEAM — and learned about the engine block, crankshaft, heads, pistons and other components.

“They’re going to get plenty of any academic focus through the traditional high school system,” said Gilbert, also interim CEO/president of NEAM. “What we wanted to do is provide a hands-on experience where they’re actually tangibly building something from start to finish and also layering on an academic blanket on top of that.”

Coursework is supplemented by guest speakers from the automobile business talking to the students about career paths and job opportunities.

The students recently visited Black Bridge Motors’ shop in South Norwalk to see actual cars under restoration. Before completing the course, each student will have given a presentation showing what he or she has learned.

BMHS Auto Technology class student admiring Black Bridge Motor’s shop truck equipped with a 550 hp Corvette LT-1 power plant

On a recent afternoon, they stepped outside of the classroom of BMHS to view a sleek dark blue 1965 Shelby Daytona replica owned by Mark Schlegel of Norwalk. Schlegel, president of Rallye For Pancreatic Cancer, Inc., walked them through the origin of the classic race car designed to compete with European Ferraris.

“The whole concept of the car was to beat Ferrari at their own game (on) the longer tracks of Europe where they were much faster instead of the short courses that were here in America,” Schlegel said.

And that the Shelby Daytona did, winning the International Automobile Federation’s World SportsCar Championship in 1965.

Mikhail Moss, a student in the summer enrichment course, admired the car’s colors, lines and rear spoiler after stepping out of the driver’s seat. The summer course has given him and the other students a formal understanding of how automobiles work.

“Basically, I like cars and I just wanted to see how these engines work,” Moss said. Beforehand “I really knew nothing.”

BMHS Auto Technology class students get to sit in a vintage Nash Metropolitan recently upgraded with a modern Mazda Miata engine

BMHS Principal Scott Hurwitz said the school hadn’t used its auto shop for automotive learning for at least 15 years. That now has changed. He plans to bring the course back as part of next year’s summer enrichment program while looking for opportunities to expand automotive learning into the regular school year.

“What I’d really love to do is to look how we can keep the relationship during the school year,” Hurwitz said. “I don’t know how that would look, but definitely getting students down to Black Bridge Motors to see what they do. It’s a vision of a potential future career path that they maybe don’t even know exits.”

Black Bridge Motors and New England Auto Museum will be available to provide help. The museum is eyeing several Norwalk locations, including part of the large office building at 25 Van Zant St., as its future home.

Article reproduced by permission

23 Jun

NEAM Father’s Day Car Show Award Winners 2018

Here is a list of the big winners from our 4th Annual Father’s Day Car Show. Many thanks to our wonderful Sponsors, Show Entrants, Spectators, Vendors and Volunteers for another successful show! Mark your calendars for our 5th Annual Event next year: Father’s Day, June 16, 2019.

People’s Choice Award
– First Place ’54 Kaiser-Darrin, Courtney Fischer, Pray Auto Body
– Runner Up ’57 Chevrolet Corvette, Harvey Wagner

New England Auto Museum Award – Favorite in Show
’36 Ford Sedan Delivery, Bill Limber

Mayor’s Trophy – selected by Harry Rilling
’54 Kaiser-Darrin, Courtney Fischer, Pray Auto Body

Malcom S. Pray Jr. Award – Favorite Classic Car
’20 Stutz Bearcat, George Dragone

Bob Sharp Award – Most Fun to Drive
’23 Ford Model T, Alan Kaczegowicz

James Melton Award – selected by George Dragone
’37 Ford Fordor, Vinnie Pousada

Lime Rock Award – Favorite Race Car
’65 Shelby Daytona, Mark Schlegel

BMW of Darien Award – Favorite BMW
’02 BMW Dinan 540i, Nick Ord

CT Seaport Club Award – Favorite Preservation Car
’59 Cadillac Series 62, Anthony Gaglio

Garavel CJDR – Favorite Viper
’08 Viper SRT 10, Travis Kelly

Hagerty Award – Car That Matters
’65 Pontiac GTO, George Klitsch

NE Racing Fuels Award – Favorite Track Car
“Alley Oop” Dragster, Bobby Schlegel

Automotive Restorations Award – Favorite Restored Car
’68 Mercury Cougar XR7, Mike & Beth Peters

Black Bridge Motors – Favorite Re-Imagined Car
’36 Ford Fordor, Ray Semintini

Ord Family Award – Favorite British Car
’72 Lotus Europa TC, Simon Wilson-Taylor

Coachmen Car Club Trophy – Favorite Rod or Custom Car
’66 Chevrolet Chevelle, Joe Kish

Mayor’s Trophy, Jerry Cotrone accepting for Courtney Fischer

Fav BMW, Nick Ord accepting from Angel Fuentes & son from BMW of
Darien

Fav Track Car, Bobby Schlegel

Fav British, Simon Wilson-Taylor & daughter

Favorite British Car, Simon Wilson-Taylor & daughter

CT Seaport Club Award, Anthony Giglio

Fun to Drive, Alan Kaczegowicz & Jean Kremer representing SHU
Interns

Coachmen Car Club Trophy, Joe Kish

Favorite Classic Car , George Dragone

Hagerty Award, George Klitsch

James Melton Award, Joe Pousada

Favorite Race Car, Mark Schlegel

Favorite in Show, Bill Limber

Favorite Restored Car, Beth Peters

Peoples Choice Runner Up, Harvey Wagner

Peoples Choice 1st Place, Jerry Cotrone for Courtney Fischer

10 May

Rare ’54 Kaiser Darrin Sports Car to be featured at Father’s Day Car Show in Norwalk June 17th

Photos Dan Jedlicka

Norwalk, Conn. From the collection of the late Malcolm Pray, a rare 1954 Kaiser Darrin sports car will be featured at the 4th Annual Father’s Day Car Show at Matthews Park in Norwalk on Sunday June 17th from 10am to 3pm.

The Kaiser Darrin, also known as the DKF 161 or in short as the Darrin, was an American sports car designed by Howard “Dutch” Darrin and built by Kaiser Motors in 1954. Essentially a revamp of Kaiser’s Henry J compact, the Kaiser Darrin was one of its designer’s final achievements and was noted for being the first American car equipped with a fiberglass body and doors that slid on tracks into the front fender wells. The car was named both for Henry J. Kaiser, head of Kaiser Motors, and Darrin.

The Darrin was conceived as part of a movement in Detroit to compete head-to-head with European roadsters being imported to and sold in the United States in the post–World War II period. Among other products developed were the Ford Thunderbird in its initial two-seat form and Chevrolet Corvette. While the Darrin was designed attractively, it was also underpowered and, while a good performer overall, did not measure up to foreign vehicles such as the Nash-Healey or Triumph TR2. The Darrin’s high price tag, lack of consumer confidence in Kaiser’s viability and practical challenges with the car’s design resulted in low sales, though sports cars at the time were generally not fast sellers.

Only 435 production Darrin’s and six prototypes were built. Crumbling corporate finances, pending loss of assembly facilities and a freak snowstorm that reportedly ruined 50 of the cars all conspired to terminate the program. Darrin bought those 50 vehicles and whatever others Kaiser had left in storage and sold those from his Hollywood, California showroom. Many of the cars’ engines were retrofitted with superchargers and multiple carburation to improve performance. Six were re-engined with Cadillac Eldorado V-8 units; one of these was reportedly raced.

Innovations included sliding entry doors and padded dashboard

Along with Darrin’s trademark fender line, the Kaiser Darrin had entry doors that, instead of being hinged to open outward, slid on tracks into the front fender wells behind the front wheels. Fueled by Darrin’s dislike for conventional doors, the designer had taken out a patent on the sliding auto door concept in 1946. To keep the door assembly as simple as possible, no side windows were built into them. The car was equipped with a three-position Landau top, which was also considered novel, and the design on the whole considered by industry critics and writers as beautifully proportioned. The only flaw was considered the car’s front grille. High and shell-shaped, it looked as though the automobile “wanted to give you a kiss,” as one writer commented.

The Father’s Day event will be held from 10AM-3PM and will offer lots of unique cars to view. Admission to the event is free to spectators; a donation will be encouraged and proceeds will go towards the New England Auto Museum’s building and education funds. The New England Auto Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Come out and enjoy an afternoon of classic cars in all shapes and sizes, talk with the owners, be a judge and select your favorite car, grab a bite to eat and even visit the Stepping Stones Children’s Museum and the historic Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, right next door. It’s a great afternoon for Dad and the whole family!

darrin4

28 Apr

Four Hands on the Wheel: An Exclusive Screening presented by NEAM

Proceeds to benefit New England Auto Museum

The story of the legendary winning partnership
between Mark Donohue & Roger Penske

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:45pm

Buy Tickets

VIP Ticket Bundle

On the 50th Anniversary of Mark Donohue’s unprecedented 1968 eight-win Trans-Am Championship season, New England Auto Museum is hosting an evening motorsports enthusiasts won’t want to miss!

This captivating 47-minute 1969 film chronicles the very special relationship between Roger Penske and Mark Donohue, arguably one of the most successful pairings in motorsports history. The film features rare footage of both Penske and Donohue behind the wheel in a wide variety of legendary machines including the Zerex Special, Corvette Grand Sport and Chaparral as well as Penske Racing entries in Can-Am, Trans-Am, USRRC and more. Plus, intimate interviews with both men give insights into this remarkable team.

The evening will also include:

Historic Penske racecars on display:
• 1966 Daytona and Sebring-winning L88 Sunoco Corvette
• 1968 Sunoco Camaro driven by Mark Donohue and Sam Posey

A panel discussion with the people who were there:
• John “Woody” Woodard: Penske Racing Chief Mechanic
• Chuck Cantwell: Team Manager of Penske Trans-Am Racing
• Judy Stropus: Legendary team timer/scorer (before computers)
• Kevin Mackay: Restorer and owner of the #9 1966 Penske L88 Corvette
• Irwin Kroiz: Owner of #16 1968 Sunoco Camaro
• Sam Posey – Famed race-car driver & TV personality; driver of the No. 16 1968 Penske Camaro

Silent & live auction of racing memorabilia and never-before-seen photos

Tickets: $47
VIP Meet & Greet Ticket Bundle: $97
Includes:
6pm pre-show reception
Meet & Greet with the panel
Merch item

Sponsored by:

Proceeds will benefit:

22 Apr

BMW of Darien Signs on as Presenting Sponsor of the New England Auto Museum Father’s Day Car Show June 17th in Norwalk

BMW of Darien, part of the Callari Auto Group was founded in 1967 by Felix Callari

Norwalk, Conn. – New England Auto Museum has announced that BMW of Darien has signed on as the Presenting Sponsor of the 4th Annual Father’s Day Car Show to be held Sunday June 17th from 10AM to 3PM at Mathews Park in Norwalk.

Felix Callari had a passion for cars, beautiful, powerful automobiles He opened his BMW dealership in 1967 with the dream to blend that love of cars with the solid relationships he developed with fellow car enthusiasts in the hopes of creating a car business based on trust and knowledge. He did just that when he opened his first dealership with Saab, Triumph and Sunbeam in 1966, later adding BMW in 1967.

Felix Callari passed away in 2008, but his legacy lives on through his two daughters, Paula Callari (President) and Flavia Callari (Vice President). Currently, Callari Auto Group is comprised of BMW of Darien, MINI of Fairfield County and Volvo Cars Westport. Each dealership maintains the standards that Mr. Callari instilled in his employees through the many decades prior. Customer satisfaction, product knowledge, honesty and transparency are the hallmarks of Callari Auto Group.

Mr. Callari was a true pioneer in the automotive industry making the customer the number one priority. Because of his efforts, the three dealerships that make up Callari Cars are now poised to celebrate a combined 100 years of excellence. Last year, BMW of Darien celebrated its 50th year in the car business and while it continues to grow and evolve, its roots are still the constant mantra of 1967, honesty, integrity; product knowledge and service are the cornerstones of its success.

In its 4rd year, the NEAM Father’s Day Car Show takes advantage of its surroundings on the spacious lawns of the Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum which provide a scenic backdrop for a spectacular collection of classic cars. The show provides a wide variety of attractions for car owners and spectators alike including tours of the Mansion and the neighboring Stepping Stones Children’s Museum as well as great BBQ food, ice cream and games.

The addition of BMW of Darien as Presenting Sponsor highlights the selection of the BMW 2002, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, as featured European marque.

The 2002 series was probably the most important model in BMW’s history. In the early 60’s,

BMW 2002 introduced in 1968 (Photo BMW Blog)

although small cars like Isetta, 600 and 700 kept the Munich company alive, its image was mushy and the financial outlook was still poor. It was the 2002 series that changed its fate. This little 2-door sedan redefined the image of BMW. It combined a powerful engine and agile handling with solid German build quality and practical 4-people accommodation into a reasonably priced package. No one else had ever done that before. From 1966 to 1977, BMW produced 850,000 units of the 2002 series. That’s more than 4 times the number of the Isetta series and each car enjoyed a much higher profit margin. The car not only brought BMW a big fortune but also established the winning formula for the subsequent 3-Series to follow and sales success that continues to this day.

Anyone interested in showing a car at the Father’s Day Car Show may pre-register online at the New England Auto Museum website at only $15/per car or at the gate on the day of the show for $20/per car. All show cars will be welcome with no cut-off year. Spectator admission is free. Prizes will include awards for the Peoples’ Choice, the Mayor’s Choice, Favorite in Show and many more. Dash plaques will be available for the first 100 cars to register.

New England Auto Museum
The New England Auto Museum will be an exciting new attraction for the state of Connecticut and throughout the Northeast. This non-profit organization will build a first class facility dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting historic automobiles and automobile artifacts. It will serve as both an educational learning center as well as a display center to highlight an ever changing evolution of car history and its impact on society. Find more information at www.neautomuseum.org