Monterey 2009: The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering

The highlight of the Monterey weekend might be the Pebble Beach Concours, but perhaps our favorite event is the gathering of exceptional automobiles at the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. The exclusive car show focuses on quality rather quantity, and we could probably spend days going through every one of the entrants in detail. Sadly we don't have time to spotlight each car, but we did pick out a few favorites. In the supercars category, a silver McLaren F1 immediately caught our eye despite a design that's nearly 20 years old. There were dozens of stunning Ferraris including a pair of Ferrari 250 GTOs, a 250 GT California, a beautiful 275 GTB/C Berlinetta, and plenty more. In the Pre-War Sports & Racing class a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S was exceptionally elegant as was a Delahaye 135 M from the same year. We had a tough time pulling ourselves away from the BMW class that celebrated the 30th anniversary of their motorsport division. Each of the cars including a 1980 M1, a Z4 race car, and a '57 Isetta 300 were all in pristine condition. Finally, a 1936 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B owned by Robert M. Lee was deserving of the Best of Show award it received at the end of the day. Check out all of the wonderful cars in the high-res gallery below.

Monterey 2009: Bugatti Grand Sport Sang Bleu live from the Quail Lodge

With so many special edition Veyrons, we're starting to wonder if Bugatti is still making any regular versions. To their credit, this is only the first unique version of the Grand Sport model that made its debut at Pebble Beach this time last year. Named the Sang Bleu, the latest Veyron variant was unveiled at the Quail Motorsports Gathering yesterday and features a body comprised of polished aluminum and carbon fiber tinted in Royal Blue. The only other differences between the Sang Bleu and the standard Grand Sport are the Gaucho leather seating and wheels that have a Diamond Cut finish and Midnight Blue trim. Check out our live pictures below or read more about the car after the jump in case you missed the official announcement yesterday.


PRESS RELEASE:

A new Bugatti piece of art for Pebble Beach

The « Sang Bleu » to honour the 100th anniversary of the marque Carmel, California, 14th August 2009. – Continuing this year's 100th anniversary celebrations Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. has chosen the prestigious Pebble Beach weekend to present a further highlight to pay tribute to this legendary brand : The company proudly unveils the Bugatti « Sang Bleu » - an exclusive, one-off Grand Sport, honouring the marques precious heritage.

Innovation and Harmony

The « Sang Bleu » has ventured into new areas. Instead of applying two paint colours or paint and material to highlight the two tone design the « Sang Bleu » exclusively concentrates on materials - carbon fibre and aluminum - an innovative combination never realised before. This unique approach opens a new dimension of « Art – Forme – Technique », the company's core alues.

The colour combination commissioned for the Pebble Beach car is blue carbon fibre with polished aluminum. The visual carbon fibre is tinted in royal blue to emphasize the refined volumes and surfaces of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. The rear airscoops are tinted in the same nightblue – offering a dramatic view from above – and thus fluidly integrate into the overall design philosophy of this unique model.

The rims are inspired by the Grand Sport Roadster and are highlighted in a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two tone finish. The interior, specially and tastefully selcted for the Pebble Beach event, is trimmed in a newly developed Gaucho leather which blends with the intriguing and pure exterior materials creating an elegant and harmonious overall appearance.

Featured Marque

In the year of its100th anniversary Bugatti has been selected to be one of the featured marques at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Ettore Bugatti started his business in the Alsacian town of Molsheim in 1909. The name of the company: „Ettore Bugatti Automobiles i. Els.". In 1956 the company ceased its activities. Exactly 50 years later, in March 2006, the first Bugatti Veyron built by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. was delivered – after the Volkswagen Group had aquired the rights of the Bugatti marque in 1998 and started the re-launch of this famous brand. To date over 250 of the planned Bugatti Veyrons are sold, 215 of them have been delivered to customers worldwide. In June 2009 Bugatti started production of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, the open roadster. The sales results are encouraging over 20 Grand Sports have been sold, with first deliveries already started.

The Bugatti « Sang Bleu » is the latest in a line of centenary Bugatti models which have won worldwide acclaim in 2009. This unique car stands – like the others - for the commitment of the Bugatti of today to carry the values and the philosophy of Ettore Bugatti, the founder of this unique marque, into a successful future.

Woodward 2009: The Ford Booth Tour

Ford, as you likely already know, didn't enter bankruptcy this year, and the Blue Oval didn't need government funds to remain afloat, either. That's a good enough reason to throw a party, and that's precisely what Ford did at 9 Mile and Woodward for this year's Woodward Dream Cruise.

Ford had by far the largest display of any of the Detroit automakers, and since the Dream Cruise is all about old school muscle, the Mustang was naturally front and center. In fact, Ford dedicated most of Woodward 2009 to Mustang Alley; a cornucopia of Ford's trademark pony cars past and present that lined both sides of 9 Mile east of Woodward. While the Shelby GT500 is relatively rare on public streets, Carol's 540-hp masterpiece filled Mustang Alley. But Mustangs rebuilt by regular Joes were also well represented.

Ford also has a great display of the latest and greatest from Ford trucks, including a couple brand new F-150 SVT Raptors, along with a killer DeWalt F-150 complete with Ford's Work Solution package. The appropriately yellow DeWalt truck even featured a connection for an air compressor above the rear bumper.

Other Ford vehicles of note include the 2010 Fusion Hybrid that Ford is using to challenge the media to see who can get the best fuel economy and a 2010 Taurus SHO with a law enforcement light bar. Click on the gallery below to check out the best from the Ford booth at Woodward 2009.

Woodward 2009: Chrysler Booth Tour

Of the two American automakers put through a government-sponsored bankruptcy, Chrysler was the only one with a factory-sponsored booth here at the 2009 Woodward Dream Cruise. We took a stroll through the giant parking lot at 13 Mile and Woodward Ave. to see the sights and capture the views through the lenses of our digital SLRs.

Naturally, there were plenty of new cars from Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep on hand along with a good supply of classic Mopar musclecars and classics. Present among the interesting cars and trucks was the actual Viper ACR that set the current lap record on the Nürburgring for a production car of 7:22.1. There were also a number of concept cars from years past, including a V10-powered Challenger and many custom Wranglers. See for yourself in our high-res gallery below.

Woodward 2009: Google watching the watchers!

As we strolled down Woodward Ave. this morning shooting all the the wild and wacky machinery idling along, we spotted a little gray Chevy Cobalt on the opposite side of the street. While everyone is welcome to participate in the Woodward Dream Cruise, this was no ordinary Cobalt. It sprouted an absurdly tall rig from its roof that instantly gave it away as a Google Street View machine. It's not clear if the driver was just enjoying the ride or actually collecting data that will appear in Google Maps soon, so we'll be checking frequently in the coming weeks to see if the Woodward Dream Cruise has gotten the Google treatment.

Monterey 2009: Innaugural La Dolce Vita show

When the usually reliable Concorso Italiano megashow hit a small speed bump last year, a few enterprising souls saw an opportunity for an alternate event that would capture the spirit of the original Concorso and appeal to those who might like a return to a simpler, more intimate show. La Dolce Vita was born and it found a home right away, at the very same Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course Concorso left two years ago.

While the number of vehicles displayed was tiny, the show definitely put an emphasis on quality over quantity. Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini and Maserati were particularly well represented, with one of the largest and most diverse Diablo collections we've ever seen honoring Ferruccio's finest notably well. Other highlights included an incredibly whimsical Hudson that was actually underpinned by the very same Hudson pickup that Henry Fonda drove in the movie adaptation of the Steinbeck classic The Grapes of Wrath.

A very special Alfa Romeo 1900 Primavera, the sole surviving Martini Bertone Ritmo 100tS, an 1899 Peugeot Trike, an impressive cluster of Citroen Traction Avants, and a handful of pre-war Lancias really won us over. Check out the gallery and you'll see why this fledgling show seems to have what it takes to earn a permanent spot on our ever-growing list of must-attend events here in Monterey.

Monterey 2009: Bertone shows off ZR1-based Mantide

It's become a recent tradition for a coachbuilt car to be shown at the Gooding auction tent on Friday evening (previous years we got a look at the Pininfarina P4/5 and the Pininfarina Hyperion), and this year we were treated to the ZR1-based Bertone Mantide. The car's owner, Dan Watkins, actually drove the car from New York to Monterey for the unveiling and was on hand along with designer Jason Castriota to introduce the one-off car.

Our sources tells us that Jay Leno is next in line to purchase a Mantide, possibly followed by JK Jamiroquai, both of whom showed particular interest in the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In addition to the new live photos from the unveiling last night, we've also included a new video featuring Watkins at Goodwood talking about the Mantide after the jump.

Monterey 2009: Concorso Italiano returns to the links

Monterey coverage continues unabated, with today's posts highlighting three different events: Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, La Dolce Vita, and Concorso Italiano. While Quail and La Dolce Vita have already been covered, here we're focusing on the Italians. Concorso Italiano has been one of Monterey's largest gatherings of Italian vehicles for many years, but last year's move to a municipal airport almost killed the event dead.

Previously held at the nearby Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Monterey Bay, Concorso had to relocate due to some course reconstruction in 2008. This year the show went back to the links, but Laguna Seca Golf Ranch was the lucky host rather than Black Horse. Though the location was different, the show was much the same as we had come to expect from years past. Just like the past 20-something years, the event drew some stunning examples of Italy's finest.

Special gatherings honored the Ferrari 288 GTO, Alfa Romeo BAT cars, Ducati and Iso. There were also the usual huge clusters of De Tomaso, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati and "Honorary Italian" vehicles. Oh, and there were also a few Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Something on the order of 200 of each it seemed. Personal favorites included the Ferrari 512 race car, lime-green Dino, ultra-rare 288 GTO Evoluzione, white Scuderia, Lamborghini LMA, 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS, and the Gilda turbine car that will be auctioned at Gooding on Sunday. It was also great to see Tesla, Fisker and newcomer SV Motors represented. Check out the gallery and you'll see why this has become one of the biggest events in the world for lovers of Italian machinery.

Woodward 2009: Past Chrysler savior meets the next one?

Back in the waning days of the Carter administration, Chrysler was in an all-too-familiar position. The company was on the verge of insolvency with a lineup of products that almost no one wanted. That time, they just managed to avoid bankruptcy court. But as the company got a batch of government-backed loans, they were proclaiming a new line of cars that would pull them out of the gutter. Before long, the K-cars arrived and for the next decade most of the company's lineup was derived from those roots.

Today, fresh out of bankruptcy court, engineers are scrambling to finish a fresh lineup as management is telling the world, "Wait till you see what's coming next!" Only this time, the origins lie in products from Italy instead of Highland Park, MI. There are a decent number of Fiats floating around steamy Woodward Ave. today, although none so far are of the contemporary type that we expect to see badged as Chryslers soon. In fact, most are even older than the assorted K-cars also plying the pavement.

Monterey 2009: Auto Union is a no-sale at Bonhams

The Bonhams Auction at the Quail in Monterey was expected to bring some of the biggest auction numbers of the week. It did end up bringing some large figures, but mainly in the number of unsold headlining cars. We were eagerly anticipating the bidding on the Auto Union Type D, the ex-Evel Knievel Ferrari Daytona Spider, The ZL-1 Camaro, and the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Coupé among others. None sold. The Auto Union bidding stalled at $6 mil, while the featured Bugatti hesitated long enough at $5.2 mil that it also went unsold. Altogether, 45 lots didn't sell. What did sell did reasonably well though.

There's a full list of results after the jump, but the top seller was the The ex-William Boyd "Hopalong Cassidy", unique coachwork,1933 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible Victoria that went out the door for $1,437,000. Other notable sales included a trio of cars that went at $804,500 each: the 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupe "Bumblebee," an ex-Otis Chandler,1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, and a 1931 Bentley 4½ Liter 'Birkin Style' Tourer with original Supercharger. Other favorites were the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile' that sold for $150,000, the 1981 BMW M1 that went for $147,800, and the pristine 1987 Buick GNX that brought $70,200.

[Source: Bonhams]


Auction Results

Bonhams Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia, featuring the Sidney H. Craig Collection and property from the Reggie Jackson Collection, 14 Aug 2009
Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club, Carmel, CA

Lot
202	1941 Ford Series 11A V-8 Coupe Chassis no. 6597117	$16,380
203	1956 Ford Thunderbird Chassis no. P6FH290051	$32,175
204	1932 Packard Series 902 Rumble Seat Coupe Chassis no. 344041 Engine no. 344020	$84,825
205	1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III (BJ8) Sports Convertible Chassis no. HBJ8-L/36920 Engine no. 29K/RU/H11536	$86,580
211	1935 Bentley 3½-Liter Aerodynamic Saloon Chassis no. B103CW Engine no. B3BB	$166,500
212	1931 Chrysler Imperial Eight CG Close-Coupled Sedan Chassis no. 7803131	$139,000
213	Ex-Richard and Linda Kughn 'Carail' Museum Collection,1935 Auburn Model 8-851 Custom Phaeton Chassis no. 1148 Engine no. GG1839	$64,350
215	1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Touring Saloon Chassis no. 8SK Engine no. LC85	$155,500
219	The ex-Andy Hardy, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland,1931 Ford Model A Roadster Engine no. A4736318	$30,420
220	1931 Cadillac 370-A V-12 Dual Cowl Phaeton Chassis no. 1003698 Engine no. 1003698	$133,500
221	1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe Chassis no. 5500429	$546,000
222	The prototype,1955 Flajole Forerunner Chassis no. S673772 Engine no. W7884-8S	$188,500
223	The ex-William Boyd "Hopalong Cassidy", unique coachwork,1933 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible Victoria Chassis no. 2535 Engine no. J384	$1,437,000
224	The ex-Tom Mix,1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton Chassis no. FC2634	$155,500
225	The ex-Frederick Charles Stewart,1934 Bentley 3½ Liter Drophead Coupé Chassis no. B93AE Engine no. U6BF	$122,500
226	The ex-Frank Sinatra, four owners from new,1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Chassis no. 58P011421	$117,000
227	The ex-Gary Morton, & ex-Dean Martin,1962 Ghia L6.4 Coupe Chassis no. 0325	$117,000
228	Property of Jenny Craig,1979 Clenet Series I Roadster Chassis no. CLE792008	$17,550
229	Formerly the property of Al Capone and "The Outfit"-the Chicago Mob,1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Armored Imperial Sedan Chassis no. 701617 Engine no. 701617	$309,500
230	The Franklin Delano Roosevelt California Campaign Parade Car,1935 Lincoln Model K V-12 Phaeton Chassis no. K4582 Engine no. K4136	$348,000
231	Formerly the property of Malcolm Forbes Sr,1985 Bimota SB4 Frame no. SB4 00159 Engine no. GS110X-148606	$5,850
232	2002 Aston Martin Vanquish Chassis no. SCFAC23302B500164	$94,770
233	The Earl Ipsen,1932 Huppmobile Custom Roadster Chassis no. 5021	$112,320
235	1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupe "Bumblebee" Chassis no. 0197EL Engine no. 0197EL	$804,500
237	1973 Porsche 911 RS Touring Chassis no. 9113600463 Engine no. 6630393	$232,500
238	1929 Bentley 4½-Liter Supercharged Birkin Team Car Specification Tourer Chassis no. DS 3569 Engine no. DS 3569 S	$722,000
239	The ex-works, Sir Jack Brabham, Aintree '200', Levin, Lakeside and Sandown Park-winning,1961 Cooper Climax 1.5-2.5-liter T55 'Slimline' Formula 1 & Tasman Racing Single-Seater Chassis no. F1/10/61	$216,000
241	The 49th of only 57 examples built,1975 BMW 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile' Chassis no. 4355049 Engine no. 4355049	$150,000
242	The ex-Otis Chandler,1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster Chassis no. 198 042 10003067	$804,500
245	Unique road going Prototype originally owned by Lord Hanson, 18,686 miles from new,1968 Bentley T1 'Coupe Speciale' Chassis no. CBH 4033	$172,000
246	From the Estate of the late John J. Dalessandro,1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Berlinetta Chassis no. AR1900C02056 Engine no. AR 00204-00914 (see text)	$557,000
249	The Ex-Jackie Stewart, Spanish Grand Prix-winning, three-time pole position,1970 March-Cosworth Formula 1 Racing Single-Seater Chassis no. 701-2 Engine no. DFV98/370	$152,200
250	c1899 Worth 'Dog Cart' Chassis no. 232E6	$46,800
252	1970 Maserati Mistral Spyder Chassis no. AM109SA1737 Engine no. AM109SA1737	$130,750
253	The Unique Steel Sport Roadster, Ex-Brundage Motors Inc. (Brumos Porsche) 1954 12-hours of Sebring,1953 Porsche Roadster Typ 540 K/9-1 Chassis no. 12371 Engine no. P40511	$529,500
254	c.1931 Bentley 4½ Liter 'Birkin Style' Tourer with original Supercharger Chassis no. See Text Engine no. See Text	$804,500
257	1964 Jaguar XKE Series I 3.8 Fixed-Head Coupe Chassis no. J64889113 Engine no. RA3302-9	$99,450
258	6,592 miles from new,1981 BMW M1 Coupé Chassis no. WBS59910004301336	$147,800
259	The ex-L&M Carl Haas/Jackie Stewart team,1971 Lola-Chevrolet T260 CanAm Racing Spider Chassis no. T260-HU2	$304,000
260	The 1948 London Motor Show, Earls Court Exhibition,ex-Sir Bernard Docker – from the Estate of the Late John H. Sweeney,1948 Daimler DE-36 'Green Goddess'-'The Chairman's Car' Chassis no. 51233	$271,000
261	1938 BMW 327 Cabriolet Chassis no. 73234 Engine no. 73234	$144,500
262	The Ex-Georges Grignard/Jacques Swaters 'Ecurie Belgique', 1950 Paris Grand Prix winning,1949 Talbot-Lago Type 26 Course Formula 1 Racing monoplace Chassis no. 110 006 Engine no. 45109	$557,000
266	1953 Jaguar XK120SE OTS Chassis no. S674424 Engine no. F1203-8S	$221,500
267	1952 Allard J2X 'Little Red' Chassis no. J2X3142	$194,000
270	2000 Harley-Davidson FXDL Dyna Low Rider Frame no. 1HD1GDV3XYY307925 Engine no. GDVY307925	$17,550
271	1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I 4-Door Sedan Chassis no. SRE22686	$49,140
272	95 miles from new,2005 Ford GT Chassis no. 1FAFP90S95Y400021	$166,500
274	15,000 miles from new,1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible Chassis no. VC57T204731	$155,500
279	1934 Packard 1101 Standard Eight Coupe Roadster Chassis no. 719203	$113,490
280	1934 Cadillac 452-D V-16 Convertible Sedan Engine no. 5100023	$210,500
281	79,097 mile, original, dual quad,1961 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Chassis no. 10867S100659 Engine no. 100659 F0912CT	$93,600
286	Big Brake package equipped,1961 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel Injection Convertible Chassis no. 10837S100659 Engine no. 100659 F0912CT	$150,000
292	5,480 miles from new, untouched and original,1987 Buick GNX Coupe Chassis no. 1G4GJ1171HP452230	$70,200
293	1988 Ferrari 328 GTS Spider Chassis no. ZFFXA20A0J0076613	$36,270
295	Offered by 'Chasing Classic Cars' Star Wayne Carini – and sold to benefit the Autism Speaks Charity,1956 Bimbo Racer V12	$17,843
301	1990 Porsche Carrera 4RS Lightweight Chassis no. 964019	$139,000
303	1965 Porsche 356C Convertible Chassis no. 161813	$86,580
304	1964 Porsche 356C Convertible Chassis no. 159620	$66,690