If you know me at all you know that I love and support the Petersen Automotive Museum here in Los Angeles to the very highest level. If you’ve never been, you simply must go; it’s a fabulous place housing countless great cars, bikes, and other great automotive historica.

Here’s a wonderfully odd couple. The Seventiestastic Citroen SM has a French body/chassis and Italian Maserati V-6 engine; the DeTomaso Pantera has an Italian body/chassis and an all American Ford 351 Cleveland V-8!

The Petersen has recently launched its own “Cars & Coffee” or as we like to call them, Breakfast Cruises. This is when a few hundred (hopefully) great or otherwise interesting cars show up, park, and then everyone stands around, talks, drinks a cup of coffee, then clears out and on to their weekend chores.

Betch don’t see a rear V-8 engined Tatra every day

The plan is that the Museum’s multi level parking garage will hold a run what ya brung breakfast cruise on select Sundays throughout most of the summer and into the early fall. The first such event took place a few weeks ago, and I attended with a couple of my best Car Buddies.

Cool black Maser Merak, not so different from my own

The place was swarming with Gullwings, 300 SL roadsters, and 600 sedans and limos.

Just a small row among the many Porsches to see

It was absolutely off the hook; it seems that a Mercedes-Benz club and a Porsche group made a plan and gathered and took over most of the Petersen’s rooftop parking lot, the deck just below was a wonderfully mixed bag of cool cars young and old.

My own Shelby mustang ragtop on the 2nd deck; that’s me, and my tall friend Jeff to the right.

If you want to get all of the planned Breakfast Cruise-In dates, visit the Museum’s own site at www.petersen.org, and come out and meet me some Sunday morning. The cars will make it worth your trip. There’s no cost to put your car in the show or attend. And you can actually have breakfast at the Johnny Rocket’s café right on the property.

I hope you enjoy these photos by Kirk G.

Hyper rare Facel Vega Excellence sedan was, well, excellant!

Later air cooled 911s always popular

Clean and tidy mid-year Sting Ray big-block V-8 always nice to see

One among several great 914s on hand

Not as many Lambos on hand as Ferraris, but everything’s welcome here

Wonderful DKW van again not something you see on every street corner. This cute little truck is restored to near Pebble Beach quality.

Yummy Ferrari 458 Italia

…and yet more Porsches

Several rare Facel Vegas on hand

Lots of great hot rods around LA

The late Carroll Shelby was very proud of his Series I roadster

Dazzling F355 GTS

The largest single day Ford gathering in the world really is – Fabulous!
By Matt Stone
Photos by Jim Smart, courtesy Ford, and Kirk Gerbracht

28 years ago, Ford Motor Company and the Ford Car Club Council decided to put together an all Ford show in a massive parking lot at Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park in Southern California. They did, and nearly 2000 cars and tens of thousands of spectators participated. It was off the hook, as so few of the people there had ever seen such an event. Any Ford, Lincoln or Mercury, and nearly anything with a Ford motor in it, was welcome to show. Knott’s was an ideal location because if dad wanted to hang out and look at cars all day, and mom and the kids wanted to hit the park and ride the rides, everyone was happy. What’s more, there were always Ford-related celebs (big name Ford racers like Parnelli Jones and the late Bill Stroppe; Ford TV commercial actress and spokesmodel Lindsay Wagner was always popular with the crowd) on hand for an autograph session, and spectator admission to the show has always been free.

Ford powered drift king Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Left, chats with the PA announcers and the crowd — nice guy, very popular, and made himself very accessable to the folks that wanted to meet him and get an autograph.

With much dedication and commitment, Ford and the FCCC have kept it up for nearly three decades now, and thus “Fab Fords” has become a don’t miss on Blue Oval fans’ annual spring calendar. The event’s size and success has ebbed and flowed a bit over the years; on certain years, it went head to head with the highly popular Long Beach Grand Prix, which during its heyday often drew So Cal crowds of 100,000. The Fab Fords organizers really rededicated themselves to the event this year, wanting to edge the car count back up to over 2000, and fill the parking lots with happy Ford freaks. And they did it in fine style; it was a warm sunny day, and everybody was there.

There were lots of significant anniversaries to celebrate this year, including Ford Motor Company’s 110th birthday, plus 85 years of the all-important Ford Model A. The Torino turns 45 this year, and the Ford Special Vehicle Team celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2013 (has it really been two decades since that first SFT Lighting truck and SVT Mustang Cobra? – yes it has!).
Ever wonder how much space 1100 Mustangs takes up? Several acres at least. And there were at least 154 Broncos on hand, not to mention nearly 100 Thunderbirds. Plus Mecurys and Lincolns and Fairlanes and Falcons and Effies and Fords of every stripe, model and color. Exhibitors from 13 states, plus Canada and Mexico, filled the huge Knott’s parking lots to capacity – more cars wanted to enter but had to be turned away. And there were several highly popular semi-truck style displays on hand from Ford Racing, Shelby American, Roush, RTR, and Saleen. Lots to buy, and there were plenty of spectator goodie giveaways too.
The organizers worked double overtime to fill the celebrity roster too. Ford powered drift king Vaughn Gittin, Jr. was likely the crowd favorite, as the line for his autograph stretched a hundred yards. Also on hand were big name Ford drag racers including Ed, Terry, Butch Leal, Larry Knapp, and John Calvert. Willie Stroppe represented his legendary father Bill, Steve Saleen greeted his many Saleen Mustang and S7 owning fans, and what would a car even be without Miss Hurst Golden Shifter herself, the “First Lady of Motorsport” Linda Vaughn, whose beauty, friendliness, and southern friend accent never fail to charm any crowd?
Ford promises us next year’s event will be even further over the moon, as the company plans to unveil its new-for-2015 Mustang, and celebrate the ponycar’s 50th anniversary in fine style. And we suggest you plan your spring vacation for Southern California come April 2014.

LOTS MORE PICTURES JUST BELOW:

I’m a huge fan of Grand-Am sports car racing, and I thought you might enjoy this item from my friends at Mazda, about a most innovative car and a significant race win. – MS

– Visit Florida Racing Mazda6 Takes Grand-Am GX Win At Road Atlanta –

April 22, 2013 (IRVINE, Calif.) In only its fourth race, the all-new Mazda6, powered by a production-based SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine, scored a win in the Rolex Grand-Am GX race at Road Atlanta. Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell drove the #00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda6 to the win, with team-mates Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long finishing third in the similar #70 SpeedSource Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D. It was a three-way battle for most of the race with a Porsche Cayman splitting the two Mazdas.

This win represented a day of firsts for Grand-Am competition and for Mazda Motorsports. This is the first-ever win for a diesel-powered car in Grand-Am competition. It also marked the first win for the all-new Mazda6 in any race series. It was the first Grand-Am race win for drivers Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell. Miller is a former Mazda Motorsports Scholarship winner, having won the Skip Barber National Championship in 2007. Carbonnell has been racing Mazdas with Freedom Autosport for many years, and was part of the team that delivered the 2011 Continental Tire ST Manufacturers Championship to Mazda. Carbonell was substituting for Miller’s usual teammate, Tristan Nunez, who had a schedule conflict with another race in Long Beach.

Quotes:

John M. Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations: “In 1991, we were the first Asian company to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and today’s GX-class win with the Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D clean diesel proves that Mazda is not afraid to face a challenge. This is the first of what we hope will be many victories, but the best part of it is how well our road-car engineers from Mazda Motor Corporation worked with the racecar engineers from SpeedSource. We’ve always said that the best street cars make the best racecars, and, with more than half of the components in the race engine being shared with the street engine, this program is a solid proof-point, as well as proof of the quality, durability and reliability of all Mazdas. Racing is a true team sport, and we would not have been able to achieve today’s victory without the support of everyone at Mazda R&D, SpeedSource and our fantastic partners at Castrol and VISIT FLORIDA. This one’s for everyone who touched the program in some way.”

Sylvain Tremblay, Owner, SpeedSource Engineering: “While Joel and Andrew sprayed the champagne, this win truly defined the expression, ‘team work.’ The victory is shared with everyone at SpeedSource, Mazda North American Operations and Mazda Motor Corporation, and is a tribute to the thousands of hours of hard work over many months. After that rough debut at Daytona, everyone stepped up to make sure we had a fast, reliable car as soon as was humanly possible. The normal plan with a new car is to spend the first year in development, the second year seeking race wins, and challenging for a championship in year three. We are already at our year-two status after four races. We can’t wait to get to the Belle Isle course in Detroit for round five.”

Joel Miller, co-driver, #00 VISIT FLORIDA RACING Mazda6: “The new Mazda6 prepared by SpeedSource ran perfectly. The torque of the SKYACTIV-D pulled up the elevation changes around Road Atlanta circuit strongly and the Mazda6 handled beautifully. During the course of the race we attacked when needed and paced ourselves when required. The event had only one caution during the two-hour and 45 minutes race, thus there was hardly any time to relax. The SpeedSource crew was in constant communication with myself and co-driver Andrew Carbonell as we worked through traffic. Bringing home the victory for the SpeedSource crew who worked so hard on this program brings great joy and I cannot wait to continue the program. Over the past eight years Mazda has taken me from karting through their ladder program. I’m proud to be racing the Mazda6 and to be a part of Mazda history in gaining the first SKYACTIV Technology victory.”

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED

Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda Motorsports established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda’s success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

MAZDASPEED Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Consumer information can be found at www.mazdausa.com, with press information at www.mazdausamedia.com. Racers and fans can follow the action on facebook (Mazdaspeed Motorsports).

Oxnard, Calif. (April 4, 2013) – The Mullin Automotive Museum, an institution dedicated to the preservation and celebration of French art and automobiles from the Art Deco era, announced today that it has extended its “La Vision de Voisin” exhibit through June 25, 2013, due to its popularity and an overwhelming demand from museum guests.

numerous industrial designs while honoring the life and work of famed designer Gabriel Voisin (1880 – 1973), has attracted more than 6,500 attendees since its opening in November 2012, with demand growing by the month.

The exhibit which was assembled after nearly a decade-long effort by Mullin and his staff, is the world’s largest collection of Voisin designs ever to be displayed. The remarkable collection features what can be referred to as the most stunning Voisins in existence, and includes such automobiles as the 1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne, 1934 Voisin C27 Grand Sport Cabriolet and 1939 Voisin C30 S Coupe.

The exhibit also features a breadth of other examples of Gabriel Voisin’s innovative work including rare footage of Voisin’s early flight experiments and a replica 1907 Voisin biplane.

“The success the Voisin exhibit experienced over the past six months has been amazing,” said Peter Mullin, founder and chairman of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “We are so excited to share Voisin’s story with our visitors. It is with great personal pride that we continue to recognize and showcase such a design visionary and aviation pioneer. We are glad that the increasing public interest has enabled us to extend the exhibit’s initial run.”

For more information on the Mullin Automotive Museum as well as further updates on the exhibit, please log onto www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com. Reservations to see the “La Vision de Voisin” can be made online for April 13, 19, 27; May 11, 24; June 8 and 22.

About the Mullin Automotive Museum

The Mullin Automotive Museum is a facility that pays homage to the art deco and machine age design eras (1918-1941) that produced exquisite art and magnificent automobiles. It officially opened its doors for the first time in the beach community of Oxnard, Calif., in spring 2010. For more information, please log onto www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com.

A media release about something I thought you might enjoy.

Gotham Dream Cars Offers Premium Exotic Car Fleet and Experiences to the Travel- and Luxury-Focused Los Angeles Market
Los Angeles, California (February 26, 2013) – A few weeks ago, Gotham Dream Cars celebrated the opening of their West Coast office with a gathering of clients, auto enthusiasts and industry partners. The New Jersey-based company will offer their acclaimed exotic vehicle rental services and driving experiences to customers in Los Angeles and the Southwest. Additionally Gotham Dream Cars launched its redesigned website (www.gothamdreamcars.com) to highlight its fleet and multi-city presence.
The company is offering its half-day, 6-car Dream Car Tour™ ($895) experience in Malibu and its exhilarating Dream Car Sprint™ ($249) at Dodger Stadium. Gotham also offers daily rentals and its DreamShare™ fractional ownership program. Rentals start at $395 / day and memberships start at $18,000.
The launch fleet includes the BMW M6, Bentley Continental GTC, Ferrari 599 GTB, Ferrari California, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and McLaren MP4-12C.
“Our business model of offering a thrilling driving experience for every pocketbook has been well-received throughout the Northeast and South Florida, and we’re so proud to bring these services to the enthusiast, travel and luxury communities here in Los Angeles,” said Noah Lehmann-Haupt, Founder/CEO.
Since its founding in 2004, Gotham Dream Cars has served tens of thousands of clients with daily rentals, Dream Car Tours, Dream Car Sprints and DreamShare fractional ownership packages across the US.
Matt Farah, automotive journalist and host of YouTube’s leading auto enthusiast channel, Drive, will serve as the firm’s Los Angeles General Manager.
About Gotham Dream Cars
Gotham Dream Cars is the leading source for “ultra-exotic” vehicle rentals and driving experiences in New York/Northeast, Miami/South Florida and Los Angeles/Southwest. With the country’s largest dedicated and company-owned fleet of exotic cars, GDC’s fleet of 30+ vehicles are available to clients by the day, weekend, week or more. The company offers traditional rentals, group driving events (Dream Car Tours™ and Dream Car Sprints™), and an exclusive fractional-style membership club (DreamShare™). Please contact Gotham Dream Cars at 877.2.GOTHAM and visit its website at www.gothamdreamcars.com for more information on what sets it apart from the ordinary.
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Show cars, and your attendance still needed please.

“Something’s coming, I can feel it and it’s coming right around the corner at me”- Steve McQueen as Hilts in The Great Escape.

Chino Hills, CA – Mark you calendar and make plans for your own great escape to The Sixth Annual Friends of Steve McQueen Car and Motorcycle Show. This year the show will salute The Great Escape and one of the King of Cool’s most well known characters, Hilts, “The Cooler King”. The event will benefit the Boys Republic of Chino Hills and take place May 31 and June 1, 2013 on the beautiful Chino Hills, Calif. campus. The 2013 show will highlight motorcycles and German cars.

The 2012 event showcased more than 300 cars and motorcycles with 3,200 attendees and proceeds exceeded $150,000 net – all for a worthy cause. The beneficiaries of those dollars, the students of The Boys Republic, played their own integral roles by participating in varied aspects of the show.

The program will kick off Friday evening, May 31, with a dinner featuring automotive journalist and author, Matt Stone as Master of Ceremonies. Besides a delicious repast, prepared and served by students, festivities will include a silent auction, a display of memorabilia and a live auction.

The main event will take place Saturday, June 1 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Pre-registration is available at the website after January 1, 2013.

Arrival for pre-registered cars will begin at 6:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the event.

1907 Boys Republic Drive
Chino Hills, CA

www.stevemcqueencarshow.com

Contact: Ron Harris
Telephone: 562-755-8405

Neil Rashba Photo

Nearly 25,000 Automotive Fans and More Than 300 Automobiles Attend

The World’s Most Innovative Concours Weekend

JACKSONVILLE, FL (March 12, 2013) – The 1936 Duesenberg SJN (Supercharged) and the 1968 Ford GT40 “#1075” won the Best In Show honors on Sunday, March 10, at the 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, which attracted approximately 25,000 spectators throughout the weekend.

The 1936 Duesenberg SJN (Supercharged), owned by Helen and Jack Nethercutt of the Nethercutt Collection, took home the prestigious Concours d’Elegance award, heralded as one of the most sought-after trophies in classic car pageantry. This beautifully sculpted, apple green, SJ straight-eight engine has a 420 cubic-inch engine displacement and with its Duesenberg-designed supercharger, unleashes 320 horsepower. The sporty, Rollston convertible coupe was one of the most powerful open cars of the 1930s and could race from zero to 100 mph in a mere 17 seconds, an impressive feat for the era.

The highly coveted Concours de Sport award was presented to a 1968 Ford GT40, owned by the Rocky Mountain Auto Collection. This Ford chassis, #1075, a newly constructed, Mirage style, lightweight chassis, won at LeMans in both 1968 and 1969. Its incredible history includes six wins in 11 races. After the car’s racing career ended, #1075 was put on display at the Indianapolis Speedway Museum to commemorate its racing records, before being returned to private ownership in 1984.

“I’m very pleased with the judges’ decisions for the 2013 Amelia Island Concours winners, as these vehicles are stunning examples of classic design and racing history,” said Bill Warner, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “Every year I’m blown away by the cars that grace our field and I would like to congratulate our panel of esteemed judges on their excellent selection. I’m sure the decision wasn’t easy.”

More than 300 illustrious cars and Ducati Motorcycles from around the world participated in the 2013 Concours, allowing an enthusiastic crowd to witness a wide array of automotive excellence. Highlights on the field included the presence of the only original Lamborghini Miura Roadster ever built, as well as the Bill Mitchell Sting Ray that was once driven by Elvis Presley in the movie Clambake. An extremely rare pair of 1910 ‘Prinz Heinrich’ cars by Mercedes-Benz also made an appearance, in addition to the Cadillac “Coupe de Ville” Prototype, which was seen by the public for the first time in more than 50 years.

Attendees were treated to modern automotive splendor as well. The last of only nine custom built ALFA Romeo Stradale TZ3s, an Azzuro California hued example, made its national debut, while Chevrolet displayed the seventh generation of its iconic Corvette, the 2014 Stingray, as part of the Concours’ 50th Anniversary celebration of the original Sting Ray. Not to be outdone, Cadillac displayed its impressive 2003 “Sixteen” concept car, a 1000hp, 13.6 liter V-16, 5000-lb, 19-foot-long engineering and design statement, which participated in the Cadillac Concept Car Class.

This year’s Concours also celebrated the cars of Harry Miller, marking the 90th anniversary of his first win in the Indianapolis 500. On hand to mark this momentous occasion was the supercharged, Miller 91, front drive Indianapolis 500 racer that set a speed record in 1928, as well as nineteen other rare Miller racers.

Legendary driver Sam Posey served as the 2013 honoree and nine of the cars he raced in, with conspicuous success during his competition career, were featured in the “The Cars of Sam Posey” class.

Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss made his way to the Amelia and was an exciting addition to the numerous automotive icons in attendance this year. This Mercedes-Benz racer returned to the Concours as a special guest after having been the first Honorary Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 1996.

Other racing legends, such as Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, Bobby Rahal, Peter Brock, Brian Redman, Hurley Haywood, Vic Elford and David Hobbs joined various seminar panels, including the 50th Anniversary of Corvette Sting Ray seminar, the Porsche 911 Seminar and the Ford GT40 Seminar.

2013 also marked the inaugural “duPont REGISTRY CARS & COFFEE AT THE CONCOURS presented by Heacock Classic Car Insurance” affair, which took place on Saturday, March 9 on the 18th fairway of the Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Free to the public, thousands of car fans came out to see the latest offerings from Cadillac, Corvette, SRT/Chrysler, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Infiniti, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and other sponsors ahead of “Concours Sunday”. Members of local car clubs displayed their rare and exotic cars as well.

“The Amelia is more than just an event. It’s a celebration of the past, present and future of automobiles,” said Warner. “We gathered the very best in classic cars, racing history and automotive superstars together for the 2013 Concours and I don’t know how we’ll repeat it in 2014. Then again, I’m sure we’ll think of something. ”

The 19th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled to be held on March 7-9, 2014 10th and the 18th Fairways of the Golf Club Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.

About The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Now in its second 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 nearly 300 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other deserving charities on Florida’s First Coast. The 19th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 7-9, 2014. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

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The 18th annual Amelia Concours d’Elegance announced today that the unique 1964 ½ “Shorty” Mustang will be headlining the event’s “What Were They Thinking?” class, a category that will consist of eight unique cars that would not find a home on any other concours field.

Bill and Chris Snyder own the 1964 ½ Mustang two-seater that is a true one-off. It’s fiberglass from the cowl to the tail. Seeing it is like hearing a familiar piece of music, but in a minor key. All the design signatures that shout “Mustang” are there, but they’re wearing someone else’s clothes. In this case, the fastback fiberglass panels of Dearborn Steel Tube Co, who built it on a pre-production Mustang chassis, pulled for research and experimentation.

“It was custom built and became part of a Ford travelling show,” said Snyder. “That’s where I first encountered the fiberglass “shorty” Mustang and I loved it. I said ‘I’m gonna buy one!’, but the Ford salesman said that there would be no such car for sale.”

The one-of-a-kind Mustang fastback was designed by one Bill Gardner. He became convinced that Ford would consign his show car to the usual unhappy fate of cast off Detroit experimentals and prototypes: the crusher. So he stole it and walled up the fiberglass mystery Mustang two-seater in a warehouse in Inkster, MI.

Gardner didn’t try to sell it and he didn’t leave a trail, but didn’t pay the rent for the warehouse either. Within six months it was found behind a wall and by then the insurance company had paid the claim. Ford didn’t want it and the shorty Mustang was taken to the insurance company’s New England headquarters and parked outside. A company executive bought it and soon an ad in a car collector publication alerted Bill Snyder that his two-seat fantasy Mustang was available. The deal was done long distance and, as one of Snyder’s employees was headed for New England, he simply drove Bill’s dream car back to Ohio.

Snyder’s mystery Mustang two-seater started life as one of ten pre-production chassis. The wheelbase was shortened 16 inches and the standard 260 ci V-8 was enlarged to 302 cubic inches. It’s a recipe that still appeals to Bill after more than four decades. “The car goes like stink,” said Snyder.

The 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will be held March 8-10th on the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other charities on Florida’s First Coast since its inception in 1996.

About The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Now in its second 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 nearly 300 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other deserving charities on Florida’s First Coast. The 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 8-10, 2013. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

From my friends at Amelia Island…

Jacksonville, FL – (February 27, 2013) – The last of only nine custom built ALFA Romeo Stradale TZ3s will make its debut on the 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance field on Sunday, March 10, 2013 at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Known as the Italian sports car with “the heart of a Viper and the soul of an ALFA”, this stunning automobile is sure to please international car fans.

Just nine Stradale TZ3s have been constructed to celebrate the centenary of Carrozzeria Zagato in 2010. The Azzurro California hued example slated to appear at the 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is the final car in the exclusive series.

Built by Carrozzeria Zagato as a design exercise, the Stradale TZ3 wears the ancient traditional ALFA-Romeo badge of the serpent and the 1925 world grand prix champion’s wreath. Under its elegant and sensuous carbon fiber bodywork the new Zagato TZ3 Stradale packs the brute force of another potent snake, the 8.3 liter 600 hp V-10 of the new SRT Viper.

“The Zagato Stradale TZ3 is a gorgeous car and one we feel honored to have debut at the Amelia,” said Bill Warner, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Amelia Island Concours. “The car’s American underpinnings and Italian design make it a perfect fit for our field.”

Zagato calls the Stradale TZ3 “the first American ALFA in automotive history” combining “unbridled American power and Italian grace”. Inspired by the motto “bellazza necessaria” (beautiful necessity) the TZ3’s Kamm tail, “double bubble roof” and round taillights are all prominent Zagato design signatures.

“The TZ3 is a very serious machine and will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds,” says the Stradale’s Florida-based owner. “I chose the Azzurro California blue color to match the Florida Sky, and I’m looking forward to seeing it on Amelia’s field on Concours day.”

The 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will be held March 8-10th on the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other charities on Florida’s First Coast since its inception in 1996.

About The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Now in its second 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 at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other deserving charities on Florida’s First Coast. The 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 8-10, 2013. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

# # #

From my friends at Mid America Motorworks

Mid America Motorwork’s Controversial Experimental Corvette will be unveiled as a drivable chassis in Florida

Effingham, Ill. (February 13, 2013) – Known as the rear-engine Corvette that was never meant to be, the 1964 XP-819 adds another chapter to its controversial history, attending the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance as a drivable chassis. Mid America Motorworks, the world’s largest aftermarket parts and accessories company for Corvettes, is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated 1964 rear engine experimental Corvette, XP-819, will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Amelia Island the weekend of March 8-10, 2013.

Mike Yager, founder and Chief Cheerleader of Mid America Motorworks acquired XP-819 in 2002 when he bought it at an auction in Monterey, Calif. He quickly enlisted the help of Kevin Mackay, expert restorer and owner of Corvette Repair, Inc. in Valley Stream, N.Y., to complete a frame-off restoration. As Mackay dug into the restoration, he realized that this would be the most challenging project he ever worked on when each missing part had to be handmade, as no other car in the world shares XP-819’s build.

This year, the drivable chassis will cruise onto the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance show field with fully functional brakes, steering column and two seats. Mackay, who has more than 3,500 hours into the restoration, hopes to have the finished car, including the body, ready to debut in 2014 at the same show.

“I am looking forward to the day when XP-819 finds its way back home to MY Garage Museum,” Yager said. “It will be exciting to show guests a Corvette that I can confidently say they have never seen before!”

This engineering exercise was created under the auspice of a Safety Proposal, a program headed by Frank Winchell. Zora Duntov was unimpressed and opted for a mid-engine design with more stability and continually pursued his idea. XP-819 reflects several of Larry Shinoda and John Schinella’s later C3 design characteristics in the fender line, rear window deck area and swooping rear clamshell.

Chevrolet ordered XP-819 destroyed in 1969 and turned over the duties to Smokey Yunick. XP-819 was cut apart and stripped of usable parts and then unceremoniously stored in Yunick’s shop out of Daytona Beach, Fla. until it was discovered by Steve Tate, a Chevy dealer out of Gallatin, Mo.

The 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will be March 8-10, 2013 at The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The honoree for 2013 will be American racecar legend Sam Posey and will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Porsche’s legendary 911 and the 50th anniversary of the Corvette Sting Ray. The show’s Foundation topped the $2 million mark in charitable giving at the 2012 event. Proceeds from the event were donated to charities on Florida’s First Coast, a tradition that started at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance inception in 1996.

About Mid America Motorworks
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About the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
Now in its second decade, The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is among the top automotive events in the world. Always the second full weekend in March, “The Amelia” draws nearly 250 rare vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile like no other. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has donated over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other deserving charities on Florida’s First Coast. The 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for March 8-10, 2013. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.