More at motormorph.com and the Flickr stream.
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Check the results of the three toughest races in the world. You’ll learn a lot about Porsche.
1. Sebring, 1966. In a race so rugged that only 30 of the 64 starters finished, Porsche’s Carrera 6 was 1st in its class in this 12-hour classic and 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th overall against far bigger cars.
2. Targa Florio, 1966. Porsche’s Carrera 6 took 1st, 3rd and 5th overall in “the world’s most punishing race.” Only 13 of 70 starters completed this race through winding Sicilian mountain roads.
3. Le Mans, 1966. Porsche’s Carrera 6 surpassed every car in its class; finished 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th overall, beating many cars with engines three times as large.
We enter races like these not for publicity but to prove out the advanced engineering that makes the Porsche you drive one of the best-handling cars ever built for everyday use. Porsche spent years developing a great competition car so you could have fun driving it to work.
Three versions for gran turismo connoisseurs; Porsche 912 with 4-cylinder, 102-hp engine, about $4790. Porsche 911 with new 6-cylinder, 148-hp engine, 4- or 5-speed gearbox, about $5990. Porsche 911S with 5-speed gearbox and Carrera 6-inspired 180-hp engine, about $6990. All prices East Coast POE. For name of dealer, brochure or overseas delivery data, write Porsche of America Corporation, 107 Tryon Avenue West, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, Dept. 101.
So I’ve been reading this morning about Classic Automobile Investment funds and it bums me right out. The worst part is that I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about it. The story is that there are investment groups creating funds and using these pooled investments to buy classic cars. What’s worse, there is more than one of these groups—virtually ensuring that their competition will artificially inflate prices in the vintage racing and sportscar world and put these cars outside of the reach of drivers who would use these machines for their intended purpose.
Maybe some of you view your classic car as an investment and maybe I’m insulting half of my readers here… and maybe (probably) I’m just naive… But it bothers me that speculators and investors who may or may not have any purer interest in their chosen investment are becoming an ever increasing percentage of the market for historic sports and racing cars.
I’ve long since come to terms with the fact that I’ll likely never own a 250GTO or 917 or Tipo 33—so I like to think this isn’t all just coming from a place of jealousy—but as this trend increases, even once affordable classic sportscars values are skyrocketing at a pace that puts even much more modest road-going sportscars out of the budgets of vintage sportscar fans.
I suppose I should have seen this coming in the wake of the Barrett-Jacksonification of the muscle car market. I would sit stunned and watch what seemed to me like fairly ordinary muscle cars change hands for stratospheric sums. It all makes a bit of sense, I guess. I’m sure there have been many, many vintage sportscar owners that have been more than happy that when it came time to sell their pride and joy that they could turn a tidy profit on it. Perhaps that profit would fund a new automotive dream. These profits were bound to be noticed.
Maybe I’m wrong on all of this and these automotive funds are buying these cars to be used. Sure, they see them ultimately as an investment, but there’s no reason it can’t compete at Goodwood or the LeMans Classic while they’re in our care. Even respected collectors who DO use their cars are on board. I can’t help but think though, that they’ll just be stored in vaults; perhaps visited by an occasional mechanic or significant investor or banker, hidden from the public. Not driven. Not owned by loving caretakers that will use them as intended.
It’s like hanging a Vermeer in an empty, unlit storage locker.
Am I being foolish? Or is this a real threat to our passion and community? What do you think?
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1965 Sebring Recap
We saw a bit of film from the 1965 Sebring back in March, but I ran across a much larger piece on Nigel’s YouTube channel. This was the year that the late race deluge of rain saw open-top drivers working hard despite racing in a quickly-filling bathtub. The commentator says something about “water up to their elbows”, but that has to be exaggeration—doesn’t it? The footage of the rooster tails coming off of some of these GT cars must have been thrilling and terrifying in person.
Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.
Hard to imagine something better than this for your garage automotive studio wall.
Coys is offering this Jay Burridge sculpture as part of their upcoming Nurburgring auction on 13th August 2011. Look closer though, this isn’t just a sculpture inspired by Ayrton Senna’s MP4/6. It’s made OF one of Ayrton’s MP4/6s.
McLaren Formula cars are not in collectors’ hands—like the early Ferrari formula cars, each is dismantled for post-race analysis and reused or destroyed. This bodywork, though was given to Jay by Ron Dennis as the source material for the sculpture and even shows signs of wear from race use. There are peeling sponsor stickers, there are nicks and scratches from a weekend’s race.
The unfortunate timing of the completion of the sculpture, however, forced it into storage. Props to Burridge and Ron Dennis for not selling the sculpture in the wake of Senna’s death. Instead the sculpture seems to have been displayed at a corporate event, then hidden away—reemerging in ’04 for a Senna tribute at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Coys estimates it will bring €35,000 – €45,000. More at their lot details page.
Maser… Merc… Jag… Which would you choose?
I’m always up for another spin around the Circuit de la Sarthe. Let’s ride shotgun with Martini’s Jurgen Barth in a Porsche 936 for the ’77 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Considering the SR3
G & H modified racing is enjoying continued and increasing popularity as more owners realize the challenge and stability these racing classes offer. The SR3 is ideal for G & H racing and has established an enviable record since being introduced in 1965, including a conclusive first at the Daytona ARRC with lap times down to 1:16:2 on the 1.6 mile course, as an H modified. If you are considering becoming a part of one of these growing classes you should consider the SR3. Offered as:
- A complete Car
- A Kit
- Or by components
By: Bobsy Division of
Vanguard Automotive Enterprises, Inc.
139 Koons Ave., Medina, Ohio
H Modified seems like it must have been a hell of a fun time. 750cc and a light frame must have just been a blast. Scratch that; I’m sure it still is.
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Striking 750 Monza
I know we JUST took the time to appreciate Ferrari’s little 750 Monza, but browsing the beautiful shots in Swiss automotive photographer Michel Zumbrunn’s site I was struck by the unconventional paint on this little beauty. Digging into it a bit, it looks like Modena restoration house Carrozzeria Mirage did the bodywork and paint, and have shared some shots of their process. It’s a stunning little machine, and the American racing colors suit her well.
The color scheme is appropriate. Although she doesn’t have much race history, chassis 0554M spent all of her short career in the Americas, with races at various years of the Bahamas speed week, Road America, Lime Rock, and Riverside.