Quail Lodge Resort, Friday 19th August, 2011
When visiting Monterey in August for the car week one has to
plan well in advance what events to visit as most of the tickets are
sold just in advance sale. The most difficult event to get in is the
Motorsport Gathering at the Quail Lodge resort on Friday.
Although this is the most expensive of all events it is sold out
months in advance due to the limited amount of tickets as the
entrance is limited to 3000 people. Being at the same day as the
huge Concorso Italiano we reported earlier it is hard to believe that
these two event share the same roots. The Concorso Italiano
started years ago at the Quail Lodge Resort but at one point it
became to big and a new location was needed so the CI left the
Quail. At this point Sir Michael Kadoorie, owner of the resort and
car collector himself had the idea to make an own, much more
exclusive and smaller event, so the Motorsport Gathering was
born. The idea behind the event was to combine a concours with
lifestyle and premium catering so this event became the social
event of the car week beside the McCall Jet center party.
Today visitors can enjoy food of different countries, see the latest
Supercars of the sponsors and look at luxury accessories in one
of the many tent surrounding the green. Furthermore new car
books are presented here and autograph sessions are held, this
year with Derek Bell.
But certainly the event is still about cars and so the organization
has the challenge to get together a selection that matches the
surrounding atmosphere. Beside common classes for pre- and
post-war sports and racing cars this includes special themes year
by year.
The main attraction this year was the gathering of Ferraris bearing
the name America or Superamerica. Early in the 1950s Enzo
Ferrari recognized that the market in North America is very
important for the marque and the first car with the name America
was build in 1951, the 340 America. With a total displacement of
4 litre the name America was always reserved for the larger
capacity Lampredi engines. One of these early cars with Ghia
body (0148A) was present, brought by the American Collector
Jack E.Thomas together with full set of cars from the 340 to the
400 Superamerica. Whereas the 340 America was intended for
racing (therefore the even chassis-number) the next model to
wear this name was a street version, the 342 America. 5 of the 6
342 were bodied by Pinin Farina, one of just two Cabriolets could
be seen at the Quail, the other plus a Coupé were at Pebble the
following Sunday. The next model, the 375 America clearly shows
the status of the Monterey week. Just 3 out of 12 cars were
bodied by Vignale as Coupé and all of them were present during
this weekend. Both Gooding and RM had one for sale, the third
one (0301AL) was displayed here, it would have been a great
sight to have them reunited but this might have been the closest
come together of them within years.
The last of the 375 America was build by Pinin Farina for Gianni
Agneli as a Coupé with large sunroof in two-tone colour
combination. Since its restoration by Wayne Obry for Jack
Thomas it won several awards at Pebble, Cavallino Classics and
Villa d´Este so it was no surprise that this car was chosen Best
of Show at the Quail. This important one-off associates a
prominent first owner and several special features unique to this
car, the dash for example is painted to look like wood.
The next car in the America-time line is the 410 Superamerica.
Build in 3 series most of these 5 Litre engined cars were bodied
by Pinin Farina as a Coupé and no less than 3 of them were
present plus the eccentric Ghia Coupé named “Gilda” designed
by Savonuzzi. This one-off was inspired by the American cruisers
and features huge tail fins and today belongs to Robert M.Lee
who brought already another tail fined car (the Boano 0461GT) to
the Carmel Concours a few days earlier.
Lee also brought one of the six 400 Superamerica on show, his
model was bodied by Scaglietti in the Style of the California
Spyder. Beside the 375 America there was another car formerly
owned by Gianni Agnelli present, the first of the 400
Superamerica build. As Agnelli had a foible for special bodied
cars this examples features a stainless steel body that is painted
silver above the door-line and brushed underneath. The other four
examples had the more common Aerodinamico body painted in
maroon, silver, white and blue.
Without doubt this was a superb selection of cars and one rarely
see all these cars at one place but these were not the only Ferrari
present. The normal Ferrari class featured a 4.9 Superfast, a 250
GT Lusso and SWB, a 250 LWB California Spyder and a 250
TDF. Star of this class was the 250 GT LWB Competition with
body by Zagato. The car was restored back to the original
specification after a period “nose-job” and today looks the way it
left the Zagato factory, in red with matching red carpet.
The announced Phil Hill display was rather small with just two
cars but one of these was the works 250TR/59 Phil Hill drove to
victory at Nassau and Riverside in 1959. The other car was an
alloy Jaguar XK120 in which he won the 1950 Pebble Beach race.
These two cars also led to the further special classes of this
years event. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary
Jaguar E-Type no less than 20 cars were lined up side by side on
the green. The other feature was the Riverside International
Raceway display with cars ranging from the Formula 1 Scarab to
modern NASCARs.
This year Motorsport Gathering got a visit from the Bugatti Veyron
Rally held during the week. Beside the cars of the participants of
this rally the latest cooperation of the Molsheim Factory and the
“Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur” (Royal Porcelain Manufacture)
of Berlin was introduced to the American public. The newest
limited edition of the Veyron features some porcelain inlets and
the unique colour-combination inspired by the light tunnel in the
factory. But not just Bugatti showed their new toy but also Pagani
showed the new Huayra that drew much attention.
So if you are interested in superb cars and good food this is the
show to go. As mentioned above the tickets are quit expensive
and rare but you get a great day in return. When looking at the
masses of people visiting Pebble Beach on Sunday this is a
rather private event where you can see at least the cars between
the many spectators. Most of the cars are not seen elsewhere
during the weekend and the special displays are always
interesting. So make sure that you look for next years tickets well
in advance, maybe next year even the weather is sunnier than
this year as it was overcast all the day.
Report&images Peter Singhof www.ClassicCarPhotography.de
The Quail Entries & Themes
50th Anniversary of Phil Hill´s Formula One World Drivers
Championship
AAR Eagle Indy Car 1966
AAR Jorgensen Eagle Formula 5000 1975
AC Bristol Ace 1959
Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS Zagato 1929
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 1939
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS s/n 911513 1942
Aston Martin DB5 1964
Aston Martin DBS Vantage 1969
Bentley "Speed 8" Concept Car 1955
Bentley 3 1/2 Litre
Bentley S-Type Continental 1958
Bentley S3 Continental Convertible 1964
Bentley Speed Six 1927
Brabham BT29 1969
Bugatti Grand Sport L´Or Blanc
Cadillac "Le Monstre" Le Mans 1950
Chevrolet Baja Boot Off-Road Racer 1967
Chevrolet Corvette 1957
Chevrolet Corvette Sports Racer 1959
Class 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type
Class of Ferrari America and Superamerica
Class Post-war Racing Cars
Class Riverside International Raceway
Class Sports and Racing Motorcycles
Class The Great Ferraris
Cooper Monaco 1962
Dannenhauer & Strauss Cabriolet 1953
Delage D8S 1932
Ferrari 246 GT Dino 1970
Ferrari 246 GTS Dino 1974
Ferrari 250 GT Lusso s/n 5367GT 1964
Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta s/n 0585GT "TdF" 1956
Ferrari 250 GT LWB Comp. Zagato s/n 0689GT 1957
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 1962
Ferrari 250 TR/59 s/n 0768TR 1959
Ferrari 275 GTB/4 1967
Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Conv. s/n 10917 1968
Ferrari 275 GTB/4 s/n 09609
Ferrari 330 GTS 1967
Ferrari 330 GTS s/n 10111 1967
Ferrari 340 America s/n 0148A 1951
Ferrari 342 America PF Cabriolet s/n 0248AL 1953
Ferrari 375 America Coupé Vignale s/n 0301AL 1953
Ferrari 375 America PF Coupé s/n 0355AL 1955
Ferrari 4.9 Superfast s/n 0719SA 1857
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Aerodinamico PF s/n 4251SA
1963
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Aerodinamico PF s/n 4279SA
1963
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Aerodinamico PF s/n 4465SA
1963
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Aerodinamico PF s/n 5115SA
1963
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Scaglietti Spyder s/n 2311SA 1962
Ferrari 400 Superamerica Speciale s/n 1517SA 1959
Ferrari 410 Superamerica S1 Ghia Coupé s/n 0473SA 1956
Ferrari 410 Superamerica S1 PF Coupé s/n 0479SA 1956
Ferrari 410 Superamerica S2 PF Coupé s/n 0495SA 1956
Ferrari 410 Superamerica S2 PF Coupé s/n 0715SA 1957
Fiat Abarth 750 Double Bubble Coupé 1956
Ford Aerosport 1936
Ford GT40 MKI 1966
Ford Sportsman 1947
Ford Sportsman Woody Convertible 1946
Formula 5000 Eagle 1969
Glockler Porsche Roadster 1952
Jaguar D-Type s/n XKC404 1954
Jaguar E-Type Roadster 1961
Jaguar XK120 Alloy 1950
Jaguar XK120 Super Sport 1949
Jaguar XK150 Open 2 seater 1958
Kurtis Kraft "Don Lee Spl." 1948
Kurtis Kraft 500 cc "Filter Queen" 1953
Lamborghini 350 GT 1965
Lamborghini 350 GT 1966
Lamborghini Aventador
Lamborghini Islero GTS 1969
Lancia Aurelia B20
Lancia Aurelia B24 Spyder America 1954
Lancia Flaminia Coupé PF 1963
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Roadster 1962
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955
Morgan Sports 2 seater 1937
MV Agusta
NASCAR Herschel McGriff 1983
Pagani Huayra 2011
Pontiac Nascar
Porsche 356 A Carrera GS Sunroof 1959
Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 GS Speedster 1955
Porsche 911 Carrera RS 1973
Porsche 935 Turbo 1982
Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS 1973
Porsche Speedster with demin tire protection
Post-war Sports Cars
Renault Dauphine 1958
Scarab F1 1960
Shelby Cobra 1965
Siata 208 CS V8 1952
Siata 208 S 1953
Sponsor Tent Range Rover
Talbot Lago T150 C Teardrop Coupé 1938
Talbot T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet 1951
Woody Display
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