Marque1

HAGERTY SPRING THAW CLASSIC: FUN AND AFFORDABLE

There are classic car tours in which I'd love to participate as a driver, events taking place in exotic locations on fabulous roads. Such tours are, naturally, designed for people with expensive cars and big pockets, which means that for me they'll remain a fantasy. Ah, but then there are those much humbler tours, close to home and within my means... if only I had a suitable car.

One of these is the Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic, a budget-minded driving adventure through British Columbia for pre-1979 touring and sports cars. This non-scored, non-competitive event takes place entirely within the province of British Columbia and consists of approximately 1200km of driving over three days. It starts on Friday, April 25, 2014 in Squamish, BC and finishes in Hope, BC on Sunday, April 27, 2014.

For those of you unfamiliar with the location, the route is in southwest British Columbia, an area of Canada blessed with fabulous mountain scenery and a spectacular ocean coastline. A second unique feature is the weather, very un-Canadian. Winters near the coast are mild, often snowless, at least in the valleys. The price we pay for this moderate temperature is rain, similar to Seattle although less frequent.

To ensure the Spring Thaw is an "adventure", the route will remain secret until competitors receive their entry packages at registration. Way-finding instructions will be detailed and clear, and will not require any calculations or rally knowledge.  The event consists of 100% paved roads, with some mountainous terrain, and driving is scheduled during daylight hours. Car wash facilities are available at each overnight stop. In plainer words the Hagerty Spring Thaw is simply about having fun with your vintage car in the company of like-minded enthusiasts.

I won't be there. My 2003 Ford Focus doesn't qualify and I'm not about to trade it for a pre-1979 car, although finding one in good condition isn't difficult here on southern Vancouver Island where rust is not a problem and many owners are retirees who emigrated from the east to escape the cold. A secondary reason is that I'm "mechanically challenged," a car guy who loves automobile design and motor racing but couldn't change a spark plug let alone make a serious repair. Still, I think it would be fun to make the run in a 1970s Toyota Celica, Honda Accord, or Datsun 510.

I recommend that you, having none of those inhibitions, should take part in the Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic. Then write a short article about your adventures, take some photos, and I'll publish it. No writer's fee but you'll become famous. Or semi-famous. Or... just click here to enter.

[Photo: Andrew Snuckins]

RM's AUCTION CATALOG, A TRIP TO THE CANDY STORE

With the annual Phoenix auction extravaganza just over two weeks away, RM Auctions has made its 2014 catalog available for downloading. The rationale, of course, is to present its offerings to prospective buyers, but for the rest of us this online catalog is like a trip to the candy store. It is packed with beautiful photos and mouth-watering descriptions of cars we'd love to own.

As always with RM, the range of vehicles to be sold is part of the attraction though all the cars are of a very high quality, regardless of size, type or rarity. So, for example, folks like me who have a fondness for small economy cars will find one sitting next to a multi-million dollar Deusenberg from the 1930s while folks with an interest in racing cars (also like me) will find a Ferrari or Porsche ready to join a museum collection or be used in vintage competition.

Incidentally, while I'm not an expert prognosticator of future trends, I've noticed a growing number of historic race cars being auctioned world-wide during the last year. The next big thing? Well, classic car collecting does go through periods of change. Not so long ago it was all about muscle cars but that category appears to have faded. I suspect the race car trend will be short-lived and after that... who knows?

You may come up with the answer to that one after perusing the RM catalog but even if you don't I guarantee a half-hour of good fun viewing and if you're a collector, don't head for the airport until you've seen what's inside.

Of course there are other auctions to visit during the week, all of which have interesting cars coming on the block. But what I like about the RM auction is the location. The Arizona Biltmore hotel is famous for its architecture, on which architect Andrew McArthur collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential American architects and certainly the best known, even years after his death. McArthur had worked as a draftsman in Wright's Oak Park Studio.

It's too late to book a room at the Arizona Bilmore but while you're there be sure to go inside for  a meal in the dining room and then take a stroll around the property.

It all starts with the catalog so click here and be transported to a collector's wonderland. Tell them I sent you.

[Photo Credit: RM Auctions]

NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING ONLINE: THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO THE ARIZONA AUCTIONS

If you're planning a visit to the 2014 classic car auctions in Scottsdale you need a guide to what's happening. What was once dominated by Barrett-Jackson with a couple of tasty side dishes from RM and Russo and Steele has expanded into a week-long celebration of auctions, seminars, and for the first time, a concours d'elegance. Without a guide you could miss some important events.

Fortunately Sports Car Market has published a 72-page Insiders Guide to the Arizona Auctions and made it available both for viewing online and for your cellphone and tablet. I've just looked through the Guide and was mightily impressed by the amount of information it contains. Especially useful is a timetable of events in the form of an easy-to-read, multi-colour chart. You'll definitely want to become a subscriber, then print that page before leaving home.

While turning the pages (electronically, of course) I noted that the great international auction house, Bonhams, is moving on stage with an auction that will no doubt include some rare and desireable classics. Along with RM, Russo and Steele, Gooding & Company, Silver Auctions and Barrett-Jackson the addition of Bonhams guarantees that more cars will be sold during one week in the Phoenix area than anywhere else in the world.

I enjoyed the photos and even the ads, which can be quite informative, though I do have one complaint. Looking through the Insiders Guide to the Arizona Auctions left me desperately wanting to join the crowd in January when, as I've lamented in Marque1 before, my budget has no reserves for travel. But for those among you who do plan to make the trip I heartily suggest reading the online Guide here. Smartphone and tablet readers can view the PDF here.

IN THIS PARADE, THE CAR'S A STAR

Lee Hedges, a California friend who is in charge of all things memorable about the VW 1500 and its Karmann Ghia sibling, has just sent me this historic newspaper photo of the sedan and coupe during Toronto's Grey Cup Parade in November, 1962.

While most enthusiasts might regard the VW 1500 as rather bland and uninteresting I loved the car and still do... in part, because I was there when it happened. Though I can't say for sure that I was among the spectators in this photo, I would certainly have been involved behind the scenes for I was, at the time, assistant public relations manager of Volkswagen Canada and had played a part in the launch of the VW 1500 a few months earlier.

As an employee, I'd totally bought in to the Volkswagen technical philosophy of air-cooled rear engine, a fully independent suspension with all its advantages of superior traction and better roadholding (albeit with some entertaining oversteer), and no fears of engine overheating or frozen blocks. I happily overlooked any disadvantages as I lauded the build quality, including a body and platform so tight the car would actually float for up to a half hour. And I would cheerfully boast about an annual model change consisting of gradual improvement rather than wholesale scrapping in favour of an all-new model.

If there was one change I could accept, however, it was a second model line that featured a contemporary body design. The VW 1500 offered exactly that, plus a larger engine with the cooling fan laid flat instead of vertically, thus providing a luggage area in the rear as well as up front. Adding more icing to the cake was its versatility, for the new car arrived as a two-door notchback, a two-door fastback, and a handsome two-door station wagon. Plus, as we learned when the first cars arrived in Canada, a lovely Karmann Ghia coupe and (this really was a surprise) a Ghia convertible.

Sadly the latter never went into production and only a handful of prototypes were built. The good news is that some of those convertibles survived to this day.

The above photo was taken during the annual Grey Cup parade in Toronto. For the benefit of our American viewers I should explain that the Grey Cup is both a trophy and the name of Canada's national football championship: our version of the Super Bowl, except that this year's contest marks its 101st anniversary, making it far, far older than the American championship. It was taken in front of a once-famous upmarket department store named Eatons College Street, located at the corner of Yonge and College streets a few blocks north of the main Eatons store.

I'm happy to report that the building still stands in all its art deco glory though it is no longer an Eatons, no longer a department store. There is good news, however. The original interior housed, on the 8th floor, a small concert hall and a fine restaurant, the Round Room. Both have been renovated and are now listed as a National Historic Site. (The Eatons chain went bankrupt several years ago.)

If you look at the photo you'll notice that the VW 1500 sedan is pulling a float showing off a new Karmann Ghia. Look even closer and you'll see, in the background, a lovely young woman waving at the crowd. She was Miss Grey Cup, an annual affair in which each city in the league provided a contestant. Bowing to the cause of political correctness, there is no longer a Miss Grey Cup.

If the young lady attracted more attention than the new Volkswagens, that's understandable. Nevertheless the cars were impressive, marking a wholesale change in company philosophy and making the 1500s, in my view, more important than many of today's enthusiasts realise. This year's game is just nine days away as I write. The parade is now known as the Safeway Grey Cup Parade. I doubt there'll be a VW 1500 on hand but heck, if a grocery chain can sponsor Canada's national sporting parade, why not?

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE SEASON HAD ENDED, A CLASSIC CAR SHOW IN THE DESERT

Not so many years ago I attended a Volkswagen media preview in San Diego, along with my About.com test drive buddy, Colin Hefferon. Both admirers of that lovely city, we enjoyed ourselves immensely, even staying on for a couple of extra days at our own expense. With so much to see, we might never have given a thought to what lies to the east, beyond the district's geographic limits. Fortunately our host had planned a driving experience that took us into desert territory.

Fifty miles from the nearest stoplight, we soon found ourselves in Borrego Springs, California's first Dark Sky Community. Here's how Borrego Springs describes itself: "There are no big box or chain stores. The slower, uncomplicated pace, the scenic beauty and the human scale of Borrego combine to produce a rustic, authentic desert experience, a special place, in all seasons." I'll drink to that (make it a martini, straight up, please).

Now comes another Borrego Springs experience, one that is most welcome as the long season of car shows and concours d'elegance winds down. Dori Holladay's 48th Annual Borrego Days Desert Festival will start Friday, October 25 from 5 PM to 10 PM and continue through Saturday, October 26 from 10 AM to 10 PM, and again on Sunday, October 27 from 9 AM to 5 PM. Many thousands will attend and celebrate this free three-day festival "where the desert meets the sky."

The highlight for automobile enthusiasts is the Classic Car Show on Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM each day. Saturday will kick off with a spectacular parade of show participants and will include an aerial flyover courtesy of Anza-Borrego State Park. All that, plus festive floats, drill teams, and equestrian units, add up to a fun-filled weekend. What entrants especially like about the show is that free entry. Participants may enter by utilizing the online entry form, and will be treated to a complimentary parade entry.

The San Diego area, with its year-round perfect weather, is not exactly short of classic and collector cars so this event is one that spectators can truly enjoy, especially with two days to take it all in. Much as I'd love to be there I'll have to pass up the opportunity, my home being a couple of thousand miles due north in Sidney, BC. But for those who look upon Borrego Springs as a comfortable drive, and for the thousands of visitors who begin pouring into San Diego area at this time of year, I'd say it's a weekend well spent.

CONCOURS OR NOT, VANCOUVER SUPERCARS PUT ON A SHOW

You may not have noticed but recently there has been a trend toward shows featuring supercars and luxury models. Most, though not all, include a classic car group. Can these shows legitimitely be called "concours d'elegance?" Good question. Originally concours d'elegance were beauty contests featuring limited edition models and custom bodies so in that regard they do qualify, but our modern interpretation of a concours is a judged show of classic automobiles. Maybe the supercar/luxury car shows need a new title.

Having said that, I should point out that Vancouver has been offering such a show for the past three years. Happily, it includes classic cars, thanks, in part, to our correspondent and Hagerty Canada head Nigel Matthews, who is responsible for inviting the owners. Held over the weekend of September 7th and 8th in the city's beautiful Van Dusen Gardens (which is also home to the huge all-British show in the spring) it drew a fascinating selection of cars old and new. Nigel has sent us photos of several entrants, reflecting the diversity of entries at the judged show.

Of the car in our cover photo Nigel offered this amusing comment: "The orange Maserati Corsa is unbelievable. What’s even more amazing is the fact that the chap in Calgary who owns it drives it every day... even to go pick up a litre of milk. He has 75,000 kms on the clock! I have no idea how he gets away with the open exhaust system." Ah, well, Nigel, Calgary is a wide open place.

The 2004 Ferrari ZXX was used exclusively on the track as part of a specific ongoing research and development programme featuring a first ever group of Client Test Drivers. It is powered by an imposing 6,262 cc V12 engine that can punch out over 800 hp at 8,500 rpm. Ferrari described it as "the absolute pinnacle of current technological achievement." And that was almost a decade ago. Looks great in yellow, too.

You won't be seeing another of these at a concours d'elegance: this monster truck is called "Evade" and it took four years to build. I wouldn't want to see it in my rear view mirror if I was trying to evade some bad guys.

The Paris to Dakar Porsche Rally Car came from the Porsche Museum in Germany. Not the prettiest Porsche ever made but certainly effective at its job and a reminder of the days when tobacco advertising was legal in motorsport.

So you thought Dodge only made cars and trucks? Starting in 1923 Horace E. Dodge Jr., son of one of the Dodge Brothers, established the Horace E. Dodge and Company Boat Works. Horace was heir to a vast fortune and keenly interested in powerboats and powerboat racing. His plan was to incorporate the same mass production techniques as the automobile industry and declared, like Henry Ford and his cars, his intention to build a boat for every man. The first Dodge boats were called Watercars. Power came from marinized Dodge automobile engines and converted Curtiss aero engines. In 1929 Horace Dodge claimed his was the largest boat building facility in existence.

The depression killed Dodge's boat company, as it did many others during an era when powerboats were considered a luxury. Fortunately a number of Dodge boats have been found and restored, including the one above. It looked right at home among the classic cars, a selection of which are seen in the photo below.

[Photos: Nigel Matthews]

RANGE ROVER SPORT VS. SPITFIRE IN SPECTACULAR RACE

It's a stunt that's been done before: car vs. airplane. The usual drill is for a high performance car to be lined up alongside a very quick plane, usually a jet, on a paved runway. The two take off from a standing part, literally in the case of the jet, in a drag race to a given marker. In most cases the car wins because it takes time for the jet engine to spool up and therefore the initial acceleration is slower, leaving the car to leap ahead.

But here's one with a difference. A big difference. The car is a 2013 Range Rover Sport while the aircraft is a WW2 Spitfire fighter. The race occurs entirely on a grass runway at Goodwood. And the contestants must do a 180-degree turn just before the runway's end, then race back to the starting line.

Like a jet, the Spitfire also takes time to get rolling. The unmodified 510 hp Range Rover Sport might have been spinning its wheels on the bumpy grass surface but the car's sophisticated all-wheel-drive system negated that problem. In mere seconds the Rover was so far ahead it looked as though the Spitfire could never catch up. 1750 hp of dual-stage supercharged Rolls-Royce V-12 attached to a 4-speed prop soon made up for the deficit and the two arrived at the turn almost neck-and-neck. The Rover did a wide turn, sliding just a little as the driver feathered the throttle for best traction.

The big question for those onlookers lucky enough to be present was how the Spitfire pilot would made a tight, banking turn that normally would require a substantial amount of space to execute. But he had a surprise in that beautiful old bird, spectacularly reversing direction and, by then, building an impressive airspeed.

So how did the pilot make that turn? And who won? Sorry... I'm not going to tell you because you can watch it simply by clicking here, but I will admit the race was a photo finish. Matt Jones was at the controls of the Spitfire while Range Rover chief engineer Mike Cross drove the Sport and the Earl of March, a motor racing aficionado who owns the Goodwood property was "clerk of the course." Do take a couple of minutes to watch this clip, if only to see and hear that beautiful Spitfire. Oh, and yes, the Range Rover Sport is nice, too.

SPECTACULAR RUN BY BRITISH TRAIN AS STEAM LOCOMOTIVES CELEBRATE HISTORIC SPEED RECORDS

While we're in another year of celebrating the birth of historic marques and automotive events, some of which are devoted to speed, those of you who appreciate all types of vintage transportation might want to look back at what British railway trains have accomplished. I'm thinking, in particular, of the Mallard, a famous British locomotive that set a still-unmatched speed record 75 years ago.

On July 3rd, 1938, in a period when few trains exceeded 100 mph, the Mallard, Joe Duddington at the controls, was chosen for a secret attempt at the world steam speed record. With a special recording carriage ("car" or "coach" to us North Americans) plus three additional carriages attached, she made a hell-for-leather dash down the East Coast Main Line between Grantham and Peterborough, reaching a top speed of 126 mph. It's a record that's never been broken.

The Mallard was one of six steamlined locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley to do a specific job: power light express trains at speed from London to Newcastle and Edinburgh. His A4 Pacifics had six huge driving wheels coupled together and supported by four small wheels up front and two under the cab. Gresley's locomotives were streamlined and elegant, though totally unlike North American streamliners of the period. The colour  scheme – Garter Blue with bright red wheels – was devised to make the new steam engines different from the rest.

Amazingly, all six A4's have been preserved. Mallard is on display at Britain's National Railway Museum. Sir Nigel Gresley is based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and is registered for use on the mainline, along with sister locos Bittern and Union of South Africa. Dominion of Canada and Dwight D. Eisenhower have been temporarily repatriated from their homes in North America to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Mallard's record-breaking run in 2013.

On July 01, Bittern made a special run at 90 mph from London's Kings Cross station up the main line to York, as part of the celebration. Because it's hardly normal for preserved locomotives to be driven at high speeds all sorts of special arrangements were made with the railway, including a "temporary certificate of non-compliance," a status enjoyed by no other steam engine.

I'm sure you'll agree that Bittern's spectacular run, together with the gathering of six Gresley streamliners, of which four are in steam, is an event that matches anything we car folks will be doing to celebrate famous marques and races in 2013. It certainly adds to the fun.

BIG YELLOW BIRD BRINGS OUT THE CAR GUYS

It was the first day of summer and the weather was perfect, exactly what the citizens of Sidney-by-the-Sea, on Vancouver Island, had been waiting for after a long grey spring. And therefore a perfect day for the town's inaugural Cars and Planes show. Those planes were few in number but the cars were many and varied and the expectation is that in future years it will become a popular event on the town's calendar.

This year's show had a special purpose– to raise money for the restoration of the yellow PBY Catalina amphibian seen in our photos. I'll turn to Wikipedia for a concise but interesting description: "PBYs were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escorts, search and rescue missions (especially air-sea rescue), and cargo transport. The PBY was the most numerous aircraft of its kind and military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. Even today, nearly 80 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a water bomber (or airtanker) in aerial firefighting operations all over the world."

Extraordinary, wouldn't you agree? But the big yellow Cat in our photos is a very special PBY. She actually flew out of the former Patricia Bay RCAF airfield during the war. (Pat Bay is now called Victoria International Airport (YYJ) and was recently ranked first overall for airports in North America carrying up to 2 million passengers a year. YYJ is our next door neighbour in Sidney. We love it.) This Catalina served several masters in various guises after the war, including a lengthy stint as a water bomber for the Province of Saskatchewan.

The good news is that she's still airworthy, having recently been active, and now awaits an inspection and recertification by Transport Canada, after which the restoration will commence. How rapidly the work proceeds depends on money being raised by the North Saanich branch of the Catalina Preservation Society but it will largely be cosmetic rather than the hugely expensive cost of bringing back to life a plane that's not flyable. Saturday's event was designed to make people in the area aware of these efforts.

Here I must also give credit to the Catalina Grillhouse, a second floor restaurant that offers a prime view of aircraft activities. Located on airport land the Grillhouse features a balcony with outdoor seating and a tasty west coast menu. The owners are car and airplane enthusiasts and it was they who helped organise the event, even setting up a barbecue in the spectator area with a portion of the receipts going to Catalina preservation.

Although several hoped-for vintage aircraft didn't show, three homebuilts made it, including the one in our photo, which intrigued me because of its foldable wings, a space-saving feature that I've rarely seen on a light aircraft. Greatly popular, however, on those designed for use on aircraft carriers.

The organisers plan on repeating the show next year, using this one as a test. Meanwhile some friends are organising a weekly Cars & Coffee gathering at the Grillhouse; much needed in Sidney where the woods hide dozens of beautiful classic and sports cars but whose owners rarely get together as a group. Cars & Coffee meetings are very popular in southern California and in England. I'll update you on this later.

[Photos: Philip Powell]

IF I COULD BE INVITED TO ANY GARDEN PARTY IN THE WORLD, THIS WOULD BE IT

The happiest days of my life occured during a four year period living in London, the result of an ad agency promotion from New York. I regard the move back to my home country of Canada as one of the dumbest things I've ever done. And believe me, I'm guilty of more than a few. So you can imagine that when I learn of another unique classic car event being held in or near London I'm at risk of becoming nostalgic and a little envious.

Not that I was likely to be invited to the Royal Gardens of St James's for the historic Concours of Elegance in St James’s, Central London, from September 5 to 7. Nevertheless I would dearly love to be there, not only to see the 60 beautiful classic cars on display but because twice daily from Monday through Friday I used to cycle past Marlborough House, the 300 year-old Royal Palace, on my way from Victoria to the J. Walter Thompson office in Berkeley Square, always wondering what lay beyond those gates. It has been home to royalty and aristocracy since the mid 17th Century.

The Concours of Elegance is a charity event, with HRH Prince Michael of Kent, a keen "hands on" motorist and racing enthusiast, as Patron. Proceeds from the poster, above, will go to charity. It can be ordered online for £395. Last year's Royal concours at Windsor Castle, raised in excess of £250,000.

St. James is the exclusive address for major corporations, gentlemen’s clubs, tailors, wine merchants and fine art houses, to name but a few. It is located off The Mall, the world-famous tree lined avenue that leads up to Buckingham Palace. I was not a regular patron of those establishments but did buy my shirts from Turnbull & Asser, around the corner on Jermyn Street, listed by Forbes as one of the world's best shirtmakers. It was my one sartorial indulgence during those years.

The organiser's ambition is to ensure that the St James's Concours of Elegance is a glamorous occasion with the emphasis on style and elegance. Apart from being the historic motoring social event of the year, it will have all the sophistication of  "a London happening," with a select group of guests from around the world. The very best in gourmet food and fine wine will be on offer in a specially constructed hospitality facility.

Obviously I won't be among those guests but that's okay. Just imagining it helps me enjoy those long ago memories of London.

[Photo of Windsor Castle Concours: Tim Scott at Fluid Images]