Pebble Beach And All That!

By Nicholas Frankl
Senior Editor
The Auto Channel

An impressive collection of the world’s auto enthusiasts and cognoscenti descended upon the quiet retirement and golfing communities of Carmel, Pebble Beach and Monterey once again to celebrate the 65th edition of this motoring mecca.

The sheer size and scale of activities is now so large it’s beyond even the most focused, able and well-heeled individual to cover. Every OEM is there, courting top clients, prospects and the media, showcasing and testing their latest wares on the beautiful but mostly congested roads. I arrived with friends in true style into KMRY aboard the Rolls Royce of the skies, a Bombardier Global Express. This baby can fly nonstop 6,500+ miles, enough for LA to NICE, France nonstop and in total comfort.

However, on this occasion, it took me and ten other special guests from Van Nuys to Monterey in just 45 minutes where a fleet of Rolls Royce wafted us from the tarmac straight to the Gooding auction preview and the various houses to explore the new offerings from Bentley, Rolls, McLaren, Porsche, Bugatti, and Aston Martin where I got to see the new and hidden DB11 convertible with cloth roof and innovative wood cladding on the seat backs, plus an AMG-sourced V8 twin turbo which will boost sales in high tariff countries like China (no, I’m not joking). Thursday was a Rolls Royce whirlwind ending at a preview of The Quail and a chance to climb aboard and rev (but not move) the 1,400 BHP Chiron followed by an evening back at Aston Martin and local Carmel hot spot BarMel.

Friday was an early start to try to avoid Quail lodge traffic – always a disaster – though this year it slightly improved, if not by much. The event itself has grown enormously over these past 15 or so years and is rated as ‘the best daytime experience’ of them all as it features both new, cool stock like Pagani and Karma as well as beautiful classics, helicopters and great food tents, too. Concorso Italiano was also happening at the same time, a mistake as it’s almost impossible to cover both – not to mention the historic races at nearby Laguna Seca that I also never reached this year. Friday evening was the Ferrari casa 70th Anniversary welcome cocktail back at Pebble Beach Resort, welcoming about 150 distinguished owners with lovely salami and olive plates not to mention great Tuscan wines, too. It made for a fine evening before we headed to near-by Rolls Royce which was packed with all manner of guests from all the partners, but included some great characters like Team 144 Alex Roy and now-famous Discovery TV personalities Richard Rawlings and co-star Dennis Collins, all of whom of course I beat many years ago at various car rallies like the Bullrun and Gumball.

Saturday started at the Mecum auctions, a new find for myself and my father, fellow TACH scribe Andrew, as it’s not one of the “blue blood” auction houses. But it had some awesome cars including two La Ferraris, a Veyron and various top Porsches, too, plus many more obtainable cars in the $150,000-$500,000 league and a few classic wooden boats, including the legendary T-44 from Lake Tahoe, thrown into the mix. We stumbled across a handsome 2001 Rolls Silver Seraph that was high bid at $35,000, a long way from its original $200,000+ sticker! We toyed with buying it – just for fun and to look like H.M. The Queen in San Francisco can be fun in any old Rolls!

Lunch at the Cadillac house, high up on the top of a Carmel Hill, was not only the best 270 degree view but the best overall ‘maison’ of the week. A very stylish, modern house that fit the iconic American brand’s straight edge styling perfectly with fantastic BBQ food to match and cars displayed very authentically. After filling up on meaty ribs it was back into the Escalade limo and then our steed for the week the multi-purpose Ferrari California and off to NSX to test the new car, followed directly by McLaren and the 570 convertible. The NSX is damn good, damn smooth and damn fast in any one of its endless driving modes. Accelerating in 6th gear, up hill, at 40mph I was impressed with power and delivery of the hybrid electric V6 twin turbo combination power train, tho admit I didn’t quite understand all the electric / fossil fuel wizardry! The suspension is extremely comfortable and compliant at the same time and as you’d expect from an Acura everything is seamless and effortless. For sure the convertible will be a great piece of kit. The 570, on the other hand, is a totally different and more aggressive beast, with the ‘standard’ suspension dancing over the undulating Carmel Valley highway. It’s quick, of course, but lacks real passion and a degree of tactility as, in my mind, McLarens all do with the ‘same’ V8 turbo. However, having just spent a very pleasant but rather cramped week in the latest Lamborghini Huracan Spider touring the best of Tuscany, I would have to say that the new Brit takes it on so many elements it would be my choice of the two and a 100% winner if it ran a glorious V10 too!

Car testing over, it was back to The Lodge for another Ferrari reception followed by a disastrous Pagani ‘party’. I really like and admire Horacio Pagani - he’s achieved the impossible - but to invite your top clients for a special night to an event with one cheese tray and a tiny and rather pathetic ‘tasting’ of Dom Perignon was certainly the worse client / VIP experience of the weekend. Fortunately, nearby was the BMW house so we headed off there for some more cheese and salami and a final beverage. They showed various concept cars that few people seemed to taking much notice of, but the house was good and the crowd festive.

At the same time there was much excitement at the RM and Gooding auctions, both selling heavy metal in the shape of a McLaren F1 that went for $15m, a gorgeous AM DBR1/1 that sold for $22,550,000, and the unique ‘Steve McQueen’ Le Mans Porsche 917 which realized $14m – all world records. Plenty of vehicles didn’t sell, a combination of unrealistic seller demands and over supply but the “good stuff” is still finding a healthy level.

Sunday it was grand finale at The Lodge and 10,000 people trying to look and sound knowledgeable about extraordinary, mostly one-off machinery that has 50+ years of history. This is a game for billionaires as amply demonstrated by the finalists and two Canadian telecom billionaire brothers facing off in German vs. Italian style. On the day the freshly (finished a week before) 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer won Best of Show, an opinion not shared or relevant to many but impressive all the same.

The 66th edition will run a week later next year, August 22-26 2018 and I’m already looking forward to it.

COMPLETE LIST OF 2017 WINNERS

        Best of Show   1929 Mercedes­Benz S Barker Tourer  Bruce R. McCaw, Bellevue, Washington  

Best of Show Nominees  

1932 Packard 906 Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria William E. (Chip) Connor, Reno, Nevada  

1957 Ferrari 315 S Scaglietti Spyder John & Gwen McCaw   Elegance Awards   Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Convertible

1932 Packard 906 Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria William E. (Chip) Connor, Reno, Nevada   J.B. & Dorothy Nethercutt Most Elegant Closed Car  

1937 Bugatti Type 57S Gangloff Coupé The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Hong Kong   Jules Heumann Most Elegant Open Car 1929 Mercedes­Benz S Barker Tourer Bruce R. McCaw, Bellevue, Washington   Strother MacMinn Most Elegant Sports Car

1955 Ferrari 375 Plus Pinin Farina Cabriolet Speciale The Golomb Family Trust   Special Awards

Alec Ulmann Trophy

1931 Hispano­Suiza J12 Saoutchik Transformable Grande Luxe Mark & Sonia Richter, Wanaka, New Zealand

Ansel Adams Award

1906 Pope­Toledo Type XII Touring The Nethercutt Collection – Helen & Jack Nethercutt, Sylmar, California

ArtCenter College of Design Award

1933 Auburn 12­165 Speedster Lou & Kathy Ficco, Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Briggs Cunningham Trophy

1931 Bentley 8 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer Axel Schuette Fine Cars GmbH & Co. KG, Oerlinghausen, Germany

Chairman’s Trophy

1904 Holsman Model 3 Runabout Marta Holsman and Henrietta Holsman, Carpinteria, California

Charles A. Chayne Trophy

1909 De Dion­Bouton BV Type de Course John S. Adamick, Westlake Village, California

Classic Car Club of America Trophy

1940 Packard 1807 Custom Super Eight Rollson Sport Sedan Michelle & Martin Cousineau, Beverly Hills, California

Dean Batchelor Trophy

1967 Gyro­X Alex Tremulis Prototype Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

Elegance in Motion Trophy

1932 Packard 906 Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria William E. (Chip) Connor, Reno, Nevada

Euro Ferrari Trophy

1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta

Anne Brockinton Lee / Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection, Reno, Nevada

FIVA Postwar Trophy

1953 Bentley R­Type Continental H.J. Mulliner Sports Saloon Derek Hood, Maldon, England

FIVA Prewar Trophy

1916 Locomobile Model 38 Collapsible Cabriolet Mike Guffey, Hartford City, Indiana

The French Cup

1947 Delahaye 135 MS Figoni & Falaschi Cabriolet Wayne Grafton, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Gran Turismo Trophy

1929 Mercedes­Benz S Barker Tourer Bruce R. McCaw, Bellevue, Washington

Lincoln Trophy

1933 Lincoln KB­260 Brunn Convertible Victoria Bill & Barbara Parfet, Hickory Corners, Michigan

Lorin Tryon Trophy

Robert T. Devlin

Lucius Beebe Trophy

1929 Rolls­Royce Phantom I Brewster Ascot Tourer Jay & Christina Moore, Lahaina, Hawaii

Mercedes­Benz Star of Excellence Award

1929 Mercedes­Benz SS Castagna Cabriolet The Keller Collection at The Pyramids, Petaluma, California

Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy

1936 Rolls­Royce Phantom III H.J. Mulliner Sports Limousine Mr. & Mrs. Henry Robet, France

The Phil Hill Cup

1907 Renault AI 35/45 HP Vanderbilt Racer Robert Kauffman, Charlotte, North Carolina

The Revs Program at Stanford Award

1907 Renault AI 35/45 HP Vanderbilt Racer Robert Kauffman, Charlotte, North Carolina

Tony Hulman Trophy

1915 Packard 2­38 Six Runabout Allen Strong, Urbana, Illinois

The Vitesse ~ Elegance Trophy

1956 Maserati 300S Fantuzzi Race Car

Henri Chambon,

 Vence, France

Class Winners

Class A:  Antique

1st: 1913 Rolls­Royce Silver Ghost Barker Torpedo, Charles E. Nearburg, Dallas, Texas

2nd: 1906 Pope­Toledo Type XII Touring, The Nethercutt Collection – Helen & Jack Nethercutt, Sylmar, California

3rd: 1910 Thomas Flyer Model K 6­70 Flyabout, Jim Grundy, Solebury, Pennsylvania

Class C­1: American Classic Open

1st: 1932 Studebaker President Series 91 Convertible Sedan, George & Valerie Vassos, Westfield, Massachusetts

2nd: 1933 Lincoln KB­260 Brunn Convertible Victoria, Bill & Barbara Parfet, Hickory Corners, Michigan

3rd: 1928 Stearns­Knight H 8­90 Phillips Cabriolet, Brent Merrill, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Class C­2: American Classic Closed 1st: 1940 Packard 1807 Custom Super Eight Rollson Sport Sedan, Michelle & Martin Cousineau, Beverly Hills, California 2nd: 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Custom LeBaron Sedan, Larry & Susan Nannini, Daly City, California 3rd: 1930 Cord L­29 Brougham, Shawn Coady, Loda, Illinois

Class D: Packard

1st: 1932 Packard 906 Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria, William E. (Chip) Connor, Reno, Nevada

2nd: 1932 Packard 904 Deluxe Eight Dietrich Sport Phaeton, Samuel Lehrman, Palm Beach, Florida

3rd: 1939 Packard 1703 Super­8 Darrin Convertible Victoria, Leon Flagg and Curtis Lamon, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Class G: Duesenberg

1st: 1935 Duesenberg SJ Bohman & Schwartz Town Car, Lee & Penny Anderson, Naples, Florida

2nd: 1935 Duesenberg JN Rollston Berline, Rob & Jeannie Hilarides, Visalia, California

3rd: 1931 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Coupe, Linda & Paul Gould, Pawling, New York

Class H: Rolls­Royce Prewar

1st: 1936 Rolls­Royce Phantom III H.J. Mulliner Sports Limousine, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Robet, France

2nd: 1929 Rolls­Royce Phantom I Brewster Ascot Tourer, Jay & Christina Moore, Lahaina, Hawaii

3rd: 1937 Rolls­Royce Phantom III Inskip Convertible Roadster, Stephen Brauer, St. Louis, Missouri

Class I: Mercedes­Benz Prewar

1st: 1929 Mercedes­Benz S Barker Tourer, Bruce R. McCaw, Bellevue, Washington

2nd: 1929 Mercedes­Benz SS Castagna Cabriolet, The Keller Collection at The Pyramids, Petaluma, California

3rd: 1934 Mercedes­Benz 380K Cabriolet A, Yi Hong Chen, Beijing, China

Class J­1: European Classic Early

1st: 1931 Hispano­Suiza J12 Saoutchik Transformable Grande Luxe, Mark & Sonia Richter, Wanaka, New Zealand

2nd: 1931 Bentley Speed Six Vanden Plas Open Four Seater Sports, Ivor Dunbar, London, England

3rd: 1930 Delage D8C Chapron Cabriolet, Ray & Bonnie Kinney, Dallas, Texas

Class J­2: European Classic Mid

1st: 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Gangloff Coupé, The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Hong Kong

2nd: 1934 Delage D8 S Fernandez et Darrin Cabriolet, John Rich Jr., Frackville, Pennsylvania

3rd: 1934 SS Cars SS1 Fixed Head Coupé, Carl & Marcia Baxter, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Class J­3: European Classic Late

1st: 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Voll & Ruhrbeck Cabriolet, Jim Patterson / The Patterson Collection, Louisville, Kentucky

2nd: 1938 Lagonda V12 Rapide Drophead Coupé, Ron Rezek, Ashland, Oregon

3rd: 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Graber Mille Miglia Cabriolet, Dr. Matthias Metz, Rosengarten, Germany

Class J­4: European Classic Sport

1st: 1930 Bentley 4½ Litre SC Vanden Plas Le Mans Sports, Private Collection

2nd: 1935 Lagonda M45 Rapide Tourer, Richard D. Lisman, Southampton, New York

3rd: 1930 OM Tipo 665 SS MM Works Race Car, Michael Haentjes, Hamburg, Germany

Class K­1: Isotta Fraschini

1st: 1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Fleetwood Roadster, Joseph & Margie Cassini III,

West Orange, New Jersey

2nd: 1928 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A SS LeBaron Cabriolet, Peter T. Boyle, Covington, Ohio

3rd: 1931 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8B Viggo Jensen Cabriolet, The Keller Collection at The Pyramids, Petaluma, California

Class K­2: Isotta Fraschini Castagna Coachwork Open

1st: 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A SS Castagna Cabriolet, Karol Pavlu, Bratislava, Slovakia

2nd: 1932 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A SS Castagna Commodore, Blake & Lauren Atwell, Buda, Texas

3rd: 1928 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Commodore, The Stephens Family, San Francisco, California

Class K­3: Isotta Fraschini Castagna Coachwork Closed

1st: 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Limousine, Morton Bullock, Ruxton, Maryland

2nd: 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Imperial Cabriolet, Paul & Joyce Toberty, Newport Coast, California

3rd: 1928 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Imperial Landaulet, The Nethercutt Collection – Helen & Jack Nethercutt, Sylmar, California

Class L­1: Prewar Preservation

1st: 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer, Axel Schuette Fine Cars GmbH & Co. KG, Oerlinghausen, Germany

2nd: 1916 Locomobile Model 38 Collapsible Cabriolet, Mike Guffey, Hartford City, Indiana

3rd: 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sports Saloon, Gregor Fisken, London, England

Class L­2: Postwar Preservation

1st: 1963 Mercedes­Benz 300 SL Roadster, Lukas Hüni, Zurich, Switzerland

2nd: 1954 Jaguar XK120 Open Two Seater, Kim McCullough, Pompton Plains, New Jersey

3rd: 1960 Abarth 1000 Record Pininfarina Prototype, Simone Bertolero, Moncalieri, Italy

Class M­1: Ferrari Grand Touring

1st: 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Cabriolet, Peter S. Kalikow, New York

2nd: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Scaglietti Berlinetta, Bob Cohen, Beverly Hills, California

3rd: 1968 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 Scaglietti NART Spyder, Chris & Ann Cox, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Class M­2: Ferrari Competition

1st: 1958 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti Spyder, Andreas Mohringer, Salzburg, Austria

2nd: 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta, Thomas Peck, Irvine, California

3rd: 1967 Ferrari 412 P Competizione, Harry Yeaggy, Cincinnati, Ohio

Class M­3: Ferrari Major Race Winners

1st: 1957 Ferrari 315 S Scaglietti Spyder, John & Gwen McCaw

2nd: 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Berlinetta, Jack & Kingsley Croul, Corona del Mar, California

3rd: 1975 Ferrari 312 T F1 Race Car, Richard Griot, Tacoma, Washington

Class M­4: Ferrari One­off Speciales

1st: 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Pinin Farina Coupe, Lee & Joan Herrington (for the Herrington Corp. Collection), Bow, New Hampshire

2nd: 1955 Ferrari 375 Plus Pinin Farina Cabriolet Speciale, The Golomb Family Trust

3rd: 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Cabriolet, Anne Brockinton Lee / Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection, Reno, Nevada

Class O­1: Postwar Open

1st: 1952 Porsche 356 Reutter Cabriolet, Robert Ingram / The Ingram Collection, Durham, North Carolina

2nd: 1965 AC Cobra 427 Roadster, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Swanson, Boston, Massachusetts

3rd: 1951 Cisitalia 202 SC Vignale Cabriolet, Leo & Lisa Schigiel, Miami Beach, Florida

Class O­2: Postwar Closed

1st: 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Boano Coupé Speciale, Tony Shooshani, Long Beach, California

2nd: 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE Pinin Farina Coupé, Classic Motor Cars Ltd., Bridgnorth, England

3rd: 1953 Siata 208CS Coupé, Tim & Janet Walker

Class O­3: Postwar Racing

1st: 1952 Siata 208CS Corsa Bertone Spider, Raffi Najjarian, Brisbane, California

2nd: 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Zagato Coupé, Jack & Kingsley Croul, Corona del Mar, California

3rd: 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Zagato Coupé, David & Jody Smith, Medina, Washington

Class O­4: Postwar Grand Touring

1st: 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Figoni & Falaschi Cabriolet, Wayne Grafton, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

2nd: 1948 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8C Monterosa Boneschi Cabriolet, Collezione Lopresto, Milan, Italy

3rd: 1957 Mercedes­Benz 300 SC Coupe, Vin & Erica Di Bona, Los Angeles, California

Class R: American Dream Cars of the 1960s

1st: 1965 Pontiac Vivant Herb Adams Roadster, Mark & Newie Brinker, Houston, Texas

2nd: 1966 Bosley Mark II Interstate Coupe, Stephen & Kim Bruno, Boca Raton, Florida

3rd: 1969 Farago CF 428 Carrozzeria Coggiola Coupe, Frank Campanale, Orchard Lake, Michigan

Class V: Open Wheel Race Cars

1st: 1907 Renault AI 35/45 HP Vanderbilt Racer, Robert Kauffman, Charlotte, North Carolina

2nd: 1908 Mors Grand Prix Race Car, Collier Collection at The Revs Institute, Naples, Florida

3rd: 1909 Isotta Fraschini FENC Tipo A Factory Touring, Harold Peters and Juanita Doerksen