'17 CONCOURS-ON-THE-AVENUE, Carmel, through JZG's lens

[John Z Goriup]

Have been having some health problems since last year and decided much earlier not to attend any part of this year's Monterey Car Week so I could concentrate on a full recovery, therefore had no plans right up until Monday morning while having breakfast, when the thought struck me that I would be missing my first 'Historics' since moving to California in fall of '79. ........clearly an unacceptable situation.

Called my favorite 'double-secret' small Inn on the Monterey peninsula, and lo and behold, they had a room - at normal prices no less, without the punishing doubling / tripling of the daily rate so many hotels impose during car week, and was on my way by Monday afternoon, so I could be standing tall on Ocean Avenue Tuesday morning, the day when my favorite event during the entire week takes place.

Every year I sing the praises of this wonderful Car Show and express my amazement and gratitude to the Friedmans for having had the idea behind this unique event in the street of Carmel in the first place, and the consistently high overall quality they manage to achieve year after year. Compliments and Thank you very much Doug & Julie, much appreciated.

I am going to "waste" the first set of images by posting what may seem to be completely unconnected random photos of Carmel, things and people that at first glance may not appear to have anything to do with the Concours, but I purposely got up earlier than usual to tour the Concours site and watch the set-up, establish the tone for the rest of this presentation by trying to capture the spirit & attitude of what to me has become the best "little" Concours nation-wide, and to help those who post year after year how much they'd like to attend Speed Week and this Concours to make up their mind and finally make trip....next year for Rennsport IV ?. The remainder of the images will show the vast majorityb of all the cars on Ocean from early staging to their designated display areas.

As usual, there are a lot of images, and I do have other things I must do, so please be patient as I post all the photos ( except for those that I'm sending to John Dilger for publication in the ESSES later in the fall ) over the next day or two. If there are any questions I will make every attempt to answer them to the best of my ability.

Thanks for logging on and looking, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did while gathering all the images and attending this fine event.

Best,

JZG
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________

First photo. my favorite bakery, serving piping hot danish and cappuccino

#2 - Ocean Ave. before the crowds descend..............

#3 - assmbling and painting the stage, wiring the sound system

#4 - making sure every spot has two chairs for the entrants, since all cars must stay until 5 PM

#5 - bewildered locals walking their dogs & trying to figure out what is being done to their village

#6 - difficult to find a business that hasn't done something to their window display to celebrate 'Car Week'

#7 Carmel has lots of passages and alleys to help getting around to avoid the crowds tha teventially gather

#8 - the Honda / Acura folks take over the entire City Park for their display

#9 - Judges meeting - all volunteers

#10 - Security, courtesy California Highway Patrol

[moito]

Have been having some health problems since last year and decided much earlier not to attend any part of this year's Monterey Car Week so I could concentrate on a full recovery, therefore had no plans right up until Monday morning while having breakfast, when the thought struck me that I would be missing my first 'Historics' since moving to California in fall of '79. ........clearly an unacceptable situation.

definitely unacceptable situation....looking forward seeing more pics

[John Z Goriup]

As I was walking about looking for good shots to assemble this 'introduction' I heard the familiar raspy exhaust of a Ferrari V-12 around the corner.............when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but two 250 SWB GTs, one in Silver metallic, just like my old, first, and totally unjustifiable automotive extravaganza of my college days, and a dark blue specimen, very similar to the iconic #7 ex-Stirling Moss Nassau Speed Week winner, enetered by Rob Walker for Moss, who had the radio on during the entire race to entertain himself. The silver car was subsequently placed in the intersection in front of the stage and GTO Engineering technicians, the folks responsible for refreshing and caring for the car worked on it during most of the Concours as if it was in the pits during a race.

Last year I thought the rear view of the red 288 GTO was my best individual image of the entire week, this year another Ferrari, the front view of the silver SWB - photo #8 - is the image I'd like to submit as my favorite photo of this event, taken with the Leica SL and the amazing 24-90 Vario-Elmarit AF-Zoom @ f2.8.

[John Z Goriup]

Continuing with a few more detail shots of the SWB, and showing the beginning of the entrants arriving at the designated 'entry point' to wait to drive their cars to their assigned spots. By far the best time & place to see the cars, talk to the owners and chat with other early bird friends who have all learned the futility of trying to get information about the entered cars later during the day.

[John Z Goriup]

More entrants arriving.....

This time my wife accompanied me to the Concours and after we walked around a while she stopped, looked at me and wistfully observed: " Do you even realize how many of these godamned things you've owned and couldn't wait to get rid off - and you took a hit on each and every car you've ever owned".

The sad thing is of course that she's completely correct - the Candy Apple '51 Mercury is a perfect example. Had one in pea-green, put wildly souped-up Caddy motor in it with Lasalle 3-speed transmission, during a long Chicago winter in an unheated gargae, chopped the top, did some body mods......but lost interest and sold it at a huge loss. Just the first in a long line of costly mistakes.

[John Z Goriup]

Another set from early morning, featuring four images of Rob Abbot's latest R Gruppe project, the white R-Type 911 with burgundy stripe.........nicely done.

[SKWIKY67]

Thanks for the great photos John! The door pull in the Silver 250 SWB looks like same one Porsche used in the 356A's and early B's? Wonder if Ferrari went to the same supplier as Porsche?

Dave

[72targa]

Wow...just wow. Love the Hudson. Very happy you found the energy to get to Carmel and keep the streak going.

[John Z Goriup]

Pressing on with more from the staging phase..........

Photos @1 through 5, a rare, original and pristine 993 RSR, one of 58 made - what a magnificent automobile, and convincing proof that developing an initially sound idea to its logical pinnacle is so much more effective than abondoning original concepts and starting from scratch with others......and then there's the sound !

[John Z Goriup]

Continuing, starting this set with a few images of a '41 'Blown' Willis Hot-rod with exquisite flames.....made me think back to the days of my youth when I effortlessly put myself through a couple of years of College by pin-striping and flame painting cars & bikes during summers.