Concorso Italiano 2010

[LongRanger]

What else, but . . .

Love this car. Typical 'lost in the 80s,' I know. But IMHO these cars still scream exotic. Maybe it was that the Countach was the first car to really shock people --- especially those who didn't even know what it was --- all planer and sharp-edged, scissor doors, jet-intake radiators, criminy . . . it doesn't even matter if it moves. So 'in your face.'

Not the best proportioned car, and not pretty, really (like in these colors) --- although they look really really evil-nasty in the darker blues and greens --- but still . . .

Let Batman run around in his black phallic jet car. Or that jumping tank thing.

Get the Riddler . . . . a Countach.

In green.

With a wing . . .

[LongRanger]

I remember the first time I ever saw a Muira. It was sitting in the old Briggs Cunningham museum, behind the airport, off of Redhill, probably late 70s. Looking down on this odd, tight car --- I couldn't believe it had actually had a V12 stuffed sideways, into the back, right next to a glass window --- right behind the driver's head. Impossible packaging --- I mean, there was a gearbox squished in there, somewhere, too! Amazing.

The car was slinky enough, but I didn't think it was beautiful --- it looked too short and had those Halibut head-lights. Kinda weird, self-conscious. Chassis looked like a bunch of angle-iron built by convicts. Not exactly top-shelf.

I've gotten used to the headlights but the proportions still haven't grown on me. And I never see these cars, except in magazines. And car shows.

[LongRanger]

Ferrari Guys. (I hope!)

Don't laugh. I'm sure the Piloti distributor has a really really nice bass-boat courtesy of all of his P-car pilot patronage.

Somebody cue the calliope.

[Nine17]

And I never see these cars, except in magazines. And car shows.

Year before last I was driving down to Long Beach for the ALMS race in my BMW (cruise control and Xenon lights...), when coming up out of San Luis on U.S. 101 I was passed by a time-capsule Lamborghini P400S Miura in period perfect Peter Max orange. I followed in my more modern motor for the next hundred miles down to Santa Barbara as the old beast leapfrogged lesser traffic, snap-crackle-and-popping on the over-run. Perhaps not quite Rossano Brazzi on the Brenner Pass, but that cinematic V-12 sure sounded good off canyon walls as we powered in train through the Gaviota Gap made famous by Dustin Hoffman driving a lesser Italian in The Graduate. Along the coast we passed half-a-dozen CHP-pies who simply nodded and smiled as if we were the papal motorcade; that sunny afternoon’s motoring put me in a fine mood for the rest of the weekend. Thank you, whoever you were!

[LongRanger]

The new Fiat 500.

Not bad looking on the outside. Curious about the pricing --- and performance --- versus the Mini.

[LongRanger]

My favorite late-model Ferraris

F40 . . . 'cause everybody talks about the fire-cracker power-delivery --- including Derek Bell. (He also loves his 924 Carrera GTS, so, he's not totally FoS . . .)

And the Enzo. What can I say about a $1m+ sports-car you can't buy with a manual trans. When it first came out, I really wanted to hate this car. And the Android/devil-spawn who helped develop it. I still don't like the pustular tail-lights or the Jimmy-Durante schnahzola . . . but this would be one heck of a way to get to work in the morning. What is behind you is of NO importance.

[edmayo]

Great pictures Rick, (and commentary!) thanks for sharing

[Chuck Miller]

GREAT pics Rick.........


It was a GREAT day ... Even a few p-cars showed up .......

[Chuck Miller]

Along with the other drop dead jewelery...........

[LongRanger]

Great pics of that Alfa, Chuck . . .

I remember seeing this car out on the green at Del Monte, a few years back. Those see-through wheel spats . . . and looks bigger in photos than it really is, like a locomotive.

I believe this same car was in the pits Saturday, at Laguna Seca ---- the interior is just spectacular --- peanut-butter colored leather everything.

Somebody needs to start a thread on The Historics . . . . brought my camera . . . but left the battery on the charger.

Rick Kreiskott