2016 Monterey Car Week through JZG's lens

[John Z Goriup]

Another set, entirely devoted to a very special car, but one I managed to catch only at the beginning of the Tour d'Elegance on Thursday, and which, for some reason I either missed entirely on Sunday or it din't appear on the showfield - the '31 Harry Miller Special,

This is the only V-16 engined car designed & built by Harry Miller, on his own two-man chassis. He designed the 300 hp, 45 degree motor for a planned Cord luxury sports Tourer, but that never materialized. Built with four seperate cylinder-blocks, it also featured dual overhead cams and 8 Miller-Adamson carburetors. The car ran as high as 3rd in the race, but rod failure on lap 88 caused early retirement.

[John Z Goriup]

A final 'short' set of the Indy cars, starting with proof that the Miller V 16 indeed was on the field, I just missed it completely - I was hurting badly from a debilitating hip inflamation and was taking medication that made me woozy and goofier than normal - shown here with Jacky Ickx admiring it.

Finishing the set with a couple more two-seaters.

[John Z Goriup]

Another entire set devoted to one very special car........the 1949 Porsche 356 SL Coupe, Ser. # 063 - one of four similar cars prepared for the '51 24 Hours of LeMans. The other three cars all crashed in testing, leaving this example as the only car entered in the race. It finished 20th overall, but in so doing won the 1100cc class, recording Porsche's first win in an international race. Following LeMans the factory also entered this car in additional prestigious European endurance races, and then exported the car to Max Hoffman in New York, who sold it to John von Neumann, who raced SCCA races with it, including the Pebble Beach road race in '52. Chuck Forge, who owned and raced several Gmünd cars had it for many years until '09. Rod Emory has now restored the car very faithfully to its 'as-raced' '51 LeMans condition.......and in my opinion has done a magnificent job, preserving one of the most historic and significant Porsches of all.

This is the same car that was presented at the Porsche factory display at Rennsport last October, while it was still 'under reconstruction'.

[John Z Goriup]

Moving on to some English cars, including photos #8, 9 & 10, of the 14th Aston-Martin DB4GT-Zagato Coupe of only 19 made.

[John Z Goriup]

Continuing with the British contingent, starting out with a unique '54 Cadillac-engined HWM race car. This car was based on a '51 F2 chassis designed, built & modified by the firm of Hersham & Walton of London, and was then fitted with a Cadillac motor out of a J2 Allard the buyer of this car already owned - photos # 1 & 2.

Photos # 5 through 10 show a '1961 Jaguar Lightweight E-Type Roadster. Briggs Cunningham personally ordered three Lightweights from Sir William Lyons directly - this car, Ser #875027 is today one of the earliest left-hand drive E-Types still in existence. It was delivered to the Cunningham shops and immediately modified, with development continuing throughout Cunningham's ownership. Cunningham and co-driver John Fitch won their class in this car at the 12 hours of Sebring in '62.

[John Z Goriup]

Carrying on with all the 'Brits', but starting out with Jay Leno holding court at the BMW motorcycle display area.

[John Z Goriup]

Finishing up with the English cars and moving on to the Italian iron.

Photos # 6, 7 & 8 are of the '57 Alfa-Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale Prototipo, as displayed at the Turin Auto Show in 1957. Designed by famed Franco Scaglione and built in aluminum by the same team of panel beaters responsible for the 3 BAT ( Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica ) cars of '53, '54 & '55. This was to be an exclusive version of the SS, with extreme overhang and a lack of the traditional Alfa grill. A second prototype with a more recognizable Alfa grill and more conservative bodywork became the actual production model of the Giulietta Sprint Speciale in 1959, one of the most beautiful post-war Alfa in my opinion.

[John Z Goriup]

Some more Italians, starting with the 'Best of Show' winning 1936 Lancia Astura Pinin Farina Cabriolet - photos #1 through 5. One of six such cars built for the Lancia dealer in Bella, Italy and known as the Tipo Bocca. Each of the 6 had individual features, with this car displaying basketweave interior material, non-metric gauges, supporting speculation that it was initially delivered into England. Found in very poor condition in the '60s, it was restored and purchased by Eric Clapton, who famously declared the car to be 'the most fun I've ever had out of bed'.

I always try to guess which car will win Best of Show, and discuss it with friends and chat about it, but this time actually presumed to congratulate the owner of this car on winning the Best of Show award........at 10:00 in the morning, long before the presentations. He was dumbfounded and thought I was being sarcastic. Took me a long time to assure him I sincerely thought he would be the hands-down winner, the car is that well done and restored. There was no doubt in my mind that this car would win..........sorry DavidNine17, I don't detect the bulbousness you refer to, and think this is a perfectly deserving choice for the "Best of Show" award.

[John Z Goriup]

Continuing with more Italian cars, the most noteworthy oif this set shown in photos # 3, 4 & 5. At the end of 1958, while most other race car manufacturers were moving towards rear / mid -engined layouts, Maserati went to work developing this front-engined, 2-liter prototype, the Tipo 60 / 61. First ran in testing with famed Maserati chief mechanic and test driver Guerino Bertocchi, with Stirling Moss breaking the Nürburgring 2-liter lap record shortly afterwards. After a few succesful races in Europe the car was sold to 'Lucky' Casner for use in his Camoradi Team. It was rebodied to its present form by the factory for the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Photos #6 through 10 show a gorgeous Fiat 8V Zagato Berlinetta, one of 114 built before production ceased in 1954. 63 of the 114 cars were bodied at the factory with the rest receiving bodies by various coach builders - 30 were built by Zagato, of which 6 had the famous double-bubble rooflines. This car was raced by Emilio Zagato himself & was driven in three Mille Miglia races, winning its class in '57. The present owner has participated in every iteration of the Mille Miglia Retroperspectiva.

[John Z Goriup]

More Italians still, starting with three images of a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Scaglietti Berlinetta Competizione. Developed by Giotto Bizzarini, Carlo Chiti and Mauro Forghieri, this is one of the 165 alloy-bodied racing berlinettas produced by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. It is the 44th 250 SWB and was delivered to its first owner, Gerard Spinedi of Geneva, at the end of '60. The car won its first race the Rally Lyon - Charbonnieres, driven by Jo Schlesser. ( the reason for this detailed provenance is because 928cs pointed out in post #76 that he thought there was a mistake in the nose decal of the car )

Photos # 6, 7 & 8 show another rare and important Ferrari - one of 31 '53 250 MM Pinin Farina Berlinettas, with a colorful racing provenance in the Mille Miglia and other European events.