Category Archives: Shows and Auctions

190 SL, 911T, Austin Healey, Din0 246 GTS, Ferrari, Jaguar, Keels and Wheels, Lamborghini, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Miata, Porsche, Shows and Auctions, Sprite, TR4A, Trimuph, XKE

2016 Trip to Keels and Wheels 21st Annual Concours d’Elegance

April 24, 2016 karmabarnard

Where: Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook, TX
What: Keels and Wheels 21st Annual Concours d’Elegance
When: April 23 and 24, 2016
URL: http://www.keels-wheels.com/

We took the Miata for a drive to Seabrook, TX for the 21^st annual Keels and Wheels Concours d’Elegance yesterday. It was a nice day for a drive and the trip was long, but good. Someone in a Lambo stopped and was having their Wendy’s lunch with us, so I snapped a couple of pictures.

Lambo at Wendy's for lunch — Lambo at Wendy’s for lunch

The show’s mix was their typical boats, brass cars, muscle cars, and of course what I went for, sports cars. I didn’t make it to the show in 2015, but there wasn’t an auction this year like there was in 2014.

I did chat to Dr. Juan Jose Olivero of Houston, TX about his 1966 Triumph TR4A IRS. The TR4A is still an affordable classic that Juan was able to purchase in its current restored condition. Juan had driven it in from Houston and was able to comfortably keep it at 70 miles per hours. Like many of us, the good doctor is limited by time, space, and money to have all the cars he wants. Juan’s son, Juan Jr., is not only a doctor of Nephrology like his dad, he is also a car collector; it seems to run in most families.

The TR4A was manufactured by Triumph between 1965 and 1967 with the major differences between it and its predecessor, the TR4, being the replacement of the straight axle with Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) and the frame that Triumph modified to accommodate the suspension change. There were other badge, grille, and cosmetic changes as well; overall, a much better car.

Triumph TR4A
4-cylinder, in line, cast iron block and cylinder head, 2138CC
2 each 175 CD Stromberg Carburetors
4 speed transmission with optional overdrive
Rear suspension: coil springs w/semi trailing arms and lever arm shocks
0-30 in 2.9 seconds, 0-60 in 9.8 seconds with a top speed of 104mph

1966 Triumph TR4A owned by Dr. Juan Jose Olivero of Houston, TX

I hope you enjoy the rest of the pictures as much as I did taking them.

1962 Jaguar XLE Roadster Series 1 owned by Peter Harth of Houston, TX

1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS Convertible owned by Shawn Speer of Tomball, TX

1964 Austin Healey Sprite MKII owned by Leonard Boyd of Kemah, TX

1973 Porsche 911T Coupe owned by Glenn Edgecomb of Houston, TX

1957 Mercedes Benz 190SL owned by Wogbe Ofori of Houston, TX

Check out many more pics on Facebook and Instagram 🙂

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3000, 360 Spider, 600S, Audi, Austin Healey, Barrett Jackson, Ferrari, Flavia, Honda, Lancia, R8, Shows and Auctions

2015 Barrett Jackson, Las Vegas

September 27, 2015 karmabarnard

I had been going to the Barrett Jackson auctions in Arizona ever since they were at Legend City in Tempe and that has been since a number of years back, but I have never gone to one outside of Arizona, so I was happy to make it to Las Vegas this year. I expected to be in the parking lot at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, but found it almost 100% indoors. The “lot” where the cars were stored was inside a massive warehouse and the auction itself was in an arena that is probably typically used for a boxing match. Like many recent auctions Barrett Jackson Las Vegas was dominated by American iron and not many “real” sports cars.

Thursday began with the auction one-of-a-kind automotive collectibles. These collectibles were an eclectic mix of pedal cars, gas globes, service station signs and more including a seldom-available 1990s authorized Harley-Davidson neon dealership sign and several impeccably restored 1950s gas pumps. Many of the signs sat around the auditorium on the main floor.

I missed the good old days of the classic European sports and exotics, but got a couple of pictures that I hope you enjoy.

You can find the auction results here .

2004 Ferrari 360 Spider F1, Barrett Jackson, Las Vegas

1961 Austin Healey 3000 Mark 1 BT7 Roadster, Barrett Jackson, Las Vegas

1961 Lancia Flavia, 1.8, Barrett Jackson, Las Vegas

1966 Honda S600 Convertible, Barrett Jackson, Las Vegas

650S, Alfa Romeo, Aventador, Elise, Gallardo, Gran Turismo MC, GTV6, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Shows and Auctions

Dallas Cars and Coffee

July 10, 2014 karmabarnard 639 Comments

What: Dallas Cars and Coffee
Where: Classic BMW, Plano, TX
Who: Open and Free of charge
When: First Saturday of each month
Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cars-And-Coffee-Car-Meet/150333544987427
Link 2: http://online.carsandcoffee.info/

Cars and Coffee are shows that take place world wide. I’ve been to the Dallas one twice and it has been a treat both times. Last weekend I got a little late start and didn’t arrive until around 9:30 AM and a lot of the cars had already started to leave. There is no charge to show your car or be a spectator, so look them up and get out as often as you can. The Dallas show is actually held at Classic BMW in Plano. I don’t know how the other Cars and Coffee gatherings are around the world, but in Plano there are all kinds of cars from 60’s Volkswagens to a Lamborghini Aventador and everything in between.

Because I was late and the cars were already starting to leave I got to listen to some of the best engine sounds as the V10’s and V12’s were pulling out of the lot and putting on their own show for us spectators.

I ran into Val Herrera with his Alfa GTV6 Callaway and got to talk to him for a bit about the history and acquisition of the car. Val does great work and takes a lot of pride in his cars.

Val Herrera's Alfa Romeo Callaway GTV6 with Reeves Callaway Signed Hood — Val Herrera’s Alfa Romeo Callaway GTV6 with Reeves Callaway Signed Hood

Val Herrera's Alfa Romeo Callaway GTV6 — Val Herrera’s Alfa Romeo Callaway GTV6

There were several exotic cars; besides the Aventador there was a pair of yellow Lamborghini Gallardos, a Ferrari F430, a Jaguar F Type, an Audi R8 V10, and a McLaren 650S Spider plus a handful of more common exotics like a Lotus Elise and a Ferrari 328.

lamborghini gallardo and superleggera — Two Lamborghinis: a Gallardo Superleggera and a Gallardo

Enjoy the pics and I’ll post more on Instagram or the CarReads.com Facebook page.

2002, 2CV, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Burton, Citroen, Fulvia, Giulietta, GTV, Lancia, Renault, Shows and Auctions, Simca, TR6, Trimuph

Another Sports Car Gathering in Peyriac De Mer

July 7, 2014 karmabarnard 5,266 Comments

What: Vacation
Where: Peyriac de mer, France
Who: Classic Sports Cars
When: June 22, 2014

Who would have guessed that Peyriac De Mer, France would be such a great place for sports cars? This seemingly sleepy little town in the south of France has one pizza shop, a tabaco store, a bakery, a grocery store slightly smaller than a 7-11, and one restaurant/bar. I stayed there 5 days and on two of those 5 days they had sports car shows; the AC Owner’s club of France and this group of beautiful cars that motored in while we were out at the Carcassonne castle doing the tourist thing. After such a great show for us with the AC club, I jokingly told my wife that I hope they have another group of cars for us to enjoy when we got back from the castle; and wow did they.

If you have been to France you know that not everyone knows English and some of those that do won’t let on, so here again I had a language barrier and had little interaction with the owners, but I hope you enjoy the pictures anyways.

An interesting Burton based on a Citrion

AC Bristol, Ace, Aceca, Shows and Auctions

AC Owners Club of France in Peyriac de mer

July 2, 2014 karmabarnard 942 Comments

Where: Peyriac de mer, France
Who: AC Owners Club of France
When: June 19, 2014

As I already posted I missed LeMans due to mechanical problems with my flight getting to Paris, so my new intent was to at least get some pictures of cars that we normally don’t see in the US or maybe just some nice sports cars in the Paris environment. I was slightly disappointed with Paris, car wise anyways. We stayed in the Opera district and walked to the River Seine and all the attractions every day, but saw very few cars to take a picture of. I saw one Lotus Elise a couple of times, but I never had my camera to the ready. We saw lots of cars we don’t see in the US, but mostly just economy cars that have no sporting value. There were the new scooters with two front wheels that were pretty cool and seemed to be the preferred scooter of the upper level business men in Armani suits, but the only car worth a picture was the original Mini’s and there were a number of them.

Eventually we did see a Ferrari and a Lamborghini rental cars parked as we were leaving the Tuileries Gardens that were for rent, 89€ for a 20 minutes’ drive. They had some crazy advertising on the side of them so I was almost embarrassed to take the picture, and didn’t, but did find them on someone else’s site here . Other than to say you drove them, I’m not sure it would be that great of a drive in that particular area.

The second half of the trip was much better car wise. We headed to the south of France to stay in a little town called Peyriac de mer. From there we traveled to the Mediterranean Sea, a small city called Narbonne, and to Carcassonne where one of the largest castles in Europe is located.

As we are entering town we are met with the AC Owners Club of France just finishing their lunch with all of their cars parked in a circle immediately outside of the door to our residence. What a nice surprise. We dropped our bags and starting taking pictures. Besides ACs there was one Jaguar and one “real” Shelby Cobra. There was a language barrier, so no stories, but lots of great pictures and videos.

AC History:

AC Cars are Britain’s oldest car manufactures having been produced since 1901. In 1953 the AC Ace was launched and found a following among sports motorists. It was very successful in British Club racing and the Shelby AC Cobra eventually evolved from the AC Ace. In 1961 AC was approached by Carroll Shelby to use a small block Ford V8 engine in the Ace chassis, producing the AC Cobra. Shelby needed a car that could compete with the Chevrolet Corvette in US sports car racing. The resulting Cobra was a very powerful roadster.

1953-1963 AC Ace
Manufacturer: AC Cars
Production: 1953–1963
Body and chassis: 2-door roadster

Engine
2.0 L I6 (AC)
2.0 L I6 (Bristol)
2.6 L I6 (Ford)
Transmission
4-speed manual (With overdrive available)

Dimensions
Wheelbase: 90 in (2,286 mm)
Length: 152 in (3,861 mm)
Width: 59.5 in (1,511 mm)
Height: 49 in (1,245 mm)
Curb weight: 1920 lb (871 kg)

Links around the web:
http://www.acheritage.co.uk/
http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/features/octane_features/276613/driven_ac_acebristol.html
http://www.acownersclub.co.uk/

Enjoy.

Alfa Romeo, Keels and Wheels, Montreal, Shows and Auctions

1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal

May 25, 2014 karmabarnard 5,244 Comments

What: 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe
Who: Val Herrera
From: Double Oak, TX
Where: Seabrook, TX, Lakewood Yacht Club
When: May 3, 2014

My eyes were drawn to the Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe I saw sitting up on the hill overlooking the docks at the Keels and Wheels Concours d’Elegance. Throughout the day I had stopped by a couple of times hoping to meet the owner and get a few words with him or her. On my last pass by I was listening to a gentleman that I later learned to be the owner, Val Herrera, talking to others interested lookers about his car. He was telling them about it’s history and what work he had done since owing it. The car’s front end has four headlamps partly covered by grilles that retract when the lights are switched on, but Val was able to show us how they worked manually.

Val is a retired Texas Instruments engineer with a collection of 10 different Alfa Romeos. Val bought his first car, an Alfa Veloce Spider, in Hollywood, CA almost at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in 1965. Val found this particular Alfa Montreal in the Alfa Owner’s magazine in the cars for sale section and it was first come first serve; so Val headed to Phoenix, AZ back in 2002 and has not regretted that trip yet.

Val Herrera's 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe — Val Herrera’s 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe

Val’s Montreal has 42,000 original miles on it and other than replacing the timing chain the engine has not been opened. Val has installed both new paint and a new interior on his car. That was good enough to enter it in Concours Italiano in Monterey, CA. A recent record setting sale at Gooding and Company Scottsdale set the bar at $176,000 for a 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe.

1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe at Keels and Wheels 2014

Val also owns one of only 35 copies of the Alfa GT6 Callaway.

Val took home the Silver award for misc. Italian cars; Congratulations!! I hope you enjoy the pictures of Val’s beautiful car!

The Alfa Romeo Montreal Coupe:
Years Produced: 1970-1977
Production: Total number built was 3917
Driveline: longitudinal engine at front with rear wheel drive
Engine:2593cc (80×64.5mm) DOHC V8 with 200bhp @ 6,500rpm with mechanical fuel injection, and dry-sump
Suspension front: Double wishbone, telescopic dampers, coil springs and anti-roll bar, rear: live axle, coil springs and dampers
Wheelbase: 92.5 inches
Front Brakes: discs, ventilated
Rear Breaks: discs, ventilated
Gearbox: 5 speed manual, ZF limited-slip differential
Kerb Weights: 2493 lbs.

Comments from around the web:

“It made 200hp out of just 2.6 liters, a very respectable specific output for a naturally aspirated car. Its high redline and small displacement made it one of the most lively powerhouses of its day.” Concept Carz, http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14231/Alfa-Romeo-Montreal.aspx

“the soul of a concept car and the V-8 heart of a race car” Hemming’s Motor News, http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2012/11/01/hmn_feature1.html

“Very few road cars can claim an engine with antecedents in both long-distance sports car racing and Formula 1 but the Alfa Romeo Montreal is one of them. ” Bonhams, http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20099/lot/233/

Keels and Wheels, Shows and Auctions

Keels and Wheels, May 2014

May 25, 2014 karmabarnard 342 Comments

What: Keels and Wheels
Where: Seabrook, TX, Lakewood Yacht Club
When: May 3, 2014
Link: http://www.keels-wheels.com/

Outside the entrance to the 2014 Keels and Wheels

It was my first time to visit Keels and Wheels. I’ve been to many car auctions and many car shows, but this is the first boat and car show combined; it was fantastic. Even if you are not a boater, you can appreciate the work and care put into these beautiful floating machines. Most of them were wooden Chris Crafts from decades and centuries gone by.

I was only able to make it to Seabrook for Saturday Concours d’Elegance and did not attend the auction or awards, so I’ll need to catch up on those after the fact. There was a great collection of automobiles from the early 1900’s through today. From the entry gate around the first corner they are mostly American brass cars, beautifully restored, many for much more than their value. I started out talking to Don Sable who had almost 5 years into the restoration of his 1911 Ford Model T Torpedo Roadster. The picture below is my wife sitting in his car.

My wife sitting in Don Sable’s 1911 Ford Model T Torpedo Roadster

Although these were all great cars and restored to levels better than when they came from the factories, I thought I was going to be disappointed. I came to see sports cars since they are my passion. As we wondered down the road we came across a gaggle of Corvettes;

they were magnificently restored and then a lineup of Ferrari’s down by the docks. There were some beautiful 430’s, one Dino that was a little rough on the outside, but presentable.

Though I had many favorites for the day, the one that I spent the most time with was a blue 1959 Maserati 3500 GT. The owner wasn’t around, so I didn’t get any background on the car’s history.

Enjoy the pictures from the show and I’ll post some specifics about a few talks with some owners I had in a day or so.

The full list of the 2014 awards can be found here: http://www.keels-wheels.com/Assets/2014%20car%20awards%20script%20indiv.pdf

Classic and Sports Cars we love