Porsche Panamera: You're With Me, Leather?

Remember when we caught those Panameras being loaded onto a plane? Here they are at the Monterey Historics. The Panamera's still the perfect car if you're into leather, though any mention of driving experience is notably absent.

Fisker Karma To Make Powered Debut At Monterey Historics

The Fisker Karma debuted its production-intent mustachioed shape at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but now the fully running prototype will take a spin at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on August 15. More »

Madmen Will Put Any Number Of Weber Carbs On Any Engine You Want

We saw some cool Weber carburetor setups at last year's Monterey Historics, but the guys at the Pierce Manifolds booth have upped the Weber ante with their insane custom intakes. You want to put eight two-barrel Webers on your Chevy 348? No problemo- they can pull that manifold right off the shelf for you! How about a GMC Twin Six with 24 Webers? Yeah, we're drooling. [Pierce Manifolds] More »

Are You Concours, Dream Cruise Or Sonic Parking Lot?

As you may have noticed, we divided our time this weekend between the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise and the Monterey Historics. Both events are full of the kind of people who love cars, though the people themselves are often as different as a 1967 Mazda Cosmo 110S and a 427 Cobra Limo. The greatness of our car culture comes from the variety of our interests, backgrounds and ideas. And while we celebrate this oil-stained plurality, we understand that your ideal car show may not be our ideal car car show. So, what is your ideal car show? More »

Olio, Huile, Or Oil? Gauges Of The Monterey Historics

Once I saw a tachometer with a "$$$$" marker at the redline and another driven by a leather belt coming off the camshaft, I decided I'd start shooting some instrument panels at the Monterey Historics. Italy, Germany, Japan, and Detroit are all represented in the gallery below, but Joe Lucas ( the Prince Of Darkness) caused all the shots of British gauges to come out blurry and/or dark. More »

1967 Mazda Cosmo 110S Doesn't Care How Many Pistons Your Car Has

When's the last time you saw one of these? This damn-near-perfect first-year Mazda Cosmo didn't go out on the track, but it did grab more attention than most of the quadrillion-dollar Ferraris, just sitting there parked. More »

Win On Sunday, Still Don't Sell On Monday: Screamin' AMCs In Eardrum-Punishing Trans Am Action!

Sure, there were plenty of Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers- not to mention a few furrin jobs in the 2-liter class- roaring around the track in the Historic 1966-74 Trans Am Cars event yesterday, but: red-white-and-blue Javelins and AMXs! The sound of 40 V8s WFO on the track overwhelmed my poor camera's sound-recording abilities, but I did get a usable video of this Javelin warming up. Make the jump for many Trans Am photos. More »

What Do You Drive To The Monterey Historics? Leave The Camry At Home!

As soon as you arrive at the Monterey Historics and park your car, something becomes very clear: this isn't your typical bunch of parked cars! More late-model Porsches, Ferraris, and Corvettes than you can shake a briefcase full of nonsequentially-numbered $20 bills at, of course, but also dozens of funky old imports that drove to the event under their own seemingly miraculous power. I shot a handful of the cars I encountered on the walk between my parking space and the track. You can take the whole vintage-ride-to-vintage-race thing a big step further- if you're really serious- and do what the driver of a certain Trans Am Ford Falcon did: drive your race car to the track! More »

Not Just Engines At Monterey: Emblems, Chrome, And Shiny Baubles!

I've always loved photographing car emblems and hood ornaments, and what better place to do so than a huge racetrack complex full of priceless vintage racing machinery? More »

Engine Pr0n From The 2008 Monterey Historics

We saw a whole bunch of engine shots from the '07 Monterey Historics, so let's make it a tradition and check out some of the vintage go-fast hardware that roared into Steinbeck country this weekend. You get a pretty interesting mix of engines at this event, with exposed-valvetrain mills in horseless carriages, big Detroit V8s stuffed into tiny European machines, and all manner of high-strung Italian iron with camshafts and carbs all over the place. Make the jump for three big galleries. More »

Earlier today we spoke of the Napier-Railton setting a 1939 speed record at the Brooklands Motor Course outer circuit. Sections of the British race track are still intact, or as the photographer who took these pictures writes - lying derelict, broken into by Gallaghers. [Brooklands Race Track]

The 1933 Napier-Railton Special

Our favorite part of going to events like the Monterey Historics or the Pebble Beach Concours is seeing cars not only spit shined for static display, but also barreling around a race course. The 1933 Napier-Railton Special was built exclusively to run the Brooklands Motor Course high-banked oval at maximum velocity. In 1939 John Cobb pushed the 24-liter Napier Lion aircraft engine powered Special to a speed of 143.44 mph. This Brooklands outer circuit record stands unbroken today. The Napier-Railton wasn't moving at record speeds when the Brooklands Museum director wrestled the two-ton monster through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Then again, the car was never designed to turn right. [Motoring Exhibits via the Brooklands Museum]

Because One Can Never Have Too Much Can-Am

We've already yammered at length about the glory of Can-Am. It's one thing that Los Jalops can all agree on. Detroit brawn, Euro-sportiness, Texan ingenuity and enough sheer gobsmackery to make the most jaded automobile fan remember why he or she fell in love with cars in the first place. Little in this world is more awesome than even the most pedestrian Can-Am car. We had the action gallery the other day. Here're some shots from the paddock at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Go forth and drool, minons. Then drool some more.

Monterey Historics Can-Am Action Gallery

The 1966-1974 salad days of Can-Am racing were a result of the Sports Car Club of America and the Canadian Automobile Sports Club joining forces. The adoption of Group 7 FIA rules spawned a North American racing class with no restrictions on engine size or boost pressure. Tire size was wide open. Weight was optional. While there were no rules on construction materials, Can-Am cars had to have an open cockpit, two seats, and two doors. Unlimited rules encouraged innovative thinking. The Jim Hall Chaparral 2J featured not one but two engines. A snowmobile mill spun a set of rear-mounted fans that generated over 1000 pounds of downforce without need for drag-inducing wings. We didn't see the 2J or driver Jackie Stewart at the Monterey Historics, but we did catch Chris MacAllister of Indianapolis, Indiana drive his number 5 1971 McLaren M8F to the checkered flag.[Can-Am History via Vintage RPM]

Ferrari 512 BB LMs at Monterey

While Porsche 935s are supremely awesome and the DeKon Monzas force us into shit-eating-grin mode, we also dig the few oddball machines that wind up in the IMSA ranks at Monterey. For example, we present to you the Ferrari 512 BB LM. While it wasn't a particularly successful race car, it's pretty close to as sexy as it gets. The above model was campaigned by Charles Wegener of West Chicago, Michigan. It placed sixteenth under the crushing weight of a 935-and-Monza sea. The #100 BB of Kurt Schultz finished 26th. Still, we love these Ferraris just for being there. We could stare through that rear Lexan for hours. And we would have, were there not a race going on. [HowStuffWorks]

Monterey Historics IMSA Racing Action Gallery

There is a rawness to vintage race cars sorely missing from their more modern counterparts. The IMSA cars that closed the 2007 Monterey Historics at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca sent this point home in ten laps. Turbocharged and naturally aspirated Porsches tossed it up with V8 Corvettes and Monzas. A BMW, Ferrari, and a Ford were on track for race fan sonic amusement. Chad Raynal of San Jose took the checkered flag in his 1975 DeKon Monza. The symphony of forced-induction compression theatrics and atmospheric RPM was a winning combination for all. Our personal favorite was the lone 1974 Ford Capri RS3100 piloted by John "Ten-Tenths" Norman, who took tenth place.

Happiness is a Hot Monza

In our estimation, the two finest cards of the day at the Monterey Historics fell on Sunday — the resurrection of the Canadian-American Challenge Cup and the retro IMSA class (aka Group 7b in Historics parlance) are the two wish-we'd-been-there, can't-miss events of the weekend. And since commenter jrhmobile requested pics of the DeKon Monzas, we're happy to oblige him, especially considering this particular car, driven by Chad Raynal of San Jose, decimated a field consisting of insanely-turbocharged Porsche 935s, a few RSRs and even a wound-out Ford Capri, whose driver John Norman was one of the ballsiest, hooniest men of the weekend. The three DeKons in the contest all ended up in the top ten, but here're a few photos of the winning Monza shot while we were entering a pleasant haze courtesy of eight internally-combusting cylinders and a heaping helping of race gas. Enjoy the pre-race gallery; on-track action shall follow.

Ah, Joe Lucas Humor

While crossing the bridge to the media center on Saturday at Laguna Seca, we ran across a fellow wearing the shirt at left, bearing the legend: "LUCAS, Prince of Darkness. 'A gentleman does not motor about after dark. - Joseph Lucas.'" When we stopped the man to compliment him, Murilee noted that there are all sorts of things on the web dedicated to Lucas-deriding humor. You can buy said shirt here and peruse selected humorous jabs at Intermittently-Joltin' Joe's expense here. Our favorite? "It's not true that Lucas, in 1947, tried to get Parliament to repeal Ohm's Law. They withdrew their efforts when they met too much resistance." Rimshot, please.

Farewell, Monterey. Hello Again, L.A.

For dirt-poor gearheads with a penchant for the unloved and inexpensive as well as a passion for history, craftsmanship, design and wonderful noises, scoring a chance to hit the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and its attendant and ancillary events is like being handed a golden ticket to an automotive fantasyland where Ferraris scream in the distance as one falls asleep at night, while race day is populated with barking Offenhausers, thundering big-block V8s and spitting, yowling Coventry Climaxes. New cars appear and old cars reappear, sometimes weathered by the ravages of time, others restored to a high-gloss sheen that's likely better than the condition in which the vehicle first arrived in its original owner's hands. We'll go so far as to say that although it's presented in a high-buck format, you owe it to yourself to experience the Monterey weekend at least once in your life. It's that good. If you missed our reportage due to excessive sleep and/or family life, fear not — we've got a link to the insanity here. What's more, there's plenty of goodness left to share throughout the week. Break out the eye peeler.

Racing Action from the Monterey Historics

The Monterey Historics racing time machine at Laguna Seca started way back on Saturday, with chain-driven specials tearing up their skinny tires at breakneck speeds. As the afternoon marched on, so did the racing chronicle. Wire wheels gave way to magnesium alloys. Narrow tires drifted towards fat. Lumbering mills twisted into the shrill whine of maximum rpm as racing moved from chains and sprockets into the 1965-1972 FIA Manufacturing Championship cars in the last laps of the day. Sunday's action promises more Indy cars, some Formula racers, and an event closing IMSA GT session of Porsche turbo boxer vs. Chevy V8 Monza goodness.

A Brown, Four-Place Ferrari

One of the best parts of the Monterey Historics is simply wandering around the paddock and the manufacturers' midways in search of wonderful machinery and merchandise. While strolling past Ferrari Island, we ran across friend of tha Jalop Pen Pendleton's Ferrari 365 2+2. Some readers may remember that we hit Pebble and the Historics last year in Pen's caged and windowless 308 GTB. This year he decided twelve cylinders was the appropriate mode of motivation for pootling around the peninsula. Pen's 365 is an obvious driver, and let's face it, why buy a Ferrari simply to look at it? The car also continues Pendleton's fascination with homebrewed racing liveries.

This Berkeley's Not From the East Bay

Who knew that man-made element Berkelium, with its atomic number of 97, would be instrumental in the creation of this lightweight (800-lb!) machine? Okay, we're lying. It's a 1959 Berkeley , with a fiberglass monocoque chassis and a Royal Enfield 692cc parallel-twin mill punching out 50 British thoroughbreds. Interesting facts? At the time they went into building race cars, Berkeley was England's leading caravan manufacturer, the engine spins to 7,000 RPM, and we're betting it's a hoot — if not somewhat frightening to drive. Chain-drive FWD? Why the hell not?

Vintage Indy Roadsters at Monterey Historics

The acrid odor of burning methanol filled the air at the 34th Monterey Historics during a practice session at the event, which this year celebrates the heritage of Indy's Roadster era. Also on deck for the weekend are IMSA and Can-Am monsters of history. The newest car in the entire group of 400 cars is 1981 Porsche 935K4, with a 1914 Mercer taking up the slack. Stick around as we turn on the racing way back machine over the next few days.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! We're Off to the Monterey Historics!

This afternoon the two Los Angeleno Jalops who are not the Loverman will hop in a mysical Korean bucket to be magically transported to the Monterey Peninsula for three glorious days of what can only be called The Greatest Spectacle in Auto Enthusiasm. Seriously, the events surrounding the Concours d'Elegance are that face-melting. But the greatest one of all has to be the Monterey Historics. While Pebble's got the pageantry and the "Oh my freaking bloody hell, I had no idea that this even existed and/or never thought I'd see it in my life!" factor going for it, for plebian gearheads, the Historics are where it's at. The entry fees are ridiculously reasonable... More »

A Bit About Wealthy Car-Guy Culture

We weren't raised wealthy, but we were raised in the 1980s, when conspicuous consumption was everywhere. We mostly came of age in the 1990s, when our weird punk geek friends made bundles of money in tech and bought us drinks and drugs, but it was cool to be (or appear to be) broke. As Ian MacKaye so famously sung, "Cool's eternal, but it's always dated." And if that line isn't as famous as it should be as a social critique, well, it should be. And now? Well, now we're in an age of some weird aspirational decadent affluence that seems like a strange melange of the self-consciousness of the 1990s and the weird rah-rah, score-at-all-costs innocence of the '80s. So what does this have to do with cars? Largely everything. More »

Lancia at Laguna: D50 Runs the Monterey Historics

Imagine gargling six-penny nails and then running the resultant sound through an analog, vacuum-tube powered signal processor. Now imagine that sound being one of the best sounds you've ever heard. That, friends is the Lancia D50 bombing into a turn at Laguna Seca in the hands of Steve Tillack. He may have finished 17th, but there wasn't a cooler car on the track during the 1955-1965 F1 & F2 race at the Monterey Historics. More »

Classic IMSA Action at the Monterey Historics

Armed with only our trusty little Nikon Coolpix L3 — which is a fine we camera for shooting things that happen to be static, but not so good for objects moving at a high rate of speed — and Pen's access to the trackside Ferrari Club of America tent, we went for broke shooting the no talkin' man, all action IMSA race. While some of the other classes were more of a high speed exhibition, the IMSA guys weren't poontangin' around; dudes was haulin' some serious poop. While the race was dominated by 935s and Monzas, Bobby Rahal showed up in an M1 and put on a strong showing. Ultimately, though, Bruce Canepa of Scotts Valley, CA (the #12 car pictured above) walked off with the win in his '79 935, but not after doing some serious Ginsu-style slicing and dicing to score the victory. Best race we saw all weekend. More »

Paddock Randomness at the Monterey Historics

The nutso thing about the Monterey Historics is that everywhere you look, there's something to catch your fancy, even if you're not checking out the action on the track, which can get pretty heated at times — to wit, the Saturday Trans-Am race and the Sunday IMSA battle. But just walking around the reserved parking areas taken up by various and sundry clubs, you'll run across something you haven't seen in a long time, or perhaps have never laid eyes on before. (Although we have to admit, in the case of the de Tomaso Guara, we wish we hadn't laid eyes on it. Why, Alejandro? Why?) More »

And You Thought the Brera Was Hot: Vintage Alfa Deliciousness

What's cooler than seeing a vintage Alfa Romeo race car cruising around the pits at Laguna Seca on Saturday and then spotting it again on the grass at Pebble Beach on Sunday? In our opinion, very, very little. Four cylinders or eight, these two Alfas are teh sex. More »

The Best BMWs Ever

Simply put, these two cars (the second is featured after the jump) are the two coolest cars that the Bavarian Motor Works ever pumped out. Ironically, the car above featured a design by Giugiaro and an Italian-built chassis commissioned by BMW, while the car after the jump was designed by an Italian firm and licensed to to the Motor Works after the Second World War. Sheesh, the Monterey Historics make our pants tight. More »