Limited Edition Prints on Metal
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Talking About the "King of Cool"
Steve is leading at Riverside in 1959 followed by Ronnie Bucknam also in a Speedster who went on to become a professional sports car racer driving Toyota 2000GTs and also Shelby Mustangs and Cobras for Shelby American. Photo: Chad McQueen collection.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Polizia
Monday, May 24, 2010
One Pricey Toy
It's a rare Bugatti that recently sold for nearly $40,000,000 -- making history as "The World`s Most Expensive Car." This 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic will cross the country from Connecticut to California, where it will star in the new Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard.
With its low stance, 200 bhp engine, lightweight construction, 123 mph top speed and influential teardrop body, many believe this is the ultimate Bugatti and the first supercar ever made.
Ettore's son, Jean Bugatti, who played a large role in the development of the Type 57 series, personally styled the Atlantic. Jean's lines draw an interesting mix of aircraft styling together with the avant-garde tear-drop that is so reminiscent of the thirties. Design highlights include a heavily raked windscreen, riveted fins, and oval doors with kidney-shaped side windows.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The King Of Cool
Steven McQueen won the first amateur sports car race he entered in Santa Barbara in 1959 driving his 1958 Porsche Speedster. After that first outing, he continued driving the Speedster, entering races at Willow Springs, Del Mar, Hourglass Field and Riverside. After the Speedster he would move to a Lotus XI in late 1959, hitting all the same tracks again. Other cars raced by him were a Cooper FJ, an Austin Healey at Sebring and a Porsche 908 Spyder which was used for a Factory Poster.
Here he is at the start of his racing career. This photo was taken at San Diego's "Hourglass Field." He was driving his black 1600 Speedster at the time. The event was put on by the California Sports Car Club. Hourglass Field sat where Miramar College is now. Photo: Chad McQueen Collection.
In 1963 he is jumping into the Jag that he nicknamed the "Green Rat". The car is now owned by the Robert Peterson Collection of the Peterson Museum. Photo: John Domimis/Life/Getty Images.
Some of the other cars that he owned and enjoyed were; his first sports car a MG-TC then a '53 Siata 208S, a '63 Ferrari 250 Lusso, a '67 Mini Cooper S, a Ferrari 275 GTS, a '64 Corvette Sting Ray, a '69 911S, a '52 Hudson Wasp, a '49 Cadillac Series 62, a '57 fuel-injected Bel Air, a '71 911E, and a '76 930 among others.
Steve McQueen passed away in Mexico on November 7, 1980 from complications of mesothelioma.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Door Art #2
Monday, May 17, 2010
A Little Downsizing
Don't forget to tell your friends about "Along For The Ride."
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tijuana Road Races
As far as I can tell, the Tijuana Road Races started in that year and continued until 1972.They were put on by the "Tijuana Auto Sport Club." The track was located about five miles from downtown Tijuana at a subdivision called Playa de Tijuana that skirts along the beach in the shadow of the bullring. It was a 1.2 mile course that ran along the upper street where the pit and paddock were, down to the lower street and along the beach with a few bails of hay as safety barriers. Safety was not a high priority for these races as spectators would sit on the barriers and try to kick the cars as they would come by or run across the track between some of the racing cars. Most of the entries for these races came from nearby San Diego. They usually had three races for each event-one for Modifieds and Sedans; a fifteen minute race, one for Production under three liters; a twenty five minute race, and one for Formula cars; also a twenty five minute race. Qualifying positions were on your honor, timed by one of your crew members.
notice the "Federally" corner workers. Image via Sports Car Graphic
In 1970 the Road Races moved from the beach location to the old Tijuana Airport where they finally died two years later.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Number of Speedsters Made
As you can see...not a large number. It's amazing that the econo Porsche of its time has become so valuable.
FYI - following is the production of Speedsters (ref. book Porsche Speedster by Dr. Michel Thiriar)
Speedster Production
Pre-A
1954 200
1955 1,034
Total 1,234
356A T-1 from Oct 1955
1956 1,256
1957 591
Total 1,847
356A T-2 from Sept 1957
1958 1,131
1959 32
Total 1,163
Grand Total Speedster Production 4,244
Saturday, May 8, 2010
356 Factory Tour...Part 2
Back to our 356 Factory Tour. In Part 1 we took a look at the body parts being stamped and the welding and assembly of those parts into a physical car.
This is Part 2 of the 1960 356 Factory Tour. This is were the undercoating, painting and final assembly of the body takes place before being shipped to Porsche for mechanicals. This part is a little over eight minutes.
Enjoy!
The link if you did not get it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS-tmnS_7_c
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Speedster Racing in 1955
The program also talked about James Dean running his 1500 super at that race. I'll cover more about that in a future post.
These photos were taken by Dave Iwerks.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Cal-Speedway 2010
http://944sd.shutterfly.com/californiafestivalofspeed2010