Blog

By Gary Lea

For those who missed the Tri-State Rally with our friends in Phoenix, it was a huge success with a great turnout. Others will fill you in on the drive, the Cars and Coffee and the overall event in their reports. For me without a doubt the highlight was the secret private car collection we saw. Last year we were treated to another fabulous secret collection and as impressive as it is this one was bit a smaller but it really spoke to my heart.

Of course, a group of Porschephiles gravitated to the Porsches first and foremost. No one was remotely disappointed. There were a good number of older Porsches with interesting stories to be sure, not the least of the Porsches was a 1970 911S that looked like it was just pulled onto the showroom. Quite a hat trick for a car some 54 years old. The kicker is that it had an original 768 miles on it. Yes, I actually said 768 original miles.

There were a number of 356 variants including Speedsters, cabrios and coupes. One of the personal highlights for me was an original 1970 914-6 GT Lufthansa car which set a fastest lap at the Nurburgring 1000km race in 1970! Did I mention Provenance? It was wearing its original racing livery and was just stunning but the real eye catcher was the engine in the car. Please take a close look at the engine picture. The term jewelry does not do the thing justice. The Weber carbs belong in a museum. (Wait, they kind of are already). Right next to it was a very snazzy 1973 Carrera RS in one of the amazing green colors of the era. to my eyes it looked like Acid Green. My ultimate Porsche road car. If only! Another storied car was a real honest to God 904 6-cylinder car (Sorry Tony M. It replaces yours as my 904 object of lust). It was built as a hill climb car and had quite the winning streak under its clam shell body. Perhaps the single most important car and certainly the single most important Porsche was a 550 Spyder sporting the number 28.  A legendary racer with incredible provenance, so much so that a whole book could be written about it and most likely has been. In Lovely Blue just as it had been raced originally, sat immediately inside the door of the Collection. There was a hushed hubbub where I heard figures like $15 million for the car’s value bantered about. Sweet dreams are made of these………….

There was a row of very rare and serious Ferraris, most with a very special provenance to them. The very first of these Italian masterpieces was a black 1950 166 Inter Berlinetta. It was one of 37 produced and sports a 1995cc all-alloy V12!

right next to it was an equally impressive dark blue 1951 212 Inter Vignale coupe. Both cars had paint so deep and so well done you felt like you could walk into them and disappear. And not to be outdone the third in this row of nine cars was a Red 1951 340 America V12. There also in the line was perhaps my third favorite Ferrari of all time (who among us does not consider the 1963 250 GTO the top of the Marque?) was  a lovely blue 1956 250 GT Speciale. Just Wow!! The last one I will speak about was the one I have long lusted after. In my youth when I first saw this car I told myself someday it would be mine. So far that hasn’t happened but I have never given up hope. the car was a 163 400 SuperAmerica. Only 47 were built over the five-year run of the model. Each was bespoke and slightly different from each other. One of the most famous industrialists of America was the prior owner. It should be noted that every single one of them looked brand new.

Interspersed amongst all these objects of car lust were very special cars from various manufactures. Alfa Romeos, Fiats an Aston Martin DB2, and a number of other cars of interest. Not the least of these was a 1953 Cunningham C-Continental Coupe with Vignale bodywork. The car sported a beautiful blue and almost silver white metallic two tone paint and is one of only 35 cars built by Briggs Cunningham. It sported A 331ci Hemi motor with a four-barrel configuration of Cunningham’s own design. This car was deemed to be one of the world’s ten best car designs by the NY Museum of Art. I would say that is very impressive. 

Another great and legendary car was a Mercedes Benz 300 SL in a pastel yellow that was a real hit with almost everyone. Not too far away was a black Lancia Aurelia cabrio. I have seen plenty of the coupes but never a cabrio in person and it made all the difference in how I viewed this most desirable car. 

Last but not certainly not least in the collection was a car many people walked right past without even a second glance. You would have to be a very big fan of the marque to even know what it was but it sure got my attention. That car was a 1955 Siata 300BC. If it does not register with you, that’s because very few people remember them. That doesn’t stop their values from climbing into the 6 figure stratosphere. Bare bones, small (the Mini cooper sitting next to it was bigger) and super involved driving experience. Look it up.

This diversity of cars with the great historic background of each car made it a rather eclectic collection but a totally stunning and immensely valuable. It was a rare treat to say the least to be allowed to see them up close and personal. An experience that all of us will cherish for a long time to come.