Joyous La Jolla- The 2015 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance

It’s that time of year again! Concours, auctions, rallies- oh my! OK, let’s be honest. For most Californians like myself, we play on the back roads and coastal highways all year round with the occasional rainy weekend and holiday to keep us garaged up. Even then it’s the perfect time to tidy up some loose ends or prep for the next big event. April brought to many SoCal classic car junkies the 11th annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance. Located in sunny San Diego county, the La Jolla Concour offers a little bit of everything for the automotive enthusiast.

Working for the industry leading Sports Car Market Magazine, I am lucky enough to be directly involved with this concour on their marketing plans and some event details. It helps to have our publisher and fearless leader Keith Martin returning for his 5th year as the emcee. For the third year in a row, I flew down to man the SCM vendor booth and attend some of the pre-concour events offered by the top notch and well rounded steering committee.

Prior to any concour related event, I was able to take a day to visit many of my good clients in the area. First stop was seeing budding classic car craftsman, coach-builder and metal shaper Jake Krotje of The Flying Dutchman Company. Located in San Marcos, CA, Jake spends his days around a foundry and welder, working on the likes of classic Bugatti’s, Mercedes, unimogs and even a rare Kurtis 500S. Look for a featured story on Jake in the near future.

I was also able to visit longtime friend and classic car lifer Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics in La Jolla. His collective knowledge on European race cars and period details is rivaled by few. His showroom is beautifully packed with collectibles most would only dream of owning. From concour perfect Porsche 356 Coupes, to world speed record holding Triumph motorcycles and super rare Lola race cars, Mark has a little bit for everyone and is a man to trust when it comes down to buy or sell.

Next was the brand new showroom for the team at Symbolic International. What a location! With a changing of the guard for Symbolic Motors, Chris Peterson , Bill Noon and Patrick Von Schoote are building another winner in Sorrento Valley. Surrounded by one of a kind artwork and a restoration shop capable of ground up work, Symbolic International will continue to offer some of the most coveted classic cars in the world. Can’t wait for their grand opening party- I will be there.

Finally I was off to meet Gary Bobileff of Bobileff Motor Cars in north county San Diego. For 37 years, Gary has done top notch restoration and service on some of the best Ferrari and Lamborghinis ever assembled. Countless concour awards and acknowledgements, Gary has also been a chief judge at the Cavallino Classic and Pebble Beach Concour for decades. Oh, and it helps that he’s generally one of the nicest car guys I have ever met.

Finally it was time for my favorite event of the week- the tour d’Elegance. In past years I have ridden in a 1932 Auburn and even a 1929 ‘Flying Star’ once owned my Mussolini, but this year I was lucky enough to have options! One being a brand new Aston Martin Rapide S offered by good friend Dean Liebowitz, and the other a 1970 MGA 1600 driven by Bonhams auction specialist Jacob Greisen. As much as I love a comfy cockpit of a newer sports car, I opted for the real driving experience of the GTA. Jacob is an outstanding driver with an abundance of classic car knowledge. Our drive was spectacular and one of the finest afternoons I could ask for. Our tour brought us to two private collections, Evan’s Garage and Chuck Spielman’s “Only Yesterday’ as well as a great lunch at The Grand Del Mar Hotel which was hosted by my boss.

Saturday night was the ever eventful cocktail reception on the grounds of the La Jolla Cove. We were all greeted by circus acrobats, wonderful company and more food and drinks we could stomach. This of course set the stage for the concour on Sunday morning. Cars were there before 7am lining up on the lawn, and so was I. Our booth was centrally located giving me some of the best views of the day. Crashing waves, beautiful people and picture perfect weather is all part of the atmosphere we all come to know and enjoy. Oh and the cars! The wonderful collection of classic Ferrari’s, Rolls Royce’s, Porsche 911s and Mercedes ‘Pagodas’ only scratched the surface of what was to be seen this year.

One of the best parts of this event is the public accessible Motor Car Classic at the Conours offered on Prospect Street adjacent to the concour. Free of charge, this outside mini-concour gives everyone a taste of the automotive good life. The streets were packed by families and lots of kids, which is needed in this hobby.

This truly is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. I could speak in much more detail about Chairman Michael Dorvillier, the camaraderie of the fellow entrants, and the casual nature of this highly regarded concour- but I will let the pictures speak for them self.

Steven Kittrell Automotive Imagery

A is for Affordable, Z is for Zagato.

There comes a point in your life when you have a pretty good understanding of your transportation needs and desires. Is your car new or old? Sport or sedan? Train, plane or motorcycle? Of course this can change throughout the course of your life, but for most part there is a character car(s) for all of us. In light of a recent purchase of a 2003 BMW Z4 2.5L Roadster, I wanted to try and rationalize what type of collector I am currently, and strive to be in the future.

When the Stars Align

Like many car stories, this one starts with the spotting of a neglected car, sitting in the same place for ‘as long as I can remember.’ Right time, right place and a fair deal is all a car buyer could hope for. Much was the case with our subject car.

Dressed in a lovely Maledives blue on beige Oregon leather interior, it’s dash was also sporty in look and feel, having been fitted with the rare graphite finish. The tan top fit its package and the Zagato body design is what makes it iconic for BMW in the early to mid 2000s. Two engines were available in 2003- the 2.5i 185 HP inline 6, and the beefier 3.0i 225 HP V6 counterpart. Automatic and 5-speed manual gearboxes were offered in both the 2.5 and the 3.0 liter models, and this car happened to be an automatic in the smaller package.

No matter, as it’s no secret now that I enjoy the look of the car and what it offers a consumer wanting an entry level sports car with a budget spanning $6-18K. Myself and motoring enthusiasts Taylor Wrighton were hunting for small projects and something we could enjoy working on together. A stroke of luck in Sand City landed us a car that needed some cosmetic TLC and some attention to making sure of its safeties.

Honey-Do-List

First things first were addressing the brakes, tires and suspension. After sitting for a handful of years, pads and rotors were required. Although I was the third owner and only 44K miles on the odometer, a swap out of the rear springs and tires were also needed. No matter- Taylor was on the case making a list of all the things to do on the project. Interior and engine bay were made spotless. Even the investment of fixing the convertible top, that intermittently would decide to not work, was all part of the normal tidy up process.

Although the car was coming together quickly and with minimal resistance, there came a point to decide what to do with the car when it was finished. Might this have been something discussed before purchase? Absolutely. But being a BMW lover and at a price point that would serve as an investment, I really couldn’t afford not to buy the car. In a short amount of time, the Z was road ready and feeling happy to be back out on the back streets of Monterey.

Automotive Identity

Most of you know by now that work surrounds me among the top collectible classic cars in the world as a senior advertising executive with Sports Car Market Magazine. Through the path of Keith Martin, I am able to travel the country attending classic car auctions, car shows, rallies and events which comprise of mostly six figures to the multimillion dollar blue chip autos. Last time I checked, I fall a little short to be afforded the luxury of owning one of these classic cars, and I don’t see anyone leaving me a huge lump sum anytime soon.

Alas, I’m far from out of luck as there are many options for me that won’t break the bank and I have been very fortunate enough to ride and drive in many classic Ferrari, Porches, hot rods and muscle cars over the years. I still desire something of my own, but at what level and condition? Over the years I have interacted with many types of classic car dealers, investors, collectors, brokers, club members, racers and drivers. People in transportation, restoration and insurance. There are so many levels in this industry- just as many as there are people who enjoy this hobby. Am I now skirting around my original topic? Possibly. It might be due to the fact that my idea and personal vision of an enthusiast changes from week to week, and maybe because I can write another 1,000 words on the subject. To be continued.

Time to Move On

Both of us enjoyed driving the car, which I highlighted in my post about the Treasure Island Cars and Coffee event in SF. We also knew that it really wasn’t a long term fit for either of us. Why not?! I am a father of two which requires me to have a sedan first. Ironically, I drive a 2001 BMW 330i M-Sport 5-speed that has the larger 3.0 liter motor that this Z4 doesn’t. Taylor drives a 2002 BMW 325i and has a shop truck, with no room for a third to join his collection of motorcycles and projects. It was settled to start marketing the car to be sold.

A buyer was quickly found with little to no public promotion. A family friend was ready to purchase as soon as it was finished. The car will stay in the area getting most of its future service done by Taylor, and I was in the green after the deal was done. Enough to purchase a classic touring Ferrari? Not even close, but it does plant the seed for the next car to find its way into my garage and slowly move towards a spot on the lawn for the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance…hey I can dream can’t it?!

Automotive Booty at San Francisco’s Treasure Island

There comes a time in event planning, automotive related or not, when you have that moment of panic. Not the kind due to the fact that coffee stirs at the espresso bar were forgotten, or when seating capacity of the VIP was completely overlooked – it’s the realization that you didn’t plan big enough and the success was more than you thought it could ever be.

Guests start arriving earlier and more often than expected. Head counts and guest lists turn into confusing scribbled notes and your trained staff look at you as to say, ‘this was not discussed in the meetings.’

Characteristics like these are easy to identify with my years of event planning, but even more recognizable when you are on the other side of the fence as a guest. Such was the case for the Cafe SpA staff for their bi-monthly Cars and Coffee event this March. The setting was one to hold a possible record breaking number of cars in attendance, beating previous marks of around 500. Add in the tremendous views of the San Francisco Bay and perfect 75 degree weather, and what we had was a perfect petrol storm.

Partner-in-crime Taylor Wrighton and myself ventured out early Saturday morning from Monterey, taking our recently purchased and restored BMW Z4. This was the perfect chance for us to stretch her legs and work out any bugs we might encounter on a long drive. She drove flawlessly and loved playing in Sport Mode.

Arriving with the first group of cars into SF’s Treasure Island, we noticed right away that there were to be many cars at this event and a lot of heavy hitters. Ferrari, Maserati’s, Lamborghini’s oh my! Not surprising was a healthy diet of all in many different packages, specs and colors with cars coming from the Ferrari of San Francisco show room.

After an hour of taking pictures near the famed 55 foot Burning Man sculpture, Bliss Dance, Taylor and I noticed that the crowd was not only growing, but the cars were backed up as far as the Bay Bridge with no signs of slowing down. Parking lots filled and over spilled into other areas not expecting to support classic and sports cars from owners of all ages. Staff felt that moment of panic- but the ever calm and collected Nickolas Christensen stayed the course, cooled the engines and made over 1,000 cars feel right at home in his backyard.

Mirroring the long time, successful yet recently expired Irvine Cars and Coffee event, Cafe SpA SF has now taken over as the largest premiere pop up Saturday gathering of gear heads in California. Support coming from the very high end super car owners of the Ferrari 599 GTO, Lamborghini Aventador and the Pagani Huayra as well as the BMW Golden Gate Chapter, Mustang clubs and American muscle car lovers- this event has the ingredients to be a longwith-standing assembly of enthusiasts.

The only question now is the where, when and how?

UPDATE: The next Cafe SpA Cars & Coffee SF will be held on Saturday, April 4th, 8-11 AM. Bliss Dance, Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA

Project Restoration: 1982 Yamaha SR 250 – Part 2

Some of the best advice of your lifetime can be lost by a quick tongue or a set mind. It tends to be subtle, so you need to have your eyes and ears open along with your tongue tied back. What does this have to do with a motorcycle? More than you would think, as simple principles in life can go a long way to reaching your car collecting goals.

A few weeks back I wrote an anecdote on a purchase of an ’83 Yamaha SR 250. It was a simple bike purchased simply because of a missed opportunity on the one that got away. A knee jerk reaction to this lost deal that was all but sewn up. What transpired was a cosmetic restoration with a fresh take on a now classic.

Shortly after Part 1 the bike was ‘finished’ in the sense that it was safe to ride, mechanically sound and had a much more streamlined look considering the shape it was in when we bought it. Taylor Wrighton and myself had a few classic California Sunday sundown rides along the Central Coastline before we started discussing the future of the bike. At this point we were 50/50 partners in cost; parts and labor. Both of us enjoyed the bike and wanted to keep it in our fleet, but wouldn’t be crushed if it went to a new home and freed up cash for the next build. This is where that simple advise comes into play.

Although I was torn and seriously considered buying Taylor out of the bike and taking it back to my garage, I remembered a conversation I had with an ex-coworker and dear friend. He said, in order to get to what you really want in this industry, business and in some cases life, you cannot get attached. Buy it, fix it, sell it- then do it twice. That’s how you end up with your dream car or close to it.

It was then we both decided it was time to list it and move on to an even bigger project. But not before it got its close up and beauty shots on a crisp winter day in Monterey. We found some sites organically one afternoon on our way to Tioga Road in Sand City in the waning hours of daylight.

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The bike went to a new home this week, and we couldn’t be happier for our little victory. The new owner couldn’t be happier with the final product, and he was like minded enough to understand our vision. It was s successful puzzle piece in the big picture after countless conversations, late nights and bloodied knuckles. We did what we had set out to do and etched the first notch on our belts, setting the stage for much bigger things to come.

That same friend with the timely advice emailed me not a day after his words helped shape my decision. It was a quote from Henry David Thoreau- “Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.” These words still hold weight today, with me especially.

A Danville Dandy- Ferrari F355 GTB for sale in Northern California

A car connection can happen in the least likely of places. Maybe a distant relative has a passion for cars, a co-worker who does customs on his spare time, or a closet rat rod builder at your church. I too have met people whom are well invested in the collector car world by chance, even after knowing them for years. However, this might be the most far fetched way I’ve ever met a Ferrari owner.

It’s your typical Thursday morning in Daddy-Land where my most important task of the morning is getting my half awake seven-year-old in the car, on time, and over to Monterey Bay Charter School– a Waldorf inspired institution located in Pacific Grove, Calif. Traffic was thick and there was a accident near the Casa Verde off ramp halfway through our trip. This would be my first truancy in my three years of taxiing my daughter to school. But I wasn’t alone. There were many children and parents at the school affected by the accident. While in line to get our hall pass, I was standing next to a young boy named Preston who just happened to be in all three of my daughters classes since kindergarten. I’ve always noticed but dismissed the fact that he constantly wore Puma sweatpants and t-shirts licensed by Ferrari. At a school based upon language and local arts, nature and de-commercialization, seeing a child with exotic sports car attire is a rarity.

“My Dad has a Ferrari!” exclaimed Preston with his familiar smile and bold voice. “Yea, its really fast, but not as fast as this Bugatti I’ve seen at Pebble Beach..” Pebble Beach and Ferraris in the family? I had to meet his father, whom I’ve only seen a few times in as many years. “He’ll be here today to pick me up! One day he said he would bring his 355.” Now we were getting somewhere.

That afternoon I met Kris who was just delighted to talk cars. He mentioned that he was ready to move his F355 to a new home and that I should see it in the coming week for appraisal and to find a prospective buyer. With the car located in the East Bay of Northern California, I made plans to see the car in Blackhawk for myself. Kris lived in the hometown of one of my favorite concours, the Danville Concour d’Elegance, where I was fortunate to judge a class of Ferraris and drive a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in the Tour d’Elegance. He also lived a few miles away from one of my favorite advertising clients, the Blackhawk Museum. This museum is best know for its illustration of automotive treasures that represent the art, technology and design developments of over 100 cars. It’s also curated by longtime friend Timothy McGrane.

Pulling up to the house, I spot the prancing horse in the driveway dressed in Canna Di Fucille on tan. It was staggered beautifully in the noon time sun. The low idle grumbled and the oil temperature suggested it was ready to take a drive. I snapped a few shots of the exterior, engine bay, front bonnet and interior before pulling the lever on the passenger door per Kris’ request. It was time to stretch her legs. Right away, I could feel the power of the mid-engine, rear wheel driven V8. With only 4,871 Ferrari F355 GTBs produced between 1994-1999, this is was one of 3,829 equipped with the 6 speed manual gearbox. The rest were fitted with the brand new F1 style gearbox, which you’ll find to be more popular today in modern super and hyper cars.

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With only 23,800 miles on the F355 Berlinetta, which is Italian for ‘little saloon’ but was popularized in the 1950s to describe a coupe. It had no problem waking up the neighbors with its fitted Tubi Style exhaust. Kris calmly shifted into the lower gears as we paraded around the back roads of Blackhawk heading toward CA-HWY 680 North. Little effort shot us over 80 MPH as we entered the freeway and traffic seemed to shift away from us, giving us a lane to put her through the paces. Rubberneckers never had a chance. This car performed beautifully with little interior chatter aside from the crisp notes of the V8.

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After three or four exits down the road, we pulled off and Kris hoped out of the car without saying a word. I pick up on body language and gestures very well, so I knew it was my time to get behind the wheel. Little was left on the table after I was done with my drive. High revs, quick shifting and smart lines on side streets all the way home. It was my first time driving this models GTB, but I have had some experience with the F355 Spiders and it was just as impressive.

Now offered for sale by my brokerage, I am proud to represent this car. It has a clean ownership history and the exterior matches the miles. Little to no wear on the interior other than the need for a sticky button replacement- common on cars in this period. Service records are fully documented with the current owner and it just went through a major service totaling over $20K in receipts. This car is ready for a new home so contact me for more details!

stevensportscar@gmail.com

*Free Wash Included- 1967 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe For Sale

It’s very typical to hear Californians complain about a little weather. Scared and defensive driving is also the norm when challenged with uncharacteristic rain or snow to the area. This is what we have been experiencing on the Central Coast after a two year long drought which has troubled our water resources tremendously. I digress, as this is a story about battling the elements!

On a blustery Monterey afternoon, I received my daily call from long time friend and budding classic car collector, Mike Veitengruber. Now Mike and I have attended countless car events together including this year’s Porsche Parade, the auctions in Scottsdale, Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival and even strolled the 18th green at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance. We also may or may not have polished off a few bottles of wine at some of the best eateries in Carmel and Pebble Beach. When Mike says he needs my help, It’s usually a win-win for the both of us.

OK- so we weren’t outside saving kittens from swaying trees, or getting power back to the homes of the masses, but we did shoot pictures for a 1967 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe to go up for auction on eBay Motors. This is a fine European example with the rare 4-on-the-floor transmission and some luxury options. 

Some of my favorite features include the correct Euro headlights, stainless steel exhaust and a color combo that any classic car owner would be proud to show off.

The problem on this day was finding a break in the much needed rainfall to get quality photos to post online. With he being in Pacific Grove and me in the Seaside highlands, we had a pretty clear view of the cloud break happening over the Monterey airport where his private hanger is located.

Once we arrived, we started kicking tires of some of his other projects in the shop, paying little attention to our small window of opportunity to shoot the car with sunshine. It ended up being a big wet mistake! Just as we pulled the sporty driver out of the 2,000 square foot building, mother nature showed herself again.

I’m sure it was comical watching two grown men laughing and yelling as we frantically attempted to get images of the car for the thousands of online searchers to see. After getting the essentials, we pulled the car back into the shop to take the remaining interior pictures- and to dry out finally.

By the end of the afternoon we had exchanged details about the car, expectations on its sale price and of course many stories in the meantime. Just before we left, the rain froze long enough for us to capture just a couple of dry shots on the blacktop of the compound. It did look great nestled in-between the hills of Carmel Valley, and I know it will look great in someone else’s garage.

The auction on this car ends this Sunday and can be found HERE.

Happy bidding!

Welcome To My Automotive Adventures…

Thank you for finding your way to my page, Steven Sports Car- Automotive Imagery and Adventures of Steven Kittrell. It really is just how it sounds- a journey through my travels in the automotive world which includes trips to Amelia Island, Monterey Car Week, the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Hot August Nights and the Arizona Auction Week.

But wait, there’s more! Follow me as I take road trips up and down the California coastline with all levels of collectors and automotive trailblazers. We’ll peak into restoration shops and dealerships, speak to classic car service mechanics and heads of  conours committees and race tracks around the country.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences with you and the automotive lovers in your life. As always, drive safe and tastefully.