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Which brand should General Motors keep?
Survey says...Pontiac!
Unfortunately, General Motors may be making a big mistake. According to Advertising Age, a survey recently completed by CarGurus asked potential car buyers which GM brand they would like to see survive the cuts. They chose Pontiac.
The survey had almost 1,700 respondents, with 44% naming Pontiac, 27% choosing Hummer, 20% selecting Saab and only 9% picking Saturn. Now the respondents picking Pontiac really isn't a stretch. Pontiac is known as GM's performance brand, dating back to the birth of the muscle car era in the '60s.
Now the rest of the survey results are a bit confusing. Second after Pontiac is Hummer. Maybe Sichuan Tengzhong, the Chinese company negotiating to purchase Hummer, knows something we don't. The goal, of course, is for GM to get rid of a brand that just isn't profitable anymore. The Chinese company sounds willing to put up the cash to keep Hummer afloat. This should be interesting.
The 2009 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
Some amazing photography from this Concorso
A stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta Touring won 'Best of Show' at the 2009 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the grounds of Villa Erba in Cernobbio, which is about 25 miles north of Milan, Italy.
I received the release about the Concorso from the BMW Press Group but only decided to post about it when I saw the beautiful photography taken during the event.
Unfortunately, the weather turned gray on Sunday, with rain throughout the day. It didn't seem to turn visitors away though.
“The great response from the public despite the poor weather shows how this event has become a firm fixture on the calendar of car aficionados from both this region and countries around the world,” said Karl Baumer, President of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and Director of BMW Group Classic. “The weather on Sunday could have been better for the 80th anniversary of the Concorso, but a sunny Saturday with this selection of cars provided a more than worthy setting for our anniversary Concorso,” added Jean-Marc Droulers, President of Villa d’Este S.p.A.
2nd Annual Wheels of Wellness event this weekend
Social event for car aficionados
Arizona has become quite the mecca for automotive enthusiasts in January as a long line of incredible events begins, with this weekends Wheels of Wellness kicking it off.
This 2nd Annual event will feature an amazing collection of race cars with a history spanning more than 70 years. It's a rare and valuable group of American and European race cars valued at nearly $80 million.
The unique fundraising event is designed to help raise awareness of The Wellness Community, a national organization that provides more than 100 free programs monthly to anyone whose life is touched by cancer. Wheels of Wellness will be held on the grounds of The Wellness Community’s 1908 home and one-acre campus in downtown Phoenix.
Using cars to raise awareness
The list of cars set to appear at this years fund raiser is incredible:
•'63 Ferrari 250 GTO; GT-class winner, Paris Grand Prix
•'63 Corvette Grand Sport (chassis 002), one of five factory-built racers by Zora Arkus Duntov
•'53 Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM, raced by Jo Bonnier
•'62 Ferrari 250 GTO; 2nd overall, 1st in GT class at Sebring 1962
•'68 Ford GT40 Mk II (#1074); Monza 1000K winner, Gulf team car
•'54 Jaguar D-Type; factory Le Mans entry driven by Stirling Moss
•'66 Holman/Moody Ford Galaxie stock car raced by Fred Lorenzen
•'60 Camoradi Team Corvette; raced at Le Mans
•'65 Shelby GT 350; AZ hillclimb period history
•'58 Factory team Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite, Sebring class winner history
•'90 Chevrolet Lumina Winston Cup car raced by Davey Allison
•'57 Townsend Typhoon; AZ-built special, period racing history
•'58 Lister-Jaguar "Knobbly", Briggs Cunningham Team car raced by Ed Crawford
•'64 Brabham BT-8, raced in period by Denis Hulme
•'58 Echidna Special, one of three built by Minnesota homebuilt fabricators
•'01 Riley & Scott Mk IIIc; ex-Dyson team car raced by James Weaver
•'58 Joe Hunt Magneto Spl.; 2nd in USAC championship 1958
•'69 Mustang Boss 302; Peter Revson's Shelby factory Trans-Am car
•'49 Fiat Topolino; finished 4th in class @ Mille Miglia in Italy
•'37 Maserati 6CM Monoposto Voiturette, pre-war Grand Prix racer
•'81 Porsche 935; IMSA championship with John Paul Jr.
•'35 Miller-Ford Novi Winfield V8, finished 3rd at 1939 Indy 500
The two 250 GTOs listed above are part of the original 36 Ferrari's ever built. Chassis No. 3387 was entered in the 1962 Sebring 12 Hours by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team for Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, where it finished second overall and won the GT class. Chassis No. 3607 was owned by Count Volpi’s Scuderia Serenissima and later Jacques Swaters’ Ecurie Francorchamps. In the hands of Annie Soisbault, the Marquess de Montaigu, 3607 was first in the GT class at the 1965 Paris Grand Prix at Montlhery.
What's nice about events such as these is the opportunity for true car enthusiasts to get up close and personal to some incredible cars and raise money for a worthwhile cause. It's certainly a feel good event for all.
Blackhawk Collection adds Chinese Red Flag to California museum
First ever collector car exchange with China
The Blackhawk Collection, known for their incredible collection of beautiful and historic cars, has added a Chinese-made Red Flag to its treasure chest of vehicles. This is the first Red Flag to ever be exchanged in the United States with China.
China has a relatively short history in the automotive world. It began by producing the Red Flag for government dignitaries, with the first made in 1958, with production continuing into the 1970's.
Cultural and automotive history
Don Williams, president of the Blackhawk Auto Museum and owner of the Blackhawk Collection, considers this find an incredible opportunity.
“This exchange represents cultural and automotive history as a collector car has never left China before, nor has China been able to purchase collector cars from outside the country”.
Williams has been traveling China for the past three years, where he met Jason Huang, an avid car collector and businessman. That's when he discovered the Red Flag.
“I wanted the car from the moment I laid eyes on it," he said. "Who wouldn’t want one of China’s very first cars?”
Because of the time he has spent in China, Williams is committed to educating people there about classic cars.
“I’ve spent time in Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing and have seen car enthusiasm in China grow by leaps and bounds," he explained. "They are curious about movie cars and love cars with lots of chrome and detail."
He has helped develop the Blackhawk Pavilion in Shanghai, where he has provided 60 cars to the museum.
If you're interested in seeing the Red Flag, visit the Blackhawk Auto Museum in California.
