Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN HUNGARY

JENSON BUTTON

How sweet it is! This week Formula One was in Hungary. An old track, but one that I like very well. Jenson Button proved to be the man among men. On this track in 2006 he won his first Formula One race. So, it was fitting that he won today, in celebration of his 200th race. He was followed by Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull and Ferdinand Alonso from Ferrari.

photo credit: © 2011 Reuters via © 2011 allvoices.com

Tuesday

MICHIGAN ON THE 30TH

1939 PONTIAC GHOST CAR

ST. JOHN'S
by RM
The Inn at St. John's
44045 Five Mile Road
Plymouth, Michigan


1-519-352-4575

1941 PACKARD

photo credit: © 2011 rmauctions.com

COLORADO ON THE 29TH

COLORADO COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION
by Proxibid
Denver Merchandise Mart
Denver, Colorado


1-888-493-1688

ENGLAND ON THE 29TH

1978 MG MIDGET

SOUTH WEST VEHICLE AUCTION
by SWVA
61 Ringwood Road
Parkstone, Poole, Dorset
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 1202 745466

1959 MGA

photo credit: © 2011 SWVA

ENGLAND ON THE 27TH

1935 AUSTIN SEVEN RACER

HEREFORDSHIRE VINTAGE AUCTION
by Herefordshire Vintage Auction
How Caple Court
Herefordshire
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 1432 273373

1955 SALMSON

photo credit: hvauctions.com

Monday

INDYCAR IN CANADA, AGAIN

WILL POWER, THE WINNER

While I don't like airport tracks they redesigned this one and made it interesting. Some very tight turns, two long straights and zoom, you have a race. Will Power was the winner followed by Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.


photo credit: © 2011 LAT photo USA
video credit: © 2011 youtube.com

FORMULA ONE IN GERMANY

ALONSO -2ND, HAMILTON - 1ST AND WEBBER - 3RD

Race started out as a bit of a bore, but it got better. Hamilton coasting into 1st followed by Alonso and Webber. The new rule of changing tires in the last ten laps has to be timed perfectly to keep from losing your spot. As shown by Webber who was in first place for 18 laps, but had to pit for the mandatory tire change four laps from the finish. Giving up his win to Hamilton who pitted ten laps out. The other noticable loss was Massa who was in 4th place with Vettel in 5th. They both had to stop on the last lap for those tires and Vettel's crew got him out before Massa. Oh, well, on to Hungary.

photo credit: © 2011 ibnlive.in.com

Friday

MINNESOTA ON THE 27TH

LEONARD COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION
by Fisher Auctions
27382 450th Street
Leonard, Minnesota


1-952-688-6798
1-800-282-2426

Thursday

ENGLAND ON THE 26TH

1969 BRISTOL

CLASSIC, HISTORIC & SPORTSCAR AUCTION
by Barons
Sandown Park
Esher, Surrey
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 8454 306060

1958 MORRIS MINOR

photo credit: © 2011 barons-auctions.com

ENGLAND ON THE 23RD

1961 MORGAN

SILVERSTONE CLASSIC
by Silverstone
Silverstone Race Course
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 1327 856 100

1958 AC ACE BRISTOL

photo credit: silverstoneauctions.com

ENGLAND ON THE 23RD

1984 LAND ROVER

VINTAGE & CLASSIC
by Cheffins
Sutton, Nr Ely, Camos
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 7223 213777

1960 FIAT

photo credit: © 2011 cheffins.co.uk

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

NEWELL

Makes sense that the world's fanciest motorhomes would be constructed in Miami, right? Miami it is, only this Miami is in Oklahoma, where, as Keke Rosberg once observed, "the beaches are not so good." Still, celebrities and pro drivers flock here in scores, dropping $50 million annually at the 120,000-square-foot Newell Coach factory, founded in 1967 by L.K. Newell.


The plant abuts a statue of the region's most famous son, Mickey Charles Mantle. "A great teammate," the inscription reads. If the Mick had kept every dime he was paid to swing bats professionally for his 18-year career, he'd have possessed $1,123,000. Today, the cheapest Newell fetches $1,355,000.

The company produces 24 coaches annually — 20 for customers, four as demonstrators. The average transaction price is $1.6 million, but a heavily optioned version — such as Roger Penske's — can easily bang hard against $2 mil. Each 45-foot-long Newell requires six months to construct, assembled by 165 workers who fabricate nearly everything in-house, save the engines and transmissions.

In the preceding 44 years, Newell has built 1341 coaches, no two identical. "One thousand are certainly still on the road," says company president Karl Blade, who has subscribed to C/D for 55 years. "I can't prove this," he adds, "but I think a Newell coach represents the lowest-unit-production, road-legal vehicle in the world." Maybe, maybe not. What we do know is that every 12 inches of an average Newell costs more than a Nissan 370Z.

Names Will be Dropped

Newell owners have won 27 Indianapolis 500s — more than a quarter of all such races run. That's a lot of spilled milk. Random owners whose surnames you'll recognize: Penske, Kenseth, Johnson, Ganassi, Speed, Waltrip (two of them), Rutherford, Spencer, Unser (three of them), Rahal, Montoya, Villeneuve, Button, Barrichello, Andretti, Scheckter, Franchitti, Tracy, Earnhardt (two of them). And lots more.

A Newell was even ordered by Dodi Fayed, who hoped to drive it to North American movie sets, but then he and the princess came a cropper in Paris. Blade thus shipped Fayed's coach, left-hand drive and all, to London, where it presumably still collects British dust in Harrods' fleet.

One Newell customer owns a pet cheetah. "When he shows up to have his rig serviced, he often walks the thing," says Blade. "So I call the neighbors and say, 'Now'd be a good time to bring in your dog.' "

The Stock Market

NASCAR stock-car drivers/owners currently eschew bedroom windows in their Newells -- too many paddock voyeurs. They also stipulate generators with exhausts vented skyward rather than toward adjacent picnicking Sprint Cup champions. And because racetracks are dirty, interior carpeting has largely given way to hardwood or marble floors.

Today, NASCAR drivers demand a huge underfloor storage compartment to accommodate a foldaway golf cart. "It's a big deal," says Blade. "At the end of each race, the drivers flee to the helicopters that carry them out of the track and to their private jets."

The Build

Newell's assembly line includes 11 stations, and a coach a-birthing will linger 84 hours within each. Every coach winds up in one of four 60-foot-long paint booths, where customers dictate their own graphics, however weird, starting with 20 gallons of standard-equipment paint applied in 12 coats. All stripes are painted, no tape. Pearlescents and DuPont's "flop" — which flickers gold to blue to green in varying ambient light — are common, as is "blending" from white to silver to gray to black, a $4500 option. One bus was adorned with an abstract open-wheel racer on its flanks. "I didn't know what the hell it was for four years," says VP of sales Patrick Dwyer. Two coaches recently went out virgin white — one for Crown Royal and one for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who later upped its curb appeal with orange flames and a recurring human-skull motif.

Strength in Numbers

Each coach is powered by a 912-cubic-inch (14.9-liter) Cummins ISX 650 diesel — 650 horsepower and 1950 pound-feet of torque — mated to an Allison six-speed automatic. The engine is lubricated by 44 quarts of synthetic oil. Newells are governed to 90 mph. "Ungoverned, however, they're easily good for 105 mph," says Dwyer, who knows because he's tried it. Cruising fuel economy averages 8 mpg. Every vehicle carries 225 gallons of fuel and 143 gallons of fresh water.

Designed by Design

The late stylist Larry Shinoda did much of the custom work on Roger Penske's Newells. Meanwhile, Porsche Design created the new Euro nose that all Newells currently sport. Both Roger Penske and McLaren boss Ron Dennis made multiple trips to Oklahoma. "I couldn't believe how fussy they were," says Blade. "They insisted on custom touches over every square inch. Roger even had a chrome dress-up package for the engine [a custom-built, high-output Detroit Diesel that was dropped off by Rusty Wallace]. His coach took 10 months, maybe the most expensive we ever built. I'm pretty sure I lost money on that one."

Alcoa to the Rescue

The roof of every Newell is made from a single 45-foot seamless span of aluminum sheet, and the flanks are wholly aluminum, too, with stainless-steel accents that owners are peculiarly prone to paint. Only the end caps are fiberglass. Customers can specify any size windows and as many as they want. Or none at all. Each windshield is 8.5 feet wide and five feet tall yet, amazingly, costs only $2100.

Gravity Squared

Buyers who stipulate more than 150 square feet of granite flooring must purchase it in lightweight "aircraft grade," meaning it's 3/16-inch thick and bonded to aluminum honeycomb. That will add $20,000 to the stone's cost. Even so, the coach's curb weight will reach 55,000 pounds. More than half of that heft — 33,000 pounds — lurks below the floor line, attributable mostly to the rear-mounted engine and the hand-built steel chassis.


Miles and Miles to Go

Apart from NASCAR drivers — whose rigs rack up 40,000 miles annually to be in place at 30-some races — most customers log only 2000 to 8000 miles per year. "We have a doctor with an eight-year-old coach," says Blade, "and he's put only 3000 miles on the thing. Now he wants to upgrade to a new one." On the other hand, Roger Penske owns a 600,000-mile Newell.

Virtually every owner will tow an automobile. One customer wanted a bigger kitchen, so now he tows a 38-foot, 40,000-pound restaurant-quality galley. His rig thus extends more than 83 feet, and he can't back up. But his burgers are awesome.

Tell Us What You Want

Newell will create pretty much anything for customers, as long as it doesn't represent a safety hazard or require an air-brushed mural of a naked lady. A fashion magnate recently demanded that all his coach's upward-facing cockpit surfaces — including an eight-foot-long countertop — be swathed in carbon fiber. He further insisted that several hundred feet of aluminum trim be cut exclusively from billet. Then he ordered hardwood maple floors that were painted gloss black. "The guy had previously spent $10 million on the interior of his jet," says Blade, "and he felt like his coach should match."

A member of the Saudi royal family ordered a coach with twin entrances — one for his family, the other for the not-so-royal driver. He further ordered small granite tubs for washing feet, as well as a custom bidet.

A customer with bad knees had an elevator installed. Multiple owners have stipulated built-in dog kennels, one with a private doggie door leading to a "Pomeranians Only" loo.

Crocodile or ostrich skins? No problem. Built-in bird cages? Done. Beds that lift hydraulically? Dime a dozen. Pocket doors that slide open and close pneumatically, hissing like those on the starship Enterprise? Commonplace. A video camera aimed at the door so you'll know when Mr. Ecclestone comes to collect? Standard.

"Actually, uninvited visitors are a big hassle," says Dwyer. "A Newell is the Bugatti Veyron of motorhomes, and Wilma and Fred in their Winnebago will come a-knockin' for a tour, usually when you're climbing naked into the tub."

Option This

Common options: Italian maple cabinetry ($44,000), Küppersbusch three-burner ceramic stove top ($4500), stainless-steel exterior trim ($9000), cedar lining in master closet ($400), built-in coffee maker ($900), 42-inch LCD TV with motorized lift ($6000), carbon-fiber instrument panel ($900), 100-pound below-floor freezer ($2000), full marble shower ($4500), projection TV with home-theater seating ($13,500), bathroom TV disguised as a mirror ($3500), infrared night vision ($6500), steam shower ($2500), central vacuum ($600), outdoor electric grill ($1500).

The coach we drove? Its options alone amounted to $314,950.

Pre-Owned

Newell almost always keeps 20 to 25 used coaches in stock. Right now, you can buy Montoya's 2008 coach — 119,000 miles, funky brown wood flooring, media room with theater seating and 60-inch LCD TV attached to the bottom of a hydraulically lifted bed. Asking price: $875,000. Pre-owned coaches less than nine years old come with a two-year warranty.

Eighty-five percent of Newell owners insist that their rigs be serviced exclusively at the Miami factory. "They don't want anyone else touching or seeing their stuff," Blade explains.

Driving Miss Duesy

Piloting a 2011 P2000i Newell coach — $1,563,450 — proved less stressful than we expected, with the Euro-style overhead side mirrors supplying a fortunate amount of situational awareness. Moreover, the huge windshield offers a stunning Cinerama-style view of the passing world. The brake and accelerator pedals feel only vaguely connected to anything, with plenty of travel before the bus's dynamic behavior is in any way altered. The ride approaches Lexus-like perfection, and the driver's "air-ride" seat filters out any residual high-frequency hash. The steering is big-time light and twirly -- many, many degrees must be dialed in for course alterations. Engine noise is muted, almost nonexistent, exactly as it should be, given the diesel's location 40-some feet aft.

Rattles and squeaks and groans from the entire household of leather, chrome, granite, and vinyl furnishings are, well, not exactly cacophonous but plenty annoying. Of course, that's what happens when you take your house for a drive. Ninety-degree turns must be negotiated in the 5-mph range; body roll is prodigious. Acceleration feels more brisk than it actually is: zero to 60 mph in 29 seconds.

It helps that the front suspension is independent and that the tag (rearmost) axle offers five degrees of steering. The coach turns in a 37-foot radius, so sharply that full lock can ram one rear corner of the bus into anything that is being towed.

The first commandment of Newell navigation: Always know exactly where you're going 'cause you do not want to back up.


text credit: John Phillips via © 2011 Car & Driver
photo credit: Marc Urbani and Justin Maconochie via ©2011 Car & Driver


Tuesday

ENGLAND ON THE 20TH

1962 NORTON 650 SS

MOTORCYCLE AUCTION
by H & H
The Pavilion Gardens
buxton, Derbyshire
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 8458 33 44 55

1978 MOTO GUZZI

photo credit: © 2011 handh.co.uk

Friday

ENGLAND ON THE 19TH

1971 SPRITE

HISTORICS SUMMER SALE
by Historics
Brooklands
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 800 988 3838

1965 BSA

photo credit: © 2011 Historics at Brookland

NEBRASKA ON THE 17TH

PROJECT AUCTION
by Fowlkes
I-80 at exit 190
Maxwell, Nebraska


1-402-447-6113

ENGLAND ON THE 17TH

CLASSICS AT THE CASTLE CAR SHOW
by Charterhouse
Sherborne Castle
Sherborne, Dorset
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 1935 812277

MONTANA ON THE 16TH

1973 VW

MISSOULA AUCTION
by Silver
Missoula County Fairgrounds
1101 South Avenue West
Missoula, Montana


1-800-255-4485

photo credit: © 2011 silverauctions.com

ENGLAND ON THE 16TH

1951

THE JAGUAR LEGEND
by Coys
Blenheim Palace
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 208 614 7888

1947

photo credit: © 2011 coys.co.uk


GEORGIA ON THE 16TH

1953 JEEP

SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA AUCTION
by Red Baron
6450 Roswell Road
Atlanta, Georgia


1-404-252-3770

photo credit: © 2011 Red Baron Antiques

IOWA ON THE 16TH

1948 INTERNATIONAL KB5

DON SHEWRY COLLECTION
by Nixon
2395 West Lake Blvd.
Davenport, Iowa


1-800-535-5996

photo credit: © 2011 Nixon Auctioneers

Thursday

IOWA ON THE 15TH

1955 CHEVY

DES MOINES AUCTION
by Mecum
Iowa State Fairgrounds
East 30th at East University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa


1-815-568-8888

photocredit: © 2011 mecum.com

NEW YORK ON THE 15TH

LYON'S AQMAZING CLASSIC CARS
by Lyon's
7536 Murray Drive
Cicero, New York


1-315-633-2944

Wednesday

PENNSYLVANIA ON THE 14TH

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC CAR & TRUCK AUCTION
by Central Pa Auto Aucton
41 Airstrip Drive
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania


1-800-248-8026

ENGLAND ON THE 13TH

BRIGHTWELLS
by Brightwells
Easters Court
Leomister, Herefordshire
United Kingdom


+44 (0) 1566 611122

Monday

CALIFORNIA ON THE 12TH

1934 FORD HOT ROD

IMPORTANT CLASSIC CAR AUCTION
by Clars
5644 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, California


1-510-428-0100

photo credit: © 2011 Clars Auction Gallery

INDYCAR IN CANADA

DARIO FRANCHITTI

All the chills, thrills and spills that only a race in Canada can give you. They never fail to excite. Winner Dario Franchitti was followed by teammate Scott Dixon and in third was Ryan Hunter-Reay.

photo credit: © 2011 indycar.com
video credit: © 2011 youtube.com

Sunday

FORMULA ONE IN ENGLAND

FERNANDO ALONSO

I missed this race today, but I do know the results. Alonso came in first with Vettel in second and Webber in third.

photo credit: © 2011 bbc.com

Tuesday

WASHINGTON ON THE 9TH

1955 CHEVY NOMAD

COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION
by Silver
Fair & Expo Center
404 N. Havana
Spokane, Washington


1-800-255-4485

photo credit: © 2011 Silver Auctions

CALIFORNIA ON THE 9TH

1957 CORVETTE

SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC CAR AUCTION
by Dan Kruse Classics
Santa Clara Fairgrounds
San Jose, California


1-866-495-8111

photo credit: Dan Kruse Classics


DELEWARE ON THE 9TH

INAUGURAL COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION
by Express Auctioneers
Dover International Speedway
Dover, Deleware


1-443-807-8883

MISSOURI ON THE 8TH

CAPE GIRARDEAU SUMMER CLASSIC CAR AUCTION
by Smith
Show-Me Center
1333 Sprigg Street
Cape Girardeau, Missouri


1-800-200-6030

A BUSINESS IN THE MAKING

1969 PIPER GTR

The complete set of body moulds from the original car are for sale. Car now uses modern upgrades. The current owners have developed options for race and road ready cars. They can be reached at:


+44 (0) 1621 851589


photo credit: Piper Racing Cars

TUESDAY'S SPECIAL

1982 JAGUAR XJR-5

Backed by funding from Jaguar, and their magnificent 6.2L, V12 power plant, Bob Tullius’ American firm, Group 44, constructed the XJR-5 for competition in North America’s International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTP class, as well as an all-out effort for an overall win in sports car racing’s most sought after prize- the 24 Hours of Lemans. The XJR-5 project represented Jaguar’s re-entry into international motorsports after a 20 year absence. Noted ground effects specialist Lee Dykstra was engaged by Group 44 to design the chassis, intelligently using the slim but long V12 unit as a stressed member and therefore allowing more room for underbody aerodynamics. Randy Witeen designed the simple yet curvaceous body that is regarded by many as being one of the most beautiful shapes in the GTP field.

IMSA’s GTP proved to be one of America’s golden eras for road racing, hotly contested by a number of major manufactures including Porsche, BMW, Ford, Chevrolet, and Buick, among many other smaller makes. While Porsche remained dominate throughout the era, Jaguar proved to be their only major competitor, logging 12 wins in total.

This particular car, s/n 001, is the very first XJR-5 constructed, initially track tested in June of 1982. The new design proved instantly victorious with a class win in its initial outing at the Road America Pabst 500 during that same year, driven by Bob Tullius and Bill Adam. During the 1983 GTP season Tullius, driving alone, again found himself on the podium, scoring a second place at Laguna Seca. More recently, s/n 001 was invited to participate at the 2000 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was exhibited by Tullius himself, who can be in large part credited with the car’s achievements in period.

The car was purchased by the current owner direct from Group 44, effectively making this example a one-owner vehicle. Period racecar driver and long time enthusiast Jim Busby, having recently restored Jaguar XJR-5, s/n 010, was contracted to restore this example to event ready specification for the current owner. The work was done in a no-expense spared fashion, and the results are outstanding.

The restoration work included rebuilding the suspension corners, with fresh plating, new seals, bearings, jam nuts and washers. The brakes calipers were rebuilt and re-plated, as was the master cylinder. The radiator was removed, checked, and cleaned. The fire bottle was recharged, the pedal assembly was rebuilt and re-plated, and seat was reconditioned. The air jack, cooling, and oiling systems were all rebuilt as required for competition purposes.

The engine was rebuilt by marquee specialist Ed Pink, and dyno tested at 625 horsepower. Before being mated to the Hewland VG 600, a new clutch and throughout bearing was installed, as was a new input shaft. The CV joints were rebuilt and new boots installed. The engine ancillary bits were also freshened, including the starter, alternator, and water pump. The headers are freshly jet coated, and a new battery with battery tender has been installed.

Additionally, the car was repainted in its original racing livery from the 1983 season, the tub nicely polished, and the dash refinished. The car was successfully track tested in December of 2010 at Willow Springs with period racer Rick Knoop at the wheel, and delivered directly to Fantasy Junction for sale. Accordingly the car presents extremely well, with excellent racecar cosmetics inside and out, and evidence of all the recent attention to detail paid by Jim Busby’s workshop. The car has an amazing, larger than life presence in person, and is a welcome change from the comparatively common Porsche 956/962.

This specific chassis, s/n 001, represents Jaguar’s re-entry into international motorsports after a two-decade absence, and with a GTP win by endurance racing legends Tullius and Bill Adams to its credit, cannot be overlooked as a historically significant piece of Jaguar’s prototype competition history. Although collectable, there are an increasing number of racing venues around the globe in which to use this fantastic automobile, where the V12 exhaust note is sure to garner much positive attention. Accompanying the car is a significant spares package including team memorabilia, to assist the new owner it his racing exploits.

1-510-653-7555

Located in California

photo and edited text credit: fantasyjunction.com