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52 Linkage 017 THE LONG ROAD Finding Modena in California From tales told by Phil Hill to a drive in Pacific Palisades, Modena lives in Los Angeles by GRETA GOODING I HAVE NEVER been to Modena, but I have been to Phil Hill’s house. Nestled under a Canary Island Pine tree in the same unassuming neighborhood where I grew up, was the childhood home of one of the greatest racing drivers who ever lived. Pale yellow with ashy green trim, the Mediterranean home was right out of the 1920s. Visiting Mr. Hill was often reserved for Sunday afternoons, when my dad and I would disturb the quiet suburbia of Santa Monica with our 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Our raucous drive was timed to most citizens watching Sunday football or attending church. Tearing up and down San Vicente Boulevard with the exhaust cut-out open, letting it roar, the Rolls always found its way to Phil and Alma’s house. We often came bearing gifts: my dad carrying something delicious for Alma, leaving me to pass my drawings of red Ferrari 250 GTs to Mr. Hill with great reverence. I had no doubt, and still none to this day, that Alma is one of the most bewitching women I have ever met. She was a Brigitte Bardot doppelgänger with a cracking sense of humor and wit — and a worthy challenger to car guys, then and always. Mr. Hill himself unfurled his memories to us, bit by bit. He sometimes told us grisly stories of his competitors and friends getting in heinous crashes on the track — we were a wholly captive audience. It was unfathomable that these infernos were real events he had experienced, given the way racing had been so impersonal to me at that point, not dissimilar to a video game. My dad would interject, inquiring about particular drivers or cars, and of course, Phil’s friendship with Sir Stirling Moss. It became blatantly clear that Formula One of days present was nothing like it was in the 1960s. Now, as my generation discovers the thrill and raw, human glory that Formula One brings, with a renewed fascination with engineering and innovation, I wonder if they know how integral Phil was to its culture. Phil passed away within a few years of my grandfather — they were one and the same to me, and they were, of course, friends. Phil Hill’s garage And of course, there was the earthen garage. I still think about Phil in his garage when I bike by his home. Although Phil had driven Modena’s finest for much of his life, the street-facing garage reflected the same nostalgia that led him back to his childhood house. Back in the day, as long as my parents knew him, they would often spot him working on a car outside on the sloped concrete driveway on their way home from work. In the cavernous interior, he had nested Packards, Pierce-Arrows and Locomobiles. One particular Pierce-Arrow resided at this garage from new. In 1931, Phil Hill’s aunt, who also lived in the house, bought the custom-bodied car new. The level of nostalgia and reverence for the cars associated with such happy memories for him still moves me. Any time that we spent with Phil, it was clear that his passion for the automobile was complete, whether it was driving, maintaining, researching, photographing or the design and engineering of the cars. Phil’s love and reverence for Packards and Pierce-Arrows may initially seem wholly American, although the utter devotion to the automobile is the same total reverence that built Ferraris and Maseratis. It makes complete sense that when Mr. Hill would visit in Modena, he related so well to the engineers and factory workers at Ferrari — not every driver was this way, especially now. I have grown up seeing other people’s Ferraris, slowly learning how to discriminate which are exceptional from just the roar. I drove one for the first time last year. I hail from a family that has dealt with
Linkage 017 53 other people’s cars for three generations, so I was acutely aware of the value of the car — a fact that terrified me. I think I was actually shaking with anticipation seeing the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, with its Pininfarina design and Modenese Scaglietti build. I eased the car through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in L.A., up winding hills and quiet streets. I eventually let it rip and heard the siren call of the engine. “It sounds different when you’re in the car,” I remember thinking. moments. If all this sounds dramatic to you, it strangely was! If I ever get to make the pilgrimage to Modena, I will only feel that fire-breathing, addictive energy because Phil exuded it. Alma is the woman to race for, to embark with that extra precision and get home safely. I will have known Modena from sunny Angeleno roads when I could get gutsy with my steering and from the quiet moments we all shared as the Lusso settled down again. Finally, that aphorism people say about the car feeling like an extension of one’s arms and legs rang true. The light vibration of the clutch matched my frenetic energy. The handling was more precise than I could have ever anticipated, daring me to experiment on the canyon roads. When I parked the car and watched it cool, I admired the gently protruding dark green nose and clicking adjustments as the car settled to rest. At last, the sensation was mine. I stood staring for several quiet BELOW This is Greta Gooding as a little kid, sitting in the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM, chassis 0808. This the the car Phil Hill drove to his third — and final — Le Mans victory. The car was stored in the Gooding family’s garage when this photo was taken.
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Modena’s Influence on Lamborghini What happens in Modena circulates through the many sports car companies of Italy’s Motor Valley by MASSIMO DELBÒ FERRUCCIO LAMBORGHINI WAS far from stupid. He was a great entrepreneur, and his achievements in each and every of his numerous endeavors (tractor manufacturing, hydraulics, heating and cooling systems and wine production) are the best possible evidence of that. Lamborghini’s decision to enter the GT sports car manufacturing area — even if it was finalized after an argument with Enzo Ferrari — was already planned long before that fateful squabble. Lamborghini did his homework before every final decision. So, when he decided to build sports cars, Lamborghini knew he had to rely on the knowledge and experience that was in Modena. 60 Linkage 017
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Linkage 017 63 In 1963, Modena was already the heart of Italian sports car production and racing. During in the 1930s, Enzo Ferrari’s nickname at Alfa Romeo, which was located in the industrial city of Milano, was “The Farmer,” which underlined his origins in Modena — a part of Italy that still was mostly agricultural at the time. Modena’s history of craftsmanship Modena was known for producing high-quality farming tools and wagons for centuries. A book that dates from the late 1700s analyzed the farming wagons of several areas of what we now call Italy. The book clearly states that wagons manufactured in the area of Modena were better assembled and manufactured with better material than wagons from other areas. To this fertile background, the opening of Scuderia Ferrari in 1929 brought the best technical talents in the area, as did the opening of Maserati (in Bologna) in 1914 and its relocation to Modena in 1940. The final ingredient for the recipe was the Officine Reggiane, founded in 1904 in Reggio Emilia, and purchased by Count Caproni to increase the manufacturing capacity of his airplane company during World War II. At the end of World War II, hundreds of highly skilled aircraft technicians and workers were left unemployed in Modena and the surrounding area. These people and their skills became the foundation of the Motor Valley. This is exactly why Ferruccio Lamborghini decided
64 Linkage 017 LAMBORGHINI AND MODENA to build his car factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese — just a few miles from Modena. Lamborghini knew his new factory was just a 20-minute moped ride from Modena, which was the maximum distance that skilled automotive craftspeople would putt along to work. Lamborghini also hired three key people from Modena: Engineer Giampaolo Dallara, directly from the Maserati technical office. Engineer Paolo Stanzani, directly from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Bob Wallace, the legendary test driver born in New Zealand — but who lived in Modena because that was the place to be if you loved racing and fast cars. These three men were key to making Lamborghini a success. Decades of cross pollination Today, 61 years after the founding of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Modena, in the now-famous Motor Valley in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, is now the world’s center for the design and manufacture of sports and racing cars. This region includes the cities of Bologna, Ravenna, Parma, Ferrara — and, of course, Modena. The companies in the area include Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani, De Tomaso, Dallara and Ducati. There is an endless passage of people, employees and suppliers among the main car companies of the area. Each company has profound links — formal and informal — to each other. Yet, the rivalries are generations long. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, after a Ferrari defeat, Maserati’s mechanics would pull a cart piled with hay to feed the “exhausted nag.” After a Maserati defeat, Ferrari employees would walk through Viale Trento Trieste and wave farmer’s pitchforks to mock Maserati’s logo. Decades later, Modena is still where the best go to create amazing cars. In 1991, Horacio Pagani picked Modena to chase his car dream. Pagani, one of the world’s experts in carbon fiber manufacturing, learned much of what he knows while working at down the road at Lamborghini during the 1980s. The cycle of innovation continues. TOP Speccing out the Miura: Lamborghini’s mid-engine masterpiece ABOVE LEFT The Urraco was intended to bring Lamborghini to a wider audience, competing with Ferrari’s Dino ABOVE RIGHT V12s sit at the ready in Lamborghini’s Sant’Agata factory
Linkage 017 65 Lamborghini Miura Team (from left Stanzani, Gandini and Dallara) Where it all started: The Lamborghini 350 GT
PAGANI & ITALY’S MOTOR VALLEY Checking Every Detail Horacio Pagani rides his bicycle to his Modena-area works at 4 a.m. each morning to personally review the progress on each car under construction by MASSIMO DELBÒ Photos courtesy Pagani Automobili 66 Linkage 017
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68 Linkage 017 PAGANI & ITALY’S MOTOR VALLEY AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, WHEN looking at the most famous sports car manufacturers in Italy, they are all much less Italian than we all realize. Ferrari is owned by Ferrari N.V., a Netherlandsbased legal entity. Lamborghini is part of the German Audi-Volkswagen empire. Maserati, part of Stellantis, is basically French. The most Italian firm currently seems to be Pagani, which was founded by Argentinian/Italian Horacio Pagani and manufactures cars equipped with German (AMG) powertrains. When talking with Horacio, you soon learn his amazing love for Italy, for the Renaissance concept of beauty and knowledge — and that his inspiration and role model is Leonardo da Vinci. Even though he is of Italian descent, Horacio Pagani is originally from Argentina. When he was 14, Horacio was already in love with cars, but he struggled when choosing between the technical side or the aesthetic, design side. He found an answer to his dilemma in a “Reader’s Digest” article about Leonardo da Vinci, the genius of the Italian Renaissance, who stated that the sciences and arts can walk hand in hand. Young Pagani, naturally gifted in arts and manual dexterity, took da Vinci’s advice. Horacio Pagani’s inspiration — his 5,000-squaremeter factory in San Cesario sul Panaro, 12 kilometers (8 miles) from Modena — is arranged with a main square. The “botteghe” — the small shops — are all around the square. To add more emphasis to the concept, there is a bell tower with a clock. “In the Renaissance,” says Horacio, as he is called by his workers, “the village had in its shops the symbol of knowledge, and in the square there was the social life and the exchange of information. I simply wanted to recreate this, but, instead of the classic shops, all around the square, I’ve my company’s departments.” The road to success has been long for Mr. Pagani, but he always said that his stint as a worker at Lamborghini was extremely important for him. In Lamborghini, he worked with a new material called
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70 Linkage 017 PAGANI & ITALY’S MOTOR VALLEY carbon fiber. It was a task young Horacio fulfilled with passion, and he became a great specialist and an innovator in carbon fiber. In fact, the Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary car is directly linked to his work, and he sketched the car’s shape — a perfect mix of technology and art. Pagani is born In 1988, Horacio created Pagani Composite Research to provide carbon fiber components to the car manufacturers of the Motor Valley. In 1992, he officially created Pagani Automobili, with the aim of becoming a builder of world-class cars — but with the odd goal of never getting too big. Today, most famous sports car brands now build several thousand — or more — cars for each model. Pagani wants to remain a real “low quantity” manufacturer, with a production of about 40 to 50 cars every 12 months. “Increasing the units manufactured could be possible,” he says. “But that would come with a cost, in terms of overall quality, attention to details — and a decrease in Paganis being a valuable investment for my customers.”
Linkage 017 71 This limited production allows Horacio to track every single detail on each car. Indeed, every day, at about 4 a.m., Horacio pedals his bicycle from home to the closed factory to have the time — in absolute tranquility — to check the work done the previous day. If he spots something that he is not 100% satisfied with, Pagani leaves a note on a piece of tape that tells his workers what to improve. Not a race car company Pagani cars have an artistic attention to beauty, and this is what prevents Pagani from going racing. “In races, the research of performance wins on everything, says Pagani. “And I don’t want to have to lower the refinement on my cars, simply because it gives a one-tenth of a second benefit.” To protect the vision of Horacio, the second generation is already deeply involved in the family business, with the eldest son, Leonardo, in charge of special projects and, the younger son, Christopher, is head of marketing in the United States. But the company’s heart, mind and soul remain just a few miles from Modena, Italy.
72 Linkage 017 THE KNOWLEDGE Image courtesy of Maserati Juan Manuel Fangio racing the Maserati 250F in 1957
Linkage 017 73 Maserati 250F Certain race cars shine brightest before they’re eclipsed by technological sea changes, and the Maserati 250F stands as one of the most dramatic examples of that luminous moment in time. Making its debut at the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix, the Modena-built single seater proved its mettle at the hands of none other than Juan Manuel Fangio, where he took the top spot there and again at Spa-Francorchamps before famously switching to Mercedes-Benz. The 250F saw victory with legends such as Jean Behra and Stirling Moss behind the wheel, but its most memorable win came from what is widely considered to be Fangio’s greatest drive of his career: his final win at the Nürburgring in 1957, where he clinched his 5th world championship. The advent of rear-engine Formula One cars made the 250F obsolete the following year — and contributed to the bankruptcy of the great Modenese brand of Maserati — and the end of an era. LONG BEFORE ITALY’S Motor Valley earned fame as an automotive star maker, the city of Modena was a cultural touchstone for everything from balsamic vinegar production to higher learning. The rise of the local, high-performance automotive industry transformed the Italian hotspot into a nerve center for some of the world’s wildest, most aesthetically imaginative machines. Modena became — and still is — a globally recognized beacon for all things fast, beautiful, and alluring. The city stands apart not just for the seismic personality of its de facto Godfather, Enzo Ferrari, but because excellence breeds incomparable offshoots, allies, and competitors. Here are 10 masterpieces that reflect the zeitgeist of extreme carmaking from Modena. 10Momentous Models from Modena Modena’s place as the epicenter of car design and technology involved more companies than Ferrari and Maserati — and reached other parts of Italy by BASEM WASEF
74 Linkage 017 THE KNOWLEDGE Lamborghini 400 GT Monza One of the seminal legends of the Motor Valley involves the epic snubbing of Ferruccio Lamborghini by Enzo Ferrari, and the subsequent retaliation that involved the establishment of a rival supercar manufacturer just across the way from Modena in Sant’Agata Bolognese. While the geographic divide placed an exclamation mark on many of the differences between the warring forces, Ferruccio’s 400 GT Monza one-off marked a rare departure from his Bologna-adjacent HQ. Following the debut of his elegant, aluminum-bodied 350 GT, the time came to create its more-spacious spinoff — the 400 GT. To do this, Ferruccio turned to Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini, aka Nembo, who were also responsible for Lamborghini’s first prototype, the 350 GTV. Nembo’s small carrozzeria was based in Modena, enemy territory for the budding Ferruccio. The one-off 400 GT Monza bore a striking resemblance to the Bizzarrini 5300 GT, but was only seen in public once in May of 1967 at the Barcelona Motor Show, where it was purchased by a client who didn’t want to wait months for a Miura. This rare link between Sant’Agata and Modena remains a unicorn among more serially reproduced Lamborghini models. Image: Brian Snelson
Linkage 017 75 Lancia Stratos HF Zero The battle of the wedges between Italian design powerhouses Bertone and Pininfarina can trace its origins to the home of Ferrari — and as it evolved, it volleyed through concepts such as the Lamborghini Marzal and Ferrari 512S Speciale. The climax came with two of the most extreme concepts in history: Bertone’s Lancia Stratos HF Zero and Pininfarina’s 512S Modulo. While the latter boasted a massive, race-bred V12, Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone’s Zero, originally dubbed the Stratolimite, claimed a number of novel engineering feats, including a retractable Gallino-Hellebore steering wheel inspired by the rings of Saturn which hinged with the windscreen/door to ease ingress and egress. Although its 4-cylinder mechanical underpinnings are made of milder stuff than the Ferrari concept, the Zero’s 33-inch height undercut the Modulo’s 36.8-inch altitude. Most of all, the Zero and the Modulo proved that extraordinary things happen when brilliant minds take their visionary ideas to the mat. De Tomaso Mangusta Not all Modenese success stories are thoroughly Italian. Consider the tale of Alejandro de Tomaso, the Argentine whose racing career was launched in his home country before relocating to Italy to drive for Maserati and OSCA. Following in the footsteps of the Maserati brothers, the enterprising racer founded De Tomaso Automobili in 1959, building lower-tier race cars. The Vallelunga thrust De Tomaso into the road car business, but the Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled Mangusta was the game changer that put it on the world map. With novel gullwing doors encompassing the luggage compartment and engine bay, which housed the same 289-cubicinch V8 powering the Le Mans-battling Ford GT40, the Mangusta was exotic enough to legitimately land itself as one of the earliest supercars. Evan Klein Remi Dargegen ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
76 Linkage 017 THE KNOWLEDGE Pagani Zonda Like many an enterprising enthusiast, Horacio Pagani started off his career in Sant’Agata Bolognese as an engineer at Lamborghini. The future, he believed, was in carbon fiber, whose lightweight-yetstrong nature helped build a better supercar. The problem, however, was Lamborghini’s reluctance to go all-in on the aerospace-inspired material. Seeing no future for himself at the Raging Bull, Pagani set off to Modena to start a namesake hypercar company. Pagani’s first product, the Zonda, was like nothing else the world had seen until that time, with alien bodywork, a tuned, MercedesBenz sourced V12 — and exquisitely sculpted see-I-told-you-so carbon fiber. The rest, as they say, is history — including the fact that the Zonda model persisted for nearly two decades and inspired a cascade of even wilder designs. Ferrari 330 P4 The most beautiful race cars are oftentimes the least effective — or at least that’s how a familiar storyline goes. The Ferrari 330 P3 roared out of the gates with a sumptuously feminine body, a sub-1,600-pound curb weight, and a 420-hp V12 that took it to 193 mph — not bad for 1966. However, not bad was not good enough when Ford was counterpunching with the fearsome GT40 at Le Mans in ’66, and we all remember how that battle royale went. Ferrari’s answer the next year was the 330 P4, with an aggressively redesigned engine by Franco Rocchi. This engine’s three valves-percylinder and 450 hp output could now take it to 199 mph. The P4 brought back Ferrari’s winning ways, taking the top spot at the 1000 Kilometers of Monza, and sweeping the podium with a 412P at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, earning the phrase “The Revenge of Il Commendatore.” Only four of these beautifully effective cars were built. Pagani
Linkage 017 77 Ferrari 512S Modulo Despite Enzo’s infamous edict to build race cars first and road cars second, the 512S Modulo concept delved deep into the realm of high design and science fiction to shake hands with the imminent arrival of the Wedge Age. The 512S Modulo’s underpinnings were already the stuff of motorsports legend— a 512S converted to Can Am spec, and outrageous proportions were aimed more for its debut at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show than the brand’s familiar “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” routine. Critically, the Paolo Martin/Pininfarinapenned concept went headto-head against the Marcello Gandini/Bertone-designed Lancia Stratos HF Zero, ushering in a bold new decade of future-forward design. Iso Grifo A3/C Iso — née, Iso Rivolta — followed the familiar Italian formula of dabbling in motorcycles and workaday four-wheelers before going full batshit with an exotic sports car. The fundamentals were solid: Giotto Bizzarrini, responsible for engineering nothing less than the Ferrari 250 GTO, had teamed up with Iso chief technician Pierluigi Raggi to build the Iso Rivolta. Bizzarrini’s solo project was the Iso Grifo, a slinky grand touring 2-seater based on a shortened Rivolta chassis, and the competitionfocused A3/C offered the best of both worlds: Near perfect weight distribution, a body to die for, and a Chevy V8 that hustled it up to 180 mph. From its novel riveted-aluminum body to the fact that a works version held its own at Le Mans, these lovely specimens represent the best-case scenario of competition breeding brilliance. Evan Klein Remi Dargegen ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
78 Linkage 017 THE KNOWLEDGE Stanguellini Formula Junior Monoposto Automobili Stanguellini can’t claim the household status of its big name Modenese neighbors, but founder Vittorio Stanguellini’s steadfast commitment to speed enabled his homegrown brand to punch way beyond its weight. Founded in 1900 and serving as a tuning house for Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Maserati racers, Stanguellini’s modded Maserati 6CM scored victory at the 1938 Targa Florio. While his modestly funded operation struggled at world-class events, such as Le Mans, Stanguellini’s Formula Junior singleseaters made a name for the brand. It didn’t hurt that the tiny racers looked like miniaturized Maserati 250Fs and were tuned with the assistance of Juan Manuel Fangio. For many a future big-name driver, such as Wolfgang von Trips, Lorenzo Bandini and Briggs Cunningham, the sub-scale Stanguellinis were their entrées into racing — and a stepping stone to greatness. Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 The first Ferrari-branded Ferrari might have been the 125 S, which debuted in 1947. But Enzo’s true original creation came seven years earlier — in the form of the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815. Angered by Alfa Romeo, who decreed he not use his surname in motor racing for four years, Enzo Ferrari saw a golden opportunity when, in 1939, Alberto Ascari asked him to build two cars for the 1940 Mille Miglia — which was coming up in four months. Never mind that World War II was already raging. Ever the industrialist, Enzo leveraged Fiat 508C Ballila donor bodies and orchestrated an Alberto Massimino-built 1.5-liter straight-8 engine that was stuffed under its luxuriant bonnet. While both cars were leading in their class, they eventually succumbed to mechanical issues and retired. The sole surviving 815 now resides in the Righini Collection, a short drive from its Modenese origin. Image: Arnaud 25
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84 Linkage 017 PRIVATE BUSINESS THERE ARE PEOPLE that you honestly don’t remember first meeting because you feel as if you’ve always known them. Mark Hyman is one of those people. The St. Louis, Missouri-based founder and owner of Hyman Ltd. classic cars is well known in the global collector car industry. He has been able to establish, grow and maintain an impressive business and maintain a spotless reputation doing so. I asked Mark for his secret. “Frankly, I think my father and my grandfather taught me this. My grandfather started a business in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925. My father was in the business forever. They both taught me my work ethic, but they also taught me my ethics. Your reputation is way more important than Sticking to Core Values Collector car dealer Mark Hyman has been at the pinnacle of the collector car world for decades by DONALD OSBORNE money, and that’s how I run my business. But the other part of that question is that I’m a car enthusiast, and I am a hobbyist, and I show cars at concours. I do rallies, tours, I have my own personal cars. So, yes I’m a car dealer, but I’m an enthusiast and hobbyist first, and a car dealer second.” Mark said. This to me is the heart of what I think of when I think of Mark Hyman as a friend and a businessman. A lot of people who are car dealers and car brokers have some sort of an affinity for cars. I have always looked at him an enthusiast. The range and breadth of that enthusiasm is reflected in his collecting and in what Hyman Ltd. has sold over the years. Mark said, “There are a lot of people that
Linkage 017 85 know cars — many far better than I do. I have a very good knowledge of the breadth of cars. Combining my business skills with my passion and enthusiasm for the collector car world has been key to what I do.” From the time he was born he was fascinated by cars, boats and planes, anything that moved. “I was a little kid probably seven or eight years old; my mother collected antiques, and we went to an estate sale. And there my father bought a 1920 Hudson Doctors’ Coupe and he sent it to be restored. Around 1971 it was completed and it was part of our family. I was probably 12.” That Hudson is still in Mark’s collection. While in the real estate development business in his 20s, Mark felt unfulfilled. “I had a dream that when I retired I would have two or three cars in a garage with a leather chair and automobilia. I never dreamt then I would start Hyman Ltd.” In the late 1980s, the real estate market in the U.S. became very challenging, so he decided to go back to school for a master’s degree in an international finance
86 Linkage 017 PRIVATE BUSINESS program. “I thought, that sounds cool and challenging. I’ll just do that to keep my brain going.” Finding a Facel Vega His true calling would reveal itself shortly. “So while I was doing that, I was tinkering with my old cars at home just for fun. And I got a lead on a Facel Vega. And it turns out that it was a Facel II that had been owned by somebody since the mid-1960s in St. Louis.” He pursued it down a circuitous route. It had been stored for 20 years, and the owner didn’t know where it actually was. “It was in a very bad area, in a one-car garage in an alley, where the roof was collapsing. And I pushed the door open and there is a Facel II sitting in there. No wheels, interior out of it, glass broken out, and it looked like somebody had jumped on the hood, the deck lid, and the trunk lid. And it was covered with tar, because I guess they were trying to save the roof years ago. So I’m all excited. I mean, Donald, the adrenaline — I’m in my late 20s, and the adrenaline is like, oh my god. ‘This is so cool’, I said. I found it. I still didn’t know at that point what it was worth. I cleaned the tar off of it and figured it out. It all started there.” Selling cars to car people Since Hyman started his business in 1989, the marketplace has greatly evolved. For many people, collector cars have become an asset class. Hyman has a strong opinion on that. “I’m not an investment advisor. I’m not a stockbroker. And I’ve said this exact sentence a thousand times. If I sell you a car for $100,000 and you love it and somebody offers you a $10,000 profit, you’re going to tell them it’s not for sale. If I sell you a car for $100,000 and it happens to go down, you’re also not going to care. So, I sell cars to people who want the cars. I sell cars to people who have loved the cars. And whether it’s worth 10% more or 10% less, should be irrelevant.” Mark was clear that he wanted Linkage readers to understand is that Hyman Ltd. is not the place for everyone’s car, whether buying or selling; but that he is the guy that you should call for an opinion. “If it’s a car that I think I can do really well with, I will tell you that. If it’s a car that I don’t think I can do really well with, I’ll tell you and I’ll refer to you who you should call. And I think that’s important.” In summing up his philosophy, Hyman said, “One of the other things that I’ve learned is that we’ve created a brand. We have a unique niche that we cater to. We’ve done really well with it for 35 years. Our way of doing business is to do the best we can for people who want to sell their car right, not necessarily quickly. Our brand speaks to this quality. I know we’re doing the right thing. I know we’re sticking to our core values. And I’m really proud of that.”
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88 Linkage 017 Arizona Auction Week photos by JIM PICKERING Rob Ward of LegacyEV shoots a video about his company’s electric 1966 Cadillac “dEVille” at Barrett-Jackson. The car later sold for $99,000. A 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder leads a row of high-profile lots at Barrett-Jackson. It later sold for $1,787,500. Custom classic trucks remain a bright spot in the market — and were numerous on the ground. This F100 custom truck sold for $216,700 at Barrett-Jackson.
Linkage 017 89 Bonhams’ Scottsdale auction presented a wide range of lots, includiung a sub-100-mile Ford Galaxie convertible and this as-new Ford GT. Bonhams’ Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ set this year’s high auction price of $5,175,000. A 1914 Pathfinder Series XIV Model A Touring, sold for $24,640 at Bonhams Scottsdale.
90 Linkage 017 ARIZONA AUCTION WEEK Two generations of Ford GT, on display and on sale at RM Sotheby’s at the Arizona Biltmore. FJs, Countaches and Amphicars: A wide array at RM Sotheby’s in Arizona.
Linkage 017 91 Not all reds are created equal — a Cadillac and Ferrari headliner share some space at Worldwide Auctioneers. Italians welcome the bidders outside Worldwide’s main auction tent.
92 Linkage 017 MARKET FOCUS Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder sold for $17,875,000 at Mecum Kissimmee
Linkage 017 93 THERE’S NO CONVERSATION about the top levels of the global car market that doesn’t include — or indeed focus on — the icons of Italy. Apart from a few silver Mercedes-Benz racers from the dominant 1950s team era, red panels generally lead the ranks in the auction world. The current list of top ten all-time high auction prices includes eight Ferraris. But that’s Ferrari for you: A mix of technological achievement, soulful design and the drive to win. There’s drama in that Italian metal — triumph and defeat weighing on every fastener, every stitch and every decision made in the name of an edge. The passion that drove Enzo’s dream of victory still lives in the cars well beyond the golden era of the characters who worked together to build them, and buyers have placed modern values accordingly. New records This tradition continued at the start of 2024 with Mecum’s record-breaking Kissimmee auction. For the third year straight, this January kickoff set a new sales record for any single auction event — this year topping out at $275m once automobilia and cars were all factored in. Over 4,200 cars crossed Mecum’s block over the course of the 13-day event, including unique Ferraris, rare Corvettes, Hemi-powered Mopars and even a street-spec New Traditions In 2024, it’s about volume and blue-chip cars by JIM PICKERING including a 1956 MercedesBenz 300SL Gullwing that set a new auction record for the model at $3,410,000. Beyond that headline, new tradition continued on. As we’ve seen here over the last few years — specifically in the post-COVID era — modded collector cars were a big draw for buyers in the desert as well. That shift continues to confuse collector car traditionalists who are much more comfortable in a market defined by the commoditization of cars dressed in perfect restoration. Still, it’s hard to discount the impact of a $200k-plus customized American truck when that same lightning strikes over and over again — and here, it did. This may be a far cry from headline-leading Rosso Corsa records, but it’s all the same market, and there’s a certain degree of technological achievement and soulful design driving an edge here, too. Tastes may vary, but passion trickles down. A new shift This issue is a special one, as it presents a new style of auction feature that Executive Editor Chester Allen and I have been talking about for quite some time. Truth is, we talk about improving Linkage every day. The question has always been this: How does one present a look at the auction world, and the market that it speaks to, in the broadest sense using the space and resources available? How can we hit the highlights of a window of time in a way that makes our readership more informed? Well, we chose to get back to our roots — kicking tires and talking cars. In this issue, I had Linkage contributor Chad Taylor build a feature on all of the Arizona auctions together in one report, with the goal being a presentation of cars that each demonstrate something tangible and useful about the market in the opening months of 2024. You’ll see coverage from a number of this year’s Arizona auction houses grouped together into one feature. They’re presented in the same way that you or I would cover them when talking cars at an event: A conversation driven by the cars and by the results that touches on a wide range of makes, models and locations. In this sense, we can be everywhere — and give deeper insight into a wider range of cars than before. As such, you’ll see more about what was up in Arizona — and what wasn’t — in the pages that follow. GT40. Topping them all was the final Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, which sold for $17,875,000 and set the record for the most expensive car sold at any of the January auctions in 2024 — from Kissimmee to Scottsdale. All this is quite the achievement in the collector car space, particularly for a company that has its roots firmly in the muscle car segment. But these records — and these high-profile lots — aren’t a fluke. Mecum has carefully crafted its aesthetic and its reach through years of effort. The company has ground out its space through a high volume of events with consistent presentation and a track record of strong results. Dramatic Italian metal aside, it’s still a volume game when over 4,000 cars are in play. Most of the sold prices making up the new overall auction record were under $100k each, which says something about the strength of the market — or at least the number of sellers willing to take their cars to auction right now. The volume continued a few weeks later in Arizona, particularly with regard to Barrett-Jackson. The longstanding auction juggernaut had its best Scottsdale auction ever in terms of sales this year, with $207.6m generated from all the lots offered at WestWorld. Cars alone accounted for $200.9m, Barrett-Jackson sold this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing for $3,410,000 — a new auction record for the model
94 Linkage 017 THIS SEASON’S CHURN APRIL MECUM/Houston April 4-6 Houston, TX MANOR PARK CLASSICS/The April Auction April 6 Cheshire, UK ANGLIA CAR AUCTIONS April 7 King’s Lynn, UK ICONIC AUCTIONEERS/The Shuttleworth Spring Motorcycle Sale April 7 Beds, UK BARONS/April Classic April 13 Southampton, UK BONHAMS CARS/Goodwood Members’ Meeting April 14 Chichester, UK BARRETT-JACKSON/Palm Beach April 18-20 Palm Beach, FL CARLISLE AUCTIONS/Spring Carlisle April 18-19 Carlisle, PA VICARI AUCTION/Biloxi Spring April 19-20 Biloxi, MS BONHAMS/The International Classic Motorcycle Show April 20-21 Stafford, UK OSENAT/Automobiles de Collection April 22 Paris, FRA H&H CLASSICS/Pavilion Gardens April 24 Buxton, UK GAA CLASSIC CARS April 25-27 Greensboro, NC WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS/The Enthusiast Auction April 26-27 Auburn, IN MAY BRIGHTWELLS/Classic Cars May 8 Leominster, UK ARTCURIAL/The W Collection May 9 Monaco, MCO BONHAMS CARS/Les Grandes Marques à Monaco May 10 Villa la Vigie, MCO MECUM/Indy May 10-18 Indianapolis, IN BARONS/The May Classic May 11 Southampton, UK HISTORICS/Farnborough International May 11 Farnborough, UK RM SOTHEBY’S/Monaco May 11 Monte Carlo, MCO BRIGHTWELLS/The Online Garage May 13 Online (UK) ICONIC AUCTIONEERS/Supercar Fest Sale May 18 Northampton, UK MANOR PARK CLASSICS/The May Auction May 25 Cheshire, UK RM SOTHEBY’S/Dare to Dream May 31-June 1 Toronto, CAN FOR THE MOST up-to-date information on sales, dates and auction information, go to www.linkagemag.com. On to Monaco The Automobile Club de Monaco hosts its Grand Prix de Monaco Historique in May — a racing event filled with eight classes of historic Grand Prix and Formula One machines on the principality’s racing circuit. But of course, the May 10-12 weekend in Monaco won’t just be about racing. Artcurial will be presenting The W Collection on May 9 — a collection of 55 rare no-reserve cars from a Swedish collector estimated to be worth a total of €35m. Among them are Enzo-era Ferraris such as a 250 GT California Spider and 250 GT SWB, as well as Porsche 911s and 356s, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings and more. Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques à Monaco event runs on May 10 at Villa La Vigie. This event in the past has seen strong sales on Bugatti Type 35s and Porsche 959s. A complete consignment list has yet to be announced for 2024, but one early lot is a Stanguellini Formula Junior. RM Sotheby’s biannual Monaco event is at Grimaldi Forum on May 11. Early consignments here include a 1988 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV, a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 project and a 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce. Watch Linkagemag.com for updates on all these sales as consignments are announced. Spring in Indy Mecum’s Indy sale — the 37th annual event — returns to the Indiana State Fairgrounds on May 10. Sales at Indy have topped $100m for the past two years — this is the event that presented the $1m Black Ghost ’70 Hemi Challenger RT/SE in 2023, as well as the $2.2m ’Cuda 440 Rapid Transit car, among 2,207 other lots. The company is anticipating 3,000 lots to be offered at this year’s 8-day event, and you can bet that blue-chip American muscle will be well represented. 1988 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV by Bertone Tom Davis ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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96 Linkage 017 AUCTION SNAPSHOT ARIZONA 2024 BARRETT-JACKSON Scottsdale 2024 January 20-28, 2024 Total: 3,196/3,196 lots sold | $207.6m BONHAMS|CARS The Scottsdale Auction January 25, 2024 Total: 69/86 lots sold | $11,893,984 RM SOTHEBY’S Arizona January 25, 2024 Total: 66/84 lots sold | $22,937,660 WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS Scottsdale Auction January 26, 2024 Total: 66/100 lots sold | $5,572,240 AFTER A SMALLER overall event last year with fewer auctions on-site, Arizona Auction Week saw a resurgence for 2024 — with Worldwide Auctioneers rejoining the lineup. Much like last year, good cars were plentiful and a large, hungry crowd swarmed the desert in an effort to take one home. Bidders were so exuberant that Barrett-Jackson managed to finish its auction at WestWorld with a new sales record of $207.6m — the most in its history. There were plenty of million-plus-dollar cars to top Barrett-Jackson’s list of results, but the company’s bread and butter once again were cars ranging from $100k to $200k. Custom vehicles from Arizona 2024 The market continues to be hot — but is cooling on the horizon? by CHAD TAYLOR Corvettes and muscle cars to trucks and SUVs dominated that segment. Several custom pickups and utility vehicles even traded hands for over $300k, which is a clear statement that enthusiasm for modified vehicles remains boiling hot. Conversely, the outcomes at Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s were significantly down from the $26.4m and $44.8m achieved in 2023. After sitting out last year, Worldwide Auctioneers’ 2024 total was also down from its last sale held in 2022. In studying the auction results, two factors stand out — and both are key for the bottom lines of these curated auctions. First was the lack of ultrahigh-end headliners going into Auction Week. Where were the two or three $7m to $10m offerings? It takes just one successful transaction of a car at that level to take an auction house’s sales total from good to great. The other was the number of blue-chip and other $1m-$3m vehicles that finished as no-sales. Multiple tried-and-true vintage Ferraris had to be shipped back to their owners’ homes, as did some evergreen MercedesBenz 300SLs. Both are signs that the top of the market may be starting to shift. This could end up being a very telling year of things to come, so hang on for the ride and we’ll see what the Florida auctions bring in March.
Linkage 017 97 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra The First 289 RM Sotheby’s Arizona Lot 153, #2- condition S/N: CSX2044 Sold price: $1,215,000 THE BASICS: The first Cobra fitted with a 289-ci Ford V8 from new. Original Ford powerplant remains, backed by a 4-speed manual. Odometer reads 27,300 miles at cataloging. The exterior has been treated to one repaint in its original white while the red interior is original from 1963. Red carpet is a bit faded and worn in spots but remains intact. Red leather seats are rougher, with large holes worn through in places. TAYLOR SAYS: CSX2044’s first owner was computer scientist Dr. Harrison “Hap” Horn, who was involved in the development of the original Macintosh computer. It was a well-optioned Cobra with a custom chrome “roll-over bar,” left and right-side mirrors with “anti-dazzle” interior mirror, sun visors, side wings, heater and grille guards fore and aft. The only modifications made by the safety conscious doctor during his 30-plus years of ownership was the fitment of larger tail lights from a contemporary pickup and some reflective red tape at the rear end. Dr. Horn drove his car more than 23,000 miles over the next six years. In 1969, the muffler was knocked loose. Horn never repaired the car — it remained in his garage for some 30 years. Circa 2001, he sold the Cobra to Lynn Park. The car was purchased by the consignor in Arizona in 2013 and has only been driven 200 miles in the past decade. The auction catalog gave much attention to CSX 2044 being the first car fitted with a 289 engine from day one. The only other 289 example at the time was a ’62 260 Cobra show car — CSX2025 — that was converted to a 289. Given the highlighting of this fact I can’t help but think both auction house and consignor were hoping it would provide a bit more of price boost than it did. At $1,215,000, the sum is only $100k above the current average. In contrast, RM Sotheby’s sold a late-production 289 Cobra at its 2023 Amelia Island sale for $1,655,000 — a price that seems equally fitting for the first-of-itskind CSX2044. While still a wonderful car, the sale of Dr. Harrison’s Cobra is further proof that it takes an exceptionally special Cobra to make a splash amongst the knowledgeable group of Shelby buyers. 1970 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Spyder Open-air Modena Monument Bonhams|Cars Scottsdale Lot 46, #2+ condition S/N: AM115/S/1185 Sold price: $596,250 THE BASICS: Matching-numbers 4.7-L V8 engine coupled to a 5-speed manual. U.S. spec Ghibli originally delivered in Argento Auteuil — metallic silver — over black leather, it now sparkles with a light metallic blue finish with a black interior. Delivered new to Foreign Car City, Inc. of West Nyack, NY. Subsequent history unknown until the early 2000s, when it had owners in Washington and Arizona. Odometer reads 33,976 miles. Car is accompanied by its original color-matching hardtop, a spare set of original Borrani wire wheels, Maserati Classiche certificates of origin, original Karissa Hosek ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s Courtesy of Bonhams Cars
98 Linkage 017 AUCTION SNAPSHOT ARIZONA 2024 books and manual, a spare Becker stereo and jack bag. TAYLOR SAYS: Short of being one of the 46 ultra-rare 4.9 SS Spyders, Bonhams’ blue beauty had a lot going for it. It was still rare, as one of 82 4.7 Spyders produced. Chassis 1185 also had a 5-speed gearbox and many desirable accessories and spares. Its condition was also quite impressive, with perfect paint and brightwork over taut black leather seats and a clean dash. The biggest pause bidders would have had was the lack of known history from the Ghibli’s first several decades on the road. Short of a believed initial restoration sometime in the 1990s — when it was repainted red — the catalog was unable to provide any info prior to the new millennium. Still, at just under $600k, the final price was not unwarranted. Several 4.7L Ghibli Spyders did sell near to $700k and above in late 2021 and 2022 — peaking with the $995k price paid for a prototype Ghibli Spyder at RM Sotheby’s 2022 Monterey sale. $600k may seem low in comparison, but it is consistent with sales that took place in 2021 and before. Given the subject’s lack of known history, the sum seems fair. 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring The Lone Lexus That Could Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Lot 1380, #1 condition S/N: JTHHX8BH7C1000347 Sold price: $1,650,000 THE BASICS: 4.8-L naturally aspirated V10 attached to a 6-speed singleclutch automated sequential gearbox. This is car number 349 of a total of 500 LFAs built and one of 64 worldwide to be equipped with the Nürburgring Package — 25 Nürburgring cars were shipped to the U.S. Orange over a black Alcantara and carbon fiber-clad interior. Odometer shows just 2,100 miles. Go-fast improvements for the Nürburgring cars include more downforce via a larger front splitter, a taller fixed rear spoiler and small side fins — all of which are carbon fiber. Other features include stickier tires, quicker shifts and ten extra horsepower for a total of 562. Top speed is 202 mph. TAYLOR SAYS: Upon release, the LFA felt like a flash in the pan. It garnered plenty of media coverage and had car lovers around the world talking, but that fervor seemed to dissipate quickly. Lexus lacked a history of building supercars and buyers were leery of the spendy product. But it didn’t stay that way. Perhaps due to the increased popularity of other collectable Japanese cars, the LFA hit the collector market hard and fast. Prices have been on the upswing ever since, Nürburgring guise or not. While the Nürburgring cars don’t look all that different on paper, they can easily be considered to be in their own market. The current average price of a base LFA stands at $770k, while the average for an N-ring car is $1.6m. At $1.65m, the Barrett-Jackson example falls right in line with three of four Nürburgring cars sold. The fourth brought a touch more at $1,875,000 during RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas auction in November 2023. It is also worth noting that the first base LFA to break $1m just sold last year at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. That car sold for $1,105,000. For now, the transaction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale was a fair deal, but the potential for further growth in LFA prices is very real. It might look to be a better deal for the new owner mere months down the road. 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible A Perpetual Fin-tastic Icon Worldwide Auctioneers Scottsdale Lot 63, #2+ condition S/N: 59E042209 Sold price: $207,200 THE BASICS: Q-code 390-ci V8 with three two-barrel Rochester carbs, Hydra-Matic transmission. Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
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100 Linkage 017 AUCTION SNAPSHOT ARIZONA 2024 Red with a white soft-top over a white leather interior, Worldwide’s catalog states it benefits from an older, high-quality restoration, but it does not list a date for the work. Other than light surface scratches on brightwork, the exterior remains excellent. Restored engine bay and trunk remain clean and eraappropriate. Interior is equally nice other than slight wear and dirt on white leather and a few spots on the red carpet. Top said to have a small vinyl repair. Air suspension has been replaced with a coil-over setup. TAYLOR SAYS: The ’59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible has an elegant yet audacious presence that few other cars can equal. It is far from common, with just 1,320 examples produced in 1959. Both statements explain why the model continues to attract a stream of fans and potential future buyers. While not a perfect example with some slight wear on a restoration of unknown date, the auction catalog also hints at a non-original engine — calling it a period-correct 1959 block. It also mentions the use of some standard Series 62 pieces used during said resto. Despite these demerits, Worldwide sold the car for a healthy $207,200. About a dozen other examples have shown up at major auctions over the last couple of years, with the average price during much of that period sitting near $230k. At last year’s Arizona auction, RM Sotheby’s sold a Hampton Green convertible in similar condition for $224k. And though it ended up a no-sale, an example at Mecum’s 2024 Kissimmee sale reached a high bid of $200k — just short of the Worldwide car. The Mecum Caddy appeared a bit more tired than the red Eldorado and was sporting love-it-or-hate-it Persian Sand paint. This car was less expensive but equal in condition to that of the green car at RM Sotheby’s, and it was in better shape than the Persian Sand convertible while costing just a couple grand more. I think this car represents a slight deal for the new owner. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ coupe Record Breaker Breaks into the Top Spot Bonhams|Cars Scottsdale Lot 42S, #1+ condition S/N: VF9SW3V32NM795009 Sold price: $5,175,000 THE BASICS: One of 30 Super Sport 300+ Chirons. Quad-turbocharged 8.0-L W16 engine produces 1,578 hp with peak torque of 1,180 ft-lb reached at a tame 2,250 rpms. Power runs to all four wheels through a beefed up 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The exposed carbon fiber exterior is given a bit of contrast with two orange stripes. The colors carry in to the interior, where black leather and Alcantara abound with orange stitching. Odometer lists 256 miles at time of cataloging. Bonhams states 250 of those miles were added during pre-delivery testing. Bugatti set a production car record in a Chiron Super Sport back in 2019 with a top speed of 304.777 mph. TAYLOR SAYS: Bonhams wrapped this year’s Arizona Auction Week having sold the most expensive car with the Chiron Super Sport 300+. It was not unexpected to find the limited edition Chiron among the top sales, but it highlights a few things about this year’s overall results. First, this year’s Arizona spectacle seemed to be lacking the few ultra-expensive, once-ina-lifetime lots. Cars that surpass the blue-chip regulars and are only a fathomable purchase for billionaire collectors — cars such as a one-of-two ‘60s Ferrari race car or an extravagant Art Deco French masterpiece. While such cars are not necessary for a successful auction, they tend to attract eyeballs, and should one sell, the hefty sum boosts an auction house’s bottom line. Second was the number of blue-chip cars that hammered as no-sales. Top-tier cars that are always in demand with one or two available at most high-end auctions around the globe. Models like the 300SL and Ferrari 250 GT coupes and cabriolets. Multiple examples of both did not find new owners. Furthermore, the Bugatti sold by Bonhams was the top sale of the week by a wide margin. The second-place car was more than $1.7m less — the $3.4m 300SL Gullwing sold over at Barrett-Jackson. This is all important to note, as any change at the top levels of the market can sometimes be the first hint of a changing tide. Granted, this could turn out be an outlier at the beginning of a new year, but both factors seem odd for one of the biggest auction weeks of the year. Market health aside, all parties in the $5.2m Chiron Super Sport 300+ transaction did fine. Bonhams successfully sold a big dollar vehicle and the seller left having sold their car at a record price for a Chiron Super Sport. The buyer wins having taken home the World’s fastest hypercar and the last petrol-powered Bugatti without any electric assist. Courtesy of Bonhams Cars