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Muscle cars steal spotlight at Mecum Auctions

Classic American muscle cars are some of the most sought after vehicles in the world, especially in places like the US, Europe and the Middle East. Many of these cars change hands for exorbitant sums of money.

This was especially true at the recent Mecum Auctions in Harrisburg, USA where 858 vehicles passed through the auction floor at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. The event achieved a total of $20 million(RM86 million) in overall sales.

There were a huge selection of cars that were up for auction, but the muscle cars were the ones that stole the spotlight. Seven out of the ten most expensive cars at the auction were that from the muscle car era. That’s because, these cars were from a time that is considered the golden era of American design and ingenuity.

A 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird was auction off for a cool $415,000 (RM1,779,935), which is a lot higher than many of the other vehicles there including a 1991 Ferari Testarossa. It was a multi-award winning car that is considered a major collector’s item.

Having said that, here is the list of the top ten cars that sold for the most money at the Harrisburg 2017 Auction:

1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird at $415,000 (RM1,779,935)
1969 Dodge Daytona at $215,000 (RM922,135)
2012 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake at $178,000 (RM763,442)
1971 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T at $165,000 (RM707,685)
1968 Shelby GT500KR Fastback at $162,500 (RM696,963)
1970 Plymouth Superbird at $160,000 (RM686,240)
1969 Dodge Hemi Super Bee at $140,000 (RM600,460)
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 at $140,000 (RM600.460)
1991 Ferrari Testarossa at $130,000 (RM557,570)
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe at $127,500 (RM546,848)

Despite these insane numbers, similar cars have sold for much more at other auctions. Some muscle cars like the original Ford Shelby GT500 have been sold for nearly two or three times the price of the Hemi Superbird in the aforementioned list.

Only street legal BMW M1 Procar to be put on display

The Thermal Club has announced that it will display the only street-legal BMW M1 Procar in existence for viewing at the 26th Annual McCall’s Motorworks Revival. Taking the experience a step further, it is also offering a virtual reality track experience during the same period, giving visitors a glimpse into what the car’s like on the track.

In case you hadn’t heard, the Thermal Club is a premier private motorsports country club that offers exceptional driving experience programmes to its exclusive membership. It operates on a 344 acre facility in the California desert.

It’s home to luxurious villas, three different tracks, a club house, fuel station as well as a tuning shop for repair and maintenance. Basically, its a motorsports enthusiast’s dream getaway. and if you would like to know more, click on the following link: The Thermal Club

Guests of the Motorworks Revival event will get to experience an immersive 360-degree virtual reality ride-along offering a lap around two of the club’s Alan Wilson-designed tracks. Apart from that, they will also get a virtual tour of the race shop, driver lounge, clubhouse, restaurant and a track-side villa.

“We look forward to bringing a piece of racing history and a state-of-the-art virtual tour of our club to this exclusive event,” said The Thermal Club Founder Tim Rogers. “Enthusiasts from around the globe head to Monterey Car Week to celebrate automotive history and enjoy the incredible amenities around the Peninsula.”

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BMW produced a total of 40 of these M1 Procars, which competed in a championship support series during the 1979 and 1980 Formula One seasons. The 1979 car that is on display was restored by Bruce Canepa, a renowned racing driver.

The event is said to also feature an amazing display of rare cars, coveted racers, private jets, vintage airplanes, live music and fine cuisine. The Motorworks Revival proceeds benefit the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation.

VW Bus convoy party at Hannover

Fans of the VW Bus vehicles joined in on an open-air party on the grounds of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Hannover plant. A convoy of around 350 vehicles from all six generations of the platform traveled from Wolfsburg to Hannover, where the current T-series is being made.

The event was the final highlight of the four-day VW Bus Summer Festival in Wolfsburg’s Allerpark, of which Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles was the main sponsor. Members of the Board of Management and Works Council, Hannover Mayor Stefan Schostok, Hannover 96 Football Club President Martin Kind and a number of celebrities took part in the parade.

The convoy’s trip is symbolic of the 1956 relocation of T-series production to Hannover, the state capital of Lower Saxony, where the Transporter has been manufactured since. Though the idea of celebrating the relocation of a van plant may seem peculiar to some, many VW Bus fans consider it as important as a major religious holiday.

Dr Eckhard Scholz, Chief Executive Officer of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand, led the convoy from start to finish. He drove his own cumulus white, 1965 T1 with a near 44bhp engine for the journey. He then had a meet and greet sessions with fans at the Stöcken factory in Hannover.

Speaking of the event, Dr. Scholz, said, “It was a fantastic experience to drive to the Hannover production site with so many proud VW Bus owners in order to celebrate the conclusion of the VW Bus Summer Festival here with even more fans. Our VW Buses are more than just a means of getting from A to B.”

He then added, “They are part of a wonderful lifestyle feeling that constantly travels with you – and has done so across every vehicle generation. This easy-going lifestyle feeling could also be felt throughout the entire festival. It was simply lovely.”

During the event, many VW Bus enthusiasts had the opportunity to look at a number of T-series collector’s vehicles and reminisce about the good ‘ol days and their own past experiences. It is said that each Bus is rich in history, and that cannot be replicated or relived with another. It has offered generations, the freedom to travel where and whenever they desired.

Rare Pininfarina designed Jaguar XK120 SE to be revealed

A team of 13 skilled restorers from Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in the UK, have spent the last two years working on a high-profile project. Its the restoration of a Pininfarina bodied XK120 SE, which is the only one of its kind.

The car was unveiled at the 1955 Geneva Motor Show and was delivered to Max Hoffman. Hoffman was an Austrian-born, New York-based importer of luxury European automobiles into the United States during the 1950s.

An avid fan of everything automotive, it has been said that he has inspired the production of special vehicles from their respective manufacturers. They were ‘refined’ versions of the ones you could buy off the showroom floors. This earned him a spot in the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2003.

The XK 120 is a special car in its own right, but one that has had Pininfarina involvement is considered far more desirable. CMC purchased the car from A German owner and brought it to the USA in 1978. The owner purchased the vehicle with the intention of restoring it, however that never happened.

CMC has decided to continue where he left off, and its employees have spent thousands of hours carrying out a full nut and bolt restoration. The car will be unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours on August 20th, which will be the first time anyone outside CMC will be able to see it after its full restoration.

“We always said that we would unveil the car for the first time at Pebble Beach and that is exactly what we are going to do,” said Peter Neumark, Chairman of the Employee Ownership Trust.

He later added, “I will have the privilege of taking the cover off the car at the world famous Concours d’Elegance in California and I think that car collectors and aficionados from around the world are going to be astounded by what they see.”

Images of the complete car will only be revealed after the aforementioned date. As soon as they are out, we will try to get them up on the site.

Honda Civic and NSX shortlisted for Build Magazine awards

Honda’s Civic and NSX have been shortlisted for this year’s 42nd Golden Steering Wheel awards. It’s ana awards ceremony that is organised by Germany’s Build magazine that recognizes the best new cars of the year.

The vehicles that progress beyond the shortlisted stage are chosen based on public votes but the finalists are judged by a panel of European experts to determine the winner of each category and overall winner. This year, there are a total of 40 contenders for the general public to choose from and vote for their favourite.

This 2017 awards will see the Civic and NSX being shortlisted for the Small Car and Sports Car category respectively. Already an award winner globally, the 2017 Civic has bagged the Canadian Car of the Year Awards, and won Kelley Blue Book’s coveted Best Buy of the Year award.

It’s performance oriented brethren, the Type-R, has also laid claim to What Car? magazine’s Most Anticipated Car Launch of the year and Auto Express’s Best Hot Hatch of the Year awards.

Not to be outdone by its family oriented sibling, the NSX has picked up multiple awards too, including the 2017 International Engine of the Year New Engine of the Year, Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year, and Business Insider’s Overall Car of the Year.

David Hodgetts, managing director of Honda UK, said, “The two contenders have already made a big impact in their relative sectors by winning multiple awards, a win for Honda would be a fantastic achievement at the Golden Steering Awards.”

Honda has outdone itself this past few years with the introduction of some of the most advanced Japanese cars we have ever seen. The NSX, may not be the fastest car in the world, but it is loaded with technology that will shame more expensive European sports cars.

Clarkson admitted in hospital for pneumonia

Jeremy Clarkson may not be in the best of health according to his latest post on Instagram. The former Top Gear presenter recently posted a picture of his right arm with hospital tags clearly visible along with the a drip needle in his forearm.

Apparently, Clarkson was admitted to a hospital while on vacation in Mallorca, Spain due to Pneumonia. In his Instagram post, Clarkson said, ” Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday”.

He later added that it would be awhile before he sees any further action, hinting at the possibility that a great deal of rest and recuperation was needed for him to make a full recovery.

Clarkson is the second casualty of the trio that is responsible for the world renowned automotive show, The Grand Tour. Several months prior, Richard Hammond lost control of a Rimac Concept car that led to a horrific crash. Hammond was taken to hospital where extensive surgery was required to correct the injury to his left leg.

It seems for the moment, that both presenters will need considerable amount of time off while they recuperate. Though Hammond is considerably younger than Clarkson, the injury that he suffered, isn’t an easy fix.

As such, both incidents have caused a major blow to the current filming and should set back the release date of the new season even further. Only one of the infamous trio has managed to stay clear of any problems, and that’s James May.

After checking into a hospital, Clarkson, in good humour, posted a picture of May on his Instagram page with a quip, “The only functioning member of the Grand Tour team right now. God help us”

Jokes aside, we wish both Hammond and Clarkson a speedy recovery and hope they are able to get back on the saddle in no time. We also hope that they continue to produce even more over-the-top episodes of The Grand Tour.