Calendar: Automotive Almanac June 2008
06/01/2008
May 18: RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, will host the second Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction in Maranello, Italy. Estimated to reach values of $4 million to $6 million, a pair of rare Ferrari 250 California Spyders will headline the event. Also to hit the block is a selection of memorabilia from Jacques Swaters, the renowned ex-Ferrari team manager and importer. A 1980 Ferrari "Pinin" prototype—the only four-door Ferrari ever built—is the crown jewel of Swaters’s Ferrari Francorchamps collection. www.rmauctions.comJune 1: The third annual Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance will showcase more than 300 classic, vintage, antique, and exotic cars at the Rose Bowl and Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. Be there by 6:00 a.m. to watch the cars as they arrive. Tickets are $30. www.laconcours.com
June 14: The late Joe MacPherson, a car-dealer industry pioneer, was also a passionate car collector who kept his automotive treasures in a private museum called Joe’s Garage. RM Auctions will put 50 vintage performance cars and 25 motorcycles on the bidding block in Tustin, Calif., without reserve. Among other items will be the record-holding 1954 Chrisman Ford Bonneville Coupe, a 1966 Gurney Eagle Indy Car, a 1992 Chevrolet racecar formerly owned by the late Dale Earnhardt, and the supercharged 1923 Miller 122—a "Best in Class" winner at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. www.rmauctions.com
June 15: Celebrate Father’s Day by taking a stroll through California’s most famed shopping district at the annual Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, featuring more than 100 automobiles. This year’s theme, "Haute Wheels: Celebrating Car Couture," pays homage to the origins of the French term "Concours d’Elegance," which literally means "Parade of Elegance"—an annual Parisian event where high fashion shared the runway with custom coachwork. Admission is free. www.rodeodrive-bh.com
June 20–23: Billed as the largest three-day Italian motoring event in North America, Le Belle Macchine d’Italia will celebrate its 22nd year in the Poconos. Participants meet at the Skytop Lodge in Skytop, Pa., for the Concorso d’Eleganza, and the driving event takes place at Pocono International Raceway. www.italiancarsatpocono.com
June 22: Alfa Romeo and the Chevrolet Corvette will be honored at the 42nd annual Palo Alto Concours d’Elegance. All restored classics will be on display at the Stanford University athletic fields from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for judging. Tickets are $25 each. www.paconcours.com
June 27–29: Art Astor, a California native and 50-year broadcasting veteran, will auction more than 250 cars from his private collection, which includes a 1940 Cadillac Series 75 Formal sedan that was built for industrialist Howard Hughes. The three-day event will be held at the Astor Classics Museum in Anaheim, Calif. www.rmauctions.com
July 11–13: A diverse celebration of historical motorsports and current car culture, the Goodwood Festival of Speed features everything from 19th century steam carriages to today’s Formula One cars. However, the premier attraction is the hillclimb competition, taking place all weekend at a 1.16-mile course on the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, England. Participation is by invitation from Lord March only, owner of Goodwood House. Grandstand tickets are £99 ($195) to £174 ($343). www.goodwood.co.uk