6th Annual Gerhard Schnuerer Toys for Tots Drive

In true holiday fashion, I attended the 6th Annual Toys for Tots Drive hosted by Rosemarie and Gerhard Schnuerer in Huntington Beach. This annual event benefits Toys for Tots & Cancer Research. The entrance fee is an unwrapped toy valued at $20 or a $20 cash donation. The event displays Gerhard's outstanding collection of new and classic Mercedes Benz, motorcycles and WWII military vehicles.

More than 500 car enthusiast enjoyed a homemade German feast of bratwurst and goulash served from a WWII-Style in a Gulaschkanone Military Field Kitchen. After lunch the 2010 SLS AMG Gullwing drove through the parking lot straight from the LA Auto Show. This car is amazing, check it out in my pictures below. (http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2009/09/mercedes-benz-sls-amg-gullwing-in.html)

General William Lyon's Car Collection

Last month I had the opportunity to attend an event for Congressman John Campbell http://campbell.house.gov/ at General William Lyon's Car Collection. I have never seen so many absolutely amazing vehicles under one roof! See the pictures below of The General's one of a kind collection.

Me, Billy Lyon, General William Lyon, Adam Martin

The only 1939 Mercedes Benz 770k Gabriel in the world. The largest Mercedes Benz ever made.

The Packards

The first Bugatti ever made. This room is simply breathe taking!

The famous 1935 Duesenberg J Gurney Nutting Speedster. This was built for Maharaja of Indore in London.

A Ford concept car. It was made with copper instead of chrome. I actually really like it but I am sure it is near impossible to clean!

The last Bugatti ever made! This is my favorite car in the collection.

2009 Raleigh Classic Car Auctions

The 2009 Raleigh Classic Car Auction (www.raleighclassic.com) arrives in the Raleigh area twice a year, and gathers a wide selection of vintage cars! Over 300 high quality classic were on display at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in a comfortable temperature controlled facility.

The highly energetic atmosphere started with a preview party followed be the two day collector car auction. Classics included a 1942 Plymouth Special Deluxe Convertible, 1936 Ford Roadster Convertible, a gorgeous 1940 Ford Panel Delivery and a rare final year 1958 Packard Hawk.

Click on the video to view this remarkable 1959 Chrysler Imperial 4 door with only 62,000 miles! This classic is equipped with dual air conditioning, power seats, swivel front seats and remote mirror!

Take a look at this 1951 Packard Mayfair! This particular classic had a factory price of $3,293.00. Look at the pelican hood ornament, and classic white wall tires. Gorgeous classic!

The 2010 Raleigh Classic Car Auction will be held May 14th & 15th! This is a great event with a wide selection of classic! The opportunity to add to your collector or purchase your "dream" classic is during the Raleigh Classic! Click on www.raleighclassic.com for additional information on bidder information.

See you at the next show!

It's a bird! It's a plane!.......No, it really is a plane!!

What a great place to have a club meeting! The Indy Hi-Winders car club, founded in 1962, hosted their monthly meeting at Signature Flight Support for December. The Hi-Winders are a very active group in Indianapolis and extremely passionate about the collector car hobby. Check out their website for more information: http://indyhiwinders.com/index_home.html December's meeting gave enthusiasts a chance to see some vintage airplanes. We toured the famous Tom Woods collection. Below are some photos and some random notes I took on the planes. I apologize if some of the information is inaccurate.


Sorry for the bad picture, it was freezing outside and I wasn't about to get out of the car. This is the sign for 'Signature Flight Support'.

An overview of the airport hanger

Above is a 1944 Grumin Bearcat. It's 1 of 16 still flying. It can reach about 435mph top speed.

This is a North American F86 Sabor from 1952. It has a 'hot seat'. This particular plane burns about 500 gallons of fuel per hour and reaches top speeds of 600-625 mph.

I was able to sit in the cockpit of this plane. One thing for sure, you were in the wrong profession if you were tall and wanted to fly planes!

This is a B51 Mustang built by North American in 1944. The gentleman climing out of there use to fly these back in the day! The owner paid $25k for this in 1965 and today it's worth around $1.6 million. It has a 1650 cubic inch engine and pumps out an outstanding 1400 horsepower! There were about 15,000 built and today there are around 280 left, 150 of which are still flying.

Hello Mr. President! This plane is a Cesna Citation XL. It was bought new in 2000 for about $9 million. Let me repeat that.......$9,000,000!!! Today, it might bring $5,000,000 on the open market.

This is a North American built AT6 Tech Advanced Trainer (that may be wrong, I can't read my scribbled notes). Anyways, it has a 1,340 cubic inch engine and travels at about 155-160 mph powering out 600 horsepower.

A Beachcraft Bananza. It went new for $180-$225k.

This is a 1996 Experimental Home Kit with a Continental engine. It was used in a race a while back and averaged 342 mph. Apparently, it's difficult to get insured because people keep crashing them.

Happy Holidays!

With the Holiday season in full swing, it's time we think about giving back. Consider helping someone this Holiday season, whether it be a complete stranger, family, or friends. We're on this planet for a greater good other than ourselves, we're here to make the world a better place! One company that is doing their part is GodSpeed Rides in Brownsburg, IN. Each year, they host a Blanket Run, where car enthusiasts can gather and donate a blanket to help the homeless. This is their 7th Annual Blanket Run! It's going to be from 8:00-5:00pm on Saturday, December 5th, 2009. Here's some more information about GodSpeed and their event:

Help the homeless stay warm. Donate a blanket and tour some of Indy's hidden treasures. Free lunch served by the Cluster Buster's.

GodSpeed Rides
55B Mardale Drive
Brownsburg, IN 46112

317.858.1782

Thom@godspeedrides.com

You can also follow them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/GodSpeed-Rides/168358908777 or check out their website at: http://www.godspeedrides.com/

The Hunter and the Hunted

I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Hunter and the Hunted - by McKeel Hagerty


"This photo was taken last week in a farmer's field in South Dakota. The truck is an International and it won't be moving under its own power ever again. The hunter is a guy who seems to shoot with his eyes completely closed…but that is another story.

As I reflect on this truck I wonder how many cool old vehicles like this are sinking into the ground in farmer's fields. They are not valuable "barn finds" or hidden gems but rather the detritus of another time, a utility vehicle that lost its utility. This one probably spent its years of use hauling light loads around the fields of Kennebec, SD. It was probably inexpensive, it had no creature comforts and it served its purpose. Maybe it hauled blind shooters like me around on hunts of yesteryear but it never drove in a parade. As I drove around from farmstead to farmstead over a few days, I think I answered my own question; there are tens and likely hundreds of thousands of lost vehicles like this. Evidently, their only use these days is target practice.

It makes me realize that the vehicles we insure are truly an elite group, each with an elevated purpose. Even if a collector car of today was originally a utility vehicle like this International truck or a salesman's sedan or a plain-Jane four-door hard top, it is now a cherished object for someone and it made the cut. There is, after all, a kind of natural selection with the cars we drive. In their days of active use, the first ones are likely lost to traffic accidents or acts of God. The ones that make it a few more years are repaired and maintained and then slowly retired or traded in or scrapped. Only a few are saved from the scrap heaps and fields of South Dakota to be preserved or restored and then elevated to a new use of providing smiles, fueling egos, getting girls, winning races and trophies or just putting in a few scenic miles on a Sunday afternoon. There are likely only single-digit millions of these rare machines left in the entire world and their kind will likely never be made again. We at Hagerty are the trustees of the most cherished vehicles ever built and I, for one, promise never accidentally to shoot one again."

McKeel Hagerty wrote this blog to the employees of Hagerty Insurance on his recent experience. Thank you, for sharing your reflection with other collectors in classic car hobby.