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Historic Moments
2015 Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
4 Why We Collect the
Cars We Collect
Alain de Cadenet (moderator),
Leigh Keno, Leslie Keno, Jay Leno,
Patrick Phinny, Chris Sanger
8 Challenges on the
Road to Preservation
4
Fred Simeone (moderator),
Mark Gessler, Scott Grundfor,
Pater Hageman, Adolfo Orsi
12 Mercury Customs and
the Men who Created Them
Ken Gross (moderator), George Barris,
Pat Ganahl, Bob Larivee, Gene Winfield
16 Pebble Beach
Tour d’Elegance
History in Motion
18 Ian Callum Talks Cars
with Industry Icons
12
Ian Callum (moderator),
Jason Castriota, Tom Gale, Ralph Giles,
Franz von Holzhausen
22 Restoration for
Fabric-Bodied Bentleys
Richard Charlesworth (moderator),
Clare Hay, Graham Moss
26 Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance
Highlights
26
28 The Future of
Luxury Automobiles
Tim McGrane (moderator),
Achim Anscheidt, Louis de Fabribeckers,
Marek Reichman
Dear Reader, Credit Suisse has been a passionate and loyal supporter of
the classic car scene since 2004.
In addition to fostering an exclusive network among passionate
followers of historic motorsport, Credit Suisse is committed to a
wide-ranging Classic Car Program. This includes its own rallies and
sponsorships at leading international historic motorsport events such
as the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique and the Goodwood Revival.
2015 is Credit Suisse’s 6th year sponsoring the Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance and our 2nd year as the Presenting Sponsor
of the Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum. Monterey Car Weekend
guests had a plethora of insightful forums to attend regarding
collecting, preserving, and designing automobiles. Distinguished
panelists included car world luminaries such as Jay Leno,
Ian Callum, Marek Reichman, Leigh Keno, Leslie Keno,
and George Barris.
2015
Pebble Beach
Classic Car Forum
We hope you enjoy this summary of the forum discussions
and highlights during the weekend.
Credit Suisse Classic Car Program
For more information about Credit Suisse’s classic car program,
and to sign up for our newlsetter, please log on to
credit-suisse.com/classiccars
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Why
We Collect
the Cars
We Collect
So if you take for
example a Ferrari Dino
that still has the duct
tape on the steering
wheel infused with
the sweat and salt
of Stirling Moss, and
there’s a dark patch on
the seat where he sat
in that car, you don’t
peel that sweat off –
you don’t remove the
soul of Stirling.
Leigh Keno
It’s August. To anyone who loves classic cars that can
mean only one thing – Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
This event brings together some of the world’s greatest
car collectors and connoisseurs of automotive art – which
begs the question, why do we collect the cars we collect?
From left to right: Chris Sanger, Pat Phinny, Leslie Keno, Leigh Keno, Jay Leno
Credit Suisse has assembled the ultimate
panel to find the elusive answer. This
eclectic group is moderated by Alain
de Cadenet, a British-born race car
aficionado who built his reputation on
creating and driving his own sports car
prototypes, but is equally well known
for racing classic and vintage cars.
Joining Alain is Jay Leno who needs no
introduction other than to say he is “the
hardest working man in show business”
and a passionate car collector. Adding
charm and wit to the panel are twin
brothers Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno
who have appeared on the Antiques
Roadshow for 18 years and have been
car enthusiasts since they were small
children. Also stepping up to the plate is
race car driver Pat Phinny who owns a
prestigious collection of classic American
cars, many of which are exhibited in
his legendary global top 10 automotive
restaurant, Baja Cantina, situated in
Carmel Valley.
Last but not least, Credit Suisse invited
Chris Sanger to this august team. As a
renowned collector and the great-greatgrandson of William C. Durant, founder
of General Motors, Chris is Senior
Specialist of Classic Cars and Motorcycles
at Winston Art Group, the largest
independent art appraisal and advisory
firm in the USA.
With Jay in fine form conversing on his
favorite topic, the audience was treated
to a lively and humorous discussion that
could just as well have been conducted
in the local pub over a pint. By the end it
becomes apparent that different people
collect cars for very different reasons.
Alain When I was told we would be
discussing ‘why we collect the cars
we collect’ I decided to look up the
word ‘collect’ in a child’s dictionary.
It stated that to collect means ‘to
gather in one place, an assemblage’.
Well, each guest here today has
indulged our natural human habit of
gathering things in one place. In this
case – cars. So Jay, let’s start with
you – what makes you collect the
cars you collect?
Jay My cars aren’t really a collection.
I like to have anything that was ahead of
the curve or a noble failure. The overhead
cams of the ‘20s were way before their
time, way better than what was needed
in that era. Take the McLaren F1 – there
were supposed to be 300 made but
production stopped at 64. Why? Too
good for the period. I love the dreamers.
I say drive what you love, but make sure
you like it before you buy it. There was
this Voisin that was $125K and it looked
fabulous. But it was noisy and smoky and
I was chased by villagers as I drove it,
so I passed on it because it was awful
to drive. Buy what you love, if it doesn’t
go up in value then it doesn’t matter –
at least you like it. My collection doesn’t
make any sense because it’s all the cars
I love to drive.
that fell flat and Jay turned quietly to me
and said, “Look Leigh, I’m the funny guy
and you’re the straight guy. Let’s stick
to that!” So I’ll stick to being the straight
guy!
My brother and I grew up with old Jaguar
120’s and 140’s that my dad had and
we held a wrench in our hands before we
held a rattle. We got greasy as babies
because dad was a real car guy. I would
say that you should collect cars that feel
the road. For me it’s all about the senses.
You can feel the vibration of 12 cylinders,
you can hear the symphony of an
engine flat out – it’s indescribable as the
endorphins are rushing through your body.
It’s the touch, the sound, the smell, the
visual, the sculpture of the wheel wells,
the curves, the aerodynamics, like looking
at a beautiful body – it’s a primal thing.
Now Leigh is just going to say “ditto!”
Alain Leslie, what do you collect?
Leslie Well, Jay’s a tough act to follow!
I’ll never forget I was on a show with Jay
one time and I attempted a feeble joke
Leigh Ditto! In the ‘50s and ‘60s they
made beautiful sculptures. Think of Colin
Chapman (founder of Lotus and influential
automotive designer and builder). I’ve
seen a photograph of him strapped to a
Lotus 10 inside a wind tunnel. He had his
head stuck in the wheel well to see if the
suspended strands of wool fluttered.
Jay Ah! The 1950’s. So visceral. The
‘50s bring back memories. I have to ask
myself when I buy a car - am I going
with the memories or reacting to the car
now, today. I don’t think a car has to
be expensive to be collectible. Take the
Corvair, the most European looking car
that America ever built: for $20k you can
buy the best one in the world. It’s a poor
man’s Porsche and I think it’s a collectible
car. I do own one after all! Or take the first
generation Miatas – simple, uncluttered.
It’s not about cars that are worth a
gazillion dollars; it’s about what’s ahead of
the curve and what you enjoy. There are
so many opportunities out there. I had the
option to buy the James Bond 2000GT.
Looked great, but I didn’t fit. My head
was way above the windshield and I could
only get a toe on the gas pedal. I looked
like a great big bear in there!
Alain Pat, you have a collection that
you keep at your restaurant, right?
Pat I do, but just a quick note about the
Miata… I had a Miata, I drove it right across
the desert in 1991 at 70mph. So much fun
– like driving a go-cart! But I sold it!
Yes, I was fortunate enough to find a
wonderful outlet – a restaurant – to allow
people see my collection. Besides, my
wife threatened to have me featured on
the Hoarders TV show because I had the
house filled with motorcycles and cars.
She wasn’t happy. Can’t imagine why.
One of my favorite cars is an old
Duesenberg. Royal blue with white wheels.
Some kids had gotten hold of it and ripped
it apart and put all the pieces in boxes. I
bought it at auction in Monterey and when
I got it home I did some research on it. It
turns out it was a 1915 4 cylinder race
car – one of four remaining in the world.
It is a fascinating, archaic thing. The parts
were all missing, so I got back to the kids
who had it and asked them where the
My collection doesn’t
make any sense
because it’s all the
cars I love to drive.
Jay Leno
missing parts were. I found the boxes filled
with these rare Duesenberg parts beside a
dumpster. Two days later and I’d have lost
the lot! It’s a national treasure!
(Jay had to leave the panel at this
point and was given a rousing round of
applause from the audience.)
Leigh The pulse of racing!
Alain Chris, you’ve seen a lot of
exceptional cars at auction over the
years. Have you ever met people so
passionate about a specific car that
they will buy it at any cost?
Pat I do love Italian cars though, they are
aesthetically gorgeous. Collect with your
heart and you can’t go wrong, or as Enzo
himself said, it doesn’t matter what it is as
long as it knocks your socks off! (Only I
don’t think he said ‘socks’!)
Jay I think the French do cars better
than anyone else. Everyone built cars,
but the French did it differently. Only in a
French car would you pull the switch out
to turn the lights off. I think it’s because
the French cars were developed in Paris,
City of Light. They are all wonderful to
drive, they have a uniqueness. They were
more into innovation – you’ve never seen
a French car on the Nurburgring, they
couldn’t care less. They failed in the USA
because there was no service back up.
For me it’s all about
the senses. You can
feel the vibration of
12 cylinders, you can
hear the symphony of
an engine flat out – it’s
indescribable as the
endorphins are rushing
through your body.
Leslie Keno
Chris One that comes to mind is the exSteve McQueen 1963 Ferrari 250GT/L
“Lusso” that came to Christie’s auction.
We put a top estimate on that car of
between $800k and $1.2 million – we
knew it was great. We trucked that car all
over the country and on the day had four
or five bidders.
Leigh You only need two!
Chris Well, we had two guys who really
wanted the car and it went to $2.2 million.
Would you call that irrational exuberance?
Did he overpay?
For me it’s all about
the senses. You can
feel the vibration of
12 cylinders, you can
hear the symphony of
an engine flat out – it’s
indescribable as the
endorphins are rushing
through your body.
Leslie Keno
A specific event
will create a
premium price.
Chris Sanger
Alain So the McQueen factor
multiplied the price by a factor of
four or five?
Chris Yes, but I’m not sure if it went to
sale today it would do the same again. It’s
been around and sold once already.
Leigh Well, Steve McQueen was a cool
movie star and a race car driver. Like
Paul Newman. There are cars driven by
Stirling Moss, Fangio and the like that
are ingrained in the annals of automotive
history.
Chris Yes. That’s true. For example,
Elton John’s cars came up for sale:
average cars, nice Jaguars, Bentleys,
Rolls-Royces. They sold at a huge
premium, but as time has gone by that
premium has dropped away. A specific
event will create a premium price.
Alain I agree. Pete Conrad was the third
man to walk on the moon and we were
together one day and he said, “I like your
Collect with your heart
and you can’t go wrong
or as Enzo himself
said, it doesn’t matter
what it is as long as it
knocks your socks off!
(Only I don’t think he
said ‘socks’!)
Pat Phinny
watch – I have the exact same watch!”
And he was wearing it right there and
then – the exact same watch. Now the
question is, was his watch worth more
than mine because it was NASA tested?
It had been to the moon!
Alain Leslie, what do you think the
difference in price for the watches
would have been if it was on the
Antiques Roadshow?
Leslie The story matters so much. The
same rules apply to watches, cars, etc.
We evaluate a work of art by considering
its construction, its rarity and how many
were made? Four, 400, 4,000? What’s
the condition and - last of all - the
provenance? We take all these factors
into account.
Leigh So if you take for example a
Ferrari Dino that still has the duct tape on
the steering wheel infused with the sweat
and salt of Stirling Moss and there’s a
dark patch on the seat where he sat in
that car, you don’t peel that sweat off –
you don’t remove the soul of Sir Stirling.
Leslie We were at the (Goodwood)
Festival of Speed and we walked into the
tents and saw the rally cars of the ‘70s
with their lights held on by tape. You don’t
take that away. Besides if you do, the
lights will fall off!
Alain It’s true, it has value. The
Porsche that won Le Mans this year
was kept in ‘end of race’ state so that
people could see the dirt and mud
from the race.
Alain So the criteria for what you collect
is an internal thing. But you have to be
able to afford what you want. In the
‘80s some people borrowed money to
speculate in the car business and when
the bottom fell out of the market they lost
a lot of money. At the moment we are
amidst a feeding frenzy aren’t we? What
do you think?
Pat I don’t think it’s wise to collect as
an investment. Be a collector, not an
investor. Use your heart, collect what you
love and you’ll still love it whether it goes
up or down in value. Price shouldn’t be a
big thing. Part of it is the camaraderie that
comes with collecting – the new friends.
Alain Kindred spirits. Someone
asked me if collectors, like dog
owners, have cars that reflect their
personalities or look like them. Or are
the cars we collect a representation
of the image we have of ourselves?
What do you think?
Pat If my cars looked like me – I’d be
broke!
Leigh We love horse power. I’m not
saying we are aggressive people but the
speed and power is key.
Chris Well, I have two DuPonts, one I
bought on eBay and one that has been
in the family for 50 years and I wouldn’t
trade either. I also have Ferraris in
my garage. So I don’t really know the
significance of that strange mix.
Alain My favorite car is my 1931 Alfa
Romero 8C Zagato. It’s red, the same
color as my socks (shows his socks to the
audience), my watch strap and my shoes.
I am having my wife paint the house the
same color. I just love that car. I talk to
it. I have conversations with it – “Good
morning my darling, should we go for a
ride today?” Not really sure what that says
about me. I guess we all collect cars for
very different reasons. •
Preservation or Restoration?
That is the question. For several
decades the tradition has always
been to take a car that is aging and
far from perfect – and make it perfect,
often better than it was straight from
the factory. But the tide is turning
and with new preservation classes at
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance,
the decision to preserve rather
than restore an all-original car is
garnering a new appreciation among
automotive purists.
Challenges
on the
Road to
Preservation
Credit Suisse sought out five experts in
the field of restoration and preservation
to debate this topic. Fred Simeone,
the moderator of this elite panel, is a
renowned neurosurgeon and has a
collection of 65 rare and significant racing
sports cars at the Simeone Foundation
Automotive Museum. Mark Gessler
is President of the Historic Vehicle
Association and Global Vice-President
of FIVA (Fédération Internationale des
Véhicules Anciens.) Joining Fred and
Mark are Scott Grundfor, a leading
restorer of vintage cars and a judge at
the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
in the Preservation Class with Peter
Hageman, also a judge for Pebble
Beach and for the U.S. National RollsRoyce Owners’ Club. Finally, from Italy,
Adolfo Orsi weighs in as a noted car
collector expert and staunch advocate of
preservation. Let the games begin…
Fred Gentlemen, I would like to begin
by quoting Autoweek – “Unrestored
Gullwing fetches $400,000 more than
a restored Gullwing!” How do you feel
about that?
Peter That reminds me of the story on
the Antiques Roadshow when one of the
Keno brothers said, “Madame, that is
a lovely chest of drawers and the good
news is it is worth £60K. The bad news
is, had your husband not refinished it, it
would have been worth £260K.”
Fred So does every car have to be
preserved or should it be restored?
Mark Well, of course it depends on
the car but more and more today we
are seeing that preservation is winning.
People want to see a well preserved car
saved for future generations. Today, they
don’t necessarily want new paint. The
US Department of Interior and Library
of Congress are showing interest in
these cars with original paint and interior
that bears the fingerprint of original
craftsmanship. They are an important part
of our automotive heritage.
Fred Peter, you are a judge at
Pebble. How does a preserved car
get in the Pebble Beach Concours?
Peter Patina is an overused word, but it’s
important. We are running behind Europe
in the appreciation of patina but we are
now coming to realize that products
that still have the aura of age have a
certain energy. If you present two cars,
one preserved the other restored – the
preserved car will draw a greater crowd.
We started the Preservation Class at
From left to right: Richard Jaffé, Head of Coverage,
Private Banking North America at Credit Suisse,
with Adolfo Orsi, Scott Grundfor, Peter Hageman,
Mark Gessler, and Fred Simeone
Can’t decide whether
to restore or preserve?
Ask yourself – is what
I am doing better for
my ego or better for
the car?
Peter Hageman
Here is a quote
from Autoweek, “An
unrestored Gullwing
fetches $400,000 more
than a restored one!”
Fred Simeone
Pebble in 2001 to underline this. Nobody
would dream of redoing the Mona Lisa but
this concept has not always been clear at
the Concours. Today we have to make a
very difficult judgement – what is the most
exciting car with the best energy?
Fred So Peter, speaking from
personal experience, what’s it like to
live with the torn seats and scratches
of a preserved car?
Peter They are a pain in the ass, but I have
a passion for them. For example let’s say
you have a $40k Jaguar 120, you have to
be extra careful because every time you sit
in it, it rips up the leather seats. You could
put in new leather seats and a new set of
wheels, but you have to be careful. If you
add a new hose clamp that’s all shiny you
might want to tone down the shine in an all
original car but beware of false patination,
which is fraud. You have to decide between
responsible use or not to drive it anymore.
These cars are art and important artifacts of
the automotive world.
Fred Preservation began in the
Renaissance, and they were much
stricter than we are about preserving
history as they allowed no changes
at all. Adolfo, how do you feel about
preservation? Are you a Renaissance
man?
Adolfo In 1997 I was a judge at Pebble
Beach for the first time and I was horrified
by restoration in the USA. In Europe we try
to preserve or restore a car but never better
than original. We restore exactly as it was
from factory complete with flaws. When I
arrived here everything was chromed and
polished! The President of FIVA lobbied for
We are on the cusp
of making history, we
get to decide. It’s very
exciting to be involved
in the process of the
preservation of art.
Scott Grundfor
The key is to find best
practices. We need to
find the best ways to treat
leather, rubber, paint,
etc., because we don’t
want to lose history on
the shop floor.
Mark Gessler
By having a preservation
class at Pebble Beach
we have saved hundreds
of important cars from
restoration.
Adolfo Orsi
At this point the audience asked some
questions –
Audience During preservation how
deep should you clean so as not to
damage the car?
a Preservation award at Pebble Beach in
1999 and six cars were presented. Today
we have 26 cars in that class. Traditionally
there was pressure to restore your car to
get it into Pebble but today there is a place
for that well preserved car.
Fred A great achievement!
Adolfo Yes! I believe we have saved
hundreds of important cars from
restoration. The USA is the most
important country in the world for
collectors and we have found people that
understand the value of preservation –
people like Mark (Gessler).
Fred Do you think a preserved car
will ever win Pebble Beach?
Peter I think that the greatest will rise to
the top naturally. A winner needs to have
presence and importance to be wonderful.
But it’s tough as it has to be voted by the
judges as well as the honoree judges. Yes
– it is possible.
Fred Scott, you are a preservation
specialist – you touch these cars
every day. Let’s hear from you.
Scott The automobile is the most
significant machine of our era. From
the 17th century to the end of the 19th
century nothing has had the effect on the
way we live or the way the world works
more than the car. Now we are at a point
in time when an automobile is an historical
artifact as opposed to an appliance. Cars
are appearing in art museums.
But it’s a challenge. If I can relay a
story… we got this car, a 1967 330 GTS
Ferrari, which had an engine fire in 1969.
It had multiple problems not least of which
was the melted hood. They used a fire
retardant to put the fire out, but never
removed the chemical or the soot and
smoke stain. It was sold at auction and
it was described in the catalogue as a
‘restoration candidate.’ Everyone thought
it was a gonner. When we got the car
we decided to make a demonstration car
out of it. The interior was beautiful and it
had 40,000 miles on it. We worked on
preserving that car and ended up with
90% of the original surfaces preserved,
80% of the paint, 100% of the chrome.
Tires are original, mechanicals original
– we did a service on it and she doesn’t
smoke at all. She purrs like a kitten. It’s
going to be in the Ferrari Preservation
class on Sunday at Pebble.
Fred So if you have a 1932 Bugatti
closed car that has been left outside
exposed to the elements, the interior
is OK but it needs a repaint, do you
take it to Pebble knowing it won’t win?
Scott We have a moral obligation to
preserve the interior as it is. I think there
will be a Preservation Best of Show car
within the next 10 years.
Adolfo If the upholstery and carpets
are original – save them! You may be
forced to repaint it. It all depends on the
judges. As a chief judge I always instruct
my judges, don’t deduct points for a new
paint if the car has original upholstery.
I give extra points for keeping things
original. We are custodians for our sons
and nephews. If we paint a car a different
color because we like it – it’s not original.
Go buy a new car and choose a color you
like. But we must maintain the originality
of the car wherever we can.
Mark I look very closely at all surfaces
including rubber, carpets, etc. The best is
the closest to 100% of original finishes.
Adolfo Judging is very personal – we
are not computers. If someone crashed
the car, that is part of that car’s life.
Repair the crash but please don’t change
everything.
Peter I think if you are undecided about
whether to preserve or restore you have
to ask yourself, “Is what I am doing best
for my ego or best for the car?”
Scott Clean off the junk, grime, grease
and oxidation but do not degrade what’s
underneath. I don’t use dry ice. If the
paint is loose or fragile it could be a
problem. We use soft toothbrushes and a
PH neutral soap that leaves no residue.
Then we treat it with a sealant.
Peter Brass oxidation has a wonderful
glow. Use a clean cloth and nice furniture
wax because if you over shine it’s a
slippery slope!
Mark I think we need to adopt the best
practices as an important way to move
forward. We need to find the best ways
to treat leather, rubber and paint in the
same way as the art conservancy use
best practices. We need research and
scholarships and trials. Dry ice may work
but you don’t want to lose your surface
onto the shop floor.
Audience How important is
documentation?
Adolfo On the field we cannot dismantle
the car. We have to be very careful so
documentation helps.
Mark It’s really important. Documentation
is supreme to substantiate the evidence in
front of us.
Audience If a car is 50 years old
and repainted after 25 years, is it a
preserved car?
Scott There are subsets of preservation.
Mark Some restoration is worth
preservation.
Peter We’ve had a 1910 or 1920 car
that got a repaint in its era, we call that a
‘partially preserved’ car.
Mark It’s shades of grey!
Adolfo Try taking it to Pebble in 50
years, maybe you’ll find a different set of
judges!
Fred This is indeed a contentious issue.
I’ll finish by saying that preservation is
wonderful but let’s not stone the great
restorers all over the world. •
Mercury Customs
and the Men who
Created them
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is all about
classic cars. Traditionally this means great marques
distinguished by their beauty, rarity and purity. But this
year for the first time in history, the world’s most iconic
classic car show is honoring the truly American tradition
of cars that have been modified and charged with their
own unique kind of beauty and rarity – the Mercury
custom automobiles. This year an eclectic range of
custom Mercurys will be featured on the fabled
18th green for the first time ever.
George And movies. Movies began
to feature custom cars such as James
Dean’s ’49 Mercury in Rebel Without a
Cause. Jimmy was a great guy!
George It was the curves, the fenders.
My brother Sam came back from (military)
service and was looking for a car to
customize. He passed on all the fads
– nothing exciting enough. He saw the
Mercury and said, “That’s it!” The whole
team jumped on it. The Mercury was a
natural to be chopped, perfect for the
torch!
Ken You knew James Dean?
Pat Compared to the Fords and
Chryslers of the day the Mercury was
plainer and more of a shoebox. The
contour of the body panels and the flat
spilt windshield of the Merc were the most
interesting to be cut.
Ken The custom ‘49/’50 Mercury has
a certain aura. In the day the music
was loud, the pipes were rolling, it
was a cruiser that was synonymous
with the slick guy with the Lucky
cigarettes tucked in the sleeve of
his T shirt, and of course it was a
major girl magnet. Why did these
magnificent customized Mercurys
become so popular?
Moderated by Pebble Beach judge,
award winner and a respected author
Ken Gross, Credit Suisse gathered a
panel of masters of custom expertise.
Joining Ken is George Barris aka the
‘King of Kustomizers’ responsible for
chopping the very first ’49 Mercury
coupe, and Pat Ganahl the acclaimed
editor of several hot rod and custom
magazines. Bob Larivee Sr. is an
entrepreneur, author and publisher who
has brought hot rods and custom cars
to the public eye through shows and
the promotion of the art of customizing.
Panelist Gene Winfield started chopping
and re-sculpting cars in his teenage years
and today is a highly respected guru of
paint and customization. Together this
team of experts explains why Mercury
customs are both popular and revered…
and we have the honor to listen in.
Ken – Sixty-five years after the first
car was chopped we still worship at
the altar of the 49’/51’ Mercurys. Why
were the Mercurys the most popular
car for customization?
Top
First in class of the Mercury Customs category at the
2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
1951 Mercury 1CM Bob Hirohata Custom Coupe,
Jim and Sue McNiel, Orange, California
Middle
1950 Mercury OCM Wally Welch Custom Coupe
Justin Mozart, Palo Alto, California.
Bottom
Second in class of the Mercury Customs category at
the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
1949 Mercury 9CM Sam Barris Custom Coupe
John Mumford, Portola Valley, California.
Photos by Steve Burton/ Used courtesy
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Bob Car shows began to play a huge
role. They started on the West Coast
early on but graduated to the East Coast.
It was a great opportunity for the East
Coasters to get together during the
long snowy winters and they would look
forward to it and get their cars ready for
the spring. Here on the West Coast the
weather is always great, so car shows
would be held throughout the year.
Pat Magazines also played their part. As
a product of the post-depression era, hot
rods became hugely popular and spread
like wildfire with their own magazines such
as Rod and Custom. Although custom
cars were fewer, they were wildly popular.
George Sure I did. He was a
tremendous car kid, loved by all. He
learned everything there was to know
about cars that were chopped and reengined with push button starters. We all
enjoyed Jimmy, a great kid. Loved Jimmy!
Bob I have a story about the James
Dean’s ’49 Mercury. I was at the museum
where the car was housed and I was
offered the car for $800 back in the day,
but I figured it was too stock. I turned it
down! I guess I’ve made some mistakes
in my life!
Pat I remember when they got that car –
it still had a switchblade stuck in the tire!
Ken It seems that there was quite
the community of custom car
enthusiasts at the time. Did you
guys all know each other back then?
Gene, did you know these guys?
Gene I was out in Modesto, California –
so I didn’t know any of them. We had the
first hot rod shop in 1946 and did a lot of
street racing in those days. Later I got to
know them all and we became friends.
It’s funny because I didn’t know George,
but talking about the influence of movies
– they wanted a car for the Batmobile
and bought the 1955 Lincoln Futura
for $1 from Ford. They shipped it out to
Modesto for me to bid for the project, but
later it went to George and he created the
Batmobile.
George Yes, I did! And that $1 car sold
for $4.2 million at auction two years ago!
The movie industry had a lot to do with
the growth of custom cars.
It was the curves, the
fenders. The Mercury
was a natural to be
chopped, perfect for
the torch!
George Barris
1949 “James Dean”
Mercury Series 9CM Six-Passenger Coupe.
Credit: National Automobile Museum
(The Harrah Collection), Reno, Nevada
Batmobile
Photo courtesy Barrett-Jackson
Ken George, you went to Europe in
1951. Did your trip and European car
design influence you much? Did you
adopt some European ideas?
George No, not really. Europe wasn’t
customizing much. It all started in the
USA. A true American concept.
Ken How complex is the
customization of one of these cars?
Gene It’s very complex – you change
something and nothing fits! You want to
remove the windshield posts? You have
to see how wide they are, how straight,
where is the best possible place to take
them out? I take a piece of cardboard,
draw it and figure it out. A 4” drop here
requires a 4/8” adjustment there. Some
clients say, “Just chop it so I can still stick
my head out the window!”
Ken Yes I’ve heard them ask,
“Can I slide a can of beer through the
window?” and “Can you lower it so
I can just slip a packet of cigarettes
under the body?” I believe that the
custom cars did not escape the
attention of Detroit and they invited
major custom car experts to visit
them. What was that like?
George We did all the big shows in the
‘50s. They wanted us to share ideas
about car design.
From left to right: Gene Winfield, Bob Larivee, George Barris, Pat Ganahl
Ken Talking about design Gene, you
took the painting of these custom
cars to a new dimension – can you
talk about it?
Ken So it seems that there is a
confusion between what a hot rod is
compared to a custom car. Pat how
would you differentiate the two?
Gene Well, I started blending paint on
motorcycles on the gas tanks. It was
considered really cool. The first car I ever
blended was a ’57 Chevy, I just worked
around the chrome. But then little by little I
perfected it. I completed one specific car - a
‘56 Mercury that I took to New York – it
won everything! I’m still blending paint. I just
painted five cars in Canada last year, and
then three in Australia and England. They
finish the body and I fly in to do the paint. I
stand there and look at the car. Then within
minutes I know exactly what I want to do
with it. I have particularly loved Mercurys
since day one, especially the ‘49/’51 era.
Pat In the 1950s people thought they
were the same thing. But in actual fact
the hot rod market is much larger –
probably 70% of the market compared
to the 30% custom cars. That’s why a
magazine entitled Custom only lasted
for about 6 months. After the war, kids
couldn’t afford to buy cars like they had
in the 1920s. It was the Depression so
they’d go to the junk yard and buy parts
to create a hot rod. But as those kids
grew up, got married, raised families
they had more income. So they would
buy a brand new Mercury and add
parts from prestigious marques such as
Packard, Cadillac and Lincoln to give the
appearance of a luxury ride without having
to buy the whole car. They would redo the
interior and the paint and end up with a
car that looked better than a Packard, but
at a fraction of the price.
The custom ‘49/’50
Mercury has a certain
aura. The music was
loud, the pipes were
rolling, it was a cruiser
that was synonymous
with the slick guy with
the Lucky cigarettes
tucked in the sleeve
of his T shirt, and of
course it was a major
girl magnet.
Ken Gross
Some clients say,
“Just chop it so I can
still stick my head out
the window!”
Gene Winfield
George Yes and they could budget for it.
Ken And scaring the girls!
Pat – That’s right. You’d see cars driving
around with patches of primer paint
because they would have them modified
incrementally. Although occasionally if the
car was bought on credit from the bank
and the owner couldn’t make payments,
the bank would repossess a partially
customized car! Banks didn’t like that!
Pat Yes! They didn’t like getting busted
all the time so they created associations
to work with the police. That’s largely how
the Hot Rod magazine got started – to
legitimize the community of hot rodders
and do some positive PR work. But the
custom guys came a little bit later and
it was all about cruising. Many of these
guys were married with families. Some of
them were themselves policemen. The car
shows and magazines helped people see
that these cars were safe.
George I remember my teachers
didn’t like customized cars either. I got
kicked out of three schools when I was a
teenager because my teachers didn’t like
me always working on my cars! I think it’s
great that kids work on cars – keeps them
off the streets.
Ken –The hot rod crowd had quite the
reputation. How did the police feel
about the custom car community?
Pat – The street was the only place where
the hot rodders could drive and the cops
regarded them as gangs. Hot rods were all
about speed, spinning tires, making noise.
Ken And what a delight they are
to observe! These magnificent
automobiles, rounded, lowered,
chopped and painted – a canvas for
the true custom artist. And what a
privilege it is to be able to see these
wonderful works of art on the green
at the world’s most prestigious
auto show, Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance, for the first time in
history next Sunday. •
Pebble Beach
Tour d’Elegance
History in Motion
Ian Callum
Talks Cars
with Industry
Icons
Five industry leaders
gathered together to
wax lyrical about cars,
design and the future
of the automobile.
The 250 Ferrari,
short wheel base is
my favorite. There is
something animalistic
about that car. It’s not
absolutely beautiful,
but it has presence,
confidence and
a stance.
Ian Callum
Ian Gentlemen, let’s start with an
easy question. What is your favorite
car design? The only rule is, it cannot
be one you created yourself.
Jason For me it is not so much a specific
design as a design era. I love the ‘60s, the
pre-tech race cars, where art and science
combined and designs were created by the
eye. The 962 Porsche embodies it all.
Franz For me it’s the 1962 Ferrari 250
GTO. Others come and go but that one
hangs in there for me.
Ralph I was going to say the 250 GTO
also. The late ‘60s was an amazing
design period. So elegant.
Tom I grew up in Michigan and only ever
saw Buicks and Chevys as a kid. So for
me it is definitely a case of era. I love
the 250 GTO and the Daytona Coupe.
But it’s tough to be specific without the
context of time.
From left to right: Tom Gale, Jason Castriota, Ian Callum, Franz von Holzhausen, Ralph Gilles
Moderating the team is Ian Callum,
Director of Design at Jaguar and
responsible for such iconic designs as the
DB9, the Jaguar C-X75 and the F-Type.
Franz von Holzhausen is the driving force
behind design at Tesla Motors and Tom
Gale has spent 33 years in the automotive
industry as a member of Chrysler’s
Board of Management, Vice President
of Design and Executive Vice President
of Product Development. Ralph Gilles
was recently appointed Head of Design
for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jason
Castriota joined the group bringing his
expertise as Chief Innovation Officer for
SKYLABS, an innovation lab based in
New York City. Jason was honored as
one of the ‘World’s Most Creative People
in Business’ in 2014 and has worked on
special projects at Pininfarina, Maserati,
SAAB and Ferrari.
With so much talent, insight, design
excellence and knowledge on the stage
at one time, this promised to be a most
fascinating hour. And indeed – it was…
Ian The 250 Ferrari, short wheel base
is my favorite. There is something
animalistic about that car. It’s not
absolutely beautiful, but it has presence,
confidence and a stance. As designers
we tend to humanize our cars. In the ‘60s
the big GM cars such as the Impalas and
Rivieras were special, their lines go on
and on. You could put a Mini Cooper in
the trunk of one of those babies.
Jason Indeed, the sheer size and scale
of those cars. Amazing!
Ian I think it is a huge challenge today
to capture all that linear movement in
something that is half the size.
Ralph It’s interesting that what was so
popular here was not popular in Europe.
Ian I think the rules are the same all
over now. The car industry is doing
more to accommodate the changing
world than any other industry. We can’t
save the world but we can help it. With
urbanization, communication and ecology
we are seeing the development of new
concepts such as autonomous cars and
electrification.
Ralph It’s pleasure versus function. Lots
of the exotic cars and sports cars sleep
in garages. There is so much congestion
on the roads that cars don’t make sense
anymore – China and Brazil are having the
same problems. That’s why Uber works. It
gets you from A to B and design doesn’t
matter.
Ian The ‘Cloud’ is full of information.
Are car designers using technology to
help solve the world’s problems?
Ralph Yes! The iPhone is how and why
Uber works.
Tom I think it is up to designers to create
for the next generation. Today’s youth
gets technology a lot faster than we did
and change is coming in a big way. How
do you create a product that meets those
needs? I think it is up to us to figure it out
and make suggestions.
Jason The industry went through an
awkward phase 10-15 years ago when
safety rules were so stringent. Those
kinds of changes have an enormous
effect on design.
Ian Talking of phones and screens.
You guys have screens in your cars
providing technology, entertainment
and information. It is an obsession
with the young to be constantly
attached to their phones and not
concentrating on the task at hand.
How do we cater for that?
Franz Our goal (at Tesla) was to make
a big change in everyone’s lives, to get
away from dinosaur fuel. The architecture
of the electric car has enabled us to
produce something that can be relevant
all the time. We removed the buttons
and put everything on a screen – Apple
was doing the exact same thing at the
exact same time. The ‘infotainment’
screen means that the client purchases
something that gets better all the time.
Our goal (at Tesla) was
to make a big change
in everyone’s lives, to
get away from dinosaur
fuel. The architecture
of the electric car has
enabled us to produce
something that can be
relevant all the time.
Franz Von Holzhausen
Ian Why do so many cars look the
same? How will cars change?
Ralph It’s funny because lots of people
complain about the screen in the first few
months of ownership, but then get used
to it. We focus on intuitive technology but
it has to be beautiful too, so that people
want to spend time with it.
Jason I agree. We need to design
service products that are artful.
Ian What about autonomous cars?
Tom They are coming. What with the work
that Google is doing and the advent of the
sharing economy, it is coming. I don’t think
it’s going to be easy as there will be lots
of legal issues. The program that drives
an autonomous car must make difficult
decisions. “Should I run over the tall man or
the short man?” My sense is that, like Uber,
it is a generational thing. But we will see it.
Jason It is generational. Within a
very short space of time Uber has
revolutionized New York City. No one
waits 15 minutes for a cab in the rain
anymore. You tap your phone and Uber
arrives in 5 minutes.
Ian So is the younger generation
interested in cars, do they appreciate
them? What is the future of sports cars?
Ian But isn’t the essence of aesthetic
a personal thing? After all, half the
joy of owning a car is the aesthetic.
Uber does the job well. It’s just like a
module. You press a button on your
phone and a module turns up and
serves the function of getting you
safely from A to B. Is the motorcar
just a stallion in the stable?
Franz Sports cars are special. There was
a time when people loved to watch the
fastest horse in town. Today they love to
watch fast sports cars. Even in the world
of autonomous driving there will always be
a choice. In air travel you can choose First
Class, or you can opt for simple efficiency.
When I get in an Uber car, I think about
the safety and cleanliness of the car. But
when I get behind the wheel of my car –
well that’s different.
Tom I think we’ll always have cars. In
California it’s easy, however, to see why
we need autonomous driving – you sit in
lines of traffic for hours. We don’t have
that in Michigan.
Jason The motorcar is attached to our
personality, it’s like a suit we wear, it’s part
of us. The car was the symbol of freedom
when we were kids, but for the Millennials
the iPhone is the symbol of freedom.
Ian Do you think the emotional value
of the car will sustain?
Tom I think so. My kids are interested in
cars – we’re here this weekend at Pebble
Beach after all.
Franz I do think the method of propulsion
will change.
Franz When you change the method
of propulsion – it’s huge! We grew up
with gas cars, but we needed to create
something that the customer can grab on
to, that will carry them forward and attract
them. And best of all, our kids will breathe
cleaner air. There was a sea of failed
(electric) brands out there when Tesla
created its new brand. We needed to
cement our brand in the market. You can’t
just do something completely futuristic
because people need to feel confident.
Like your clothes – what you see on the
catwalk and what you are willing to buy
and wear are two very different things.
Ralph Tesla is aging really well. It still
looks new.
Tom It cost a lot of money to bring Tesla
to the market, and at some point you are
going to have to change your business
model to keep it fresh and exciting. How
do you do that if you don’t have the
volume? Hats off to you, I just hope that
you’ll be able to sustain that success. The
jury is still out – it’s fascinating – watch
this space.
Ian Do you people still use clay
models in your design process?
Jason I’m Italian so we use hard models
of plaster or resin. The trouble is you can’t
ask the modeler to change the fender five
times in one day on a hard model.
Ian With the advent of the digital
world will we lose clay models
altogether?
Audience We already have more
horse-power than we can ever use.
Will we see a move to efficiency?
Ralph New designers can do this
process themselves with technology. We
used to have 150 clay modelers before,
now we have only 70. But if you need to
change a fender five times in one day –
you certainly need clay.
Tom I think we have a tremendous
amount of efficiency today.
Franz There’s a romance in sculpting.
If your vehicle is going to operate in an
environment, you need to create it in that
environment. Volume is validated and
you can see it, feel it, touch it. The great
thing about technology is that you can
rip through hundreds of ideas on a digital
screen to then focus on the best clay
models.
Ian then opened up the forum to take
questions from the floor.
Audience Will we ever see a time
when it is illegal to take a 250 Lusso
out on the road? Will we allow
humans to interact with autonomous
cars?
Ian I have no idea. Scary legalities apart,
from an ecological point of view I think it
might well be illegal in 10 years, with the
legislation on pollution and urbanization.
Jason The ratio of emissions to horsepower is very efficient today.
Tom We can only be as good as our
technology and materials. We have to find
solutions to these questions.
Ian I don’t think the horse-power race
will ever stop, but I do think it will be more
efficient.
Audience As designers, how do you
consider the shared economy in your
designs, and how cars support our
lives?
Tom We are working with a start-up
company that I think will change the type
of car we produce. What with rental rates
and the shared economy there will always
be certain places where you can have
one type of car one day and something
different the next. Maybe you need a truck
or SUV. The product and the system will
take the pain out of it and provide a perfect
service to the client – as Uber has. It is up
to the design community to facilitate that.
Ian Designers are certainly aware of this
– no lack of awareness or naiveté there!
And on that note I would like to thank our
fabulous panel of designers and experts
for their insight and input. Gentlemen –
it’s been a delight and an honor. •
The restoration of fabric-bodied cars is hardly mainstream.
But talk with experts on the subject, people who are
passionate about recreating the art of a bygone era, and you
cannot doubt that this is an important issue in the automotive
restoration world. We didn’t expect a huge audience because
of the specificity of the subject, but were surprised to see
the seating filled to capacity for this forum. Credit Suisse
recognizes the incredible importance of re-establishing the
classic workmanship of great craftsmen who plied their art a
hundred years ago on these magnificent cars. We therefore
brought together three of the most knowledgeable gurus of
fabric bodied craftsmanship in the world today.
Restoration
Techniques
for Fabric-Bodied
Bentleys
Fabric-bodied Tourer: Original and restored
©Matt Howell
I think fabric covered
cars have had a very
bad time of it. It’s
a shame to cover a
really nice car in vinyl
when you can cover
it in original fabric.
Graham Moss
Clare Hay was admitted to the Bentley
Drivers Club C-list, for non-owner
enthusiasts, at the age of 13, and soon
became a full member at 18 when she
purchased her first Bentley. Today, this
doctor of philosophy is the renowned
preeminent authority on the marque.
She is joined by Graham Moss, a
leading expert in the preservation of
vintage Bentleys. His company R.C.
Moss has over 55 years of experience
and knowledge having achieved
unrivaled levels of success in the field of
restoration. This select panel is moderated
by Richard Charlesworth, who began his
career at Bentley 40 years ago writing
handbooks and is now Director of Bentley
Royal and Head of the Bentley Heritage
division.
After initial introductions, Clare gave a brief
presentation about her involvement in the
development of restoration practices of
fabric bodied cars, a fascinating and often
unlikely tale of determination and passion.
Richard Looking out on the audience
gathered here today with so many
experts in it, makes us feel totally at
ease! Clare would you like to explain
some of the background to this
subject of restoring fabric-covered
Bentleys and your role in it?
Clare This seminar really shouldn’t be
called fabric-bodied Bentleys, but fabricbodied cars. Let me begin by saying that
these cars (indicating a slide show on
the screens) have not been mistreated or
neglected. Nothing lasts forever. These
are cars that have natural sun and rain
damage and with the British climate being
what it is – well you are skewered! The
fabric dries out, gets brittle and fails to be
waterproof. The cotton backing separates
from the top layers and water gets under
the fabric and rots the underlying frame
from the inside out.
The original fabric bodies were designed
by the coach-builders who were ex-horse
and cart merchants, used to creating
vehicles that could travel at two and a half
to eight miles an hour when His Lordship
said, “Home James, and don’t spare the
horses!” But by the 1920s motorcars
were thundering up and down the Great
North Road at high speeds. Fabric bodies
were the height of fashion at the time,
they were light, noiseless and durable.
The early models were square and boxy
because it was difficult to cover curves
with fabric. They weren’t sexy at all.
But longer, lower lines became popular.
And because they were handmade the
upholstery was not perfect, there were
creases and wrinkles that if a Pebble
Beach judge saw on the field on Sunday
he’d say, “you’ve got to be kidding me!”
When these cars were restored they
were often covered in vinyl which did the
job, but vinyl is matt whereas the original
fabrics were shiny. The bonnet was
repainted in restoration, but the lovely
lines of the cars were broken up into
blocks of matt vinyl and gloss paint. We
did lots of experiments to try and find a
solution. But everything failed.
Eventually we found a contaminated site
in Ipswich, England, where an old all
original nitro cellulose coating machine
was abandoned in a disused factory.
The machine supplied leather cloth for
all coachbuilders and upholsterers in the
days of fabric covered bodies. Apparently
the firm had gone bust and everyone just
walked out and left it. There was solvent
and chemical waste ooze all over the
floor. We undertook a feasibility study and
purchased the machine for £10,000 cash
from the dodgy looking property owner in
a Range Rover.
To cut a long story short, Graham is now
making fabric to the original specifications
and it doesn’t get more authentic than
that. Now there is no transition from body
to bonnet, no discontinuation and the fluid
lines are clear and clean. There is no eye
distraction. It was a huge achievement,
we were able to recreate the splendor of
these magnificent automobiles exactly as
they were in their day.
If you have the
opportunity to use
the original fabric
why wouldn’t you?
Clare Hay
Richard So Graham, if the vinyl
did the job and worked fine, why
do this – why bother to go to such
extraordinary lengths?
They never did pure white because they
didn’t have titanium dioxide. Then by the
‘30s during the depression almost all cars
were black with a brown interior.
Graham Vinyl was only available in very
few colors. We can actually do any color
and replicate the embossed finishes of
the original fabrics. We use nitro cellulose
and have access to infinite colors.
Graham The shape of the cars changed
too. Once the coach-builders were no
longer restricted by fabric covered bodies,
the shapes changed and they were off!
Richard What were the colors they
used?
This stuff is never
going to be sold in
rolls. It is a specialist
bespoke product.
Graham Moss
Graham We obtained the original build
sheets from Vanden Plas and there were
some very dandy vibrant colors used.
Clare I gave a man with a dog £250
and he went off and came back with the
factory spec sheets. In the ‘20s there
were cars in primrose yellow and all sorts
of colors. But white was not one of them.
Richard So now that you have
created a fabric that is authentic,
should judges be marking down cars
that have vinyl covered bodies?
Clare If it’s wrong, it’s wrong! If you can
find the original material, why wouldn’t
you? Why wouldn’t you reproduce it as it
should be?
Graham Now we have the option to
have two thirds of the car correct. The
two thirds that were fabric-covered.
Richard You went to huge trouble
to find and restore this machine.
Couldn’t you have studied it and
rebuilt a new one? Wouldn’t it have
been easier and cheaper?
Clare Indeed. Some chap wanted to
rebuild a new one for us at a fraction of
the price. But where’s the fun in that? We
said no – we want the Real McCoy. No
challenge there. This machine runs off
a single motor and has great chains and
a 500m long belt and lots of little belts.
The fabric goes through the machine 21
times from base coat to top coat. It’s an
amazing process.
Graham This machine was based on a
technology that was used to working with
natural fibers. Cotton is a natural fiber
and has seed husks and bits of leaf in it.
The machine is very clever and makes
allowances for natural anomalies. Modern
machines use man-made fibers, which
are perfect.
Richard You must need an engineer
to run this machine. Do you have
enough product demand to pay for
him?
Graham I think fabric covered cars have
had a bad time of it, but there is definitely
a revival underway and people look more
fondly on them. This fabric is never going
to be sold in rolls because it is a bespoke
product suited to the individual, a specific
embossed pattern and a specific color.
We supply the correct thickness and feel
of fabric for these wonderful automobiles.
The demand is slowly picking up, but yes,
it is a challenge.
The audience then asked questions of the
panel.
Audience Was there much difference
in the weight of a car bodied in
fabric compared to a car bodied in
aluminum?
Clare Indeed there was, largely the
From left to right: Graham Moss, Clare Hay, Richard Charlesworth
People look much
more fondly at fabric
covered cars today.
Graham Moss
difference is in the framing because a
fabric covered car had a lighter, thinner
wooden frame. Fabric was cheaper too.
For example a Vanden Plas 3 liter sports
body was £149 in fabric, whereas the
same body cost £160 in aluminum.
Graham It wasn’t just the weight and
aesthetic – it took two weeks to cover a
car in aluminum, whereas you could cover
a car in fabric in just two days.
Audience When and where was the
machine built?
Clare We don’t know exactly as the
fabric was made all over the place, and
Rexine was considered to be the best
(Rexine is a fabric that was made in
Cheshire in the 1920s, a cloth surfaced
with a mixture of cellulose nitrate,
camphor castor oil, pigment and alcohol
solvents, embossed to look like leather.)
We do know that in the 1980s the
machine was already 60 years old but
we don’t have any records. I would say
around WWI. The army used the fabric
for tents and coats. It was also used for
luggage, upholstery and tablecloths. My
favorite use was the paw pads of antique
teddy bears.
Richard This is an incredible story
and a wonderful achievement. I think
the world of automotive restoration
needs to pay tribute to Clare and
Graham for taking on such a huge
and important task. Thank you both. •
Before and after: The original nitro cellulose
coating machine in Ipswich, England
©Matt Howell
Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance
Highlights
The Future
of Luxury
Automobiles
On the eve of the autonomous automobile, with the birth
of smartphone cab companies such as Uber, and the
intractable march of technology, we bear witness today
to the evolution of the automobile the likes of which we
have not seen since the naissance of the combustion
engine. These changes pose specific challenges for the
luxury automobile designers, who are required to be at
the leading edge of their field.
A prestigious panel of luxury automobile
designers and gurus was gathered by
Credit Suisse to enlighten the audience
about what is in store and how the
market is changing. Moderated by Tim
McGrane, the Executive Director of
Blackhawk Automotive Museum and a
respected luxury car specialist, the panel
includes: Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti’s
Director of Design since 2004, Louis de
Fabribeckers, the Belgian Head of Design
at Touring Superleggera since 2007, and
Marek Reichman, Director of Design at
Aston Martin during its most prolific period
of new model introduction.
The session begins with a general
question…
Over the past few
decades we have seen
the democratization of
luxury. What was luxury
20 to 30 years ago is
now all over the place.
Achim Anscheidt
Tim Given that we are here at
the Pebble Beach Concours, the
epicenter of the international classic
car world, can you tell us what car
from your company’s history you
consider your favorite historical
representation of the marque.
Louis Generally the Touring bodied cars
were my favorites, the ones you’ll see
on Sunday on the green. But if I had
to choose just one car, it would be the
1960 Alfa Romeo Le Mans. That car is
timeless.
Achim For me, the Bugatti Royale. Why?
It was 12.4 liter displacement – huge with
an enormous bonnet and proportions. It
had an immense drive train and aluminum
wheels which were unheard of in the
‘20s. The chauffeur had leather seats and
the exclusive fabric seats in the back were
reserved for the passengers –the ultimate
luxury – and the exact reverse of what
we perceive as luxury today. That car
was £3,000 new at the time. That was
when a middleclass house in the center of
London could be purchased for £70!
Marek Aston Martin. I’m sorry, but it
was. Aston Martin is 102 years old and
has such a rich history of sports and race
cars. In terms of presence, purity and
beauty it has to be the DBR1, which won
the Le Mans in 1959 and just smells of
Aston Martin heritage. And I had a picture
of that car on my wall when I was seven
years old!
Aston Martin DBR1 © James Mann
From left to right: Marek Reichman, Achim Anscheidt, Louis de Fabribeckers, Tim McGrane
Tim Actually, I also had a picture
of an Aston Martin DB5 on my wall
– right next to one of the Bugatti
Royale!
Q The term ‘Luxury’ is much
overused. How do you define true
luxury in an automobile?
Marek Luxury means many things. It
is personal. For me it is something you
don’t need, but you desire it and can’t
resist it. It’s that cappuccino in the middle
of Milano – you take the time to order
it, savor it and someone else takes the
time to serve it. You desire it. You have
to respect someone who has something
you want and it makes you want to be
involved in that experience.
Achim You can have a fabulous
driving experience in a lot of cars. Over
the last few decades we’ve seen the
democratization of luxury. What was
special 20-30 years ago is par for the
course now. Luxury is a personal thing.
It means to experience something that
money can’t buy.
Louis Luxury is something that’s not
needed but is missing from your life at a
particular moment. It is an experience that
relates to pleasure and it is an experience
that we sell, not a car. We offer our client
the opportunity to be deeply involved
in the car’s development because we
provide a bespoke product. I would like
to use the restaurant analogy: Let’s say
you go to a restaurant and instead of
sitting down and ordering from the menu,
you go to the kitchen to see the chef.
You look at all the ingredients and, with
the help of the chef, you create a special
dish – made just for you. In hindsight it is
the experience of preparing the food that
is the luxury, as much as the pleasure of
eating the meal.
Louis We have the car already so we
have the engineering and then we work
on the design.
Tim What would you say is the DNA
of the new luxury car designs?
Tim Do you take into account the
cultural differences of your clientele?
Achim Well, I feel that performance
DNA should not be forced on a car,
it’s always healthier if the form follows
extreme performance. We try to marry the
two to create long lasting value that will
have significance in 20 to 30 to 50 years’
time.
Achim Cars are avatars. They reflect our
personality and culture. It is our responsibility
to see what the market needs. We tailormake an experience within the continent we
are serving to satisfy the expectations of the
aficionado within their culture.
Marek I don’t think the role of the
designer is to talk about the DNA of
the heritage. We need to think about
technology, the future, to involve and
enhance and understand the relevance
of the marque in today’s market. That’s
why racing is very important to the Aston
Martin marque. It sits at our core. We
take the spirit and redesign the new
Aston Martin. First it has to be beautiful
and second it must be recognizable as an
Aston Martin.
The key is to find lasting
value so that a car still
has significance in 20
or 30 or 50 years time.
Achim Anscheidt
Marek I think the concept has to start
in both camps simultaneously. It’s a
team, passion and speed, design and
engineering. There’s always tension,
that’s what produces the best results.
Marek Design is international, but culture
certainly has an effect. For example, there
are different chefs in London, Paris and
Tokyo. You might give each chef some
pasta and tomatoes, but they will come
up with a totally different dish. If you live in
Munich in February a black on black car
would be great. But you don’t want a black
on black car in Kuwait in February! You have
to search deeply for the cultural differences.
Louis Cultural differences are important,
but because we do everything in house,
from sketch to engineering, our product is
a personal bespoke entity, so it is less of a
cultural influence but a personal influence
for us. We push the client to come and visit
us during the process. We have them come
in to see the leather, choose the stick shift,
it’s quite the unique experience for the client
to be deeply inside the process.
Tim Do different cultures have
different time expectations?
Marek Yes absolutely. In the US they are
a bit impatient. The UK is willing to wait
for something special.
Louis I agree. In America they want it
and they want it now.
Achim I think Middle Eastern clients
are the least patient. We toured with a
demonstration car and had one gentleman
say, “I want to buy that car.” We explained it
wasn’t for sale. He said, “But it has a drive
train and an engine, right?” We said, “Yes,
but this particular car isn’t for sale. It’s not
safe, it’s a prototype.” He said, “I don’t care
if it’s not safe, I want to buy it.” I said, “But
I’d have to sell you my engineer with it.” He
said, “Fine – I’ll take the engineer too!”
Tim Do you feel that luxury cars and
efficiency are at opposite ends of
the spectrum? Does Silicon Valley
technology have an influence?
Louis Certainly Silicon Valley has an
influence. The iPhone is old and has to
be redesigned every six months, so we
have to be careful to accommodate those
changes. I have a 996 Porsche with a
navigation system that was in the car when
it was built. If I drive from Milano to Turin
I can guarantee that it’s still searching for
satellite when I draw up in Turin! We have
to design something that people are happy
to see today, tomorrow, and in 20 years’
time. It can’t be old after six months.
of space and lack of economy. I wonder
about a time when you call a taxi and a
‘pod’ arrives – it’s clean, small, a twoseater and it’s digital. Perhaps we need to
provide luxury for that environment.
Achim I feel that giving in to the
temptation of physical luxury is a risky
investment. The world is changing so fast
– take flat panel TV, for example! And a
three year old iPad is too outdated for my
daughter today. While we should embrace
the technology revolution we need to add
lasting value.
Marek Our job is to educate the young
designers in what the world wants.
Directors direct with know-how and
experience. A designer’s brain is a bit like a
sieve – you pour lots of information inside
and shake it up and the best results sift
out. The more you add, the better it gets.
Marek Maybe the future requires you
to have the iWatch on one wrist and
a beautiful Swiss watch on the other.
For example, I accept that autonomous
driving is more efficient, but I predict that
Aston Martin will be the last company
on earth to adopt the autonomous drive.
Maybe we would just have to add an
“autodrift” button! Technology should be
appropriated according to the brand. I
have this dream that I get home in my
autonomous driven car 15 minutes early
because it’s so efficient and it says to me,
“Now you have 15 minutes extra to drive
your Aston Martin.”
Louis Often the client will ask for a
place to put his Garmin or Tom-Tom
separate from the car. Maybe that’s the
way forward – a way to ‘add’ rather than
‘integrate’ new technology.
Achim I feel that the fascination for
detail is being replaced by the digital
developments of our time. We need to
embrace the technology revolution, but
be mindful to produce a product that has
lasting value.
Tim How do young designers
recognize what luxury is?
Achim I think it’s our job to help them
perceive what is needed by the market. I
was in New York recently with my daughter
and we noticed that there were so many
taxis, most of them with one or maybe
two people in them. It was such a waste
Louis I think it is passed down through
generations. I remember when I was just
a kid doing a stint of work-experience
at BMW as a young designer and my
mentor was Chris Bangle (former BMW
Group head of design). I had to draw a
design and he watched me. During the
process he was silent and when I finished,
I thought: “Great! He’s speechless at my
artistry!” But no! He said – “No good!”
With that he made a small drawing on the
corner of my paper, it was fantastic and
it looked like a bull. He taught me, don’t
draw a bumper that looks like a bumper,
don’t make a fuel tank look like a fuel
tank.
Achim Designers can be misunderstood,
but clients can be too. I think it is important
that our designers are aware of our
clients’ attention to detail, how expressive
some of our clients can be. It is partly our
responsibility to research the markets and
tailor make the experience according to the
continent, the marque’s aficionados, and the
expectations housed within their culture.
Marek I think designers are always
misunderstood! There have been many
instances. Look at Apple – it was nearly
destroyed by the Newton, yet now we
have the iPad! The Mini was totally
misunderstood when it was launched –
but we understand and love it now.
Tim Indeed we do! I wonder what the next
generation of misunderstood products will
be! Thank you, gentlemen, for your insight.
We wait with great excitement to see what
the designers of today will produce for us
to drive tomorrow. •
Marek As Einstein said, “Knowledge is
nothing without imagination.’”
Achim Yes, we have to look forward, but
look back, too. We have designers who
are full of energy but we have to bring
them together with the necessities of the
world. For example, lots of companies
are coming to the market wondering how
they should design the luxury SUV to
sit on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance. I think it is
our responsibility to make a statement for
those types of cars, to meet the future
needs of the market.
Tim Are designers ever
misunderstood?
Louis I think designers are often
misunderstood. It’s part of the job
description.
It’s not actually a car
we all selling. It’s more
of an experience that
you have with the car.
Louis de Fabribeckers
Speaker
Biographies
Achim Anscheidt
Achim Anscheidt started his professional design
career in 1993 at the Porsche Style Center.
After leading the Volkswagen Group’s advanced
design operations in Barcelona and Berlin
for eight years, he assumed his position as
Bugatti’s Director of Design in 2004.
Louis De Fabribeckers
Belgian designer Louis de Fabribeckers has
been Head of Design at Touring Superleggera
since 2007. Before he started working at
Carrozzeria Touring, he worked in industrial
design studio IDEA and BMW.
Tom Gale
Prior to retiring from Chrysler’s Board of
Management in 2000, Tom Gale served as
the auto maker’s Vice President of Design,
President of International Operations
and Executive Vice President of Product
Development during his 33-year career.
George Barris
George Barris is known throughout the world
as the ‘original’ King of Kustomizers. His
creations are legendary in the world of television
and motion pictures, including the likes of the
original television series Batmobile, the Munster
Koach, The Beverly Hillbillies Clampett truck,
KITT from Knight Rider and more!
Pat Ganahl
One of today’s foremost hot rodding historians,
Pat Ganahl is also a hands-on hot rodder. He
has been the editor of Hot Rod Magazine,
Street Rodder Magazine, Rod & Custom
Magazine and Rodder’s Journal.
Ian Callum
Ian Callum serves as Jaguar Director of Design.
He has designed concepts such as the Jaguar
C-X75 and iconic sports cars like the Aston
Martin DB9 and the Jaguar F-type.
Mark Gessler
Mark Gessler became president of the Historic
Vehicle Association in 2012. As the cofounder
and president of the HVA and a global vice
president for FIVA (the Fédération Internationale
des Véhicules Anciens), Mark is now a fulltime
car and social entrepreneur.
Richard Charlesworth
Richard Charlesworth began his career at Bentley
40 years ago writing handbooks and is now
Director of Bentley Royal and V.I.P. Relations and
head of the Bentley Heritage division.
Jason Castriota
Jason Castriota is Chief Innovation Officer for
SKYLABS, an innovation lab based in New York
City. Jason was honored as one of the ‘World’s
Most Creative People in Business’ in 2014 and
has worked on special projects at Pininfarina,
Maserati, SAAB and Ferrari.
Alain de Cadenet
British-born Alain de Cadenet has been an
on-air personality and TV show host for Speed
Channel, Discovery, and ESPN. Alain is also
one of the most respected and accomplished
racers of classic and vintage cars.
Ralph Gilles
Recently appointed Head of Design for
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ralph Gilles was
previously the President and CEO of the SRT
Brand and Senior Vice President of Design at
Chrysler.
Ken Gross
An automotive writer for 42 years, Ken
Gross has won the Washington Auto Press’s
Golden Quill Award, the Society of Automotive
Historians’ Cugnot Award and the James
Valentine Memorial Award for excellence in
automotive historical research.
Scott Grundfor
Scott Grundfor’s work has made him one of
the top restorers of vintage cars–particularly
Mercedes–in the nation. He is an avid collector
and historian and has served as a Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance Judge for the
Preservation Class for many years.
Peter Hageman
Peter Hageman was the Bentley Drivers Club
chairman for the Northwest USA region for ten
years and has judged vintage Bentleys at both
the US National Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club
meets and at the Pebble Beach Concours.
Clare Hay
Clare Hay was admitted as a 13-year-old to
the Bentley Drivers Club C-list for non-owner
enthusiasts. She gained full membership five
years later after buying a 3.0-litre project car.
She has written 10 books on the special cars
of Walter Owen Bentley. Today, the doctor
of philosophy is the recognized preeminent
authority on the British marque.
Leigh Keno
Leslie Keno
For the past 18 years, brothers Leigh and Leslie
have appeared on the popular PBS program
Antiques Roadshow, seen by more than 10
million viewers each week. Leslie worked at
Sotheby’s for 33 years before forming his own
Art Advisory company. Leigh, a former Vice
President at Christies, is President of Keno
Auctions in New York City. The brothers are also
highly active in the study, collection, exhibition
and auction of Classic Cars in a variety of
capacities. Leigh and Leslie have served as
judges in the pre-war and post-war preservation
classes at the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance.
Bob Larivee Sr.
Bob Larivee’s company, Promotions Inc.,
produced over 100 hot rod and custom shows
annually. The AutoRama producer and show
car legend incorporated the biggest names in
hot rod building, music, TV and film under one
roof to establish some of America’s most iconic
indoor show car events.
Jay Leno
Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired
stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s
book author, much-in-demand corporate
speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over
artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and
philanthropist… it’s no wonder that Jay Leno
is widely characterized as “the hardest working
man in show business.”
Tim Mcgrane
A native of England, Tim is the Executive
Director of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum
in Danville, CA. He spent the early part of his
career in the world of classic automotive auctions
and expositions. Tim has successfully developed
and executed marketing event strategies in the
luxury automotive, private aviation and luxury
yacht worlds for the Robb Report magazine.
Prior to joining the Blackhawk he launched the
Curator/Global Luxury Lifestyle event series for
Sandow Worth Media Group with leading luxury
brands. Tim is also a consultant to the Credit
Suisse Classic Car Program. Graham Moss
Graham Moss is a leading expert in the
preservation of vintage Bentleys. His company,
R.C. Moss, has over 55 years of experience and
knowledge, having achieved unrivaled levels of
success in the field of restoration.
Adolfo Orsi
A historian of Italian motorsport, noted
collector-car expert and staunch advocate of
preservation, Adolfo Orsi has coordinated and
overseen the restoration of some of the most
significant cars produced in Italy.
Pat Phinny
Pat’s race résumé includes Formula Ford,
Super V, Indy Light and, historic cars he repairs
and races. He owns a very select collection of
classic American cars, particularly Packards,
and early Indy racers. Pat owns the iconic Baja
Cantina restaurant in Carmel Valley, voted by
AutoWeek as one of the top 10 automotive
restaurants in the world.
Marek Reichman
Director of Design at Aston Martin, Marek
Reichman’s design career began in 1991 and
has included Chief Designer roles for Rover
Cars, BMW, and Ford and Lincoln Mercury
brands. The seven years Marek has been
Director of Design at Aston Martin have been
one of the most prolific periods of new model
introductions for the company.
Christopher Sanger
Christopher Sanger is Senior Specialist of
Classic Cars and Motorcycles at Winston Art
Group, the largest independent art appraisal and
advisory firm in the United States. Christopher
quite literally grew up among cars as the greatgreat-grandson of William C. Durant, founder
of General Motors, and a relative of E. Paul
DuPont, founder of DuPont Motors.
Fred Simeone
A renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Fred Simeone
has assembled a collection of over 65 rare and
significant racing sports cars at the Simeone
Foundation Automotive Museum.
Franz Von Holzhausen
As Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen
is responsible for driving the overall design
direction of Tesla Motors. Prior to joining Tesla,
Franz was Director of Design at the Mazda
North American Design Center and held the
Design Director position at General Motors.
Gene Winfield
Gene Winfield is an American automotive
customizer, revered as the “King of Kustoms.”
He started chopping and re-sculpting cars in his
teenage years. In the mid-1960s, his designs
caught the attention of the film community,
resulting in a large body of his work being seen
on screen, including in the iconic 1982 film
Blade Runner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Blade_Runner.
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