Million-makers: The big-money stars of the Scottsdale sales

The Scottsdale auction week promises a slew of million-dollar cars, but which are the undisputed blue-chip stars from Bonhams, Gooding and RM? We take a look at the three candidates with the highest price expectations…

Gooding & Company: 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail (Lot 137)

In visual terms, the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail is perhaps the most dramatically memorable racing machine of the last 20 years. But this particular car – chassis 21R – has its own history of racing success, too, and is claimed to be the most successful BMW factory car currently in private ownership. It was the first Longtail to post a victory, winning at Hockenheim and Helsinki, and also took four podiums in five FIA GT races with a main driving pairing of JJ Lehto and Steve Soper. Restored by McLaren and maintained by marque specialist Lanzante Ltd., Gooding & Company describes the FINA-liveried Longtail as "a most magnificent example of automotive engineering." Estimate: $5-7m

RM Auctions: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider (Lot 112)

It’s not one of the three significant racing Porsches which is expected to bring the highest price at RM’s Scottsdale sale, but rather, as you might have guessed, a classic Ferrari. The 1958-built 250 GT LWB, chassis 1055 GT, is the 11^th of only 50 LWB Californias built. It has a single competition outing under its belt, namely the 1962 Osceola Grand Prix in Geneva, Florida, in which it recorded a class win. More recently, the car has undergone an engine rebuild at Roelofs Engineering in the Netherlands, along with a fresh service at Newport Beach Ferrari. You can read a detailed report of the Cal’ Spider here. Estimate: $7-9m

Bonhams: 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta ‘The Tailor's Car’ (Lot 173)

Although the catalogue cover for Bonhams’ Scottsdale sale shows a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C with bodywork by Zagato, the lot with the highest estimate is in fact another Ferrari. The 1951 212 Export Berlinetta is widely known as ‘the Tailor’s Car’ due to its first owner being fashion designer (and gentleman racer) Augusto Caraceni. We’ve already reported extensively on this car. Estimate: $3-4m

Photos: RM Auctions, Gooding & Co., Bonhams

femme de chambre

Blood & Oil - To Create, Be More Awake, And To Be More Alive.

I've known Cale Glendening for less than 24 hours. He's known himself for only 27 years. What I can tell you is, we've found ourselves a man who puts his raw talent out into the world every day - behind a lens - in a way that makes us feel like we've known him much, much longer. 

To steal Cale's own words, Blood & Oil speaks to all avenues of creativity and passionate endeavors - the common thread being desire, determination and the relentless pursuit it takes to see them through. That feeling that wakes you in the dead of night, the call to action that courses through your veins. It doesn't matter what you do or what your passion is, there is always room to be challenged, to grow, advance and to be more inspired. With that heart and intention, Blood & Oil is about wanting to create, be more awake and to be more alive. 

Three days, sixteen setups, nine locations. Reward Cale's passion by running this film as many times as it takes to see both you and him in it.

Produced, Directed and Edited by Cale Glendening
www.caleglendening.com

Tech3 workshop damaged in floods / L’atelier Tech3 touché par les inondations dans le Var

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP™ team has been affected by the recent extreme weather to hit the southern coast of France.

Basé à Bormes-Les-Mimosas, le team Monster Yamaha Tech3 a été l’une des victimes des très fortes pluie et des inondations qui ont sévi le week-end dernier dans le sud de la France et mené le Premier Ministre à promettre un arrêté de catastrophe naturelle

.The base in Bormes-les-Mimosas, home of the MotoGP™ outfit which is to run Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro as well as the Moto2™ team of Marcel Schrotter and Alex Mariñelarena, was affected on Sunday as the immense levels of rainfall resulted in rivers bursting their banks. This has occurred shortly before the squad was to pack up for the opening pre-season premier class test in Malaysia.

An anticyclone over northern Europe later resulted in heavy rain over France, resulting in much damage to crates in the Tech3 premises - whose watertight door failed - which on Tuesday were planned to have been shipped to Malaysia. The entire region has been majorly affected by the weather, with two people having lost their lives and a further individual injured as the storms left many without electricity and running water as well as much damage to buildings.

The majority of damage was sustained between 10 and 11am on Sunday, with the flood water coating the workshop floor in mud and damaging equipment. "This is a major natural occurrence, but we are fortunate this has not happened at a busier time of year," Team Manager Herve Poncharal explains. "Although we have many things to prepare, it shouldn’t affect us too badly."

Since the damage was incurred on Sunday, Tech3 personnel have been busily attempting to clean up the property with the assistance of neighbours.

A quelques jours de mettre le cap sur la Malaisie pour le premier Test Officiel de l’année, le team Monster Yamaha a subi un coup dur le week-end dernier suite aux pluies diluviennes qui se sont abattues sur le sud de la France et causé de très importants dommages matériels, deux morts, une personne portée disparue ainsi que des évacuations en urgence.

Hervé Poncharal s’est entretenu avec motogp.com mardi après-midi pour faire le bilan de la situation et a expliqué : « Là, trois jours après, le beau temps est revenu mais il y a encore des gens sans électricité, sans eau, homeless. Ça a été, comme souvent en Méditerranée, aussi brutal que bref. Notre atelier est juste à côté d’un tout petit cours d’eau. Il avait déjà beaucoup plu jeudi, vendredi et samedi, mais jusqu’à samedi soir ça coulait normalement. »

« Dimanche matin il y a eu une dépression orageuse qui venait de la Méditerranée et qui est restée bloquée au-dessus de nous. Il a plu toute la journée, c’était très localisé, avec des pluies diluviennes de 4-5h du matin jusqu’à 14h. Nous étions passés à l’atelier à 8h30 pour surélever et sécuriser les caisses de matériel, qui partaient ce matin pour la Malaisie, pour les premiers tests de l’année. »

« Ça a tenu jusqu’à un moment donné où l’eau est montée tout d’un coup, notre porte étanche a lâché, c’était comme l’explosion d’une bombe, puis la vague d’eau est rentrée et a traversé l’atelier. La grosse inondation a eu lieu vers 10h30-11h. A 14h40-15h, l’eau était partie mais le problème, c’est qu’elle était montée à plus d’un mètre et on a de la boue absolument partout. En plus les canalisations d’eau ont été arrachées et c’est donc une galère monstrueuse. »

« Heureusement, il n’y a pas eu de dommage corporel ou matériel chez nous. Il y a eu une belle solidarité. On a la chance d’avoir des voisins qui ont des machines, tractopelles et autres, des gens qui sont venus aider. C’est un coup dur qui n’arrive pas à une bonne période de l’année puisqu’on a beaucoup de choses à faire et à préparer, mais ça n’aura pas de répercussion sur quoi que ce soit. »