saysomething.us

SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker

2011-11-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Rio - Metro Barra

2011-10-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

METRO BARRA from Archigraph on Vimeo.

Bungee Cord Sofistication - 1934 MG Jacobsen Special

2011-09-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Old Town La Quinta, CA - 1960 Cadillac Eldorado convertible

2011-09-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

First Porsche Race Car - 1953 / 550 Prototype

2011-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Porsche's purpose built 1953 aerodynamic racing rocket, the 550-01 was powered by a 1498 cc mid-engine. This iconic road racing car is currently on loan to the High Museum in Atlanta and is featured in their exhibit, The Allure of the Automobile.
read more here

The Porsche 550 Prototype is the first of two 550 prototypes built and is the first race car built by Porsche. The company’s wild success in the racing arena, and resulting sports car market, began with this car. The first 550 completed for competition in 1953, after just a year of development which started in 1952, won in it’s initial outing.
That same year, the two Porsche 550 Prototypes, 550-01 and 550-02, ran neck and neck for the entire 24 hours of Le Mans, crossing the finish line at the same interval at which they had started. Le Mans scoring officials awarded the win to 550-02.
The end of the racing season brought a relocation for the cars to Mexico where they raced in the 1954 La Carrera Panamericana. After that, the cars vanished with only 550-01 resurfacing years later in a Mexican warehouse.
read more here

Northern Light - 1958 Porsche Abarth

2011-09-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

The Carrera Abarth GTL of Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund, a Porsche rich in Scanidnavian racing history.

Story by Peter Linsky Photos by David Gooley from Excellence - The magazine about Porsche

You may have never heard of Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund, a quiet Swede nicknamed “CeGe.” He was well-known for hosting a long-running (1956-1970) program on Swedish Public Radio about cars and driving safety, a subject taken quite seriously in Scandinavia. But he was known for something else, too: speed.To say Hammarlund was successful as a racer would be an understatement. Consider his record in 1961 and 1962, as noted by Swedish racing enthusiast and historian Tomas Karlson: Eleven GT starts, eleven wins, and two Swedish national GT championships. His weapon for all those wins: this rare 356B Carrera Abarth GTL.Though Hammarlund drove for Swedish VW/Porsche importer ScaniaBilar in his spare time, his main job was to run the public relations office at the Swedish arm of British Petroleum, according to Swedish automotive magazine Racing. He first wet his competitive feet in 1949, hillclimbing at Alby with a home-built, American-style midget with Ford V8-60 power; he posted top time. He then entered trials and rallies as part of Scania’s Volkswagen team. It was at this point that he met a rather talented mechanic named Willy Dolling.“Because of my knowledge of VW and Porsche motors, I was asked by CeGe in April of 1953 if I could prepare and maintain his racing cars,” says Dolling, now 80 years old and retired in Stockholm.With the help of Dolling, Hammarlund and Erik Petterssen co-drove a brand-new, Dolling-prepared 356 Carrera coupe to an overall win in the 1954 International Swedish Rally, also known as the Rally to the Midnight Sun. Hammarlund and his Porsches were quickly established as the favorites, no matter where they appeared.“Between 1954 and 1959, CeGe competed in 28 races throughout Europe,” recalls Dolling. “Of these, he won 26, came second in one, and fourth in another. In 1959, a Scandinavian Grand Touring championship was created with seven races per year. CeGe won every one of these races every year up to and including 1962.”Hammarlund’s talents were not limited to Porsches. He co-drove a Ferrari 375MM with Allan Borgefors to a good placing in the 1000km 1956 Swedish Grand Prix for sports cars, right behind the factory entries. He also had several rides in a Maserati 450S. Even so, some of his most memorable successes came in Porsches. He won the GT class with his 356 Carrera at West Germany’s Avus Ring on September 16, 1956, the same day Porsche factory driver Richard von Frankenberg survived his famous crash in the “Mickey Maus” RS 1500 Spyder, which saw von Frankenberg leave the track at the top of the high banking. Hammarlund also claimed a GT win at 1958’s Grand Prix of Sweden, a few years before he moved on to greater success with the Abarth Carrera GTL.

Ferrari P4/5 - Pininfarina

2011-09-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Beast of Turin: For about four million bucks, a famed Italian design studio turns out a one-of-a-kind super-Enzo.

When people first see it, they have a moment of confusion, because it's challenging to look at. But we wanted to create a piece of art, something timeless, so that you appreciate it more the longer you look at it." Jason also styled the new Ferrari 599. He's working exactly where he wants to be.Next, Ken Okuyama, the design director of Pininfarina. Ken is an engaging, magnetic character, who speaks with great intelligence and intense humour."The thing about Pininfarina," says Ken, "is that the company lets you, as a designer, take credit for what you've done. You sign the sketches. It's why I joined - you don't get that so much in big corporations."There is something in the air here. You can feel it, like you can at Oxford or any other great university. Though the people change, the same atmosphere remains." Ken has given his understudy Jason the space to express himself clearly with this car, helping with some guidance on occasion, but not interfering.
read more @ topgear.com
and @ caranddriver.com

The Spectacular 1992 Mazda RX-792P

2011-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

On the heels of the 1991 GTO championship, Mazda decided to move to the very pinnacle of North American sportscar racing, the IMSA GTP.
This car, the RX-792P, was powered by a 650hp four-rotor engine, as used in the Mazda 787B, the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans winning car
RX-792Ps showed well in the series that year, never reaching the top step of the podium, tough. Even tough it never won a race, the RX-792P was by far the most spectacular looking of the wild factory-supported GTP cars.

1973 Porsche 917/30 Can Am

2011-08-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

Chassis: 917/30-006

With the 917/30 program coming to an abrupt end at the end of 1973, three of the six designed frames were never completed in period. Chassis 917/30-006 was already at Penske's workshop ready to be built up as one of the 1974 team cars when the Can-Am entry was axed. In 1982 the existing parts were acquired by legendary Porsche dealer Vasek Polak and he set about assembling sufficient parts to complete the car. He finally succeeded in 1995 and shortly after sold the car. Since then it has been regularly raced and is seen here at the 2009 Monterey Historic Races where Porsche was the featured marque.
read more @ ultimatecarpage
photos MoVilla/Saysomething.us and Wouter Melissen

Engine
Configuration	912.52 180º V12
Location	Mid, longitudinally mounted
Construction	magnesium alloy block, aluminium alloy head
Displacement	5.374 liter / 327.9 cu in
Bore / Stroke	90.0 mm (3.5 in) / 70.4 mm (2.8 in)
Compression	6.5:1
Valvetrain	2 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed	Bosch Fuel Injection
Aspiration	Twin Eberspacher Turbos
Power	1100 bhp / 821 KW @ 7800 rpm
Torque	1112 Nm / 820 ft lbs @ 6400 rpm
BHP/Liter	205 bhp / liter

Drivetrain
Body	glass-fibre reinforced plastic body
Chassis	aluminium tubular space frame
Suspension (fr/r)	double wishbones, coil springs, shock absorbers, anti roll bar
Steering	rack-and-pinion
Brakes	ventilated discs, all-round
Gearbox	Type 920 4 speed Manual
Drive	Rear wheel drive

Shakira - Rabiosa - featuring Pitbull

2011-08-31T10:25:00.001-07:00

Electric Car Speed Record at Nordschleife by Toyota

2011-08-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Toyota’s TMG EV P001 just became the first electric car to shatter the 8-minute barrier at the Nurbirgring racetrack in Germany, with a blazing new time of 7 minutes and 47.794 seconds. Toyota Motorsport GmbH knocked an entire minute off the speed record for an EV at the ‘Ring’. The car handily beat the Peugeot EX1′s already amazing April record of 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds, which shows that the technology behind electric vehicle motors is really taking off.

Billabong Pro Teahupoo Tow In Session

2011-08-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

The famed Tahiti surf break, Teahupoo, has produced some of the most epic waves the ASP has ever seen for any event with the Billabong Pro Teahupoo tow in session to go down in the surfing records books as one of the most insane sessions ever surfed.Watch this video created by the team at Billabong which shows the Billabong Pro Teahupoo tow in session. You won’t believe it is humanly possible to surf on these slabs of water. Absolutely insane!!!
read more here

excerpted from softboards.net/billabong-pro

1968 Penske-Sunoco Camaro

2011-08-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

First car built for the 1968 Penske team, by fabricator Ron Fournier.
2nd place at 24 Hours of Daytona driven by Mark Donahue, Craig Fisher and Bob Johnson.
2nd place (4th overall) at 12 Hours of Sebring driven by Joe Welch, Bob Johnson and Craig Fisher.
Podium finishes for Sam Posey for the balance of the season.
Raced successfully in Europe in Group II sponsered by Sunoco Belgium. Won 18 of 20 races, 1969-71.
Continued racing in Europe until 1987 when it was returned to the US for restoration.
Belgium vintage racing in 1999.

1969 Porsche 908 LH (long tail)

2011-08-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

1972 Brian Redman and ArturoMerzario Ferrari 312 P/B

2011-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Brian Redman, one of the greatest all-round racing drivers in the history of our sport, was re-united with the legendary Ferrari 312P/B at Pebble Beach past weekend (August 19, 20, 21). Here, in his own words, he recalls that brilliant car and his life and times at Ferrari.

Read more here and here.

video clip by MoVilla / colog209

1971 Trans Am AMC - Javelin

2011-08-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

This car is a unique piece of Trans Am history. It was built in 1970, driven by Mark Donahue and finish second in the points championship. In 1971, Penske sold this car to Roy Woods racing, and they updated the sheet metal to 1971. In 1971, the car was driven by Vic Elford, Peter Revson, Milt Minter and George Follmer. In 1972, Roy Woods again campaigned the Javelins in AMC red, white and blue colors, and won the Trans-American championship with George Follmer and Roy Woods, as the drivers.
This car was restored as driven in 1972.

1950's/60's - Porsche 550 RS and 718 RS Spyder

2011-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Amazon Tribe Feared Missing After Attack (VIDEO)

2011-08-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

source:www.huffingtonpost.com

We Love J LO

2011-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

SUPERHEAVY

2011-07-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

For 18 months, Mick Jagger has been working on a secret album with Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and AR Rahman. Super Heavy is the fitting name of this heavyweight musical collective, who plan to release their debut "fusion" album in September.

"It's a bit odd," Jagger told Rolling Stone. "A different kind of record than what people would expect." It's certainly a motley crew: one Stones frontman, one Eurythmics founder, one English soul singer, plus Bob Marley's youngest son and India's most famous film composer. But Jagger promised that Super Heavy's music is "not all weird and strange". Fans, he said, "will find most of it accessible". read more

text excerpted from www.guardian.co.uk

Laird Hamilton

2011-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Laird Hamilton has been a surfing hero since the 1980s, solidifying his reputation as the king of big wave surfing when he conquered Tahiti's Teahupo'o Reef at its most perilous in August 2000. As an innovator, he pioneered many new activities including kitesurfing, tow-in surfing and hydrofoil boarding. He's on the board of directors at H2O Audio, makers of pro-level waterproof iPhone and iPod cases, and has his own signature line of Surge waterproof earphones, proceeds of which are donated to the Beautiful Son foundation for autism education.

source: www.gizmodo.com

Scientist Swims -Au Naturale- with Belugas

2011-07-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Call her Natalia. Her story is like Ishmael's in "Moby Dick," but with more nudity and fewer harpoons and peg legs.

Natalia Avseenko, a Russian scientist, allegedly stripped naked and swam with two white whales in the Arctic to tame them before they were sent to an aquarium.
Her frigid tale was reported in the Daily Mail , which said she survives the dangerously cold waters through meditation and her background in yoga.
It's necessary for her to bathe au naturale, because marine biologists believe the beluga whales do not like to be touched by artificial materials, the Mail reported.
The aquatic ballet took place in the Murmansk Oblast of the White Sea off the coast of Russia, the British tabloid said. With sub-freezing temperatures at -1.5 Celsius or 29.5 Fahrenheit, the Daily Mail claimed that Avseenko held her breath underwater for more than 10 minutes.
Yet the newspaper didn't report what she did during the icy encounter to domesticate the mammals for their future lives in captivity.

source: www.huffingtonpost.com
www.dailymail.co.uk

1965 Mercer-Cobra

2011-07-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

The 1965 Mercer Cobra would never have been built had it not been for the Copper Development Association, which wanted to show the practical modern uses of copper in automobile design. But it certainly would not have looked the way it did were it not for Virgil M. Exner and his son, Virgil, Jr., who transformed it from concept to reality.

Photos by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions and www.madle.org

Mercer-Cobra to cross the block in Monterey

Of the four now-famous Exner designs that appeared in the December 1963 issue of Esquire – renderings of classic American automobiles reinterpreted to contemporary tastes – three became full-size, real-life automobiles. The Stutz Super Bearcat became the Pontiac Grand Prix-based Stutz Blackhawk; the Duesenberg dual-cowl sport phaeton became the 1966 Ghia-built revival Duesenberg prototype; and with the help of a generous benefactor, the Mercer Type 35 became the one-off Mercer Cobra.

Funded by the Copper Development Association and built by Carrozzeria Sibona-Bassano of Turin, the Mercer-Cobra was finished in late 1964 and whisked off to a world tour promoting the CDA. It has since appeared in the pages of Special Interest Autos (SIA #39) and graced a number of noteworthy collections, and now RM has announced that it will go up for sale at its auction in Monterey next month with a pre-auction estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million. From the auction description:
In the case of chassis number CSX2451, the Copper Development Association’s president, George M. Hartley, spied the Exner concepts on the pages of Esquire and contracted with Exner’s company to complete the design and have it built. With Ghia in financial trouble, Exner looked elsewhere for craftsmen capable of faithfully rendering the Mercer’s design features in metal. Brooks Stevens recommended Carrozzeria Sibona-Bassano in Turin. The company had been established by Elio and Emilio Bassano around 1962, but its capabilities and prestige were substantially augmented in 1962 when Pietro Sibona, one of Ghia’s master metal workers, joined them.

Exner and his son and business partner, Virgil M. Exner, Jr., completed the design utilizing a chassis from AC Cars in the U.K. to which Sibona-Bassano faithfully and accurately adapted the design. Cobras were popular choices for specials builders and movie studios, as their series production and Ford-based drivetrain kept costs down. The ladder-frame construction was adaptable to almost any special bodywork and easily lengthened for specific appearance. AC easily pulled chassis off the line before bodies were mounted and supplied them in nearly ready-to-run condition for rapid modification and construction; in the case of the Mercer-Cobra, the chassis was lengthened to 108 inches.

Surviving period photographs which exist in the archives of the Henry Ford Museum show the clay model of the Mercer-Cobra in exceptional detail. Also in this collection are patent applications for the design of the body, as well as dramatic photos of the senior Exner supervising the design process. This collection of documents also indicates that the project was quite lucrative for the accomplished Exner; though the Cobra underlying the Mercer cost $2,800 with a total delivery price to Turin of $3,019 and the agreed price with Carrozzeria Sibona-Bassano for the delivered coachwork was $10,400, the contract with the CDA was for a total delivery price of $35,000.

A Singular Concept

The Copper Development Association’s Mercer-Cobra exploited the dramatic colors and textures of copper and copper-based materials to its advantage, particularly with the Brass-Era theme of the Mercer. Some eleven different materials, alloys and finishes were employed in both the interior and exterior to demonstrate the diversity of copper and brass. Exner’s design emphasizes the long hood and pushed-back passenger compartment with long blade-style front fenders open along the hood sides, abbreviated rear fenders with separate mudguards behind the rear wheels and a long, tapered rear deck. A classic-style brass grille with eight large elements in front of mesh stone guards proudly leads the Mercer-Cobra’s design statement. The headlights are ingeniously mounted on pivots where they swing back flush with the sides of the nose when not illuminated. Exner later observed, “our overall aim was to create an interesting and stimulating design rather than one which simply follows the ‘formula’ of a flat, low snout with a horizontal air scoop and a squared-off bobtailed rear.”

For practical purposes, brass and copper elements were covered with an acrylic coating to prevent discoloration and exterior moldings made of silicon bronze. The taillights are recessed in brass tunnels integrated with the rear-wheel mudguards. Interior trim, seat backs, door panels and dashboard gauges are executed in copper while a high-strength chromium-copper alloy is used in the steering-wheel spokes. The 16-inch wire wheels have multi-piece brass covers. Chrome plating is used deftly but sparingly throughout, mostly on a brass substrate, to accent the richness of the brass and copper elements. The engine has been given the brass and copper treatment on the valve covers, air cleaner, oil filler cap and dipstick housing. This treatment continues in the silicon bronze heat shield protecting the body and passengers’ legs from the chrome-plated side exhaust pipes. Even the brake discs are made from copper alloy where the high heat-transfer rate promotes exceptional performance.

Finished in pearl white with black leather interior trim and a full-width curved Plexiglas windscreen, the Mercer-Cobra was toured throughout the world at shows and technical gatherings to promote copper and brass use and adaptability, making appearances on six continents. Delivered in late 1964, only a year after the decision to construct it was made, the Mercer-Cobra attracted worldwide attention, including a lavish six-page feature in the Winter 1964 issue of Automobile Quarterly. It was retained by the Copper Development Association for some ten years, demonstrating what an effective device it was in promoting the objectives of the association members.

Chassis CSX2451 was purchased by concept-car collector Joe Bortz in the early 1970s and was later owned by collectors Jim Southard, Al Wright and Tom Barrett. It has been owned by the Lyon family since 1989 – over 20 years. Although it was never intended to be driven, it is a running, driving functional automobile, still essentially as it was when it left Carrozzeria Sibona-Bassano in late 1964, right down to the original tires. Recently the Mercer-Cobra concept car was displayed among a group of concept cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Not only is the Mercer-Cobra Roadster an important piece of America’s automotive design history, it is a rare surviving work by one of the great automobile designers of the 20th century, Virgil M. Exner. Designed solely by him and his son and built under their direct supervision, every facet and design detail reflects his concept and ideas and is a singularly pure statement of his vision.

source: www.hemmings.com

The Ventures, The Greatest Surf Band of All Time.

2011-04-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Second time posted on this blog.
Father and son on the drums. Mel and Leon.

JUST CAN'Y GET ENOUGH OF IT...

Enjoy: "WIPE OUT", "Hawaii 5-0 ", and "Walk Don't Run"

The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. The band, formed by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, two masonry workers, has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide, having sold over 100 million records,[1] and are to date the best-selling instrumental band of all time. In 2008, the Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[2]

Their music has been cited by many guitarists as an influence; their virtuosity, experimentation with guitar effects, and unique sound laid the groundwork for innumerable groups, earning them the moniker "The Band that Launched a Thousand Bands".[3] They have also contributed to the surf music genre, though they are not, as popularly perceived, strictly a surf band. Though their popularity in the United States waned in the 1970s, the group remains revered in Japan, where they still tour regularly to this day.[1]

The Ventures
text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta @ Concorso Ferrari - Old Pasadena, California

2011-04-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Concorso Ferrari, hosted by the Ferrari Club of America’s Southwest Region, will be held on Sunday, May 22. This popular event will enjoy its third year on Old Pasadena, California’s, Colorado Boulevard, which offers plenty of room for foot traffic and the roughly 140 classic and contemporary Ferraris that will be on display.
Nearly 10,000 enthusiasts enjoyed the sights and sounds of Maranello’s finest during the 2010 edition of Concorso Ferrari, and like that event, this year’s show will support the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Participating cars built through 1999 will be eligible for judging by a panel of 30 Ferrari experts to Ferrari Club of America National guidelines; awards will be given out in 10 classes, based on engine, model or year.

Among the very special, rarely seen Ferraris participating in this year’s Concorso Ferrari in Old Pasadena, California, will be the event’s headliner – the stunning 1956 250 GT long wheelbase Berlinetta, serial number 0515 GT, belonging to noted Italian car collector David Sydorick.
Mr. Sydorick’s 250 GT was bodied by Milan’s famous Carrozzeria Zagato at the commission of Milan resident Vladimior Galluzzi, and it features the coachbuilder’s famous trademark double-bubble roof. Not only has the car become famous for its stunning style – AFAS artist Ken Dallison featured it in his 1996 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance poster and program – but it’s placed and won many of the races it’s been entered in in the past 50 years.

from: The Vintage Racing League

A 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda for $1,705,000.00

2011-03-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

The story behind the sale
The 1970 Hemi 'Cuda convertible has been the Holy Grail of muscle car collectibles for quite some time. With only fourteen built in total, nine of which were automatics, there has never been an oversupply of then on the market. that is, of course, until the great muscle cars price collapsed of a few years ago.

Proceeding the current recession, muscle cars had exploded in value. Reported prices for '70 Hemi 'Cuda convertibles handily exceeded $2 million, and '71 models approached $4 million. At that point the music stopped and a number of people who thought that values would go up forever learned a very hard lesson.

Muscle cars in general have been beaten down, in some cases to the point they have become bargains. No one will call this Cuda a deal at $1,705,000, but for a lot less dough that what these cars were "worth" a few years ago, some collectors and investors must think it's time to jump back in.

Unlike many collectors cars that have a worldwide following, this cars fan base lives almost exclusively in North America.

SN BS27ROB363502
White with black top over red vinyl 425-hp, 426 cubic-inch V-8, automatic Paint loks quite similar to factory quality, wich is to say lackadaisically applied. Excellent bright-work. The interior appears to have been expertly replaced with correct materials. A full rotisserie restoration of an extremely rare and desirable model

Auctioned at Scottsdale, January 21-22,2011 by Gooding & CO.

from automobilemag.com

James Dean possessed more than a little racing ability.

2011-03-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

Just months before dying in a horrendous on-road accident, a handsome young James Dean drove his Porsche Speedster in the SCCA/Cal Club/Long Beach MG Club Palm Springs Road in the desert just east of Los Angeles. Dean competed in the under 1500cc F-Production category. Even tough it was ostensibly an amateur meet, there were many big-game pros driving that weekend, in a interesting variety of stock class and purpose built race hardware. Dean, listed in the program as "Joseph Dean" in a vain attempt to maintain anonymity_ or at least not to attract so much attention_ acquitted himself well that weekend, driving his white Speedster to a second-in-class finish.

Interestingly enough, Steve McQueen launched his racing career at an SCCA meet in Santa Barbara in a nearly identical machine, except McQueen car was black.

By early 1955, Dean already was established as an up-and-coming young actor and a racer of some ability. He sold this car to purchase the Porsche 550 Spyder _as a racing machine, it was a step up from the Speedster_ in which he would die in Central California on September 30, 1955. Another connection in between Dean and McQueen is that they both use to street race at night on legendary Mulholland drive trough the Hollywood Hills. The late singer and actress Eartha Kitt was one of the Dean's friends and often accompanied on those midnight rides. Shortly after his untimely passing, his third and final major film, "Giant", hit the silver screen, forever ensuring his cult status.

original article from motortrend.com

2011 Desert Classic - Concours d'Elegance

2011-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

Paul and Holly Merrigan, founders of the Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, presented the 4th issue of this first major car event, on Sunday, 02/27/2011.
The first event of the year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500.

The show took place at the La Quinta Resort and Club, a majestic set surrounded by the Santa Rosa Mountains.
This year the Desert Classic, besides the historic Indy cars, presented a showcasing of rarely-seen extraordinary and classic automobiles.
We were pleased to look and enjoy those rolling examples of creativity which have been created in the last on hundred years.

An gathering of an outstanding class of Indianapolis cars dating from the pre-World War I era to modern times were displayed.

The most revered historic artifact on the field was Ann Bothwell's 1914 Peugeot L45. This car features a 4.5 liter, four cylinder engine that has an early version of a head with dual overhead crankshafts, and hemisferical combustion chambers, an architecture that has endured in high performance cars up to this day. It began life on the European Grand Prix circuit, and came to America, when the World War I temporarily ended racing in Europe. Alphonse Kaufman, the Peugeot importer who brought the car here, also engaged Dario Resta, an Italian-born driver who was raised in England. Using the Bothwell car, Resta finished second at the 1915 Indianapolis 500, and won the event in 1916. He also won the U.S. National Championship in 1916.

The rare 1954 Corvette " bublle top"

Some of the classic Indy cars in exibition.

Porsche 918 RSR

2011-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is continuing to extend its performance and high efficiency competence via intensive development work in the field of hybrid technology. With the Porsche 918 RSR, the manufacturer of sporty premium vehicles is presenting a high-end synthesis of 2010's successful hybrid concepts. The two-seater mid-engine coupé 918 RSR clearly reveals what happens when the technology fitted in the 911 GT3 R hybrid and the design of the 918 Spyder are transferred to a modern, innovative super sports car.

With its highly-efficient flywheel accumulator, the 911 GT3 R hybrid racing car proved to be an attention magnet during competition racing on the NÃ¼rburgring Nordschleife circuit, during the American Le Mans Series races (ALMS) in Road Atlanta/USA and the ILMC run in China's Zhuhai. It demonstrated its massive performance potential under realistic motor racing conditions against top competitors. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid, referred to internally as the "Race Lab" actually surpassed the high expectations of Porsche Motorsport. Competitiveness, high reliability and exemplary fuel efficiency combined with top performance underscored the Porsche technicians' basic idea of generating additional power in an intelligent manner. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid obtains its additional power from its own vehicle dynamics when braking. Porsche is now transplanting this technology into the mid-engine coupé 918 RSR, the motor sports version of the 918 Spyder concept car.
Next Page

1960 Square Bird - Strikingly Stylish

2011-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

If ever there was a car that represented all that was great about mid-century Detroit styling, the Thunderbird is it.

The country was aghast when the new for '58 Thunderbird was stretched into a four-seater. Everyone, it seemed, loved the cute, cozy styling of the small T-Birds that preceded it. For the era, they where sensacional looking cars - they still are today - but not everyone who lusted after a 1955 - '57 Thunderbird could justify buying one due to their limited seating capacity. And so, many didn't.

continue on next page:

Base Jumping - Wing suit

2011-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Need 4 Speed: The Art of Flight

A collection of shots from flights made during the 2009-2010 season by the talented group of wingsuit basejumpers, while flying the V3, Hybrid LD2/Trango rigs and testing several new V-series wingsuit prototypes around Europe.
read more @ www.adrenalinbase.com/

1955 Porsche Silver Bullett Hot Rod

2010-12-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

I Love the Concept...The "Porscheophiles" Are Gonna Hate it.

This car is a stunning and totally unique one-off that subscribes loosely to the 356 Outlaw philosophy. Based on a 914-6 chassis, this car has been fitted with a mid-mounted 3-litre 911 engine with Weber carburetors, as well as a 915 5-speed gearbox. It was built by Australian Jeff Dutton in 1992. The body is based on a 356 Continental from 1955, and is recognizably such up to the B-pillar. The roof has been chopped several inches, as is fairly standard for an `Outlaw`, but thanks to the mid engine placement and 914-6 chassis, the wheelbase is longer than that of a 356. Consequently, the car displays a dramatic and striking `fastback` rear treatment, which is beautifully set off by a number of very neat and extraordinary details. The philosophy throughout the car is one of lightness and strength, and much of the car is structurally composed of a tube frame. There is an integral roll bar, which is in keeping with the general interior aesthetic of Spartan functionality.
read more @ www.fantasyjunction.com

F1 On The Beach!

2010-12-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Cruelty at its worst : The Unforgivable Brutal Murder.

2010-12-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Believe It:
This happens in developed countries such as: Denmark and Japan. Every single year.

You would think that the first world countries in Europe such as Denmark would never succumbed itself to i killing dolphins and whales just because its a tradition? How barbaric are these people? Well lets just say that upon my research of this infamous tradition, I stumbled upon tons of sites that tackles this horrible massacre of the whales and dolphins, and take note “WITH PICTURES” (Read: horrible graphics). When I first saw the pics I thought it was a hoax but upon reading articles about it on credible news sites, I can’t believe my eyes that this barbarism is happening in another country, which is far more progressive compared to ours. I, one time shed a tear upon looking at the pics because it was really horrible. The people look on, saying nothing, as if it was some kind of entertainment or a circus to behold on to. The worst, there were children everywhere. I previously wrote about a series here in Brother Sun, Sister Moon which featured extinct animals caused by mans’ slaughtering and hunting. Well I guess it won’t be long till the pilot whales of Faroe Island would be seen only in pages of books.

The fishermen in villages like Taiji, go out in small boats to known dolphin migratory routes. Positioning their boats strategically, they space out to form a line and wait for the dolphins. When the dolphins arrive, the fishermen drop long metal pipes into the water, and by banging on the pipes they create a wall of sound. The sound interferes with the dolphins' ability to navigate - it disorients and panics them. The dolphins swim away from the sound, and the fisherman maneuver their boats herding them into a small shallow bay. Once in the bay, nets are drawn across the mouth of the bay to keep them penned in.
The fishermen usually injure a few of the captive dolphins with a spear thrust or a knife slash - dolphins will not abandon these wounded family members.

Trapped in the shallow water, the dolphins mill about trying to stay as far from land as possible until the next morning. In the morning, the fishermen draw the nets in, forcing the dolphins closer to shore where they kill them by stabbing and slashing them with knives and hooks. The dolphins thrash about for as long as six minutes each as they slowly bleed to death, turning the sea literally red with their blood.

After the massacre, the bodies of the dolphins are taken to a slaughter house to be butchered. The meat is severely contaminated but is sold without warnings in supermarkets in Japan - supermarkets often owned by US and European chains.

Information taken from SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY

sources:
http://bluepanjeet.net
www.squidoo.com
http://www.fondationbrigittebardot.fr

1917 Haull-Scott, The Four

2010-12-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The Most Sensous Alfa Ever?

2010-12-01T19:15:00.001-08:00

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, by Franco Scaglione - 1967
(...many consider to be one of the most beautiful designs ever.)

Continuing the string of enchanting designer bodies for Alfa Romeo in the 1950s and 1960s (see the Pininfarina custom body for Alfa Romeo 33, for example - revealed at Paris show in 1969 and discussed in our previous article), Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale ("Street") is another curvaceous beauty, as desirable as it is rare.

The street version of the Alfa-Romeo Tipo 33 racing car was designed by Franco Scaglione, a major talent who just left Bertone studio, and went free-lancing... apparently losing none of his master touch.

The first production vehicle to have "butterfly" doors, the first mid-engined Alfa Romeo road car appeared at Milan Motorshow in 1967. Its voluptuous, nicely proportioned shape many consider to be one of the most beautiful designs ever.

On a racing track the car was intended to lock horns with Ferrari (that was promoting its own famous Dino 206S back then) and with a line of 910s from Porsche. The 33 model performance was called "unprecendented": indeed, considering it went from 0 to 60mph in just 6 seconds - and could reach maximum speed of 162 mph (260 km/hr) - making it a true supercar at the time! Perhaps even better than Ferrari Daytona...

Only 18 such cars have been built, mostly due to their astronomical price. Some versions had entirely different front-end styling.
The 33 Series Alfa-Romeo chassis proved to be attractive to numerous stylists, among them Bertone, Pininfarina, and Ital Design from 1968 to 1976. In the next articles we'll try to cover these rarities as well.

"Muscular, aggressive and sensual, the 33 Stradale was magnificently sculpted"

source: darkroast.com
supercars.net

I Put a Spell On You

2010-11-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Scariest Car in the World

2010-11-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

This is a 2009 release that was overseen by me back then. I even hadn't noticed that such a_ let me say_ diabolic machine_ had been shown out there. So like they say, "better late than never", and here is some of the material I've picked on the net.

Caparo T1 is certainly the scariest supercar in the world. Last year this Formula wannabe appeared in many high profile events and TV shows and broke down in almost all of them!

Caparo T1 Review

And in some occasions it caught fire in which the worst is when Jason Plato of Fifth Gear was testing it and he got burned on his hand, neck and face. So we are a bit skeptical about this new 2009 modelwhich will debut at Salon Prive on 12th February 2009 at London’s Hurlingham Club. However with 550+ horsepower, 0-60 in 2.5 seconds and a price tag of more than $350,000 (2008 model) this can be considered as a very exciting way to attempt suicide! Of course for rich people. The new model offers five different settings as they say the base is a cost effective racing setup and at the top of the range you can have Race Extreme Version which comes with upgraded electronics package, fully carbon brakes and the latest light weight magnesium wheels.

The Caparo T1 could be considered the sibling of the classic McLaren F1, thought by many to be "one of the great events in the history of the car" [Source: Autocar]. Two of the engineers responsible for the T1’s design, Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead, were also heavily involved in the creation of the McLaren F1 [Source: Newspress]. But where the F1 (and the Ferrari Enzo, which was tested by F1 star Michael Schumacher) were inspired by F1 cars, the Caparo T1 strives to be one. It has an open-wheel design with the familiar F1 suspension struts visible. Front and rear wings create road-hugging downforce. The driver sits in an enclosed central cockpit, with space behind for one passenger. More importantly, the T1 was designed from the ground up to be as light as possible. It will not be the fastest or most powerful production car ever made, but it's essentially as close to a Formula 1 car with headlights as any car will ever be.

Caparo isn't producing the T1 to prove their high-performance street "cred" (though they'll generate a fair amount of it). The T1 is a showcase for Caparo's lightweight vehicle technologies. The company markets its expertise at designing cars using very light materials as a way for automakers to create more efficient cars, ultimately reducing pollution and energy consumption. Toward that end, they hired Formula 1 designer and McLaren F1 design alum Gordon Murray, who is known for shaving every ounce of excess weight from racing cars [Source: Autocar].
sources:
http://www.motorward.com
http://auto.howstuffworks.com
http://www.streetfire.net

Tribute to Giotto Bizzarrini

2010-10-26T14:05:00.001-07:00

Giotto Bizzarrini

Advancements in science and technology in the twentieth century brought about great changes in many fields including the automobile industry. The Italians were among the forerunners of these developments in this industry. The names Ferrari and Lamborghini are known throughout the world for their achievements in this field and primarily for the sports cars they developed. These are names synonymous with innovative, stylish, high-performance cars. However there is yet another lesser-known Italian who deserves to belong to this illustrious group and that is Giotto Bizzarrini.

Bizzarrini’s youth and education Giotto Bizzarrini was born in a tiny village called Quercianella in the Livorno province in Tuscany on 6th June 1926. Bizzarrini’s antecedents were all engineers. Imbued with the typical wild Tuscan spirit, Bizzarrini spent his youth mostly in the rough, in the forests of his birthplace, hunting and fishing, later deciding to take up his family trade. He enrolled in the University of Pisa to study engineering. As a mark of completing his course, he demonstrated his learning and skills by building an entire car from scratch. He then went onto become a teacher at the same university.
Pitstop 1- Ferrari
However, the restless Tuscan was not content with his academic job and in 1954 quit the University to join the experiments department at Alfa Romeo as a test driver. In 1957, the death of a test-driver at the world famous automobile manufacturing company Ferrari left an opening that Bizzarrini desperately wanted to fill. Bizzarrini secured an interview through some connections in the Ferrari company higher-ups and joined Ferrari in February 1957. By 1958 he became the head of Controlling and Testing for Production. It was during this period that he met another Tuscan, Carlos Chiti, with whom he went on to collaborate in many projects.

Those were momentous times at Ferrari with some great minds working on the complex automobile design issues of the day. In 1961 Jaguar released the high-performance Jaguar E-type that set alarm bells ringing at Ferrari. The onus fell on Bizzarrini to come up with a fit reply to Jaguar. He worked hard and fast with just four other loyal Ferrari engineers. Their efforts resulted in the world famous Ferrari 250 GTO.

But Bizzarrini was not there to celebrate the success of their efforts. He along with his friend Chiti and a few others resigned from Ferrari in what became a much publicized ‘walkout’ protesting the impulsive decision of Enzo Ferrari to expel one of their friends Gardini. Count Volpi du Misurata of the Scuderia Serenissima then hired Bizzarrini, Chiti and two others to design a car to rival Ferrari’s GTO. But that venture too fell through and Bizzarrini had to look for newer pastures.

Pitstop 2 - Iso
This was the time another significant personality entered Bizzarrini’s life. Renzo Rivolta, owner of Iso, a small car manufacturing company in Bresson, Milan was looking for an enterprising individual to test drive and make design changes to a prototype called Gordon GT that he had developed in association with British engineer John Gordon. Bizzarrini exactly fitted the bill and was hired by Rivolta. Bizzarrini absolutely hated the car’s design parameters but fell in love with its V8 engine, a Corvette 327. He advised Rivolta to scrap the original design and instead design a car from scratch but with this same engine. It was during this period that Bizzarrini set up his own consulting company Autostar in Livorno. In 1963 the contract with Rivolta ended and Bizzarrini went on to work for Campagnolo and ASA, another GT manufacturer for whom he developed the ASA 1000 GT.
Pitstop 3 – Lamborghini
Bizzarrini’s next pitstop was at the stables of the legendary Ferruccio Lamborghini. Lamborghini allowed Bizzarrini to give full vent to his creative genius. Lamborghini commissioned Bizzarrini to build a 350hp engine with 12 cylinders. As an incentive, Lamborghini promised him a bonus for every additional horse power that Bizzarrini could extract from the engine. The final engine, a 3500cc, 350hp, 9000rpm model, was completed in 4 months. Lamborghini was delighted and rewarded Bizzarrini well.

Pitstop 4 – Iso
Not longer after Bizzarrini left Iso, Rivolta came back to him. This time, Rivolta wanted him to build a mass-produced luxury car. But Bizzarrini at that time had a full-blown racing machine in mind. But Rivolta was insistent and so Bizzarrini worked with Rivolta’s engineers supervised by chief engineer Bertone to build the A3/L model while working on his own ideas separately which resulted in the A3/C model. The A3/L, named the Iso Grifo, was a huge hit in the Turin Auto Show in October 1963. The A3/C was not far behind in tasting success, as it won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hour race in its class. After this, following a dispute with Rivolta, Bizzarrini decided to walk. Rivolta retained the rights to the ‘Grifo’ name but Bizzarrini walked out with the rights to the A3C. Bizzarrini went on to build 2 more successful prototypes from his Livorno-based company based on the A3C – the 5300 GT Strada, a mass-produced car and the 5300 GT Corsa, a racing machine.

After 1969, Bizzarrini moved on to work for Opel and GM among other major manufacturers. His restored Strada 5300 was featured in the Pebble Beach Concours Parade of Elegance in California and was admired universally.

The Strada combined driveability with high speeds and performance and was acclaimed to be ‘among the fastest grand touring cars in the world’. Inspite of working with many successful designs, very few of Bizzarrini cars were mass-produced more of them being one-off, made-to-order jobs. Even today, car aficionados hold his designs dear to their hearts and his restored cars are a huge hit in every show that they are staged in.

A look at Bizzarrini’s successful designs

Ferrari 250 GTO, A3C, 5300 GT S/C, 5300 SI Spyder, The name still lives on

article from ultimateitaly.com

Got Skills?

2010-10-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rachid Taha - "Ya Rayah"

2010-09-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Vintage Mercedes Round-Up

2010-08-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

originally posted @ www.jaylenosgarage.com

Vintage Formula 1 @ 2010 RMMR (closing post)

2010-08-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

photos by MoVilla for www.saysomething.us

Tutti Italiani

2010-08-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

At the beginning when engines would not reach 18000 rpm, and tires were just larger than that of a bicycle, the Federation assigned the official colors of the racing cars depending on the nationality of the car manufacturer.
Italy was assigned red...

photos by MoVilla @ Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Laguna Seca, CA - August 13-14- 15, 2010 / www.saysomething.us

1975 Parnelli VJP-4 will race at Infineon.

2010-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Historic Grand Prix, often called “The World's Fastest Museum,” will again be part of the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway, Aug. 20-22.

This marks the sixth appearance for Historic Grand Prix in the Sonoma Valley, where it will again showcase more than 20 authentic Formula One racecars from the years 1966-1983. The historic racecars will be on display in a fan-accessible area of the paddock.

The race weekend will be headlined by the IZOD IndyCar® Series, with racing also taking place in Firestone Indy Lights and Formula Car Challenge, making for a great open-wheel race weekend.

The Historic Grand Prix roster will include iconic racecars from Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus, Brabham and Williams and March that were driven by world champions Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Niki Lauda, James Hunt and Jody Scheckter.

The owner-drivers of Historic Grand Prix take great pride in the balance they maintain between racing these valuable historic cars, yet not getting “over the edge” to an incident or crash. The credo "The Cars Are The Stars!" is supreme with Historic Grand Prix.

The field will include representative cars from three of the four American teams that competed in the FIA World Championship since it began in 1949, Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, UOP Shadow and Team Penske.

Tiburon’s Dave Olson will drive his 1975 Parnelli VPJ-4, which was raced by Andretti in 1975. This beautiful car is a remarkable tribute to the metal fabricator's art and was built in Torrance. The Shadow team was based in Des Plaines (Ill.) and was a serious contender in F1 in the mid-1970s.

The 1976 Penske PC-4 will also be in action; it is the actual car driven to victory in the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix by John Watson, scoring Roger Penske's only F1 victory. The car will be piloted by Doug Mockett of St. Croix in the U.S.Virgin Islands.

Several local driver-entrants are part of the field this year including San Anselmo's Chris Locke in an ex-Mario Andretti Lotus 77, John Anderson of Sebastopol driving a 1978 Wolf WR-2/4 and Steve Cook from Yountville in his 1974 March 741.

Photo taken by MoVilla at David Oldon garage in San Leandro, CA

For more information about Historic Grand Prix visit www.historicgrandprix.com.

Vintage Formula 1 this coming weekend at Infineon Raceway - Sears Point, CA

2010-08-18T19:41:00.002-07:00

Historic Grand Prix race cars will return to Infineon Raceway at Sears Point as part of the Indy Racing League’s Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend for the sixth consecutive year, August 20-22, 2010.

Here some of the cars presented last weekend at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca, CA. About 30 cars will be racing next weekend.

This particular car was raced by Brazilian driver Alex Dias Ribeiro in three Grand Prix in 1977.

photos by MoVilla for www.saysomething.us

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B

2010-08-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

This is a truly remarkable car for many reasons. It had the most extraordinary performance road car chassis in the world when it was built more than seventy years ago. Developed from an earlier Type C monoposto racer for the Mille Miglia (8C 2900s won five times), the supercharged in-line eight-cylinder engine was enlarged from 2.3 liters to 2.9, giving at least 180 hp for road cars, 220 hp for racers. Of the total of about forty chassis made, ten were on the "lungo" 118-inch wheelbase, graced by closed Touring bodies, each one slightly different. This is probably the most beautiful, and it also has a significant competition history, winning the first-ever race at Watkins Glen in 1948.

text excerpted from www.automobilemag.com
body photos by MoVilla for www.saysomething.com
engine photo by www.khulsey.com

Saab 96 and Sonet - Snappy Little Things

2010-08-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

photos by MoVilla for www.saysomething.us

Vintage NASCAR

2010-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Porsches and Vettes

2010-08-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pony and GT Cars Going Down the Corkscrew

2010-08-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

Power BBQ

2010-08-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

Churrasqueira para os affcionados

Porsche 356

2010-08-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Encomenda do Chico Pellegrino do Blog do Camaro.

photos by MoVilla for www.saysomething.us

Feirão de peças

2010-08-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

À escolher!

Vintage Formula 1 at Laguna Seca, CA

2010-08-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

34 Vintage Formula 1 going down the famous "corkscrew" at Laguna Seca.

Alex Dias Ribeiro - March 761 - 1977

2010-08-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Esta March 761 B, pilotada pelo Alex Dias Ribeiro, em impecável estado, disputou as duas baterias do Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, realizada domingo15 de agosto em Laguna Seca, California.
No próximo domingo, dia 22, participará das preliminares da prova de IRL em Sears Point (Infineon Raceway), tambem na California.
Em Laguna Seca os organizadores conseguiram colocar no grid 34 maravilhosas Formula 1 Classicas. "Vintages" variando de 1968 até 1983.
I m p r e s s i o n a n t e.

photos by MoVilla for www.say.something.us

2010 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Celebrates Dan Gurney

2010-08-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

It would be a tough (perhaps impossible) task to name a more impactful American driver/manufacturer/innovator than Southern California's Dan Gurney.

At this weekend's inaugural Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Gurney, who was one of the first inductees into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's "Laguna Legends," will be celebrated with a gathering of cars he drove, designed and built, all in pristine condition. read more here

Supercars of the 1940's

2010-08-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

This coming Friday and Saturday we will be visiting the prestigious Rolex Monterey Classic, one of the greatest events for classic Sports Cars in the world, and Sunday we will be visiting the not less prestigious Concours D'Elegance at Pebble Beach, where great classics like the ones bellow will be exposed. Will have great pictures next week. See you then.

1935-1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet

Shortly after WWII Talbot Lago was firmly back in business. Unlike many of the competitors, the French manufacturer's range was distinctly different from the cars offered before the hostilities engulfed the continent. There were certain similarities between the T150 offered up to 1939 and the new T26, which was available in both road and racing car trim. The monniker T26 was actually first used in the late 1930s for the 4.5 litre racing cars. The type name refers to the fiscal horsepower of '26 cv' engine. Before the six cylinder racing engine was offered to the public it was extensively developed from 1942 onwards, which enabled Talbot Lago to offer its new range so quickly after the peace was signed. read more here

1946-1955 Talbot Lago T26 Record Figoni & Falaschi Cabriolet

Shortly after WWII Talbot Lago was firmly back in business. Unlike many of the competitors, the French manufacturer's range was distinctly different from the cars offered before the hostilities engulfed the continent. There were certain similarities between the T150 offered up to 1939 and the new T26, which was available in both road and racing car trim. The monniker T26 was actually first used in the late 1930s for the 4.5 litre racing cars. The type name refers to the fiscal horsepower of '26 cv' engine. Before the six cylinder racing engine was offered to the public it was extensively developed from 1942 onwards, which enabled Talbot Lago to offer its new range so quickly after the peace was signed. read more here

1947-1951 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster

The most dramatic of all supercars is this 2-seat roadster created for English movie star Diana Dors. Built for the post-war concours circuit, Saoutchik was responsible for its extreme body which borrowed styling cues from other earlier designs.

Using the French curves of the thirties with more modern baroque ornamentation, Saoutchik conveys a sense of drama and movement with this design. With completely enclosed wheels, the car's best angle is its profile as the front has a confusing mix of elements that look like they came from different sources. At the time, the aggressive use of chrome was revolutionary and an emerging trend that the American manufacturers would go on to master. read more here

1930-1931 Cadillac A-V16 Rollston Convertible Coupe

Even today a vehicle is regularly judged by the number of pistons propelling it, but this was even more so in the formative years. A major restriction in those years was the strength of the crankshaft in long multi-cylinder engines. The V-engine with two banks of cylinders was a major step forward and by the mid 1920s several companies had a V12 in their line-up. Towards the end of the decade three American companies (Cadillac, Marmon and Peerless) were busy developing an even more glamorous V16 engine, but it proved more difficult than first imagined and one of them never even materialized. read more here

1935 Duesenberg SJ "Mormon Meteor"

In the first half of the 20th century, (motor racing) technology evolved at a rapid pace and as a result new benchmarks and records were regularly set. There was an especially big competition on both sides of the Atlantic to clinch the various land speed records. The record breakers and their machines were the sporting heroes of the day. By the mid 1930s the previously used beaches and closed circuits were no longer sufficient and the racers turned their attention to the massive salt flats at Bonneville in Utah. The smooth and vast flats were first used for racing in 1925 by local building contractor David Abbot 'Ab' Jenkins and in the following years he set numerous records in a wide variety of machines. In 1935 he convinced several English high speed racers to join him at Bonneville. Jenkins had a bright yellow surprise for them. read more here

texts and photos excerpted from ultimatecarpage.com and supercars.net

Milton Banana - O Rítmo da Bossa Nova

2010-08-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

Vou falar sobre um músico de primeira linha, baterista por vocação e um mestre das baquetas: Milton Banana, que tornou-se conhecido quando do surgimento da bossa nova, aquele gênero musical chamado de "intimista", ou, ironicamente, de "música de apartamento". Mas um gênero que deu certo, venceu e frutificou.

A bossa nova nos trouxe uma safra invejável de grandes bateristas – Edison Machado (cuja bateria era conhecida como metralhadora), Dom Um Romão (que tocou com Sérgio Mendes), Wilson das Neves (o preferido de Chico Buarque), Rubinho Barsotti (do paulistano Zimbo Trio), Toninho Pinheiro (do também paulistano Jongo Trio), Hélcio Milito (do carioca Tamba Trio), para citar somente alguns do primeiro time. E, claro, Milton Banana.

João Gilberto é considerado o "pai da bossa nova" por ter inventado uma batida de violão que passou a ser o símbolo do movimento, uma batida dificílima, pelo menos a princípio. E, com essa nova batida no violão, tornava-se necessária uma nova batida também na bateria. E o primeiro a bater bossa nova foi um sujeito chamado prosaicamente, Antonio de Souza, nascido em 23 de abril de 1935, no bairro de São Cristóvão, zona norte do Rio de Janeiro.

Antonio passou a ser Milton, pois sua mãe achava que tinha de ser assim e assim foi. De tanto chamar o Antonio de Milton, ele passou a ser Milton. E o Banana veio de sua mania pela fruta, da qual era um fiel consumidor. Daí surgiu Milton Banana, um dos maiores e mais aplicados bateristas que o Brasil já viu tocar.

Banana nunca estudou bateria formalmente, um instrumento que também exige estudo teórico e prático. Sua escola foram os inúmeros conjuntos de que participou no Rio, muitas vezes tocando bongô ou pandeiro, em gafieiras e clubes populares, principalmente nos bailes de Carnaval.

Voltando às "invenções musicais", descobriu-se que, para acompanhar a batida do violão do João, o baterista deveria exercer também uma "batida diferente", com uma baqueta privilegiando o aro e a vassourinha deslizando sobre o "couro" da caixa, complementando o ritmo. E é a Milton Banana que se deve, não apenas o típico teque-teque da bateria da bossa nova, mas todo o colorido rítmico e a intensa variedade de tempos que o ritmo exigia. E o mais interessante de tudo é que esse "teque-teque" não era padronizado, batia-se no aro da caixa sempre de uma forma diferenciada, o que era o "must" do ritmo. A vassourinha viria a ser substituída, em muitos casos, por outra baqueta passeando pelo chimbal (também conhecido como pratos de choque), que vem a ser aqueles dois pratos colocados sobre um pedestal, que fica à esquerda da bateria e que é acionado pelo baterista através de um pedal. Isso veio a facilitar o entendimento e o aprendizado da nova batida, pois é muito mais fácil passear com a baqueta pelos pratos do chimbal do que deslizar com a vassourinha pelo couro da caixa de forma ritmada.

Uma outra característica do ritmo da bossa nova foi o uso do bumbo, que fica no centro, ao chão, acionado também por um pedal e que fazia a marcação do ritmo com um constante "tum-tum". Tudo isso surgiu com Milton Banana.

O real começo de Banana foi em 1955 quando estava com 20 anos, no pequeno bar do hotel Plaza, na avenida Princesa Isabel, no Rio, que faz a divisa do Leme com Copacabana. Lá ele começou a tocar com o pianista Luiz Eça (futuro Tamba Trio), o contrabaixista Ed Lincoln (que depois viria a tocar piano e órgão e montaria um fantástico conjunto dançante) e o acordeonista e trombonista João Donato (que logo passaria ao piano, que toca até hoje). Esse bar era conhecido pelas muitas apresentações de Johnny Alf (considerado um dos precursores da bossa nova), até que o mesmo resolveu tentar a sorte na Baiúca, em São Paulo. E essa trinca, mais Milton Banana, tinha a difícil missão de substituí-lo à altura. E conseguiu, pois os quatro alcançaram o sucesso, uns mais, outros menos, é verdade.

João Gilberto gravou em 1958 um single que tinha "Chega de Saudade" no lado A e "Bim Bom" no lado B. O baterista, claro, foi Milton Banana, que ainda era o único a dominar a nova batida, inventada por ele próprio. Complementavam o acompanhamento, Guarany e Juca Stockler. Esse disco foi lançado ao mesmo tempo em 45 e 78 rpm, e é tido como a gravação inaugural da bossa nova.

Milton Banana gravaria com João Gilberto, ainda em 1958, o próximo single que teve "Desafinado" e "Hô-ba-la-lá" e também estaria presente nas oito faixas restantes que completariam o LP "Chega de Saudade", gravadas no começo de 1959. O básico da "nova bateria" estava começando exatamente ali.

Passou uma temporada no exterior e em Buenos Aires foi um tremendo sucesso na boate 686 onde fez apresentações junto a João Gilberto, Os Cariocas e Baden Powell. Astor Piazzola era seu maior fã, não perdendo uma noite de show. Voltou ao Rio, quando gravou dois LPs com João Donato, tendo Tião Neto no contrabaixo e Amaury Rodrigues na percussão. Quase ninguém se interessou por esses discos.

Foi um dos participantes do lendário show de bossa nova realizado em 1962 no Carnegie Hall, em Nova Iorque, juntamente com Tom Jobim, Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, e João Gilberto, entre outros. Na platéia, feras da música popular americana como Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis e Gerry Mulligan. Nesse show os bateristas presentes não tiravam os olhos das mãos de Milton Banana, pois, em bateria, existem detalhes que só se aprendem olhando.

De novo no Brasil, Banana deu uma nova dinâmica ao seu estilo de tocar, passando ao som mais explosivo dos grupos de bossa-jazz que proliferavam no Rio. Foi a época onde ele efetivamente começou a ser mais conhecido no Brasil, fazendo da sua bateria algo parecido com a de Edison Machado, seu amigo, aquele que tinha uma "bateria metralhadora". Poucos se lembram dele tocando bateria suavemente como era uma exigência irrestrita de João Gilberto. E olha que para aturar e agradar a João (um perfeccionista) o sujeito tinha mesmo que ser muito bom. E Milton não era apenas muito bom, era ótimo.

Milton Banana namorou a cantora Elza Soares em 1962 e foi ele quem a ensinou pacientemente toda a divisão da bossa nova (musicalmente falando) e fizera com que ela se tornasse uma grande sambista. Por obra do destino, um concurso de popularidade promovido por um jornal carioca e uma fábrica de automóveis, aproximou Elza do supercraque Garrincha, do Botafogo e da seleção brasileira de futebol. E, com isso, Elza acabou trocando Milton por Garrincha, o que foi uma terrível prova para a sua auto-estima. Mas ele acabou por superar bem esse trauma, pois 1962 estava sendo o ano de sua vida. Não vou me alongar nesse episódio, mas tenho que dizer o que Banana disse a Ruy Castro a respeito disso: "E o pior é que eu era Botafogo!" (sic).

Veio então a sua "fase paulista" quando se radicou na cidade de São Paulo e formou o ótimo Milton Banana Trio, tendo Wanderley ao piano e Guará no baixo, ambos jovens paulistanos. Com essa formação foram lançados dois LPs espetaculares, onde explode definitivamente a bateria de Banana. O primeiro chama-se simplesmente "Milton Banana Trio" e o segundo "Vê". Particularmente gosto mais do primeiro que tem, entre outras preciosidades, Garota de Ipanema, Samba de verão, Primavera, Samba do avião, Ela é carioca... O solo que ele faz em "Garota de Ipanema" é um verdadeiro achado. No segundo LP destacam-se Estamos aí, Vê, Opinião, Você, Só tinha de ser com você e Preciso aprender a ser só. Em "Estamos aí" ouve-se toda a genialidade e improvisação de Milton.

Infelizmente a música popular brasileira acabou seguindo outros rumos, todos hostis à bossa nova. Foi quando voltou ao Rio e gravou alguns discos temáticos, dedicados a Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque e Vinícius de Moraes. Apesar de discos excepcionais, nenhum deles fez sucesso e Milton Banana acabou por se entregar, resignando-se a tocar em inferninhos de Copacabana, isso lá pelos anos 80, quando começaram seus problemas de saúde.

Nos anos 90, a bossa nova teve uma espécie de redescoberta e as coisas começaram a melhorar para quem ainda era engajado no movimento. Mas, para Milton Banana, já era um pouco tarde. Desde 1992 sofria de graves problemas circulatórios causados por diabetes, o que era uma constante ameaça a ter uma perna amputada. Houve um show em seu benefício organizado por Mario Telles (irmão de Sylvinha) no Rio. Com o dinheiro arrecadado fez um tratamento e conseguiu adiar a cirurgia, chegando até a fazer um show de final de semana numa tentativa de reabilitação do Beco das Garrafas, que vem a ser uma travessa da rua Duvivier, em Copacabana. Mas, em certo momento, a cirurgia ficou inevitável e, em abril de 1999, Banana perdeu uma perna. Um mês depois, morreu de enfarte em 15 de maio, aos 64 anos, no seu Rio de Janeiro.

Milton Banana foi velado e enterrado no Cemitério São João Batista, em Botafogo. Durante o velório, chamou a atenção de todos uma coroa de flores com os seguintes dizeres: "A Milton, a quem o Brasil não homenageou, nem reconheceu nunca. Ass.: Todos os músicos do Brasil". Soube-se depois que a coroa teria sido enviada por João Gilberto. Uma singela e justa homenagem a um grande músico e um homem de imenso caráter.

******

Retrieved from "http://www.artigonal.com/musica-artigos/um-grande-baterista-milton-banana-2905421.html"

(Artigonal SC #2905421)

Corvette ZR1 - All-American Sports Car

2010-08-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

638 hp/205 mph on the test track

ZR1 is powered by a 6.2 Liter LS9 aluminum block V8 equipped with a four-lobe Eaton® Twin Vortices Series™ supercharger with intercooler. It delivers an SAE-certified 638 hp at 6500 rpm and 604 lb.- ft. of torque at 3800 rpm. The engine employs lightweight titanium intake valves and connecting rods and contains a high-performance dry-sump oil system, which distributes pressurized oil from an external reservoir to protect vital components under high-g driving conditions.

"The Corvette ZR1 is a monster. And the Corvette ZR1 is a lamb. How's that? Putter around town, keeping its supercharged LS9 6.2-liter V-8 below 3000 rpm, and it's as easy to drive as any sports car. But dip hard into the throttle and the ZR1's exhaust butterflies open while the car unleashes its full 638 bhp and 604 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear tires - along with a glorious, ripping exhaust note that's music to any enthusiast's ear." -Road & Track

1958 Scarab Chevrolet.

2010-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

A golden age for American road racing dawned in the second half of the 1950s. The V8 engined 'backyard specials' were quickly replaced by purpose built sports cars, which were predominantly sourced from Europe. The 1958 season was expected to be particularly competitive as revised regulations left all big-engined racing cars obsolete for major international races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many of these cars were not ready for retirement and found their way into the hands of American racing drivers. Going against the grain, the young heir to the Woolworth fortune Lance Reventlow decided to build his own car instead. Together with his friend Bruce Kessler he had toured various European factories in 1957 and concluded that he had seen nothing that could not be done in the United States. He was just 21 years of age at the time.

To ensure his new machine would be up to the challenge, Reventlow had his chief mechanic Warren Olson hire the best designers and builders. Among them were former Kurtis fabricators Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes, and engine wizards Jim Travers and Frank Coon, who would later form Traco. Reventlow also called in the help of legendary racer and designer Ken Miles to draft up the chassis. The final piece of the puzzle was Chuck Daigh, who was hired as both as a driver and a drivetrain specialist. Reventlow Automobiles Incorporated was led by Olson and set up shop in North Hollywood, California. Within months after assembling the engineering 'dream team' the first sports racer rolled out of the shop. Reventlow dubbed it the 'Scarab' after a dung beetle that was considered sacred in Ancient Egypt.

Reventlow had one big advantage over the Europe sourced competition; he could build a car specifically for American 'stop-go' tracks, which were quite different than their much faster European counterparts. Accordingly he asked for a car that was compact, light and above all able to put its power down very well. Inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Miles penned a design for a spaceframe with enough room for Olson and his men to make their own interpretations. The suspension was equally advanced through double wishbones at the front and DeDion axle at the rear. Making an all American racing car meant that Reventlow had to make a compromise and use drum brakes instead of the superior British discs. The only 'inconsistency' was the Morris sourced rack-and-pinion steering box.

The very American Corvette V8 formed the basis for the Scarab's powerplant. Although by the time Travers and Coon were done with the engine, it was a different beast altogether. The first order of business was to increase displacement from the original 4.6 litre (283cid) to 5.5 litre (339cid) by boring and stroking the V8. The enlarged engine was equipped with Hilborn Fuel Injection and the intake manifold sported eight very stylish intake trumpets. With all modifications in place, the V8 was good for anywhere between 360 and 385 bhp, most of which was available from very low revs. The engine was mated to a Borg-Warner four-speed gearbox, which had an aluminium casing. An aluminium body styled by 19-year old Art Center School student Chuck Pelly, rounded off the package. The completed machine weighed in at a very competitive 860 kg or 1900 pounds.
Reventlow debuted the 'Scarab Mk I' early in 1958, but he was not immediately successful. The first noteworthy result was a third behind two Briggs Cunningham entered Listers at a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) race on the Virginia International Raceway. The Scarab's first victory came much closer to home in Santa Barbara in June of 1958. While Reventlow raced the prototype, two more cars were assembled at the shop. Referred to as Mk IIs, they featured slightly larger tubes for the frame, wider track and right hand drive. The latter was not done for the obvious reason, but for driver comfort as the Borg-Warner gearbox protruded much further into the left hand side of the cockpit. Chuck Daigh drove one of the Mk IIs alongside Reventlow in the Mk I and together they dominated the remainder of the season. The highlight of the year was a closely fought victory during the prestigious Times Grand Prix at Riverside. Daigh beat the 440 bhp Ferrari 412 S piloted by future world champion Phil Hill after swapping the lead many times. A fitting finale of the season were two victories for Reventlow during the Nassau Speed Week.

With America conquered, Reventlow looked at taking on the Europeans on their own turf. The much tighter World Championship regulations called for a maximum displacement of just three litre. With his options limited to American engines, Reventlow commissioned the construction of a three litre version of the four-cylinder Offenhauser Indy engine. It was installed in the second Mk II, but replaced by a conventional V8 after just one race as the heavily vibrating 'four' was no match on power for the six and twelve cylinder engines used by the competition. At the end of the season both Mk IIs were put up for sale and raced with great success for several seasons in the hands of the likes of Augie Pabst and Carroll Shelby. Harry Heuer was still able to win the SCCA B-Modified championship in 1961 against the 'superior' mid-engined European racers. The Scarabs remained competitive well into the 1963 season. Reventlow had his personal Scarab converted into a road car and embarked on an even more ambitious Formula 1 project.

The Scarab name was used for three more racing cars, including the ill-fated Offenhauser engined Formula 1 cars and a mid-engined sports car. None of these were particularly successful and certainly did not live up to the expectations set by the first Scarab racing car. In the early 1960s Reventlow left the motor racing scene as quickly as he had entered it just a few years earlier. He nevertheless left a big mark and today the Scarabs are considered to be among the finest front-engined sports cars produced. They are really only rivaled by the Chaparral 1, which was also built by Troutman & Barnes. Fortunately all three front-engined Scarabs have survived and are put through their paces quite regularly. Reventlow himself was not so lucky as he was killed in a plane crash in Colorado in 1972.

Chassis: 001

Reventlow held onto his Scarab road car until his untimely death. Compared to the racing specification, the modification for street use included a full interior, a Porsche sourced windscreen, mufflers and a milder carburetted engine, which required a hood scoop. Between 1972 and 1978 Reventlow's estate loaned the car to the fabulous Cunningham museum and subsequently sold the car to Californian Scarab enthusiast and historic racer Don Orosco. He set about bringing the Mk I Scarab back to its original condition. He had authenticity at the top of his priority list and a result found himself looking through scrap-yards for suitable 283 Corvette V8 blocks for a new engine. Once he had tracked down sufficient blocks, he had Frank Coon himself modify the blocks the same way as he had done some twenty years earlier.

The thorough restoration was completed in time for the 1984 Monterey Historic Races where Orosco and above all the legendary Scarab stole the show. Orosco absolutely dominated his race, beating the competition of old by quite a margin. In the following years, he continued to actively campaign the beautiful metallic blue racer at all major events on both sides of the Atlantic. He also acquired two of the Formula 1 cars, which proved to be much more successful in his hands than they ever were in the past. A few years ago, he sold the Scarab Mk I to its current and third owner. The very fast Orosco still owns the Formula 1 cars as well as a replica of the Mk I built by Dick Troutman. The current owner is seen above during the 2005 Monterey Historic Races and again in 2009 when he won his race, beating Orosco in a Lotus 15.

Article by Wouter Melissen-Ultimatecarpage.com, last updated on August 04, 2010

Linton Kwesi Johnson - First Reggae Poet.

2010-07-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Linton Kwesi Johnson was born on 24 August 1952 in Chapelton, a small town in the rural parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. He came to London in 1963, went to Tulse Hill secondary school and later studied Sociology at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. Whilst still at school he joined the Black Panthers, helped to organise a poetry workshop within the movement and developed his work with Rasta Love, a group of poets and drummers. In 1977 he was awarded a C Day Lewis Fellowship, becoming the writer-in-residence for the London Borough of Lambeth for that year. He went on to work as the Library Resources and Education Officer at the Keskidee Centre, the first home of Black theatre and art.

Johnson’s poems first appeared in the journal Race Today. In 1974 Race Today published his first collection of poetry, Voices of the Living and the Dead. Dread Beat An’ Blood, his second collection, was published in 1975 by Bogle-L’Ouverture and was also the title of his first LP, released by Virgin in 1978. That year also saw the release of the film Dread Beat An’ Blood, a documentary on Johnson’s work. In 1980 Race Today published his third book, Inglan Is A Bitch and there were four more albums on the Island label: Forces of Victory (1979), Bass Culture (1980), LKJ in Dub (1981) and Making History

LKJ, Johnson’s own record label, was launched in 1981 with two singles by the Jamaican poet Michael Smith, Mi Cyaan Believe It and Roots. During the 1980s he became immersed in journalism, working closely with the Brixton-based Race Today collective. His 10-part radio series on Jamaican popular music, From Mento to Lovers Rock, went out on BBC Radio 1 in 1982 and was repeated in 1983. From 1985-88 he was a reporter on Channel 4’s The Bandung File. He also toured regularly with the Dennis Bovell Dub Band and produced albums by the writer Jean Binta Breeze and by jazz trumpeter Shake Keane.

Recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the album LKJ Live in Concert with the Dub Band was released independently in 1985 and was nominated for a Grammy Award soon after. This was followed by Tings An’ Times in 1991, also the title of his Selected Poems co-published by Bloodaxe Books and LKJ Music Publishers the same year. In 1992 Linton Kwesi Johnson and Dennis Bovell collaborated to produce LKJ in Dub: Volume Two. In 1996 the album LKJ Presents was released, a compilation of various artists including Linton Kwesi Johnson. This was followed in the same year by LKJ A Cappella Live, a collection of 14 poems including some unpublished works. In 1998 Johnson released More Time to celebrate his twentieth anniversary in the recording business. Island also released a two-CD compilation set entitled Independant Intavenshan. In 2002 Linton Kwesi Johnson became only the second living poet and the first black poet to have his work published in Penguin’s Modern Classics series, under the title Mi Revalueshanary Fren. The BBC made a TV programme about LKJ’s poetry, shown in their Profile series on BBC 4. In this year Johnson also released the CD LKJ in Dub Volume Three. To mark his 25th anniversary as a reggae recording artist, Linton Kwesi Johnson released a CD and, for the first time ever, a DVD in 2004 entitled LKJ Live in Paris with the Dennis Bovell Dub Band.

Linton Kwesi Johnson has been made an Associate Fellow of Warwick University (1985), an Honorary Fellow of Wolverhampton Polytechnic (1987) and received an award at the XIII Premo Internazionale Ultimo Novecento from the city of Pisa for his contribution to poetry and popular music (1990). In 1998 he was awarded the Premio Piero Ciampi Citta di Livorno Concorso Musicale Nazionale in Italy. In 2003 Johnson was bestowed with an honorary fellowship from his alma mater, Goldsmiths College. In 2004 he became an Honorary Visiting Professor of Middlesex University in London. In 2005 Linton Kwesi Johnson was awarded a silver Musgrave medal from the Institute of Jamaica for distinguished eminence in the field of poetry. He has toured the world from Japan to the new South Africa, from Europe to Brazil. His recordings are amongst the top-selling reggae albums in the world and his work has been translated into Italian and German. Unsurprisingly, he is known and revered as the world’s first reggae poet.

biography by www.lintonkwesijohnson.com

Scenes of Palm Springs and other Desert Cities, and Locations of Coachella Valley, California

2010-07-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

pictures from www.wildnatureimages.com
and City of Palm Springs , CA official site

Remembering Willy DeVille.

2010-07-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Willy DeVille, a singer and songwriter and the leader of the group Mink DeVille, whose adventurous forays into rhythm and blues, Cajun music and salsa made him one of the most original figures of the New York punk scene of the 1970s, died on August 6, in Manhattan. He was 58.

The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his publicist, Carol Kaye.
Mr. DeVille, a regular at CBGB in the mid-1970s, lent his bluesy voice and eclectic musical tastes to Mink DeVille, one of the club’s main draws. A disciplined songwriter with a deep admiration for the Atlantic Records sound of the Drifters and Ben E. King, he drew from many sources, including Latin music, French ballads, New Orleans funk and Cajun accordion music. He was, the critic Robert Palmer wrote in The New York Times in 1980, “idiomatic, in the broadest sense, and utterly original.”

Mr. DeVille was born William Borsey in Stamford, Conn. After dropping out of school at 16, he began spending time in Greenwich Village and on the Lower East Side, where he learned to play the guitar and began performing, affecting a blues style like that of John Hammond Jr. He played with several groups before assembling Mink DeVille on a trip to San Francisco. He brought it to New York in 1975.

Mink DeVille, frequently lumped in with its fellow headliners Blondie, Television and Talking Heads, was essentially a soul band with roots in the commercial songwriting traditions of the Brill Building. Onstage Mr. DeVille cut a dapper figure. A pencil mustache and sculptured pompadour complemented his suits and pointy Italian shoes.

Working with Jack Nitzsche, a producer associated with Phil Spector, the group recorded the album “Cabretta” in 1977 for Capitol Records. Two of its tracks, “Spanish Stroll” and Moon Martin’s “Cadillac Walk,” became minor hits. The group recorded two more albums with Mr. Nitzsche for Capitol, “Return to Magenta,” which employed shimmering string arrangements reminiscent of the Drifters on several tracks, and the oddly romantic, highly eclectic “Le Chat Bleu.”

“Le Chat Bleu,” recorded in Paris without most of the original band members, baffled Capitol. It included French cabaret music, Cajun accordion melodies and songs written with Doc Pomus, one of the writers of “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Although the album sold well in Europe, Capitol shelved it, finally releasing it in 1980 to critical acclaim.

In a spiritual homecoming, Mr. DeVille signed with Atlantic Records after returning to the United States and recorded the soul-tinged “Coup de Grace” (1981), with Mr. Nitzsche as producer, and “Where Angels Fear to Tread” (1983). “Sportin’ Life” (1985), his last album under the Mink DeVille name, included “Italian Shoes,” a hit in Europe.

After 1985 Mr. Deville performed and recorded as Willy Deville, pursuing a path with unusual twists and turns. His song “Storybook Love,” from the album “Miracle” (1987), was used as the theme for “The Princess Bride” and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Relocating to New Orleans in 1988 reinforced a lifelong attraction to Cajun, zydeco and New Orleans rhythm and blues, a taste Mr. DeVille indulged in “Victory Mixture” (1990), a collaboration with New Orleans greats like Dr. John, Eddie Bo and Allen Toussaint, and in “Loup Garou” (1995).

The unpredictable Mr. DeVille recorded a startling mariachi version of the Jimi Hendrix hit “Hey Joe” on “Backstreets of Desire” (1992) and turned to Southern traditional music and blues on “Horse of a Different Color” (1999). He later toured and recorded live as part of an acoustic trio. After living in New Mexico for several years, he returned to New York in 2003.

Mr. DeVille’s first two wives died. He is survived by his third wife, Nina; a son, Sean; and a sister, Mimi, who lives in Australia.

from The New York Times, August 7 2009.

Formula Super Vê no Brasil.

2010-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

O Polar Super Vê, com chassis monobloco, era fabricado por Ricardo Achcar e Ronald Rossi. Êsse aqui era o da equipe Gledson, com o qual o Alfredo guaraná Meneses foi campeão em 1978.

photos pertencem ao album ibsenbop no www.fotki.com

Magnífico Sunset!

2010-07-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Posted on this blog on March 22, 2005.
I've ever since tried to catch another sunset like this one, in the Coachella Valley, precisely at the North Gate of the Cathedral Canyon Country Club, Cathedral City, California.
No success so far... so here is the old one.
Magnífico, no doubt about it

Camera: Lumix FMC-DSC20

Palm Springs Miniature Landscape

2010-07-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

camera: Kodak Retina IV, lens Retina-Xenon f1:9/50mm
film Fuji Superia 200

Bubble Car

2010-07-16T14:17:00.001-07:00

Brava Cidinha Campos!

2010-07-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Lula - "The Benefactor"

2010-07-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

In search of soft power, Brazil is turning itself into one of the world's biggest aid donors. But is it going too far, too fast?

Jul 15th 2010 | BRASILIA

ONE of the most successful post-earthquake initiatives in Haiti is the expansion of Lèt Agogo (Lots of Milk, in Creole), a dairy co-operative, into a project encouraging mothers to take their children to school in exchange for free meals. It is based on Bolsa Família, a Brazilian welfare scheme, and financed with Brazilian government money. In Mali cotton yields are soaring at an experimental farm run by Embrapa, a Brazilian research outfit. Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction firm, is building much of Angola’s water supply and is one of the biggest contractors in Africa.

Without attracting much attention, Brazil is fast becoming one of the world’s biggest providers of help to poor countries. Official figures do not reflect this. The Brazilian Co-operation Agency (ABC), which runs “technical assistance” (advisory and scientific projects), has a budget of just 52m reais ($30m) this year. But studies by Britain’s Overseas Development Institute and Canada’s International Development Research Centre estimate that other Brazilian institutions spend 15 times more than ABC’s budget on their own technical-assistance programmes. The country’s contribution to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is $20m-25m a year, but the true value of the goods and services it provides, thinks the UNDP’s head in Brazil, is $100m. Add the $300m Brazil gives in kind to the World Food Programme; a $350m commitment to Haiti; bits and bobs for Gaza; and the $3.3 billion in commercial loans that Brazilian firms have got in poor countries since 2008 from the state development bank (BNDES, akin to China’s state-backed loans), and the value of all Brazilian development aid broadly defined could reach $4 billion a year (see table). That is less than China, but similar to generous donors such as Sweden and Canada—and, unlike theirs, Brazil’s contributions are soaring. ABC’s spending has trebled since 2008.

This aid effort—though it is not called that by the government—has wide implications. Lavishing assistance on Africa helps Brazil compete with China and India for soft-power influence in the developing world. It also garners support for the country’s lonely quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Since rising powers like Brazil will one day run the world, argues Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães Neto, the foreign ministry’s secretary-general, they can save trouble later by reducing poverty in developing countries now.

Moreover, aid makes commercial sense. For example, Brazil is the world’s most efficient ethanol producer, and wants to create a global market in the green fuel. But it cannot do so if it is the world’s only real provider. Spreading ethanol technology to poor countries creates new suppliers, boosts the chances of a global market and generates business for Brazilian firms.

The effort matters to the world’s aid industry, too—and not only because it helps offset the slowdown in aid from traditional donors. Like China, Brazil does not impose Western-style conditions on recipients. But, on the whole, western donors worry less about Brazilian aid than they do over China’s, which they think fosters corrupt government and bad policy. Brazilian aid is focused more on social programmes and agriculture, whereas Chinese aid finances roads, railways and docks in exchange for access to raw materials (though Brazilian firms are busy snapping up commodities in third-world nations, too).

Marco Farani, the head of ABC, argues there is a specifically Brazilian way of doing aid, based on the social programmes that have accompanied its recent economic success. Brazil has a comparative advantage, he says, in providing HIV/AIDS treatment to the poor and in conditional cash-transfer schemes like Bolsa Família. Its tropical-agriculture research is among the world’s best. But Brazil also still receives aid so, for good or ill, its aid programme is eroding the distinction between donors and recipients, thus undermining the old system of donor-dictated, top-down aid.

And all this has consequences for the West. Some rich-country governments cautiously welcome what Brazilians call “the diplomacy of generosity”, just as they do the soft-power ambitions of which aid is part. After all, if (as seems likely) emerging markets are to become more influential, Brazil—stable, democratic, at peace with its neighbours—looks more attractive and tractable than, say, China or Russia.

But if aid is any guide, a lot will have to change before Brazil occupies the place in the world that its president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, aspires to. Brazil seems almost ambivalent about its aid programme. The country still has large pockets of third-world poverty, and sending money abroad could be controversial. Brazilian law forbids giving public money to other governments, so legal contortions are inevitable. The ABC aid agency is tucked away in the foreign ministry, where its officials are looked down on as “Elizabeth Arden” diplomats (London–New York–Paris), not the “Indiana Jones” adventurers required. At least some aid, for example to Venezuela, seems to have been inspired by Lula’s soft spot for leftist strongmen. And the exponential increase in aid—the value of humanitarian contributions has risen by 20 times in just three years—means that both people and institutions are being overwhelmed. Stories abound of broken promises, incompetence and corruption.

Slowly, though, things are changing. Dilma Rousseff, the presidential candidate from Lula’s party, is thought to be mulling over the idea of a new development agency to raise aid’s profile, if elected. As Mr Farani says, Brazil needs more aid officials, with more operational independence and a greater emphasis on policy aims, not just piecemeal projects. Until it gets those, Brazil’s aid programme is likely to remain a global model in waiting—a symbol, perhaps, of the country as a

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Em busca do status de potência global, o Brasil vem se posicionando na comunidade internacional em diferentes áreas. Além da recente participação no acordo nuclear com a Turquia e o Irã e a batalha pelo assento permanente no Conselho de Segurança da ONU, o país já se tornou um dos maiores doadores internacionais para áreas de risco ou financiamento de projetos, diz a revista britânica "The Economist".

A reportagem indica que o orçamento oficial da Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC) é de R$ 52 milhões, mas um levantamento feito pelo Instituto de Desenvolvimento Internacional do Reino Unido e o Centro de Pesquisa em Desenvolvimento Internacional do Canadá mostra que no total uma série de agências do governo brasileiro gastam ao menos 15 vezes mais do que isso em seus próprios programas de assistência.

A revista britânica apontou que Brasília contribui com cerca de R$ 35 a R$ 44 milhões por ano com o Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (Pnud), mas de acordo com o chefe do programa da ONU no país o valor real seria de R$ 177 milhões.

Outras iniciativas brasileiras incluem: R$ 531 milhões ao Programa Mundial de Alimentos da ONU, R$ 619 milhões à reconstrução do Haiti; pequenas ações em Gaza, e cerca de R$ 5,8 bilhões em empréstimos comerciais que empresas brasileiras privadas concederam a países pobres desde 2008 por meio do BNDES.

Somando-se todas as frentes, o montante de ajuda internacional que o Brasil fornece a outros países chega a cerca de R$ 7 bilhões por ano -- menos do que a China, mas similar ao que tradicionais "generosos" doadores como o Canadá e a Suécia concedem a outras nações. E ao contrário dos ocidentais, o montante brasileiro triplicou desde 2008.

POTÊNCIA "SOFT-POWER"

A reportagem indica que sem fazer "muito alarde", Brasília vem atuando em diversas partes do mundo em desenvolvimento.

Após seis meses do terremoto no Haiti, um dos esforços internacionais mais bem sucedidos é brasileiro. O programa "Lèt Agogo" (Muito leite, em crioulo) é uma cooperativa que encoraja as mães a levarem os filhos para a escola em troca de refeições, uma ação baseada no Bolsa Família e financiando pelo governo brasileiro, diz a revista.

No Mali uma série de campos de algodão são cultivados com sucesso graças a uma fazenda experimental implementada pela Embrapa.

Em Angola, a empreiteira brasileira Odebrecht é um dos gigantes do setor e é responsável pela construção de grande parte do sistema de abastecimento de água no país, indica a "Economist".

A revista britânica diz que apesar de o Brasil não considerar as ações como "ajuda internacional", os benefícios trazidos pela participação do país nestes programas de desenvolvimento -- além da atuação direta de empresas privadas e agências governamentais brasileiras em diversas nações -- são indiscutíveis.

"A abundância da assistência na África ajuda o Brasil a competir com a China e a Índia em termos de influência como potência [do tipo 'soft-power'] no mundo em desenvolvimento. Também faz com que o país obtenha apoio para sua busca solitária por um assento permanente no Conselho de Segurança da ONU", indica a "Economist".

Para o secretário-geral do Itamaraty, Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães Neto, os gastos se justificam com uma projeção do status de potência feita pelo governo. Já que poderes em ascensão como o Brasil um dia terão muito mais controle do cenário internacional, a redução da pobreza em países em desenvolvimento agora representará menos problemas no futuro.

POTÊNCIAS OCIDENTAIS

O mundo ocidental se preocupa mais com os esforços chineses do que os brasileiros, afirma a revista, mas mesmo assim a crescente presença de financiamento do Brasil em países em desenvolvimento vem despertando a atenção das potências mais ricas.

Há também especificidades sobre a maneira brasileira de "ajudar outros países", diz a reportagem. Ao contrário das principais agências de desenvolvimento internacional como as dos EUA, Reino Unido, Canadá e União Europeia, o Brasil não impõe metas ou condições rígidas que devem ser atingidas pelos receptores dos recursos.

Para Marco Farani, chefe da ABC, os esforços brasileiros contam com a experiência que produziu o recente sucesso econômico no país. Brasília conta com programas de excelência como o tratamento de HIV/Aids para os mais pobres e esquemas sociais como o Bolsa Família e Bolsa Escola.

No entanto, a "Economist" argumenta que o país ainda recebe ajuda internacional de potências ocidentais e programas mundiais de desenvolvimento, o que faz com que a distinção tradicional entre doadores e receptores perca sentido no cenário atual.

DIPLOMACIA DA GENEROSIDADE

A "diplomacia da generosidade" é bem-vinda pelas potências ocidentais, mas com ressalvas. As ambições de liderança brasileiras soam um alarme, mas a probabilidade de o país sul-americano se tornar um mercado mais influente do que a Rússia ou a China interessa ao Ocidente.

A "Economist" diz ainda que apesar dos sucessos, o modelo que o país adota como doador internacional ainda está em criação. A revista cita o o chefe da ABC, Marco Farani, dizendo que o Brasil precisa de mais oficiais no setor, mais independência e uma ênfase maior nos objetivos da política de assistência a outros países, ao invés de projetos isolados.

"Até conseguir fazer estas tarefas, o programa de ajuda internacional do Brasil provavelmente deve permanecer sendo um modelo global 'em aguardo' -- um símbolo, talvez, da situação do país como um todo", diz a revista britânica.

tradução para o portuguêa por folha.com

Alvin Lee - The Bluest Blues

2010-07-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Alvin Lee has always been underrated. Undeserved fate for one of the greatest rock'n roll & Blues guitar player of all time.

On the 50's and 60's Radios Used to Look Like work of Art

2010-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty impressive the work of Dan Palatnik, brazilian ilustrator, specializing in digital art.
Thanks to illustrators like him, the industrial design of past decades is kept alive, so the new generations can admire it, and realize how art could be applied to industrialized products.
His collections of radios from the 50's and 60's, on the illustration down bellow is amazing.
Palatnik also has a very extensive collection of automobile illustrations ranging from the 30's to the 60's.

Check his work at www.palat.com.br, and at garagemdigital.blogspot.com

Plymouth Cuda at Sonoma Historic, Sears Point, 2010

2010-07-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

This very fine Plymouth, was present at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, last 15-16 of June.
After seen its picture at Joel Cesetti's Sport Protótipos blog, it came to my mind that I had made a clip, and uploaded to Youtube. So here it is.

Porsches & Digital Art 2

2010-07-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Bateu uma vontade de brincar com o Photo-Paint.
Não consegui a leveza da pintura do post abaixo, sacada do www.art-racing.com, dei mesmo foi uma carregada no Porsche 911 GT1, mas pra mim valeu a brincadeira

Porsches & Digital Art

2010-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

from www.art-racing.com

City of Lakes

2010-06-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

About this video:
"What happens to a dream when it becomes reality?

Does it still exist somewhere, in some ethereal place, waiting to come to fruition again?

Could a fictional narrative capture an emotional state, and the true meaning behind a real, live event with more drama and conviction than a traditional documentary?

These were just some of the questions that arose when I took on the “CITY OF LAKES” project late last year. First, it would become an unprecedented attempt to combine a fully scripted, produced film with Melissa & Samir's real, live wedding, with the intention of creating one, seamless film. Second, the live wedding and production would be shot entirely on-location in Udaipur, India over a period of nine days. Third, our skeleton crew would consist solely of live event filmmakers from across North America, who would shoot the live wedding events and production simultaneously & exclusively on DSLRs, the Canon 5D MarkII and Canon 7D.

“CITY OF LAKES” is as much a story about what it means to return to the birthplace of one’s ancestors, as it is an exploration of the Hindu faith, and the rituals of a Hindu marriage. Central to this is the Ganesh puja, which in simple terms, is a prayer over a fire believed to invoke the spirit of Ganesh, a great deity and protector, who can remove all obstacles from one’s path. The puja is performed several times in the film and carries great significance to the plot and characters in both literal and metaphoric ways.

Melissa & Samir had always dreamed of being married in India. We hope this film helps them cherish that dream. But it could not have been without the acting talents of Anubhab Saha, Sharon Chawda and Rushad Rana, who were consummate professionals and a joy to work with. It also could not have been without the support of our sponsors: Canon, who provided two pre-production 7Ds and a host of L-series lenses; Tiffen, who provided all of our lighting; and Cinevate, who sent us much needed gear and sponsored an incredible behind-the-scenes campaign viewable at Cinevate.com.

The challenges were immediate, abundant and frequent. At times, we were certain the film was destined for failure; I often wondered if the film was too ambitious to execute. But what resulted was due in no small part to a crew made up of live event filmmakers who deal routinely in making the spontaneous appear staged. We're proud to share Melissa & Samir’s ‘hybrid’ feature, “CITY OF LAKES,” which hopefully achieves more than a documentary, and perhaps at the same time, more than a scripted film.

There is a final question we hope you’ll find difficult to answer as you watch our film. In more ways than one, try to answer:

What is real?

Thanks for watching,
-Kevin

Pacific Pictures presents “CITY OF LAKES”
Starring Melissa Kumar, Samir Shah, Anubhab Saha, Sharon Chawda & Rushad Rana
Written & Directed by Kevin Shahinian
Produced by Kevin Shahinian & Patrick Moreau
Line Producer Pravin Thakur
Director of Photography Patrick Moreau
2nd Unit Director Joe Simon
2nd Unit Steadicam Casey Warren
Film Editor Kevin Shahinian
Jib Operator Chris Geiger
Set Photographer Amish Solanki

"CITY OF LAKES" The Feature from PACIFIC PICTURES on Vimeo.

Ana Cañas - Na Medida do Impossível

2010-06-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Bird Film

2010-06-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

Rocket II Trike, Pure Madness!

2010-06-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

A sculptor by trade, Frogman Tim Cotterill brought his trike design to Blastolene, the same folks who built Jay's Tank Car. Now the powerful and eccentric Rocket II Trike is on the road, powered by a blown Hemi V8, which generates over 1000 hp.
www.jaylenosgarage.com

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (final)

2010-06-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (11)

2010-06-12T18:03:00.001-07:00

906 Carrera,
Seria correto dizer que o Fitti-Porsche foi baseado neste bólido?

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (10)

2010-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (9)

2010-06-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

195... Porsche 2400 Super

Foram 520 fotografias e video clips feitas em dois dias. Muita coisa não consegui fazer, como dados e datas de todas as máquinas.
Alguem saberia me dizer o ano deste Porsche?

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (8)

2010-06-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

1917 Hall-Scott, The Four.
by MoVilla

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (7)

2010-06-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (6)

2010-06-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Jaguar XK-120 FHC, by XKs Unlimited.

high resolution picture, you can read the text on the panel, by clicking on it.

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (5)

2010-06-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Coolest Form of Transportation. Ever.

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (4)

2010-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Caroll Shelby Replicas
by MoVilla

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (3)

2010-06-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

1963 Corvette Grand Sport
by MoVilla

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (2)

2010-06-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Black Beetle
by MoVilla

Domingo 6/6/2010, Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival

2010-06-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

1970 Camaro Chaparral by Jim Hall
by MoVilla

Estivemos neste fim de semana passado no tradicional autódromo de Sears Point (Infineon Raceway), California para acompamhar o Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, edição 2010.
Este ano contráriamente ao esperado, houve um número bem menor de participantes do que o esperado.
No entanto, Clássicos bastante especiais estiveram presentes em quantidade suficiente, para manter o nível de emoção e adrenalina lá em cima.

Na medida do possível, sempre que a disponibilidade de tempo permitir vamos pingar fotos e vídeos neste espaço.

Tramontana R - Exotic Supercar from Spain.

2010-06-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's exclusive, it's custom, and it's a hybrid of a Formula 1 racecar and fighter jet, powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V12 that maxes out at 720 hp! Named for a strong, mystical wind that blows into Spain from the north, this wild new Spanish supercar is finally headed for American shores.

Há quase um ano atrás havia mostrado aqui as fotos deste Tramontana R, um exótico supercar espanhol, de meros 720 HP.
Agora com o Jay Leno test driving o primeiro deles à chegar aqui no USA, eu não poderia deixar de postar o vídeo.