Every Picture Tells A Story

These gorgeous photographs were taken over a year ago at what turned out to be the last Meadowbrook concours d'elegance before the move to a new location.


Luigi Chinetti, who took the photographs, can be seen reflected in the custom paint job (for which I never cease to thank the experts of AkzoNobel).

This shot (below...not the one of me!) captures something I consider special about a concours d'elegance, not often seen by the public. The show is over, the crowds have gone, the golf course is almost back to being a golf course.

The spectacular old bangers are driven sedately away by their supremely considerate owners who have waited for those in faster cars and a greater hurry to leave. Others wait for their trailers... or to be staged for display for some exclusive "afterglow" party.

This would have been more of a favorite if it didn't look as if I was talking (on the iPhone Touch, donated by Apple) while driving... not an approved behavior, even when driving on the fairway of a golf course.

Amazing light quality!

Transported By Pilot (A Division of United Road)

I was fortunate indeed to connect with Pilot Transport, and Jerry and Rich took the best possible care of the VSR all across the USA.

Every day, Jerry, the lead driver, would call me cellphone to cellphone from his big rig to my wheels, to let me know whereabouts they were, and that all was well with my VSR.

Since the VSR was low, and going all the way from Detroit to Pebble Beach it was loaded first, and stayed up top, up front.



Penthouse suite inside an incredibly "clean" truck.

The transporters for all the cars to be shown at the Pebble Beach concours d'elegance were parking in the huge and well appointed Equestrian Field, under the expert eye of Tim McGrane.


I was delighted to see the sleek, black Pilot Transporter!



Truck in the Equestrian field (destination)

The next anxious moment was the first glimpse when the side panels were opened. They'd crossed America in August, over mountains, salt flats, deserts. Would the paint job be in good shape?




VSR on the upper level. This is one of my favorite shots!








There's more to top quality, show car transporting than you might expect. Doors and other openings that have to stay closed can be taped (with special tape). The tires are belted and buckled and ratcheted down. What is more, there are special "grip" surfaces on the tracks.



So, when all that was dismantled, we rolled the car slowly, backwards to the elevator.





This may seem hairy, backing out onto the elevator/ramp, but there are tire blocks in place to prevent unintended rearward acceleration.





Hanging TOYO Proxes S/T Rear: 325/40R 22





Going down....







Grounded.







Grounded from a different angle.







Reflections on a job well done.















Pilot Transport drivers Jerry and Rich







Looking down, simply because this is a fantastic view.

Thanking the Sponsors of the VSR

This is a sneak peek at the business side of a hero sized postcard I'm handing out this coming week at SEMA.

Especial thanks to my newest sponsor, PEAK (http://www.peakauto.com) who provided the really cool rear view camera

Various appearances

The VSR in front of historic Meadowbrook Hall before being staged as a special exhibit for the concours d'elegance this summer (added since March, obviously)

Bill Warner invited me to be part of the Great Customerizers workshop on the Saturday, which is why the car was in the Ritz Carlton ballroom

Here is the VSR on the field at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance (next to Chip Foose's car... which has a marvelous crowd-pleasing exhaust rumble.

The VSR with the hood up on the GM Performance Parts stand at Autorama

Autorama

http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/03/09/enough-with-geneva-check-out-autorama-in-detroit/

Sketches became bigger, more detailed, and more colorful.