WOW. Man do I love me some streamline moderne.

The "Goutte d'Eau" looks like Darth Vader's car. *grins*

Have a blessed Shabbos!

May I make a modern contribution? The Holden Efijy concept car. Hot Rod is right. GM ought to import the design and sell it as a Buick.

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hdrp_0604_holden_efijy_concept_car/index.html

Also, Muscle cars were of the 60s.

Your resident gear head.

Well even if you know next to nothing about cars Robert you still have taste! I notice virtually all of these pictures are shot at the Pebble Beach Concours.

A good automobile design may reflect its era but also has a timeless elegance to it.

Many of these cars weren't built with the body; the customer would order the chassis (like a Duesenberg) and a custom coachmaker would build the body.

Many of the Italian design houses started as coach makers during the horse-and-carriage era.

Sad to say but most of them are going out of business because of the increased need for wind co-efficiency and in-house factory testing.

But look at most Ferraris from the 1950s - most designed by Pininfarina. Still beautiful today.

An E-Type Jag, which was a hit in 1961, still turns heads. Or GM's Bill Mitchell-designed Corvette or Buick Riviera from the early 1960s.

BTW a bit of Pebble Beach lore - The late, great Phil Hill (AQ Southern Californian all his life) , who was the first American to become a Grand Prix Champion, changed the whole personna of a Concours d' Elegance.

Until about 1950, a Concours would highlight the new cars of the world.

Phil, who had a Pierce-Arrow from his family for decades. In addition to being a world-class driver, he wasn't a bad mechanic. He completely disassembled and restored that Pierce Arrow.

He was so proud of that car he took it up to Pebble Beach to display it. And from that time Concours around the world began to change, from displaying new cars to old cars.

The Pebble Beach weekend has always been something special for car nuts.

In the early 50s there was a road race encompassing such stretches as (I believe) the 17 Mile drive.

In keeping with the Hollywood theme of your website, it was James Dean who along with his Mechanic was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder up to Monterey for the race when a car made a left turn right in front of him.

The car was behind the sun and the last thing Dean reputedly said to his mechanic was "I'm sure he sees us".

Dean went to immortality and the mechanic, badly injured, lived although the incident haunted him the rest of his life.

BTW that section of highway (Hwy 41 I believe towards Paso Robles) has been closed a long time but along its replacement about a mile to the north is a monument to Dean.

The Bugatti and the Bucciali both blow me away. (And here's some irony: My spell checker recommends that I replace "Bugatti" with "budget!")

Thanks for the pics! Have a great Shabbos.

I hold a soft spot for a vehicle that goes by the name of "Adler", which is also my maiden name.

This hood ornament speaks to me.

Adler = eagle.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/IMG_5197.JPG

Bill,

Dean hit a Pickup Truck. Also, Sir Alec Guiness warned him to get rid of that particular car.

Oy.
I salivate...
These are History in Reality.
Absolutely lovely.

PCD,

You might be mistaking the eyewitness at the time - in a Ford Pickup - with Donald Turnipseed (real name)Turnipseed was driving a 1950 Ford Coupe

http://crashteams.com/Services/Special-Services/James-Dean/James-Dean-Accident-Reconstruction.html

I did "assume" Dean was driving up to race at the old course in Monterey - but it was Salinas(20 miles away).

It was an interesting and prophetic comment Alec Guinness made - another interesting factoid - while he was filming Giant his insurance forbade him from racing - so he made his fateful drive right after filming.

They left Competition Motors in Hollywood (a rather famous dealer that has so many stories) that morning.

I was trying to find the history of a unique Bentley that was found in someone's garage in Britain - restored over here and was at Pebble Beach recently - but can't find it. Robert would have loved that car.

But to see all the "Best of Show" winners since 1950 here's an interesting site:

http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/3003/Gallery.htm

Interesting that at least in recent history most are cars from the 1930s - Robert's favorite - and really the Golden Age of Automotive Design, I guess.

Jennifer:

If you look at Hollywood movies of the same period of most of the cars, you'll see that art direction and wardrobe are also heavily influenced by Art Deco.

PCD:

Thanks so much for the link. That is one beautiful car.

Appreciate the muscle car correction. You see, I really don't know anything about cars.

Bill:

Thanks so much for all the background information. You are now Seraphic Secret's Auto Rabbi:-)

Alter:

Yes, my spell check had a nervous breakdown when I did the captions. Have a great Shabbos and big hugs to the newest member of your wonderful family.

Pearl:

What a nice surprise. Did not expect you to comment on this post. The hood ornament you link to is just beautiful. I believe that here in CA there's a museum of hood ornaments which is supposed to be amazing.

Moishe:

Me too, drooling.

Have a lovely Shabbos.

Hey! The Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Trossi Roadster looks like the Batmobile.

Shabbat Shalom!

Sublime coachwork from an era when form was function.

Robert,

Maybe google the Riddler competition. Some beautiful cars there.

This is an example from a local guy who made the Great 8: http://cid-a1545512a8af2382.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/CAR%20SHOW/DSC07612.JPG

That's a 37 Chevy Master Sedan.

This is a wonderful site and this is a wonderful post.

I started blogging because of stress and distress as well albeit the loss of one of you would be, as my Mother used to say, harder than losing your father. It took Dad 18 years to die of a brain tumor.

I grew up Jewish in school. Most of my friends are Jews. Why? because unlike my fellow WASPS, Jews stick up for each other. WASPS not only are prone to treat others badly; they treat each other worse! They confess their "sins" (those who still go to church) then at coffee hour following the service are right back on their same problematic posts sticking it to their perceived "enemies." "OYYYYYYY"!

I am happy I found you via DarcsFalcon via Steve who is the brother of my online pal at Diary of a Mad Conservative. Now that's networking!

I envy your profession. I was always "escared" to write in public. I had to get old first! Wonderful site and a wonderful way to go on in honor of...