This was my fourth year attending the Geneva Concours and it was a big one. I organized a group drive to the show with my neighbors Jeff and Peggy and their Mini and a couple friends I met through the Citroen restoration - Andy with his 2CV and Mark with the dark blue SM. Unfortunately, weather was not the greatest this year, with intermittent sprinkles, but we persevered and I'm glad we did. As always, there were some standout vehicles that did not disappoint at the show this year.
This De Tomaso Vallelunga was amazing to see in person. One of the first mid engine street cars, only 58 of these were produced by Ghia in Italy. For an engine, it used a Ford Cortina 4 cylinder engine and a VW Beetle transaxle with a new gear set. Unfortunately, issues with the design of the frame and construction limited the performance of this lightweight vehicle. The problems were finally fixed (almost) in De Tomaso’s next mid engine creation, the Mangusta.
There are so many interesting details to observe at the Geneva Concours, on vehicles that you won’t get to see at a local cruise night gathering. Case in point - this amazingly intricate radiator cap from an early Cadillac. Today, the details of this emblem persevere.
Next up - a 70s icon - the Alfa Romeo Montreal. Like the Dodge Viper or the Lamborghini Miura, this Alfa is a show car brought to life. In this case, it was named after it’s show debut. I love the side vent details behind the doors and over the partial headlight covers. These have a very cool, high-revving V8 engine with fuel injection. Probably a mess to find parts and keep running, but I love seeing these cars in person. Very striking.
The signature color for the McLaren MP4 12C is this striking Lava Orange. Even on a rainy day, it is like looking into the sun. It is simultaneously yellow and gold and orange together in one. Every time I see one it stops me in my tracks.
Whenever we attend a car show, I always ask my son Clay what his favorite car of that day was. In this case, it was this stunning Ferrari F40. There are a million reasons to admire this car - light weight carbon fiber construction, turbo V8, race car simplicity - the list goes on. But more than anything, it screams speed, and even someone who is just beginning to develop opinions about what makes cars great can recognize that.
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