The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, is an annual celebration of classic cars and culinary delights held in Carmel, Calif., during Monterey Car Week. More intimate and just as prestigious as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this show’s highlights included a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura, a significant collection of Ferraris, a retrospective of Laguna Seca Raceway, and more. Sponsored by Peninsula Hotels, the Quail also showcased food from cities around the world and raised more than $50,000 for charity. Here are some of the most beautiful cars that graced the Quail’s lawn.
This beautiful goutte d’eau (“water drop” in French) coupe was named the first-ever winner of the new Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award, created “in the spirit of celebrating the best of what defines the automotive world for the year.” The Talbot-Lago T150-C SS is a shortened-wheelbase version of its predecessor, the Talbot-Lago Spéciale, and was produced by the factory only as a bare chassis. As a result, a variety of body styles were created by third-party coachbuilders. This example, chassis number 90106, features coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi, which also did bespoke creations for Delahaye, Bugatti, and Alfa Romeo. This car, owned by Peter and Merle Mullin, has won many previous awards both on the lawn and on the track—including Best in Show at the Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe, held in conjunction with the fabled Goodwood Festival of Speed. (signatureevents.peninsula.com)
Although not even 20 years old, this McLaren F1 GTR Longtail (chassis number 028R) took home the Spirit of the Quail Award, given to the vehicle that “best represents the true spirit of motoring.” This car, clad in classic blue-and-orange Gulf Team Davidoff livery, was the 10th long-tail body style built and the last F1 GTR produced. It competed in the 1997 FIA GT Championship season, and was purpose-built to comply with new rules that year for the GT1 class. Modifications include a longer nose and tail, and a wider rear wing to maximize downforce. It is powered by a 600 hp, 6-liter, BMW-built V-12 engine (S70) and fitted with a 6-speed sequential gearbox, which was new at the time. (signatureevents.peninsula.com)
This example, owned by John and Nana Greller of New York, won its class in what organizers say is the largest collection of Lamborghini Miuras ever assembled at a single concours. The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive supercar is powered by a 4-liter V-12 and was the fastest production road car in the world when it debuted 50 years ago. The Lamborghini Miura P400 S (more commonly called the Miura S), produced 370 hp when new—about 20 hp more than the original model. Only 275 examples of the Lamborghini Miura P400 S were built; all featured power windows and some were fitted with optional air conditioning.
Winning the “Rivalries of the Ages” class (along with the 1966 Chevrolet Corvette 427/425 Roadster), which celebrates competition between carmakers of the era, is the last original Shelby 427 Cobra ever built. Owned by Bruce Canepa of Scotts Valley, Calif., this Shelby 427 Cobra has gone through a full restoration using all of its original factory components and retains all of its original hardware, leather, vinyl, and wiring. The Shelby 427 Cobra was originally designed with a 7-liter, 485 hp Ford “side oiler” engine, but many of the production cars were fitted with Ford’s less-expensive 428, intended for road use. This particular example has been driven lightly, with less than 6,100 miles on the odometer.
Originally built as a roadster, this racing coupe took home the top prize in its class, “A Retrospective of Laguna Seca Raceway.” This example, chassis number SL71/46, was driven by American Jerry Grant at tracks that include Laguna Seca, Riverside, and Las Vegas in the Can-Am series, a North American racing series governed by both the Sports Car Club of America and the Canadian Automobile Sports Clubs. The British-built Lola T70 bodies were typically fitted with Chevrolet or Ford engines, although the former were the most successful in competition
Created as an ultra-luxury car for the wealthy, this Bentley 8 Litre won its class among Pre-War Sports and Racing Cars. Introduced shortly after the start of the Great Depression, the 8 Litre was the last completely new Bentley model built before financial woes forced the company to sell to Rolls-Royce. Only 100 examples of the 8 Litre were produced, and some experts surmise that fewer than 25 were fitted with open bodies. Created in both long- and short-wheelbase versions, all were built on a ladder-frame chassis and powered by a 220 hp, straight-six engine whose block is made from a single piece of iron. This example, owned by John and Gwen McCaw, features coachwork by Vanden Plas and underwent an original restoration by P&A Wood in Great Easton, England.
Taking top honors in “The Great Ferraris” class is the last of nine long-wheelbase, alloy-body Ferrari California Spider Competiziones ever produced. Designed specifically for racing, it is powered by a 3-liter V-12 engine and features three Weber carburetors and an oversized, 36-gallon fuel tank. This car, owned by Jon A. Shirley of Washington State, raced at Sebring and Nassau in 1960. The Competizione has become extremely valuable; another example of this model sold for a record-breaking $11.3 million at 2012’s Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction.
Owned by Eugene O’Gorman of California, this car won its class for Post-War Sports cars from 1961 to 1975. TheVignale Spyder was one body style of the Maserati 3500 GT, the brand’s first successful grand touring car (and whose GTi variant was the first fuel-injected Italian production car). It’s powered by a 3.5-liter, inline-six with double overhead camshafts, two spark plugs per cylinder, and three Weber carburetors. This example was completely restored in 1987 and is fitted with wire wheels and a factory hard top.
Taking the top prize in the Post-War Racing class is chassis number XKC 024 of the 1952 Jaguar C-Type, also known as the XKC (with the C standing for “competition”). One of 53 Jaguar C-Types built between 1951 and 1953, this car was raced throughout the West Coast by the likes of Phil Hill and Pearce “Pete” Woods, the latter of whom drove the car to victory at the Torrey Pines six-hour race in 1955. Now owned by Fred and Ramona Bohlander of California, this example was restored in the late 1980s by John Pearson and RS Panels U.K., and was recently repainted in its original color, British Racing Green.
The Rolex Circle of Champions Best of Show Award goes to this celebrated Ferrari 375 MM Pininfarina Spyderracing car, the only example of nine in existence that has never been restored. The Ferrari 375 gets its name from the per-cylinder displacement in its 340 hp, 4.5-liter, V-12 engine, with the MM standing for Italy’s famed Mille Miglia race. Owned by Andreas Mohringer of Austria, this car was driven by Phil Hill and first owner Bill Spear at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1954 and won several races thereafter. It ran its last race at Watkins Glen in 1973.
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