Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of Ford

Last year, something special rolled across the auction block at Mecum’s inaugural Monterey Auction in August. A 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. Accompanied by its designer, Peter Brock, and the man who piloted the car to an FIA World Sports Car Championship, Bob Bondurant, this special piece of motoring history fetched $7.25 million US, a new record for an American car sold at public auction. That is a massive amount of money for just one car, so one must ascertain what makes such a car so special to garner such attention.

Much like the birth of Ford’s GT40, the Daytona Coupe was a product built out of spite for Enzo Ferrari, and his domination of closed-top GT racing. The 250GTO won the World Manufacturer’s Championship in 1962, 1963, and 1964. In order to compete with the GTO, Shelby would not only have to build a tin top, but also homologate it, requiring at least 100 examples be built. To get around the homologation issue, the Coupe would be built on the original Cobra roadster chassis, which already had its papers, and as such it was temporarily designated the Shelby Cobra Coupe. Shelby brought in a young designer named Peter Brock to pen the lines of the Coupe, while Bob Negstad was enlisted to design the car’s suspension.

It’s said that Brock designed the car’s silhouette by taking pictures of fellow engineer Ken Miles sitting in a roadster to get dimensions. Brock took these photos and designed a roof line that would support Miles’ height and foot reach, and when the first copy went to the wind tunnel, the aerodynamics were considered perfect by the team. The problem was getting the car built. The creation of the body had taken so much time due to the exotic shape of the car, there was not enough skilled labour around to build the additional cars needed. Ironically, Italy is full of highly skilled coach builders that could start pumping cars out for the upcoming 1964 racing season. So with that, the original American-built Coupe was sent to to Daytona to compete in its first ever race, while five other chassis were shipped, even more ironically, to Modena, Italy where Carrozzeria Grand Sport would go on to build the rest of the six Coupes. Ironic, since the remaining Daytonas were built a mere 17 km from the Ferrari headquarters, the heart of all Italia.

Meanwhile, back in Daytona, the Shelby Cobra Coupe had just won the GT class in its first ever race, prompting Carroll Shelby to name the car the Daytona, and ever since, the car has affectionately been known as such. The Daytona would go on to win the 1964 24h of Le Mans and 12h of Sebring, narrowly missing the overall championship won by the hated Ferrari GTO due to a canceled race. This prompted Shelby to famously declare, “Next year, Ferrari’s ass is mine!”

1965 would see Team Shelby commit an all-out attack on the championship, now armed with four examples of the Daytona. The season was shaping up to be a great war of rivals; however, the Ferrari factory decided to limited its involvement in the GT category, choosing to concentrate on the more prestigious prototypes. Without the full backing from the Ferrari factory, the Daytona would go on to win nearly every race to take a commanding championship win over the GTO. It is this conquering of the most feared force in sports car racing which gives the Daytona its prestige, even if time has forgotten a few poignant details.

However, the story of the Daytona does not end here. 1965 was also a year that Goodyear was hoping to break several land speed records with its tires. The tire giant had Bonneville scheduled in September but did not have a car, while Firestone was waiting in the wings to also take some records for itself. A call to Shelby procured the original American-built Coupe for use in the task, but with the car fitted with tires ready on the salt flats, a driver was still needed. Craig Breedlove just happened to be hanging around the area after making some speed record attempts in a jet-powered car, and was enlisted to drive the Daytona at the last minute. After mechanics showed Breedlove how to shift the car and with some minor tweaking, he went out and set 23 new records for both the tires and the Daytona.

After 1965, the Daytona was obsolete as a top-level racing car, and the Shelby team’s attention was shifted to improving the GT40 with a MkII variant. So with that, the Daytonas were sold off to collectors, while the lone American-built car went to music producer Phil Spector. Spector was well known in L.A. for always racing his Daytona Coupe through the streets, collecting several speeding tickets along the way. He had so many that his lawyer demanded that he sell the car or risk losing his license. So, he sold it to his body guard, who would later give it to his daughter Donna O’Hara as part of a divorce settlement. Well, Donna would go on to become a recluse and with the Daytona, disappeared from the public in the mid-’70s. For thirty years, collectors and historians feared the car was lost forever when Donna’s body was found, apparently deceased as a result of suicide. The lost Daytona was then discovered in a rental storage unit in California and after a long legal battle, sold to a collector in Pennsylvania.

The Daytona’s life was lived hard and fast, it was hand-built, with an illustrious history full of fierce rivalry, irony, great victories and defeats, while creating great stories of survival. It is these attributes that make such a car so special, while such small numbers make it the dream car of even the richest of collectors. An icon so attractive, that it forced one man to part with $7.25 million USD.

Story by Nigel Matthews

I can understand the reintroduction of mass-produced Volkswagen Beetle and Mini cars. They’re cute and popular.

However, the recently announced modern version of the 300SL — the SL stands for Sport Leicht (Sport Light) — named SLS AMG, has me really excited.

I hope that they produce more than the 1,400 original Mercedes 300SLs. The car was a road-capable version of a successful race car that entered mass production after Mercedes received an order for 1,000 of them from New York Mercedes distributor Max Hoffman, Daimler-Benz’s official importer in the U.S.

The most distinctive 300SL feature was its gullwing doors. The driver and passenger doors were hinged in the centre of the roof and supported by gas struts when opened.

The driver and passenger had to climb over the wide sill (which hid the lightweight tubular steel framework) to enter the car. Other design flaws include poor ventilation and tricky handling characteristics.

Despite these irritations, the 300SL remains one of the most desirable cars of all time. Production of the Gullwing 300SL ended in 1957.

Today, a 300SL is considered one of the most collectible Mercedes-Benz models of all time, with prices reaching well over $700,000 US.

The new version of the car, made by Mercedes-Benz and power division AMG, made its world debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. It is Mercedes’ intention to create the classic car of the future and make it available to today’s customers.

The SLS AMG has an unparalleled technology package that includes an aluminum space frame; an AMG 6.3-litre front-mid-mounted V-8 engine that produces 571 horsepower; a dry sump lubrication system as in the original 300SL; seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle; and an ideal weight distribution between the front and rear axles (47/53 per cent, respectively).

The new SLS Gullwing can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 315 km/h (electronically limited).

In an effort to diversify, the company founded a subsidiary in 1902 and built electric motors to power electric vehicles. It entered into an arrangement with the maker of Kreiger electric vehicles, and formed a company called NAMAG (North German automobile and Motors Limited) to build electric cars of their design, selling them under licence as Lloyds.

The timing was terrible because the electric vehicle was on its way out and gasoline engines were in.

With the help of Joseph Vollmer, Lloyd built some large and luxurious cars with 2.3-litre, 2.5-litre, 3.7-litre, and 5.5-litre engines. They did not sell very well.

Lloyd continued to lose money up until May of 1914 when it was taken over by Hansa-Automobile. The standalone Lloyd name was discontinued with the company being renamed Hansa-Lloyd.

The Lloyd name was dropped in 1929 when Carl Borgward of the Borgward Company took over Hansa-Lloyd.

It was not until 1950 that the Lloyd name resurfaced when Borgward formed a new company called Lloyd Motoren-Werke Ltd and began producing cars to compete with the vehicles of the “Bubble car” boom.

The Lloyd had a wooden framework that was covered in leatherette to form the body. Its German nickname was “Hansaplastwagen” which translated meant sticking plaster car or Band-Aid car!

The last model of Lloyd was quite an attractive car, and selling 40,000 units in 1959 for such a small company was quite an achievement.

Lloyd’s downfall was the parent company Borgward, who filed for bankruptcy in 1961.

Both companies were able to pay all of their creditors in full after the bankruptcy, but it was the end of car production for both of them.

The label “icon” gets thrown around quite liberally when the discussion turns to charismatic politicians, exceptional athletes, celebrities long past their shelf lives, and ground-breaking products like the Yo-yo, Frisbee, Ginsu Knife and the Ronco Pocket Fisherman. As an automotive writer, I tend to use the term for car models that have survived multiple generations like the Porsche 911, VW Beetle, Ford Mustang and of one of the greatest American icons of them all, the Chevrolet Corvette.

Author Mike Mueller has penned numerous books – all focused on automotive subjects – many of which proved to be iconic models themselves. His latest title, The Corvette Factories: Building America’s Sports Car, is unique in that it gives the reader some insight into the six-decade development of America’s favourite two-seater, as well as an in-depth look at the three factories responsible for producing Chevrolet’s remarkable “halo” car.

A picture is worth a thousand words

General Motors provided Mueller with liberal access to the wealth of material housed in the GM Media Archives and it’s obvious that he dug deep into the photo collections for the images that illustrate this very thoroughly researched book.

A surprising amount of information can be gleaned by simply perusing the photographs included in this tidy tome. For example, a photo depicting a group of designers tweaking a clay mockup reveals that the fourth-generation (C4) Corvette was set to debut in 1983 (as there is signage denoting the mud-Vette as a 1983 model), but development delays bumped the launch to the following year.

He also chose to incorporate artist David Kimble’s cutaway illustrations which are sprinkled throughout the book. These elaborate works help drive home how incredibly complex the mechanical and electronic systems are that hide beneath the shiny bodywork of the modern automobile.

Six Decades of Innovation

Zora Arkus-Duntov (Chevrolet’s legendary Director of High-Performance Vehicle Design and Development) is often credited with bringing the Corvette to fruition, but Mueller corrects this by introducing readers to GM styling guru Harley Earl, the man responsible for many of the company’s most memorable concepts.

The drop-top “plastic fantastic” (complete with slip-in Plexiglas side curtains) was revealed in 1953 at General Motors’ “Motorama” auto show at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, kicking off an almost uninterrupted six decades of production (there was no 1983 model Corvette). The Motorama concept was a huge success for General Motors from 1949-1961. The company used these events to showcase both technical and styling innovations to the consumer, as it toured through several major cities each year, and it could be considered the prototype for the auto shows we flock to today.

The book kicks off with a look at the first engine to provide the “heartbeat” for the Corvette, Chevrolet’s Blue Flame six-cylinder. This was the sole engine choice for the first two years of the car’s production (1953 and 1954). All cars afterwards came equipped with a V8.

The evolution of the car’s styling, powerplants, and the increasing levels of creature comforts, technology and safety equipment are examined as Mueller looks at the long history of the Corvette.

The author goes into great detail to dissect the unique construction and assembly process that was required to develop each generation of the Corvette. For example, from mahogany body molds, the designers created 62 fibreglass sections to assemble the body of the 1953 Corvette. These totaled 340 pounds when glued together. New processes like vacuum bagging helped give the fibreglass panels the smooth finish expected by car buyers.

The Factories

There have been a mere three factories involved in the production of the venerable Chevrolet Corvette. The first run of three-hundred identical cars (cloaked in Polo White and sporting red interiors) fitted with the 235-cubic-inch six-cylinder and a Powerglide automatic rolled off a makeshift assembly line in Flint, Michigan in 1953.

The following year, a dedicated factory was up and running to produce the 1954 run of cars, located in St. Louis, Missouri, and all Corvettes were made in this facility until 1981.

A need to modernize production methods as well as to solve associated environmental concerns had General Motors’ brass searching for a new factory in the late 1970s. There was also a need for greater capacity so that the company could meet growing demand for its most glamorous automobile. The basis for a new facility was purchased from rival Chrysler in 1978. This soon-to-be state-of-the-art factory was located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and was ready for action for the 1981 model year. The car is still being made here today, as was the now extinct Cadillac XLR.

Interesting Facts

Interestingly, the 1954 Corvette was Detroit’s first model to have its wheels balanced right on the assembly line.

We learn that the transition from C4 to C5 models resulted in the need for 1,500 fewer overall parts. Fewer parts mean less opportunity for things to go wrong.

Building cars with fibreglass bodies poses many hurdles when it comes to assembly, including paint issues. Through the use of a series of carefully selected images, descriptive text, and concise captions, Mueller helps the reader follow a 1953 model through the production process in Flint, followed by a similar step-by-step journey down the C6 assembly line in Kentucky later in the book.

The National Corvette Museum is showcased in the final chapter of the book, an incredible facility directly across the street from the factory in Bowling Green. Any true Corvette enthusiast will feel drawn to this impressive collection, but the real diehards will choose to take delivery of their cars at the museum, a clever marketing tool that comes with a host of VIP perks.

The Corvette Factories: Building America’s Sports Car would make a nice addition to the library of any fan of Chevrolet automobiles.

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ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-3551-2
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Mark McDade is the Director of Marketing and Electric Vehicle Project Manager for Nissan Canada. That’s a big title for a role some would say is one of the most important turning points in the way we transport ourselves. The introduction of mass-produced electric vehicles is a major stepping stone in curbing vehicle-generated greenhouse gases. With Nissan taking the lead in this arena, launching the Leaf EV, we sat down with Mr. McDade to talk about the challenges of selling an EV in Canada.

RPM: It seems as though manufacturers are spending a lot of time developing Electric Vehicles (EVs). When did Nissan commit to starting an EV program?

McDade: Well, Nissan back in the late ‘90s saw electric vehicles as the future technology. Not that we’ve abandoned other technologies such as hybrid, fuel cell and range extenders, but we see the short term finish line being battery-operated electric vehicles. So, since 1999, we made the decision to travel this route and invest our R&D into these technologies and make zero emissions a reality.

RPM: Back in the ‘90s, environmental concerns were not as mainstream as they are today. Why did Nissan start R&D at this time?

MD: We feel that to be a responsible manufacturer, a proportion of your portfolio has to be zero emission. Governments are going to be dictating more and more restrictions for emissions, and public opinion will power this. While this all sounds altruistic, we also think it just makes good business sense.

RPM: So what makes battery powered EVs more attractive to Nissan?

MD: Well, right now we see that hydrogen still requires a lot of work and there are still many challenges with hydrogen. However, even with a Fuel Cell-powered vehicle, you need a good battery. We have a good battery in the Leaf and it is capable of meeting the needs of the vast majority of Canadians, so it just makes more sense at this point in time.

RPM: So what’s involved in bringing a mass-produced electric vehicle to Canada?

MD: Well, we are the car guys. We have the car and we have the technology. But this is a transformational moment in the car industry and we can’t do it alone. We need help in terms of infrastructure, whether it be charging stations, permitting processes, financial incentives, you name it. This is a collaborative effort between like-minded governments and utilities that are concerned about the environment and realize that we need an alternative. That’s the real challenge.

RPM: With your interest in Vancouver and British Columbia and your initiative to launch the Leaf here before the rest of Canada, would you say Vancouver is leading the way in developing a suitable infrastructure?

MD: Kudos to Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia, because they were on this thing fast. They were the first knocking on our door very quickly and were the first out of the gate. They came to us with their plan for cutting emissions and building an infrastructure, so we are working with them and they will be the first to receive vehicles to better develop the system.

RPM: So, while the infrastructure is being created, how ready are you to produce and provide emission-free vehicles to the Canadian public?

MD: From a production standpoint and a consumer standpoint, we will meet consumer demand. There are no material or capacity issues at all. Right now we have one plant that handles both battery and vehicle production and by 2012 we plan to have three additional plants in the US, UK and Portugal producing both batteries and electric vehicles. We have commitments, funding in place and government support, so we are going forward, full speed ahead.

RPM: How will EVs change the way Nissan does business? A lot has been said about how low-maintenance EVs will lower profits for dealership service departments?

MD: From a manufacturer’s standpoint, it’s really not a worry in terms of our revenue or profit stream. Really, the paradigm shift is at the dealership level. With EVs, not a lot can go wrong, there are no fluids, no gas, no transmission, and very few moving parts. There will still need to be regular maintenance of tires, lights, bodywork, brakes and in an extreme case, the replacement of a battery, but primarily they won’t need as much maintenance. Forecasters are predicting that on a global scale, only ten percent of vehicle sales will be electric by 2020, so 90 percent will still be gas-powered vehicles.

RPM: Would you say that ten-percent figure would also relate to Canadian sales as well?

MD: Well it depends who you talk too. I would say that is on the low side for Canada. There are some groups out there saying unreal numbers of up to 60 percent, but whatever the numbers are, we will match demand. We have the juice, we have the capacity and the wherewithal to build more plants if necessary.

RPM: Obviously the early adopters will be lining up for the new technology, but do you see a challenge to shift others who don’t grasp the concept, to build the ratio of clean vehicles being sold?

MD: Yeah, we see the early adopter leading the charge. Will it fall off? Well, that’s up to us to work with our partners to help educate the public about what an EV is, and to respect an EV. I firmly believe that we are on the cusp of something special. The car meets the demands of 90 percent of metro-Vancouverites’ needs, and the cost of ownership alone will help change thinking.

RPM: On that point, EVs have already been available to the public from companies like Tesla and Fisker, but the customer has to pay a premium. Can the Leaf be cost-effective to the average consumer?

MD: Our goal is that we don’t want the consumer to pay for the price of technology. You shouldn’t have to pay extra to be clean. But, we feel from a price perspective that it will be in the range of a small car market. Now that range is quite large, from $13,000 to $35,000. We will be somewhere in that range, we’re just not quite sure where yet. We should have a number in about a year’s time.

RPM: This is the first EV offering from Nissan. Are these EV ambitions going to result in additional forms of electric vehicles?

MD: We are looking at a light commercial small van application, and we are looking at a luxury division. The Leaf is the first branch on a tree so to speak.

RPM: Finally, are there any stereotypes that you feel need to be set straight?

MD: Cold weather! Does cold weather impact the range of a car? Absolutely, but that is where the infrastructure comes into place and where education comes into place. For colder cities, maybe there is a need for more publicly-visible charging stations. EVs can work in cold environments, it will just take a little more work, and the technology will catch up as well. Also, it should be said that 99 percent of the Leaf is built from recycled material, and it is built in an eco-friendly solar-powered facility. So it’s the real deal.

Review and images by Russell Purcell

If you’re having a difficult time seeing the beauty of the Porsche Panamera’s exterior design, you are not alone. Judging from the feedback I received every time I parked the car (or even just came to a complete stop), the car’s teardrop styling solicits six out of every ten thumbs to rise in recognition of its curb appeal. If Porsche’s new bosses at Volkswagen go ahead with the proposed two-door coupe variant of this luxurious Autobahn weapon, I am sure its cleaner profile and sultry curves will make those final four thumbs stand at attention.

The back end of the Panamera is unique, but decidedly Porsche. It’s definitely the most prominent styling feature of this sultry grand touring car. After finally seeing the Panamera in person, I came to the realization that, like Nissan’s 350Z, this vehicle needs to be viewed from a standing position; otherwise it can look a bit ungainly. Unfortunately, photographers seem to like to shoot this car from a very low angle, which tends to exaggerate its proportions, giving it a too-much junk-in-the-trunk look. I would also suggest that you order the car with the model designation deleted, as the amount of script required to plaster the name on the rear hatch made it look cluttered.

The car is long and graceful, with obvious 911 elements reflected forward of the windshield, a traditional Porsche curvature to the roofline, and hints of the Cayman in the rear. The interior on the other hand is more luxurious than any Porsche model to date, and the levels of comfort and convenience delivered to its lucky passengers is almost without peer.

The cabin layout offers seating for four individuals in matching sport bucket seats that feature both heating and cooling capabilities. Legroom is abundant in all positions, as is hiproom and headroom. In fact, I have to admit that the Panamera is the first car in which I felt quite small, and trust me, I’m not. The front cockpit features a tall, wide centre console that was inspired by that of the storied Carrera GT. Its top surface is laden with enough switchgear to put a Boeing 777 to shame. Surprisingly, after a couple of days, navigating around this ominous control panel became second nature.

The car is equipped with the blindingly fast 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automated manual gearbox, and in the case of my Turbo test unit, three operating modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus). The latter two electronically alter the stiffness of the suspension, the sharpness of the steering, and the shift parameters of the gearbox. Interestingly, operating in the two Sport modes restricts you to 6 speeds. My car came fitted with Porsche’s Sport Chrono option (which includes addition of Sport Plus mode) allowing the driver to monitor track times via a dash-mounted clock or via the LCD display.

Major options on my test vehicle included big-ticket items like the Burmester audio system ($5,440), the aforementioned Sport Chrono package ($3,110), and RS Spyder Design 20-inch wheel ($2,130). Porsche offers a myriad of options to add further enhance the performance, comfort, and safety of the car, as well as to custom tailor the interior and exterior to meet your needs. My list would include the rear wiper option due to my “wet-coast” location, but I would skip the light interior colours, as the cream-coloured leather in my test vehicle showed the slightest scuff mark and had been stained by someone’s jeans. Owners planning to drive the car to its limits can order ceramic composite brakes in place of the already over-the-top steel units that come standard.

For those audiophiles who are still struggling with the name Burmester, let me explain. Burmester is a German company renowned for their ultra-high-end audio systems. Porsche collaborated with them to bless the Panamera with an entertainment system that has been designed specifically for the car, resulting in the delivery of vocals and music to your ears of unbelievable clarity and depth. A full complement of 16 carefully matched speakers and 1,000 clean watts of power will make your CD and MP3 collection come alive.

Unlike the company’s sports car offerings, the Panamera benefits from a commodious cargo area accessed by the large, remote-operated hatch. The area is concealed beneath a sturdy fabric-covered lid that swings up out of the way with the hatch. Should you need more room, both rear seats fold flat in a 50/50 split configuration. Golfers rejoice!

I had the opportunity to stretch the legs of the Panamera Turbo in late October on a track specifically designed to test the handling dynamics of passenger cars, and although it felt a little less stable than the Audi R8 V10 that was also on hand, it bested the much smaller two-seater in all performance categories including acceleration. Much of this prowess can be attributed to Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which is an active anti-roll system which helps to reduce body movement when cornering. PDCC works in tandem with Porsche’s Adaptive Air Suspension, which utilizes load-bearing air-spring struts and electronically-controlled dampers to modify the vehicle’s spring rates and ride height. The driver can also manually raise the chassis to clear road hazards and steep ramps.

A long winter excursion from Vancouver to the Okanagan Valley and back took me through some of the highest passes in the country, but luckily, my test vehicle had been thoughtfully outfitted with some high-performance Pirelli winter tires. These ice-cutters allowed the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system (read: all-wheel drive) to permit me to maintain highway speeds with the utmost confidence, despite the occasional flurry or slippery road surface.

Currently there are three different versions of the Panamera (S, 4S and Turbo), powered by two V8 engines. The entry model is the S, which is rear-wheel-drive, while the more sporty 4S can be ordered with AWD (or not). Buyers of the Turbo benefit from all-wheel-drive as standard fare, as well as a dual-element active rear spoiler in place of the single element model fitted to the S and 4S models. The incorporation of a start-stop engine shutdown system as standard equipment on all models helps the Panamera deliver unexpectedly good fuel economy numbers and hints at the availability of a hybrid model down the road.

The hatchback sedan is not a new concept when it comes to the grand touring class of automobiles, as Porsche’s now-corporate sister Lamborghini considered offering a stretched version of its four-passenger Espada in the late 1970’s. Current talk has the Panamera platform forming the basis for a similar sedan concept from the Italian company called the Estoque, which would no doubt help Lamborghini maintain and expand its own loyal customer base, while offsetting development costs for Porsche. The company has ambitious plans to build 20,000 Panameras per year across the whole product cycle, and as of mid-December, it was halfway to reaching this goal, with almost as many orders in hand.