Trevor is a real gearhead who loves everything from classic American muscle cars to high-performance exotics. When he's not reading about cars or taking photos at a car show, he's probably out cruising around. He is currently working on restoring a 1980 Chevrolet Monza hatchback.
In the mid-1930s, the Mercedes-Benz 500K was the cutting edge of automotive technology. These cars offered unparalleled performance, styling, and luxury. These were the undoubtedly the best cars available at the time, and were such incredible vehicles that they are still very expensive and desirable today. The 500K and similar Mercedes cars from the era are the benchmark, the standard for a generation of “neoclassic” automobiles that began to appear in the U.S. starting in the 1970 and 1980s. Continue reading →
The Ford GT was designed from day one to be a special car. The car was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company. It was a showcase of the company’s design and engineering muscle, a “halo car” showing what the brand was truly capable of. The mid-engine, supercharged car with a six-figure price tag joined a very short list of “American supercars.” Suffice to say, every one of the 4,038 Ford GTs produced between 2005 and 2006 is a special car. But within that group are some cars that I would say are “extra special.” In this post, I am going to highlight some of these special edition Ford GT cars.
2005 Ford GT VIN 003
This 2005 Ford GT is the third car completed by VIN (suffix 00003) and the lowest-production VIN ever offered to the public for sale. It was was consigned to auction at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2020 event. The car sold for $440,000 USD (including auction fees).
The lowest VIN ever offered to the public for sale is VIN 003, which sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2020 auction for $440,000. Photo by: Barrett-Jackson.com
From the auction listing:
Car #00003 was equipped with three of the four factory-available options, including BBS lightweight forged aluminum wheels, painted brake calipers and the audiophile-quality McIntosh stereo system; only the painted upper racing stripes were omitted. The car remained in Ford’s ownership until this very special Ford GT was acquired by renowned collector Ron Pratte prior to joining the Scott Thomas Collection in 2015.
Lexus has been teasing the idea of a new luxury coupe since 2012, when the LF-LC concept debuted at the North American auto show in Detroit. It took four years to go from concept to production, and the new Lexus LC convertible was unveiled in 2016 and deliveries commencing in mid-2017.
Then in late 2019, Lexus revealed the new 2021 LC 500 convertible at the LA Auto Show. The first-ever vehicle, VIN 100001, made its apperance at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction in January 2020.
The new LC 500 convertible is more than just the first car off the line – it is also one of just 100 vehicles that Lexus is calling the “Inspiration Series.” These cars will feature limited paint and interior options which befit a luxury flagship car. Things like L-Aniline leather interior, Alcantara door inserts, custom stainless-steel door-sill scuff plates, 21-inch split-five-spoke forged alloy wheels are little touches that will make the Inspiration Series a little extra special.
VIN 100001 is the absolute pinnacle of special, with even more custom treatment given to this 1 of 1 car. In case you had any doubts, the car has carbon-fiber scuff plates imprinted with “LC Inspiration Series Launch Exclusive 1 of 1” to remind you every time you get in or out. It also wears a gorgeous paint job called Structural Blue, with color-matched brake calipers instead of the Nori Green pearl exterior on the other Inspiration Series convertibles. The car even came with its own bottle of wine a 2017 Napa Cabernet by Pruett), custom Halliburton luggage set, and an “exclusive Lexus experience” of some kind.
The chance to own a 1 of 1 car is something that many collectors dream of. One lucky collector got to make that dream come true with a winning bid of $2,000,000 USD for the car. This was of course a charity auction, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and to the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The car was auctioned around 4:30 PM on Friday, January 17, 2020. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this may be the highest price paid for any Lexus, ever.
If this sounds familiar, you may remember a very similar auction from the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. It was just a year ago that Barrett-Jackson auctioned the first 2020 Toyota Supra GR VIN 20201 for charity. The highly anticipated car, which sold for $2.1 million, benefited the American Heart Association and The Bob Woodruff Foundation. Like the LC 500 Convertible, the first production Supra was also a 1 of 1 car, with custom colors and materials and an engine cover signed by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda.
Congratulations to Barrett-Jackson and to the bidders on their amazing contribution to these great charities.
Driving home from work, I caught sight of a rather unusual car: a Toyota Paseo convertible. I couldn’t recall ever having seen one before.
As it turns out, the convertible model was introduced in the U.S. in August 1996 and the Paseo was discontinued in 1997. That means the Paseo Convertible was a one-year only car for the United States. According to Wikipedia, the convertible models were never offered in Britain or other markets. Continue reading →
As I’ve said in previous articles, I never set out to become an expert on Neoclassic automobiles – but I keep finding them at car shows, and people keep reading these posts, so I guess I’ll go with it. Having written about nearly every other Neoclassic car manufacturer, it was only a matter of time until I came across a Clénet. Well, it finally happened in early 2019 at my local Cars and Coffee gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona. I came across this 1980 Clénet Series II cabriolet and quickly found that it was different from other neoclassic cars I had seen in the past.
Clénet Coachworks was established in 1975 in Santa Barbara, California by Alain Clénet. Their first car was a 1930s styled roadster called the Series I. The company built 250 of the Series I cars from 1977-79, before moving on to the Series II. Just 187 of the Series II cars were produced – this one is #98. Continue reading →
One of the highlights of Monterey Car Week 2019 was attending Exotics on Broadway (formerly Exotics on Cannery Row). This event is notable as the most-attended event of Car Week, being that it is both free and open to the public. More than 30,000 people showed up for this year’s event, according to the organizers.
For car enthusiasts, you might delight in seeing an exotic car in your town as you go about your daily life. A Ferrari 458 Italia, a Lamborghini Huracan, an Audi R8, or an AMG Mercedes would be a notable sighting on any other day of the year. But at Exotics on Broadway, these cars are almost as common as Honda Accords.
It’s hard to appreciate these mid-range sports and exotic cars in the presence of so many unicorns – the elite, multi million-dollar, super limited production hypercars cars you’ve read about online, but have never seen in person. Exotics on Broadway brings together the best of the best – Pagani, Koenigsegg, Bugatti, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Saleen, Hennessey, and many other top brands. To see so many dream cars all gathered in one place is pretty overwhelming.
I apologize for not being able to include photos of every Porsche GT3RS, Nissan GTR, or Lamborghini Aventador. A quick Google search reveals that as of 2018, Lamborghini has produced more than 8,000 Aventadors since the car’s release in 2011, and more than 11,000 Huracan vehicles. The featured cars at Exotics on Broadway are so rare, that they may number in the low hundreds of examples built. Only 349 examples of the Ferrari F50 were ever made, and there were three of them at this event. Cars from Pagani and Koenigsegg are even rarer, with specific models numbering in the dozens worldwide.
And there wasn’t just one of them. I counted a half-dozen Pagani models, mostly Huayras and one yellow Zonda R. There were several Koenigsegg Ageras, a CCX, and the brand new Jesko on display. Everywhere you looked, there was another amazing car to behold. There was even a beautiful blue Lamborghini Centenario coupe, 1 of just 20 in the world. It it no exaggeration to say that this event was like going to supercar heaven.
I hope you enjoy these photos from the 2019 Exotics on Broadway event in Seaside, California.
Koenigsegg Jesko
Unveiled in early 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Jesko is the latest and greatest creation from Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg. Designed as the replacement for the Agera, the new Jesko features a more spacious interior, more powerful engine, and improved aerodynamics. The car is currently on a worldwide press tour and also appeared at The Quail Motorsports Gathering during Car Week. The approximate price is $2.8 million.
In the mid-1930s, the Mercedes-Benz 500K was the cutting edge of automotive technology. These cars offered unparalleled performance, styling, and luxury. These were the undoubtedly the best cars available at the time, and were such incredible vehicles that they are still very expensive and desirable today. The 500K and similar Mercedes cars from the era are the benchmark, the standard for a generation of “neoclassic” automobiles that began to appear in the U.S. starting in the 1970 and 1980s. Continue reading 
