A Tour of The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering [2013 Pebble Beach]

Compared to the Pebble Beach Concours, the Quail is a vest-pocket event. There’s an old British saying made famous by the clubhouse of the historic Brooklands circuit that goes, “The right crowd and no crowding.” That sentiment applies to The Quail, as those not being crowded dropped $450 ($100 for kids) a head for the privilege. The usual sorts of concours classes is supplemented this year by a celebration of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary and 100 years of Aston Martin, a tribute to the California Mille in honor of Martin Swig, and an overdue tribute to the designs of the great Peter Brock. Encompassing the field are displays of new cars—only the most luxurious and exotic, of course; econoboxes aren’t welcome—shops that will sell you anything from books to steering wheels to upholstery, and, this is one of the big draws, plenty of fine dining spots. A bit of caviar, perhaps? Champagne? Why not?

Peter Brock will tell you the inspiration for the original Sting Ray came from GM design chief Bill Mitchell, but it was the talented Brock who penned the final shape. This became a race car based on a mule chassis of the Corvette SS and went on to win a national championship in the hands of Dr. Dick Thompson before inspiring the 1963 production-spec Sting Ray.

This big race car is a Bugatti based on the lowered-chassis Type 57 SC. The racer was built in 1936 and went on to win a few races that year, but it’s most famous for winning the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was a hallmark victory for Bugatti thanks to drivers Jean-Pierre Wimille—who the French marque are paying tribute to this weekend with a special-edition Veyron named in his likeness—and Robert Benoist. The body design is straight from the factory, done by Jean Bugatti.

Pontoon-fendered 1958 Ferrari Testa Rossas have been a favorite around the world for years, not least because they and their full-fendered brethren won scores of major sports-car races. Powered by a 3.0-liter V-12, the ’58 Testa Rossa was as reliable as it was quick.

Are you an owner of a Ford GT but you think your ride could use a shot of Botox and a dose of Cialis? Good news! Galpin Auto Sports will convert your GT into a GTR1, which includes modernized, GT-inspired bodywork and a pair of turbos that up output from 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque to 1024 horses and 739 lb-ft. Figure on the 0–60 sprint taking just 3.1 seconds and your bank account dipping by about $1 million in even less time than that.

James Glickenhaus’s P4/5 race car began as a 430 Scuderia with an Enzo-based driveline that includes a KERS system. Raced in the Nürburgring 24 hours, it finished first in class, 12th overall and won the FIA’s Group 7 alternate-engine sports-car class.

Okay, it isn’t the most beautiful race car ever, but it’s the Troutman and Barnes Special. It’s important because of what Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes were able to do: transitioning from the California hot-rod scene to be involved in some of the most successful racing sports cars ever produced, including the Scarabs. These men are true sports-car racing heroes.

Source: CarAndDriver