by Mike Gulett –
It is almost time for Monterey Car Week – just 5-6 weeks away! So, to get you in the mood, here are some of my adventures from years past. I believe it does help to look back at the past to help prepare for the future.
Before I get to the past I want you all to know that this year I will be at The Quail, A Motor Sport Gathering on Friday August 16 displaying our 2005 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S. It is planned to be in the Evolution of the Supercar Class. If you go to The Quail stop by and say hello. I suspect it will be the only yellow Aston Martin there.
2005 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S
Now for a look at some of my past at Monterey Car Week.
Monterey Car Week 2018
The video below is 6:24 long and features some highlights from Monterey Car Week 2018. I took the Lamborghini Espada to The Quail that year.
Put it on full screen and imagine you are there.
Wayne Carini interviewing Mike Gulett
Concorso Italiano 2014
I was this close to winning Best in Show with the 1966 Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada.
The class winners together – Bruce Caron and I (in the Bizzarrini) are talking to the Lamborghini GT350 owner (in his car) who won Best in Show. Photo by Mike Clarke.
It seemed like everyone had a camera in Monterey County and they were all taking photos of the cool cars that were driving by, sitting on a golf course or participating in the historic races at Laguna Seca.
The photographers place themselves on strategically located corners and then wait for something worthy of a photo to drive by. I was surprised to see several people taking photos of my ’96 Porsche 911.
I was not surprised to see people taking photos of the Bizzarrini GT 5300 as I drove to and from Concorso Italiano on Saturday. Usually I see these photos on Flickr or some other location on the internet.
This year however (2014), Cindy Meitle sent the photo below taken by Anthony Carbone of Madwhips who said in an email to me “I was hanging out of the top of the Yellow Hertz rental Corvette!”
We were driving north on Highway 1 between Carmel and the Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside where Concorso Italiano was held.
Sophisticated, fast and timeless – 1966 Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada.
The Quail, A Motor Sport Gathering 2012
My Bizzarrini GT 5300 was the Bizzarrini Class Winner at The Quail in 2012 and I believe this is the only Bizzarrini Class at The Quail so far in history. The Quail does not award second or third for each class – just the Class Winner voted on by the owners in that class.
Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada on The Quail, A Motor Sport Gathering podium in 2012
There was also an Iso Class at The Quail celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Iso Rivolta GT, where my red Grifo was one of 15 Grifos and 27 Iso cars in total on display.
Piero Rivolta was featured in the Winter 2012 issue of Motor Trend Classic
The photo shoot for the Motor Trend Classic article was at The Quail golf course in Carmel the day before The Quail, a Motor Sport Gathering.
I attended the photo shoot because my red Iso Grifo was used along with the red Iso Rivolta GT owned by Ted and Jan Hirth and the red Iso Rivolta Varedo owned by Piero Rivolta.
With the man who made the Grifo sitting in my Grifo, above, I think it adds to the patina of the interior!
The photo shoot lasted a couple of hours and they used two photos in the magazine! But they are two good photos.
My favorite quotes in the interview from Piero:
“If your car goes faster and doesn’t break when you close the hood, you don’t care what you have inside. Faster is faster!”. This was said while discussing the choice of an American engine rather than the option to build their own engine.
And “I am on a diet – a diet to eat well” discussing his physique.
Renzo Rivolta, Marella Rivolta Zagato and Piero Rivolta
That is all for now. We will post more about Monterey Car Week soon.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Piero Rivolta and Mike Gulett – 2012 Carmel, CA
See you there Mike!!
Very nice. Thanks.