Tuesday 25th January 2011

Spotted: Spirit of Sebring And A Brace Of Bugs

An average morning spent tyre-kicking, La Jolla, SoCal style

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A pair of Bugatti Veyrons up for grabs

Last week's M-B sponsored trip to sunny SoCal (where PH sampled the magnificent CLS 63 AMG) terminated at the seaside resort of La Jolla near San Diego. What a place!

A couple of showrooms on the main drag caught our eye as the rest of our party stopped for lunch, and your trusty scribe was forced to forsake another free feed by an overwhelming urge to drool over some precious metal.

La Jolla's portentously named Symbolic Motor Car Company caught our eye first, with an array of supercars glinting in the window. We stumbled inside blinking from the sunshine outside, to be welcomed by a chappie who was pleased to let us browse what turned out to be a cornucopia of exotic machinery - and yes, I did tell him we were skint. Nestling amongst the collection of Lambos, Masers, Ferraris, Porsches and Rolls-Royces was a brace of Bugatti Veyrons - yours in red for a princely $900,000 or blue at a cool $1.2m. There wasn't anyone around to ask, but apart from the colours, the main difference between this pair of Bugs appeared to be that the blue one had an extended warranty - you'd want it, too, I'm thinking.

Mr Newman's old Nissan

As well as a wall full of artworks by Ronnie Wood, Symbolic is offering another taste of celebrity with what looks like some sort of IMSA Nissan up for grabs. It was raced by Paul Newman and although US motorsport isn't my area (note to self - must get an 'area'!), this one caught my eye as its wide arches were flared in the manner of an unshelled peanut. It was sponsored by Planters, so hopefully that was an in-joke at the time.

Next door to Symbolic, and set back a little, sits the showroom of Grand Prix Classics. The guys there were warming up a Cooper single-seater on the sidewalk when we arrived, but inside was a real treat for the eyes. A mid-70s legend among 'Vette enthusiasts, otherwise known as the Spirit of Sebring 75.

This little beastie was one of a couple of wide-body Corvettes campaigned in the States against Porsches and BMWs by John Greenwood - with some success, including 11 IMSA pole positions against the German factory teams. The monster 'Vette featured a big block V8 making 700hp, and held various speed records at Sebring and Daytona - at the latter circuit it clocked 236mph, and was set up to four wheel drift through the high banked turns.

The awesome Spirit of Sebring

According to Grand Prix Classics the car - complete with a cardboard box containing all its race history - has just changed hands for an 'undisclosed sum', although it has recently been advertised at something just shy of $700k. The new owner is apparently committed to racing the car at historic events.

 

 

[Andrew[MG]]

Very nice collection of cars there!

[hugh_]

Blimey I hadnt realised a Veyron could be had so cheap... I better start looking down the back of the sofa.

[anything fast]

that corvette is simply epic!!!

[dinkel]

More epic Vette:





Monster power . . . in the wet!

[rob.e]

Nice article.

Looks like some awsome machinery and nice weather too, we're not jealous..

bds!

[pSyCoSiS]

You guys do get to do some amazing things, and see some amazing metal.

Nice photos.

[johnnymaestro]

Cracking vette that.

Have had my eye on this one for a while as well.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2147981.htm

http://www.canepacollection.com/detail-1977-chevro...

[soad]

Do like those old school 'vettes = ubber coolness!

[MoBeanz]

Z31 - The most manly of Zs.

[Dr_Rick]

[article]the main difference between this pair of Bugs appeared to be that the blue one had an extended warranty - you'd want it, too, I'm thinking.[/article]

That's a hell of a warranty for an extra $300k!!

Dr Rick

[Matt Harper]

There were actually 3 Greenwood vette chassis that bore the "Spirit of Sebring" - the 1975 and 76 cars - and a third, bodyless, tube chassis, made from spare parts. These were unique in that they had coil-over suspensions. I saw the 75 car at Sebring in 2003 and it looked a little different to the car in this story.
This is the original 75 car:



I wonder if the CA car in this story is the 3rd "parts car", which never actually raced at Sebring?

[mozza42]

I guess the Yanks don't have the same consumer protection as we do; I'd (maybe*) want a belt and braces warranty on any Bugatti Veyron from a dealer...

When I was at Penske Ferarri in Wynn all second hand cars had 'as is - no warranty' on them, bit of a swiz I think.

-* I say 'maybe' since if I were in the position to afford a Veyron then it may not be a consideration.

[VetteG]

Another Greenwood car at the Festival of Speed a few years ago.

And a similar vette at the same event.


G

[Roboraver]

hugh_ said:

Blimey I hadnt realised a Veyron could be had so cheap... I better start looking down the back of the sofa.

+1 but that's with no extended warranty !! I always though it had to go back home twice a year ? a wonder who picks up the bill when its sitting in a show room for months on end.

[Hoofty]

VetteG said:

Another Greenwood car at the Festival of Speed a few years ago.

Awesome. Look at that engine offset!

[VetteG]

Hoofty said:

VetteG said:

Another Greenwood car at the Festival of Speed a few years ago.

Awesome. Look at that engine offset!

Never mind the offset, look at the the engine! And the spaceframe and the ..and the..

[sambar]

did you know that you have one of these cars corvette daytona greenwood advertised on your corvette site

[sambar]

[AndrewW-G]

sambar said:

Dirk Digglers Vette from the film "Boogie Nights" ?

[Hoofty]

VetteG said:

Never mind the offset, look at the the engine! And the spaceframe and the ..and the..

Quite! I'm familiar with that engine (it was my desktop wallpaper for a while ) but I'd never realised just where it sat in the car. I concede that it's an odd thing to get excited about...

This, on the other hand, isn't.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmcLYRHjHxs