From subtle Sunbean Venezia to raucous 2009 Baha-winning 865bhp Ford Trophy Truck, the 12th Quail featured the most amazingly diverse collection of vehicles over the Monterey classic week. Rock star Nick Mason and guitar legend Neal Schon mixed with dune buggy originator Bruce Meyers, while Steve McQueen’s son Chad was reunited with his father’s famous Jaguar XKSS – one of two on the Carmel Valley field.
Other unique gatherings included the six limited edition Bugatti Veyron Legends, and a 50th anniversary tribute to the Ford Mustang headed by the 1962 mid-engined V4 powered Experimental sports car. But it was sensational 1968 Lotus Type 56-3 turbine Indy racer that stole the show. Every time the wedge wonder spooled up, it pulled the biggest crowd around the exclusive event.
The highlight of the pre-war sports car group was Peter Briggs’ rorty 1933 MG Magnette, which was shipped from Australia to launch a new book by Graeme Cocks on the famous Mille Miglia team car.
Other popular race cars included Shaun Coloman’s sole surviving 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS NASCAR stocker, which was discovered parked in a barn in 2010 where it had sat since its last race in 1967.
Making a refreshing change from the high-end metal on the concours lawn was the 1964 Triumph Spitfire 4 of Barry Connally, who was showing his car for the first time at The Quail. “I didn’t think that it would be accepted, so when I got the notice I was walking on air,” said Connally. “My father bought the car brand new in 1964 and raced it Texas, winning the state SCCA Championship and Carroll Shelby’s Terlingua Time Trial in the same year.”
