Jay Leno had a very special guest stop by his garage recently. Peter Mullin and his Pebble Beach-winning 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne took the time to visit the comedian and car enthusiast for a brief spell. It’s no secret Leno is a fan of ’30s French vehicles, and the Aerodyne holds a special place in his heart. The vehicle was a marvel of innovation when it debuted, featuring a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder sleeve-valve engine, a mechanized retractable hardtop sun roof and an interior that could have only been designed by a Frenchman.

Leno and Mullin spend plenty of time discussing the vehicle’s origin as well as Voisin’s colorful past. The engineer began his career designing aircraft, and claimed he was the first person in history to successfully engage in powered flight. He took off, flew and carefully landed his plane 18 months after the Wright brothers sailed along in Kitty Hawk, but received no recognition for his accomplishments. Interested in more? Hit the jump to check out the video.

Continue reading Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes 2011 Pebble Beach Best in Show winner

Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes 2011 Pebble Beach Best in Show winner originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno always gets to take his turn behind the wheels of lots of big, fast, beautiful things that make the enthusiast get all choked up with high-horsepower emotion and exhaust gasses. But he can also check out things that are just weird and beautiful without actually driving – and in these two cases, those things are American.

There are two videos after the jump from last week’s Pebble Beach festivities in Monterey, California – one of the 1960 Plymouth XNR Concept designed by Karim Eddie but named for powerhouse designer Virgil Exner. Long, red and asymmetrical and powered by a Valiant engine, there’s only one, which is only right.

The other vid is of Edsel Ford’s 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster. Certainly one of the most compelling cars of the entire weekend, Jay takes his time with Edsel Ford’s grandson and Pebble concours judge Ken Gross to dive into the speedster’s creation and restoration. Hit the jump to check them out.

Continue reading Jay Leno checks out some strange and beautiful American things at Pebble

Jay Leno checks out some strange and beautiful American things at Pebble originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those car enthusiasts interested more in modern sheetmetal than pre-war brass, Pebble Beach still has you covered. Near the main entrance of the show is the concept car lawn, showcasing a collection of modern concepts and supercars.

This year featured many of the cars that were only recently introduced in Monterey this past weekend, including the Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept and the Cadillac Ciel Concept. Recently making their North American debuts, the Lamborghini Aventador, SSC Tuatara, BMW 328 Hommage Concept, and the 2012 BMW M5 were also on display. Our favorite of the group, however, was the modern-meets-vintage Mercedes-Benz F-Cell Roadster.

You can view our photos from this year’s Pebble Beach concept car lawn in the image gallery above.

The concept car lawn at Pebble Beach showcases future classics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prices for vintage Ferraris have escalated the last few years, with the more expensive models breaking records for the price of a car sold at auction. A 1961 Ferrari California Spyder sold for more than million in 2008, and a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR went for more than million in 2009. When auction house Gooding announced that it would be selling the recently restored 1957 Ferrari 250 TR prototype at this past weekend’s Pebble Beach sale, we had a feeling that the record would be broken once again.

Our hunch was correct, as a final bid of .9 million was offered for the car at Friday night’s auction. Taking into account Gooding’s ten percent selling fee, the final price rang in at an astounding .39 million.

In addition to the 250 TR, Gooding sold six additional cars over the million dollar mark including a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California (.355 million), a 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 Factory Team Car (.285 million) and a 1953 Ferrari 375 Vignale Coupe (.2 million). You can read more about the record-breaking auction in Gooding’s press release after the jump.

Continue reading 1957 Ferrari 250 TR Prototype sells for record .39 million at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction

1957 Ferrari 250 TR Prototype sells for record .39 million at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pebble Beach enjoyed a visit by a very special member of the Ford stable last week. Lincoln, along with the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house, displayed Edsel Bryant Ford’s freshly-restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster at the Monterey Concours d’Elegance.

Inspired by a visit to Europe in 1932 and penned by none other than E.T. Gregorie, Ford chief designer at the time, the Roadster began life as a 1934 Model 40 frame before going under the knife for substantial revisions. Stretched a full inch over factory dimensions and saddled substantially lower to the ground, the vehicle boasts a rear-pitched cockpit, long nose and custom aluminum bodywork. A classic Ford Flathead V8 powers the rear wheels.

After Edsel passed away in 1943, the vehicle made a few scant appearances around the country before vanishing. It surfaced again at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 1999 and sold to a collector for a heady .76 million. When the collector died, the car was returned to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House before receiving a full restoration to return it to its former glory. Hit the jump for a video of the car’s unveiling and for the official press release.

Continue reading Edsel Ford’s restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster struts its stuff at Pebble Beach [w/video]

Edsel Ford’s restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster struts its stuff at Pebble Beach [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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