Archive for August, 2010

Annual Pilgrimage to Monterey Peninsula

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Only the finest things pass through Pebble Beach every August for the Concours d’Elegance.  Exotic cars.  World-class fine art.  First-class food and wine.  All of this and more can be enjoyed during the Monterey Classic Car Week.  Since it’s inception in 1950, automotive enthusiasts have access to virtually everything their heart desires from restored, vintage cars to a day spent at the tracks.

And it doesn’t stop there.  The Automotive Fine Arts Society, a group boasting 30 artists from across the world, exhibited art for their 25th year at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

“This year marked a special milestone for automotive fine art,” said Ken Eberts, AFAS president.  “It was our 25th year to be a part of this memorable event that celebrates the rich heritage of the automobile, and we look forward to being a part of this historic event for another 25 years.  We’re especially thrilled that Audi joined us as our official sponsor and showcased their fine automobiles alongside our work.”

Nothing could compare to the stunning cars overlooking the Pacific Ocean underneath the warm California sun—an experience that a car fanatic dreams to attend every year.

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WEST COAST CUSTOMS VEHICLE INDISPENSABLE IN “THE EXPENDABLES”

Friday, August 13th, 2010

What does Sylvester Stallone and West Coast Customs have in common?  Besides the tough-guy persona, the two partnered to develop a sleek black 1955 F100 pickup for the Hollywood legend’s new movie, “The Expendables,” which came out today.

The ’55 customized truck is starring alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham, just to name a few.

“I’ve been a serious Stallone fan my whole life,” said Friedlinghaus.  “He has a thing for cars just like us, which made the crew really want to be part of the film.”

West Coast Customs built three versions of the pickup, which is similar to the 1950 Mercury Stallone drove in the film “Cobra.” The truck features a 347 cid Edelebrock small block stoker engine, B&M equipped AOD transmission, Gibson Exhaust, Heidts Mustang II front suspension and much more.

This is the first time West Coast Customs has been involved with a key project for a major motion picture, but it definitely isn’t its first introduction onto the movie scene.  Friedlinghaus and his crew also built supporting cars for movies such as “The Fast and The Furious” and “Death Race.”

The three versions of the pickup were created and customized in just three short weeks by the famous WCC group.  There was even a member of his team at the filming to repair the F100s in case the cast members tore them up.

Check out “The Expendables” today in theatres to see West Coast Customs’ tricked out truck in action!

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Should Collector Cars be a Part of Your Financial Portfolio?

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

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Barrett-Jackson president, Steve Davis, responded to this question from Fox News’ most talked about news show, Strategy Room, on Friday.   As one of the foremost experts in the industry, Steve spoke about how Barrett-Jackson is revving up profits in a tough economy.

The Strategy Room’s Chris Cotter and Tracy Byrnes, both collector car enthusiasts, didn’t shy away from asking Steve what we all wanted to know, “How has your business [weathered] this recession?”

Steve responded enthusiastically about the growing number of bidders and consignors, as well as investment and collector value of traditional classics and new collectibles.

“The cars really represent a value in many ways,” added Davis. “It represents memories, it represents passion [and] it represents fun that you can enjoy with your grandfather, your great-grandfather [and] your children.”

Over the past three years, Barrett-Jackson has introduced two successful auction locations, including Las Vegas and Orange County, and enjoyed a 50 percent increase of bidders attending the events.  Just recently at the inaugural Orange County auction, Barrett-Jackson reported that 53 percent of the vehicles that crossed the auction block were purchased by new bidders.

“We’ve seen an incredible amount of new people coming into our world as a result of some of the things happening on Wall Street,” said Davis.  “These vehicles are tangible assets.  They have an incredible amount of fun attached to them and if someone sneezes on Wall Street, I guarantee the whole car isn’t going to disappear.”

Want to know Steve’s thoughts over the collectability and future value of today’s cars?  Click here to see the full story.

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