by Bernard Martin

PITTSBURGH, PA - Artist Lyn Hiner has been announced as the featured artist at the Cortile Italian Car Show at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's 2023 event featuring Ferrari as the Marque of the Year. 

Lyn is an internationally recognized palette knife painter based in Southern California.  Known for portraying expectedly detailed elements through an emotionally expressive application, Lyn’s bold colors and palette knife strokes create a sense of energy on the canvas revealing a beautifully unique perspective.

​Her  palette knife technique is reminiscent of  Impasto without quite the thickness.  Rob, her husband, says that her style most closely resembles Abstract Expressionism which is defined as an Impressionist-style, but with an emphasis on varying measures of abstraction.  Lyn says it's more of an emotive expressive approach. 

What you will find mesmerizing about Lyn's work is how it draws you in from afar.  Each piece can capture you and then you find yourself moving closer.  ​

You are attracted to it more and more as your eyes try to translate the colors and abstract lines of each highly recognizable piece in your mind.
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​But the colors are bolder than what you expect as the norm, more vibrant.  
​

Launched in November 2017, Lyn’s "Petrol" collection was first debuted at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and is now regularly featured at juried fine art shows, galleries and distinguished automo-
tive exhibitions internationally:

by Bernard Martin, Managing Director, Cortile Italian Car Show

The 2017 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance exemplified grace under pressure. With a 100% chance of heavy precipitation forecast for Sunday for the scheduled Concours d'Elegance and a sunshine-filled Saturday in the mix, Bill Warner and his team chose to move Sunday’s award-winning Concours to Saturday.  No small undertaking.
​

As I was having lunch on Friday with several other writers, I noted that I had heard that Warner and his team had come up with a "Plan B" back in 2000 if a weather event caused the the Concours to be moved.  As happenstance would have it, one to the people at the table chimed in "I'm on the Board and THIS is Plan B. We are in it. There isn't a Place C. We'll see if it works"

​It's a momentous task shoehorning a full schedule of Saturday and Sunday events into one day.  The Concours show would now coincide with Saturday’s "Cars & Coffee at the Concours presented by Heacock Classic Insurance".  The entire Cars and Coffee show field had to be relocated to an adjoining field, transport staff had to move up plans for unloading Concours cars by a full day; with cars that where still en route!  It required parking two different cars shows at the same time.   

Warner and his staff, according to rumor, had to make it all happen with 40% less volunteers who where only scheduled for a Sunday event. No small undertaking. It went off gracefully. It was a tremendous show. Warner and his team pulled a rabbit out of their hat while herding cats and looked great doing it!

It also made the task of trying to see over 600+ cars in a short period of time just as daunting.  Nevertheless, I was able to find some very nice examples of rolling Italian art on both the Concours and Cars and Coffee Showfield. 

Easily befitting our 2017 Proiettore Macchina, The Best of Show - Concours de Sport, was a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider from the Dano Davis Collection.

In the 1930s, the 8C 2900 Alfa was not a mere sports car but was the most advanced, modern and compelling sports car money could buy.  Milan's own Carrozzeria Touring patented the "Superleggera" construction which coincided with the birth of Alfa Romeo's masterpiece. 

​Approximately 32 of the 2.9 chassis were made and it is believed only 12 are Touring Spiders, seven of which are the long chassis like this car.  This car's known history starts in 1949.  In February 1949 it was raced in Sao Paulo by amateur driver Mario Tavares Leite who had the car imported from Italy to Brazil.  Mario won races with the car in 1949 and 1950 after which the car disappeared.  

Later it had a Corvette engine installed and the chassis was modified.  It is possible this car traveled to Brazil from Argentina in the mid to late 1950s without the Touring body and with the Corvette V-8 only to be reunited with the original Touring coachwork some four decades later. ​

Alfa Romeo Images courtesy of Nathan Deremer, Lead photographer and owner of Deremer Studios, the official photography studio of the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

The Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 auction was held Thursday, at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club. It generated nearly $10.2 million in total sales with an 87% sell-through rate. A selection of more than 85 automobiles were offered at Bonhams’ 3rd annual sale. 

​Amongst the auction results, of the cars pictured below, the 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Europa Coupe was the top dollar car sold at the auction for a whopping $2,227,500. Bringing in the 3rd top dollar position was the 1986 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole for $335,500 while the 1968 Lamborghini Islero 400 GT, sold for $247,500, the 8th biggest sale of the show.

The Gooding & Company’s East Coast auction showcased at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation, a classic beachfront resort.  Held on Friday before the celebrated Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Gooding & Company’s auction showcased a curated lineup of cars, invited spirited bidding.  Since debuting at Amelia Island in 2010, Gooding & Company’s prices realized have more than doubled, earning the event its reputation as the premier East Coast collector car auction.

Pictured below are some to of the examples of Italian design that went up on the block.  

The little 1958 Fiat 1200 TV Trasformabile pictured at the beginning of the slide show was a car I first saw at the Concourso Italiano show in 2015 during Monterey car week. It was based upon the Turismo Veloce, or fast touring, version of Fiat’s 1100 series, the limited-production 1100 Spider delivered fine details, a luxurious cockpit with swiveling seats, excellent road manners, and a handsome body designed by Fabio Luigi Rapi. By 1957, larger engines inspired the 1200 TV designation. While more revisions came in 1959, the 1957–58 models captivate today’s collectors. 

Along with a green convertible top, this sporting 1200 TV is presented with the body handsomely painted Gray Beige over upgraded green leather upholstery highlighted by white piping. It includes twin fog lamps, whitewall tires, correct spin-off hubcaps, a discreet modern radio, plus a factory-type steering wheel.  As you can see in the slideshow, we opened the hood to make sure that the olive oil can was still in place.  A rather humorous touch by the previous owner.

One of the marvelous things about the Amelia Island Concours d'Elgecance is the extremely rare cars that you can only find on display at Bill Warner's event.  

As you look through the slide show below, you'll find a one-ff 1930 Alfa Romeo 1750 GS Testa Fissa.  Its the gray colored race car featured at the beginning of the slide show.  It has a very unique body that was recreated on the original chassis.  Just three months after its introduction, a 1750 driven by Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi would win the 1929 Mille Miglia. Later that year, Marinoni and Benoist won the Belgian 24 Hour Race at Spa. Alfa would take the Targa Florio, too, and one year later, the company won its second Mille Miglia, in addition to a host of other events. In short, Alfa Romeo began the 1930s as it ended the 1920s—utterly dominating Italy’s sports car and competition scene.

The Alfa 3000CM was featured in the Alfa Romeo booth again this year.  If you recall from last years report, it was campaigned at the PVGP back in the early 1980's and is part of the Auriana Collection. 

​When you get to the end of this slide show you'll see a lovely 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. The 8C 2300 Tipo Le Mans' was the sport version of the '8C 2300' and it had a successful debut in the 1931 Eireann Cup driven by Henry Birkin. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1931 (Howe-Birkin); 1932 (Chinetti-Sommer); 1933 (Nuvolari-Sommer) and 1934 (Chinetti-Etancelin).

One of the most interesting vehicles at Cars and Coffee at the Concours was this 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce "Confortevole" pictured in the first few slides below.  The production total of the Confortevole (comfortable) variant of the Sprint Veloce (SVC) was 199, the first 50 having aluminum framed windows. An SVC seems to be an SV which falls between the SVAlleggerita (SVA) and the 101 body based SV which began production in early 1958 and upon which 101 mechanical components were gradually phased in until the 750 bits were all used up, sometime in 1960.

​Basically, the Confortevole is an updated version of the race-bred lightweight  "Allegerita" Sprint Veloce but has a more comfortable interior and lacks the aluminum body panels & plastic windows of the lightweight.  It still maintains all of the high-performance mechanical features of the lightweight but in a grand touring version.  

​As a side note, the folks pictured in the lawn chairs behind the red caravan turned out to be from Pittsburgh originally, just like the van which had a pre-insterate Pennsylvania map sitting on the dash.  

We're also very excited to welcome Heacock Classic Insurance to the 2017 Cortile as a sponsor and they will be providing Coffee on both Saturday and Sunday morning July 15-17 during the arrival of the show cars!

The 2016 Cortile Italian Car show was quite an event.  

We started things off with a special presentation by Jeff Mahl on Friday evening  about he 1908 New York to Paris Race.  It was a lively and very informed presentation about Jeff's great great grandfather's experience racing around the world over 100 years ago.

On Saturday we had several very special cars show up for the De Tomaso feature as well as a Stanguellini race car!

Take a look at some of the live footage below that we posted on our Facebook Page during the weekend activities for more details.

THE 2016 CORTILE CUP WINNERS CIRCLE

In the Best Italian Speciality Car category that Stanguellini race car took top honors. Our Proiettore Macchina feature winner was a gorgeous white Pantera.  

​The Ferrari and Lamborghini winners added the iconic Italian sports car colors to the Winners Circle and a very very unique Maserati joined us from Erie, PA to take the final spot in the Winners Circle!

THE 1908 NEW YORK TO PARIS RACE. 

Jeff is the Great Grandson of George Schuster, driver of the American Thomas Flyer and winner of the 1908 New York to Paris Race. 

​For his victory, George was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame beside other racing greats including Andretti, Bugatti, Ferrari, and Shelby.

1959 STANGUELLINI MONOPOSTO JOINED US IN 2016!

This car was partially restored in 1970s and spent approximately 20 years in a private museum of an Italian car collector in Miami, Florida.

The current owner purchased the car in 1994 and has spent the last 8 years restoring it to the original racing condition. This was it's first showing since coming out of the garage! ​

NEXT MONTH: ROB STRAW'S NIGHT PHOTO'S!

Make plans now to join us next summer at the Cortile when we will feature Alfa Romeo as our 2017 Proiettore Macchina! 

On March 12, 2016,at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Lamborghini unveiled both it's new restoration service called PoloStorico, and also it's first project, a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV (Super Veloce), chassis #4846.

Concourse Italiano is THE Italian car show to attend on the west coast. It's held at The Bayonet and Blackhorse golf course which is  located on what used to be Ft. Ord, a large military base from 1917 until it was decommissioned in 1994.  It was founded in 1986 by a group of Maserati and Alfa Romeo enthusiasts which actually includes one of the founders of the Cortile.  However, when I arrived I had not known that fact.

Concourso Italiano is held during the Monterey Car week in August each year.

The week of car events on the Monterey peninsula include the 

• Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is held on the final Sunday of Monterey Car Week. The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was founded in 1950 as an adjunct to the Pebble Beach Road Race, a race event sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America and conducted on a circuit of closed public roads.
• Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, formerly known as the Monterey Historics until 2010, is held the final weekend of Monterey Car Week at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The three-day event has over 500 participants, and generally features a specific marque every year.
• Legends of the Autobahn show features German automobiles. It began as a BMW Car Club of America event and grew to include all German cars.
• The Porsche Werks Reunion event features Porsches and was established in 2014 after splitting off from the Legends of the Autobahn show.
• The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (usually shortened to The Quail) is a car show limited to 200 automobiles located at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club

In 1976 Maserati Club International was formed and it quickly grew to 3500 members, which was pretty extraordinary by itself. 1986 saw the first Concorso Italiano with the Maserati Club and and Alfa Romeo Club playing an instrumental role in ti's creation. That first year saw 45 Maseratis on the snowfield.

The 2015 Concorso Italiano featured the reunion of the Ferrari 250 GTE, the 25th anniversary of the Lamborghini Diablo, the 50th anniversary of the Iso Grifo, the “King of Spain” Maserati Quattroporte, the Touring Superleggera concept car, and Tom Meade’s Thomassima II.

As I traveled the showgrounds I discovered that Alfa Romeo had just unveiled their new logo: Only the sixth change since the their beginning in 1910.   The Alfa Romeo booth was surrounded by cars from the Alfa Romeo Owner's Club who where one of the founding clubs of the event.  ​Featured prominently was the newly introduced 4C which will certainly grace these show fields in 50 years time.

​Certainly one of the true highlights of the show was seeing the  25th anniversary of the Lamborghini Diablo display area.  I was intrigued by the story about a barn find of a Lamborghini Muira what was over a decade in the making.  What was presented was a completely original un-restored Muira.  

The Concorso Italiano is now run by Tom McDowell who also runs the Desert Concorso.  It's a well managed and very organized show that brings together the very best Italian cars on the west coast.  Similar to the Cortile, it features both daily drivers, I followed about 5 Alfa Romeo Duetto's down 101 to the Show, as well as some very rare show cars.  I was surprised to run into at least 10 people from the Cortile Show at Concourso Italiano! My son and I are planning a road trip next summer and making this the Apex of our trip. If you have to opportunity to visit Concorso Italiano in the future be sure to let some people at the Cortile know.

​Below please find some more great images from the show....  ~Bernard Martin

A short video of the stunning Lamborghini Miura S that won Best in Show, the Cortile Cup winner, at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2015 during the celebration of the Marques of Italy.

The cost is $125 to participate in our Marques of Italy, the Cortile and the Fiat FreakOut.  Register and pay on-line here. All proceeds benefit the Grand Prix Charities. If you are with the Fiat FreakOut you must register on the Fiat Club America website in order to have your car qualified for judging.

Here are the events during our ten day festival where Italian car’s will take center stage:

Written by Bernard Martin

I had the unique opportunity to visit The Amelia Island Concour's d' Elegance and witness the unveiling of the new Lamborghini Huracán.  To say that I was very impressed would be an understatement.  Was I impressed by the car? Of course. But that was not what impressed me the most. I'll explain a bit on that later, but first a bit about the Huracán.

Back in 2010  Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A President & CEO Stephan Winkelmann said that the sports car market's top design priorities were "Top speed was number One. Acceleration is number Two and then comes handling," In the future "Handling is going to be number One. Acceleration is Two and Top Speed is number three" I must say that the Huracán appears to be the embodiment of that ethos. 

Huracán is Spanish for hurricane but, as with all Lamborghini car models, this one is inspired by a Spanish fighting bull. According to Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.:
"The fighting bull Huracán of the Spanish Conte de la Patilla breed was known for his outstanding courage and strong sense of attack. He fought in Alicante in August 1879, showing his unrelenting character and remaining defiant and invincible, thus entering into the legend of fighting bulls' history."

What's LP 610-4 stand for?

"LP" stands for "Longitudinale Posteriore," which is a snazzy way of saying that it's a mid engined, longitudinally mounted motor (the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back). The Huracán motor is a V10, naturally aspirated 5.2 L. It's tuned for 610 PS (449 kW; 602 hp). The Huracán's top speed is over 202 mph (325 km/h). It can accelerate from 0 to  62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.9 seconds. With a dry weight of 3,135 lb  (1,422 kg), it enables a power-to-weight ratio of 5.1 lb (2.33 kg) per horsepower. The Huracán has electronically controlled all-wheel drive, which aims to increase the traction on various surfaces and the overall performance of the car. That "all-wheel drive" part is what that last "-4" means by the way.

As anyone who's met me for the first time near your car, you'll probably recall me asking you to "Tell me about your car" or "What do you like most about this car vs that car?" I've come to the realization that the only way to really know what's good or bad about a car is by what the aficionado's of a particular marque have to say about the macchina. To become a true aficionado, in my view, is to have driven and experienced the marque in detail over many years. (Yet another reason I miss Walt Spak.) So, of course, over the course of the weekend I asked those questions a lot. It was interesting to note that the shifting and handling of the Huracán seemed to be at or near the top of Lamborghini aficionado's first comments. 

What impressed me the most?

Attitude. You can always get a flavor for a company's culture by how that culture is reflected in the employees attitudes and responsiveness.  It was the first time that I had had the opportunity to meet any of the Lamborghini corporate folks. When brands become as famous and world renowned as Lamborghini, I had half expected a bit of an arrogant panache.  That was not at all what I encountered.  I was introduced to numerous people within the company over the course of several days and found that, when chatting, each and every one took the time to answer questions and even find me later to say that they had either found out the answer or wanted to introduce me to the person that has just arrived who could give me the answer. THAT was impressive. 

It's the kind of responsiveness and nimbleness you expect from a small start up company but certainly not from a company who's parent, Audi AG, sold 1.58million cars last year.

Back in 2010 CEO Stephan Winkelmann was asked "What are the key metrics to decide on the future?" He said, "Its about design and performance. These key elements are not going to change" ...as you might have expected, but he also said "We have meetings constantly about the business, it's a constant update even on the strategy because their is nothing fixed. You always have to think again, what you thought six months ago because the world is changing fast." That's the kind of thing that a lieutenant in the German Army who was a paratrooper would say, who understands the importance of speed, responsiveness and adaption to current urgencies. Ironic that Winkelmann was indeed a lieutenant in the German Army who was a paratrooper.

As someone who has spent a career in manufacturing, that sort of attention to detail and responsiveness translates into a great understanding of the market and a customer-to-manufacturing feedback loop that permits big R&D leapfrogs forward in product innovation. …and now, after Winkelmann's comments in 2010, we have the introduction of the Huracán. It may just be one of those very special cars that, one day, 50 years from now, aficionados will marvel at the engineering and handling "of it's day."

Huracán "...thus entering into the legend of fighting bulls' history"