While I’ve been attending the Amelia Island Concours as a spectator for some time, the last two years have been unique as I have been able to show cars with the Maine Classic Car Museum where my friend Andy Reid is the collection manager. My small role has been to...
Accelerating into The Amelia Concours d’Elegance
Accelerating into The Amelia Concours d’Elegance
While I’ve been attending the Amelia Island Concours as a spectator for some time, the last two years have been unique as I have been able to show cars with the Maine Classic Car Museum where my friend Andy Reid is the collection manager.
My small role has been to make sure the cars have been running and driving on and off the show field and aid in any disasters that sometimes lurk around the corner. All went as planned, and no disasters!
In 2002 we showed a 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Touring that took second in class. This year I was honored to look after a lovely 1949 Ferrari 166 INTER Cabriolet. The was the 16th Ferrari built and a beautiful car. This placed us into a super competitive and well-turned-out class, all winners in my book. Read Andy’s story here in the ClassicCars.com Journal.
In addition to enjoying the energy and ambiance of the weekend, I was able to catch up and visit with some of our local VSC members who also made the pilgrimage this year, Hugh Ruthven, Stephen Murphy and Tedd Zamjahn.
The auction action was brisk if not record breaking, and the weather behaved with beautiful Florida sunshine for the duration. We’re already planning next year. Meanwhile, enjoy some of my pix from this year – and thanks to Andy for the pic at the top.
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Accelerating into The Amelia Concours d’Elegance
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The Car Restoration Equation: Love, Value, and Cost
We probably turn away more than 40% of the inquiries about restoration we get at Sport and Specialty. Not every car should be restored, regardless of what the owner may believe. The “back of the napkin” way to calculate this is pretty straightforward. The first...
WMS Slotcar Club Visit – Great Fun!
We had a group of Middle Schoolers come out with my friend Ana Alarcon Ben Holzem today. New trainees. A ton of fun with these guys. Super enthusiastic about everything!!! We need to hook them early. Nice kids!!! Read More of My Blog Posts
With a Little Help From My Friends
Ten years used to feel like a lifetime, these days it seems like the blink of an eye. (except for April 2020, it felt like a lifetime—but I digress.) My ten-year ownership of Sport and Specialty has been equal parts fun, aggravation, gratification, and...
Sport and Specialty featured on the SEMA Car Builders Series hosted by Sabra Johnson
Early in 2022 I received a call from the marketing chief at Moss Motors asking me if I'd like to work with SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) helping them produce a video showing an example of a British restoration business to their members....
2022 Open House & Car Show – July 23rd!
Put Saturday July 23rd on your calendar for the 2022 Sport and Specialty Open House and Car Show. Bring any marque, model, or year of car, but get there. Daily drivers welcome! Bring a friend, take a drive, and see what we’re working on and finishing up. We expect...
Buy, Sell, Hold: Spotlight #7 – The state of classic, collector, and even electric conversion cars
As many of my friends will tell you (and others too), if you ask me a question I will give you the most heartfelt answer I can. Sometimes they're even amusing...... Thanks to Darin Roberge of Motorwerks Marketing and Sports Car Market Magazine for the time on...
The Proper Color for the Car
There was a story I read some years ago that Ford had a computer program that wouldn’t allow them to order and build a car with odd looking interior and exterior color combinations. In the restoration business we are those computers. When customers bring their cars to...
The Amelia, auction bought car quality, AZ vs. Amelia, and other topics on another Driven Radio appearance
I was happily re-invited to yet another podcast interview, with the guys at the Drive Radio Show. It’s hosted by Brett Hatfield, auto journalist, Auction Analyst for Sports Car Market, and editor of readthedriven.com, plus Corey Pratt of Craving Cars from YouTube, and...
The 1939 Alfa 6C at The Amelia
Some years ago my friend Andy Reid invited me to bunk in with him at The Hilton Head Concours. We had a great time and have mostly roomed together when our schedules allow. For Amelia we have been doing VRBO places with our friends Peter Singhof and Dirk De Jager,...
Catching up with the Sport and Specialty crew
For 9 years now I’ve managed the website for Sport and Specialty and one of my favorite parts of the job is that I spend time with the guys catching up on their work, their goings-on, and drooling over the cars under their care. This year was no different, but the...
Telling Stories on the Driven Radio Show
I was happily invited to yet another podcast interview, this time to have some fun with the guys at the Drive Radio Show. It's hosted by Brett Hatfield, auto journalist, Auction Analyst for Sports Car Market, and editor of readthedriven.com, plus Corey Pratt of...
What is the Digital Path Forward?
There’s a genuine satisfaction in being asked your opinion on a professional topic. It usually means that your opinion carries some weight as an expert. When the request is from Keith Martin’s Sports Car Market, it’s particularly satisfying. I was asked to join a...
Podcasting with “Assorted Conversations”
I added podcasting to my portfolio of interviews lately, and it was a great time. My friends Helen and Maureen explore people’s pursuit of their passions through their podcast “Assorted Conversations”. These conversations are with individuals who have found that...
SCM Buy Sell Hold Spotlight with John Saccameno
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sports car Market Magazine's John Nikas about the history of Sport and Specialty and how we all ended up here. It was a fun little piece, and very well put together. Listen in and let me know what you think. -John Read More...
Pictures and Thanks from Open House 2021!
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who took the time to drive out and join us Saturday at our Third Annual Sport and Specialty Open House. To those of you who struggled with previous commitments, rest assured we’ll be here again next year. It may have taken...
Sport and Specialty Open House 2021!
Reserve Saturday August 21 for the third annual Sport and Specialty Open House and Car Show. Bring any marque, model, or year of car, but get there. Daily drivers welcome! Bring a friend, take a drive, and see what we’re working on and finishing up. We expect many of...
Sotheby’s Records $44.4M for Private Car Collection
Last year my Alfa racing partner John Wheeler called me to ask some questions about how collector car auctions worked, as he knew I followed them and have attended quite a few around the country. He and the firm he works for were hired to develop strategies to pay...
Fuelfed’s Shop Visit on a Fine Summer Day
Well, if variety is the spice of life, Saturday’s Fuelfed stop at Sport and Specialty for lunch was a real home run. Brian and Lorraine Hughes asked if I would entertain having their tour stop in for lunch on Saturday. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. As a new sponsor,...
The Restorer’s Healey – John’s 1967 BJ8
Regular followers know that the white-over-blue 1967 Austin Healey BJ8 that shows up on social media is one of my favorite cars. I purchased the car from my customer and friend Tony Grau and his family as an uncompleted project. We had previously assembled and painted...
Your Virtual Tour Guide
For some reason, I just love giving tours of Sport and Specialty. I gave many plant and home office tours during my years in corporate sales, but touring plants, warehouses and administrative offices just wasn’t as much fun as showing people how you blow up cars and...
It Drives Like an Alfa
I met my racing and paddock partner John Wheeler almost twenty years ago when I first started Vintage Historic racing. I was trying to figure this whole thing out and he was my coach and mentor. The most important thing he ever told me when I bemoaned my slow times...
We’re Racing Again! The 2020 VSCDA Blackhawk Classic
Last week, Cyndi Paceley of Vintage Motorsport magazine reached out to me for my impressions about upcoming the VSCDA Blackhawk Challenge. She was interested (after the racing concluded) to see how I felt the event went overall, and also specifically how the current...
More Cars, More Pages, More Videos, and More Fun
As "the web guy," part of the fun is seeing the progress of the cars in the shop, even when I'm not there. While it's great making pictures at the shop - and hanging out with the guys - to see updated images of projects is truly fascinating. What was a...