Around seventy competition cars, ranging in year from 1925 to 1957, will gather prior to their four-day 1000-mile backroads tour of Northern California.  The event honors Italy’s Mille Miglia, an open-road race held from 1927 until 1957, when it was finally deemed too dangerous. 

Entrants come from all over the U.S., plus a few from overseas, to experience the beauty of rural California.  On Sunday, the 26th of April, the Nob Hill Association will host a cocktail party at the Fairmont Hotel.  The drivers will be in attendance and you can be too.  Tickets are available for $50.00 by calling (415) 673- 0614.

On Monday, the 27th, the cars will depart.  The tour will spend two nights at the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, Le Rivage in Sacramento for one and finish in Sausalito on the 30th.

Larry Mindel’s Poggio Restaurant will host the closing dinner, where five outstanding competitors will be awarded precious Chopard Mille Miglia watches.

An interesting twist:  the selection of prizewinners will be made by the mechanics and tow truck driver who accompany the event.  Their criteria will certainly include the worthiness of the car but will also consider the sportsmanship of the driver.

If you would like to drive this route as a mini-vacation, contact me and I’ll send you a copy of the route notes.

THE FRENCH MOTORING SCENE – 2009

Just as in the U.S., the auto business in Western Europe, including France, is going through hard times.  As a result, there are some interesting new developments.

A few years ago the Renault company decided there was a market in Eastern Europe for a super-low-cost, unsophisticated car.  They developed such a product and outfitted a factory in Romania to build it.  Some cars found their way to the West and were favorably received.

Eventually, Renault decided to market the car, called Dacia (by Renault) in the West.  This is important only because:  1) We’ll see more simple, inexpensive cars like this here and 2) My daughter, who lives in France, bought a Dacia.

When I visited her recently, I was curious to drive the Dacia.  It’s a small, seven-seater wagon with a Diesel engine, perfect for transporting her family of six (four little kids).  The exterior is non-descript but not ugly, the interior is drab but durable and well assembled.  It’s the cheapest station wagon on the French market, and perfectly suited to this family’s needs. 

By way of contrast, I was driving a rented Mercedes-Benz A-class, a model not sold here.  Mine was about the size of the Dacia, with a slightly larger engine.  The finish inside and out was much nicer than the Dacia, but it should be considering the cost is more than double.

I drove the Mercedes well over a thousand miles in France and found it to be a very able, comfortable and satisfactory car.  But when I drive a car with a brand name and price like Mercedes-Benz, I expect a memorable, special experience.  You get that in an Mercedes-Benz SL500.  You don’t get it in this A class.  So why pay the Mercedes-Benz premium for this type of car?

As an example of how much the established order is being challenged, the resurgence of Citroen stands out.  The car that caught my eye is a mid-sized mini-van type car, but with great style.  It’s called the Picasso and has been a big hit in France.  It’s also an example of how a car in this category can have that elusive “special” quality.

RETROMOBILE

In Paris each February the Retromobile Show attracts visitors from around the world.  Indoors, in a huge hall, like our Moscone Hall, at the Porte de Versailles on the south side of Paris, the show is a welcome mid-winter gathering of car clubs, memorabilia dealers, collector cars, art and books like none other in the world.

This year, the most outlandish display – so French – was a seven foot long Bugatti Grand Prix child’s car, complete with a miniature, running, eight-cylinder gasoline engine.  At a price of 90,000 Euros, I was able to resist.

WATCHES

Many car collectors also appreciate fine watches.  Chopard, the presenting sponsor of our California Mille, began sponsoring the Italian Mille Miglia over twenty-five years ago.  They’ve had a line of Mille-Miglia themed watches ever since and may have done more to promote the Mille Miglia than even the event organizers.

A watch exhibited at Retromobile takes the car/watch relationship even further.  Bernard Richards Manufacture produces an appealing line inspired by automobile technology.  The result is a very handsome range.  One of the most costly, the Tourbillon model illustrated here, at Euro 17,000 caught my eye. You might be tempted too.

These watches are offered as BRM brand, the initials of the company.  But no motoring enthusiast will fail to recall the fabulous BRM Formula one racing car of the 1950’s.  In that instance, BRM stood for British Racing Motors.

CHEVY SAYS, “YES WE CAN”

Near the train station in Saverne, France, I saw a Chevy billboard.  Caption:  Yes We Can – and goes on to explain they can offer this Korean built Chevrolet at a reduced price.