[DeTomaso] Back from Goodwood Revival?

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/24/10 21 33 32, julian_kift at hotmail.com writes:


> So can I take it this spurt of list activity means you are back from 
> Blightey and the Goodwood Revival?
> 
>>>Yes, now wading through 1000 e-mails!   Unfortunately e-mail access was 
quite limited over the past week.
>  
> >How was it?
> 
>>>Spectacular as ever!   The best vintage racing in the world, on a 
fantastic track with literally 100% viewing access, unobstructed by fences, with 
classic warbirds (Spitfires, Hurricanes, a Lancaster bomber, a P-51 Mustang 
and a Bearcat) flying overhead, and 50K people all dressed in period costume, 
you just can't beat it.

What made it better was being in the company of so many other De Tomaso 
owners.   Initially we stayed with John Braithwaite, who lives about 30 minutes 
from the track on a farm (actually a 500-acre estate), where besides 
boarding horses, he stores sports cars.   He himself has a Mangusta, Porsche 356A, 
Alfa Romeo Duetto, Marcos, and a very rare RHD Citroen Traction Avant 
drophead (convertible).

He also rents storage space to other people; one of those folks we met 
briefly in Le Mans this summer, and he kindly loaned me a '59 Austin-Healey 
3000, which made for a delightful drive to and from the track!   That 
straight-six with a crackle on the overrun is really evocative, on a winding lane with 
the top down on a cold fall evening.

We also were fortunate to meet up with Charlie and Amaya McCall:

http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=25937

Along with Roger and Melanie Coates, and Geoff Peters.

Afterwards we went to visit Andy Prill, who I think you met at Le Mans.   
He runs this business, also located on a remote farm in the countryside:

http://www.maxted-pageandprill.com/index.html

As one of the world's foremost authorities on the Porsche 356 and early 911 
(neither of which I am particularly interested in), he had about eight or 
ten cars present, including two original 356 Speedsters, a 911 Carrera 2.7 RS 
lightweight, and a 911 ST (predecessor to the RS).   He also had two 
Porsche 904s, and was getting ready to go to Spa to race one this coming weekend, 
driving it for the owner.

He also looks after the 50-plus car collection of rock star Jay Kaye of 
Jamiroquai: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamiroquai

and he had his Mercedes 300 SL roadster and a Maserati A6/GCS super-rare 
Frua-bodied car (one of four made I think) on-hand.   

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o37/SchumiFan777/Maserati.jpg

Coincidentally, Jamiroquai is releasing their first album in five years in 
the next few weeks, and the video of the lead single consists of him flying 
a helicopter and singing, while chasing his 2.7 RS Carrera across a Spanish 
desert, with Andy doing the driving, sliding, drifting, doing donuts and 
blasting across the sand at up to 130 mph!   The video is due to be released in 
two or three weeks.

The car got so filthy that Andy had to remove the engine and gearbox to 
clean it!   The car was up on the rack and the engine had just been fully 
detailed and was ready to go back in.

Andy's partner is a high-end classic car broker (glorified used car dealer) 
who specializes in these same sorts of Porsches but also has sold more 
original GT40s than anybody; he had three of them in stock, two for sale 
(GT/111, the Bob Bondurant Targa Florio roadster, and P/1085, the last original 
chassis built in period by JWA), plus P/1080, the white one that he drove for 
the owner at Le Mans Classic.

http://www.maxted-page.com/cars/default.aspx

It was great to be able to spend Quality Time with three original GT40s, 
lifting the hoods, kicking the tires, sitting inside them and making vroom 
vroom noises while imagining rocketing down the Mulsanne straight at 200 
mph....

Andy is also a dynamite chef and cooked us an amazing dinner, in his home, 
which was originally a bakery when it was built in around 1350 (!)

Then back to Geoff's place the next night, where I got to play designated 
driver and bring us home behind the wheel of his '97 Bentley Turbo R, which 
is quite a ride indeed.   Fitted with the Mulliner package (Bentley's answer 
to Mercedes AMG or BMW's M-division), it is surprisingly quick and handles 
amazingly well for a car that is 5300 lbs.

Finally home today, and planning on staying home for the entire week next 
week and banging out another Profiles, before heading to Afghanistan next 
weekend....

The Goodwood Revival really is a fantastic event, well worth attending.   
With no Le Mans Classic on next year, it and the Spa Italia event with De 
Tomaso as the featured marque, Date TBA but probably in June, maybe even a week 
after the regular Le Mans, will be two events not to be missed!

Mike