The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering Friday, August 13, 2010, 10:00am - 4:00pm "The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering" is sort of a concours for connoisseurs, no crowding like the Concorso Italian the same day. And not just limited to Italian cars. Though I have never been to the event, I heard that The Quail, is close in quality to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Cavallino Classic and the Concorso D’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Tho I thought The Quail event was for those who knew what an Alfa villa d'este looks like note the second category in featured themes for 2010: Featured Milestone Cars of 1934 45 Years of the Shelby Mustang Alfa Romeo Special Coachbuilders Racecar Driver Carroll Shelby Nürburgring So if I am lucky enough to be there I'll report on what I saw, cheers PS the fee for spectators is much more than Pebble Beach concours but I can't find the ticket price on their website http://www.quaillodgeevents.com/pages/thequail.cgi
It is certainly prestigious to participate in the Quail. At 400.00 a ticket to view the cars at the Quail I would feel a little foolish since A lot of the same Shelby cars will be at the SAAC convention. So I plan on not going to the viewing and saving that money and buying some parts at the SAAC swap meet instead.
I think the Shelby cars shown at Quail reflects their higher values Since I have never been to the Quail event before, I don't really know how many postwar American made cars they had there in the past, but I can't help thinking their deciding to have a display of Shelby cars in 2010 is reflecting the increased value of the cars. Back when they were $25,000 cars, they weren't invited but now that many are $250,000 cars, they are of more interest to those who invest in cars not only because they like them but they see them as a better place to put money than anything on the Dow Jones. I think the entrance price to the Quail probably results in higher net worth individuals going to that event than some of the other events on the peninsula. Also maybe to secure Shelby's promise to be there, they wanted to have cars that he built. Now the big challenge, now that ground has been won at the Quail, is to get Shelbys and Cobras shown at the Pebble Beach concours in quantity--CSX2000 and CSX3000 cars surely have risen to Ferrari-like values so to me there is no reason why they shouldn't have a Cobra and/or Shelby class again (I think I have seen them on display there before but that was back when Steve Earle would send over a few cars from the Monterey Historics). At any rate, I am glad to see that in the fanciest of concours Stateside (at least going by the rate for spectators), Shelbys are rating some display space. I am always reporting on these events in Calif. and interested in which ones broaden their car coverage, as for instance the Dana Point concours recently had quite a few "lead sled" hot rods, which I've never seen at a fancy concours before, but I think that's part of a new spirit to reaching out to different niches in the car world ("Can't we all just get along... RK) Hey George Barris is our Giorgetto Giugiaro, like it or not...
