Ferrari, Duesenberg combine for $70 million auction records

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Rare cars selling for high prices is nothing new at Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula. But several records were set this year, including a 1962 Ferrari becoming the most expensive car ever sold at auction and a 1935 Duesenberg becoming the most expensive American car ever sold at auction. The Ferrari 250 GTO, sold at RM Sotheby’s on August 25 as part of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, fetched $48.4 million. The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ formerly owned by Gary Cooper sold for $22 million at the Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach auction. It was also the most valuable pre-war car ever sold

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2018 Toyota RAV4 retains tradition as top-selling SUV

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Now in its 22nd year, the Toyota RAV4 was the first compact sport utility vehicle introduced in the United States. It debuted in 1996 with its acronym meaning “Recreational Activity Vehicle: 4-wheel drive.” The all-wheel-drive designation remains optional. And it’s part of the reason the RAV4 has remained so popular throughout its tenure. Its versatility, variety of trims levels and optional equipment are different than many carmakers whose trims levels are only slightly tweaked. With a few exceptions, sales of the RAV4 has increased every year, with 2017 its best-selling edition with 407,594 units sold, including more than 50,000 hybrid

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Microlino mini-car channeling BMW Isetta debuts in Europe in 2019

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More than 50 years before tiny houses, Smart cars and other mini things on wheels became recent crazes, the BMW Isetta was a trendsetter. It was known as a “bubble car.” It was stylish, got great gas mileage and zipped perfectly around narrow European streets. Now, its modern-day equivalent, the electronic vehicle (EV) Microlino, has been approved as street legal by the European Union. Designed by Wim Ouboter, production of the Microlino has started and its debut is expected in early 2019. The company already has several thousand pre-orders. The Microlino is ideally named. It’s 7 feet, 10 inches long

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Classic Car Week: Rare Tucker celebrates 70th anniversary

The automotive industry has its share of eccentric businessmen with utopian dreams for fine machines. Preston Tucker was in the fraternity, but his legend has lasted far longer than the car he conceived. Tucker and his cohorts made 51 vehicles, designed in Michigan and built in Chicago. The prototype was called the Tucker Torpedo, the production model the Tucker 48. It was manufactured in about a one-year span beginning in 1946 was unveiled as 1948 model. The Tucker 48 was rear-engine, rear-wheel drive and had a four-wheel independent suspension. It had a horizontally opposed V6 engine with 166 horsepower. It

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Mecum Auctions: Everyman’s show in Classic Car Week

Ask John Kraman a question about automobile auctions, vintage cars, industry trends or automotive history and answers come fast and furious. He’s as enthusiastic as anyone, and his knowledge flows as fast as verbal clarity allows. As Director of Company Relations and Lead TV Commentator/Analyst for Mecum Auctions, Kraman will be part of the large staff again working the world’s largest car auction during Classic Car Week. The rapid-fire affair, among several auctions held throughout the gathering of all things automotive, will be held Aug. 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa and Del Monte Golf Course. About

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Citroën debuts as Beach Pebble Concours d’Elegance marque

Build a vehicle with the combined talents of an Italian sculptor and industrial designer and a French aeronautical engineer, and the result is a Citroën DS. The plan was a secret for years. But when the car debuted at the 1955 Paris Auto Show, the automotive industry was forever changed. The French carmaker will be a featured marque for the first time at the Concours d’Elegance. The annual finale to Classic Car Week will be held Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Named after André-Gustave Citroën, who founded the company in 1919, the wild creation was the replacement to the

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Episode 50, Pros & cons, etiquette for bidding at Classic Car Week

Car auctions are a significant component of Classic Car Week, attainable vehicles to one-of-a-kind rarities. Every auction house has its own style, and many auction attendees are veteran bidders with years of experience. Still, a refresher course for experienced car auction buyers and an introduction to proper bidding etiquette for new auction enthusiasts is a good thing. Chris Warren of Premier Financial Services, a leading provider of lease financing for exotic, vintage and luxury cars, is our guest Episode 50 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Bruce Aldrich and I have a lively discussion with Warren about proper etiquette and the

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2019 Volvo XC40 breaks tradition for younger buyers

When competition includes models from BMW (X1), Mercedes-Benz (GLA-Class), Jaguar (E-Pace) and Audi (Q3), Volvo had to do something different. It has. Welcome the 2019 Volvo XC40. The new compact crossover is the Swedish manufacturer’s smallest, sportiest and least expensive SUV. It’s positioned in the lineup as an alternative to the well-respected XC90 and XC60. The base trim, called the XC Momentum, is a misnomer. It has five drive modes and a host of safety and technical features that would qualify it as an upscale model from many manufacturers. The turbocharged two-liter engine produces 248 horsepower and is matched with

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2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: hydrogen travel made worthy

Modern-day alternative fuel vehicles arrived in the United States in 1999 with the debut of the Honda Insight, a hybrid-electric that resembled a horizontally positioned peanut on wheels. The Toyota Prius arrived a few months later and remains the dominant leader in the segment with its family of “green” vehicles. Several manufacturers continue their quests infiltrate, most notably Honda. It debuted the Honda Civic GX (later called the Civic CNG), its compressed natural gas sedan, in limited markets in 1998. It was eventually available to consumers throughout the country, but production stopped with 2015 model. More innovative is the Honda

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2019 Mazda CX-3 versatile foe in tough little SUV segment

Four years into its first generation, the 2019 Mazda CX-3 is upgraded from last year’s model. It’s a good thing since the subcompact-crossover sport utility vehicle competition continues to intensify. More support and comfort are now in the seats and leather upholstery is an option. Noise, harshness and vibrations are improved via an adjusted, smoother-running 2.0-liter engine. Equally subtle changes include: The anti-fog lights and B and C pillars get black trim; the front spoiler now has silver trim. The taillights and grille have also been revised, with the latter now featuring four horizontal bands, three less than previous editions.

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Episode 49, Leo Sens, age 12, expert car reviewer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:16 — 19.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreLeo Sens is an outgoing 12-year-old boy with lots of interests. He’s a musician and photographer. He likes automobiles, and he’s comfortable giving his opinion as a car reviewer. When his parents were shopping for a new car, Sens was in the back seat. Visiting car dealerships to purchase a vehicle isn’t often anyone’s favorite thing to do. But the younger Sens, who lives with an older sister and his parents in Oakland, California, was into it. While his parents were in the front

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Episode 48, Monterey Peninsula couple rents vintage cars

Classic Car Week, the all-encompassing presentation on the Monterey Peninsula of all things automotive, including vintage cars, revitalizes itself yearly. Many auction and collection names remain the same. But newcomers, including Heather and Rob Gardner, help the collective refresh. The Gardners, who live in Carmel Valley, don’t host a rally, auction or concours. But they could. Instead, the couple will experience their first year of the nearly two-week gathering as owners of Monterey Touring Vehicles (montereytouringvehicles.com). Rob, a physician, and Heather, a research scientist, recently decided their fleet of 36 vintage cars is best served when driven. Heather Gardner is

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Episode 47, Simple innovation for auto travel plentiful

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:31 — 30.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreBased in Oakland, Helinox (www.helinox.com) was among numerous vendors at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver. The annual trade show showcases a vast array of merchandise, some geared toward various automotive user groups. “We obviously come from the outdoors, but we recognize the way in which people get to the outdoors is often by automobile,” said Azul Couzens, vice president of the company that also makes umbrellas and trekking poles. “More people are active in the outdoors with their cars. They’re going

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Episode 46, Raleigh, Corpus Christi, best driving cities

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 87 percent of daily trips occur in personal vehicles. Reasons vary, but comfort and reliability are primary reasons, and they’re important. Drivers spend an average of 290 hours on the road per year. The statistics are also crucial to analysts at WalletHub.com, the personal finance website that uses data-driven journalism to create best and worst lists and various surveys. One recent article, using 29 key indicators of driver friendliness, is a list of the top 100 cities across the United States for driver friendliness. Raleigh, N.C., gets the top honor, followed by Corpus

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2018 Kia Stinger debuts as strong rival for Audi, BMW

Years after Hyundai and Kia emerged from automotive doldrums to offer stylish, top-rated, economic and performance-oriented vehicles, non-believers still quibble. A standard refrain is that South Korean manufacturers don’t offer prestige. The argument isn’t valid, particularly with the introduction of the 2018 Kia Stinger. It joins a strong lineup from both manufacturers (Hyundai owns about one-third of Kia) challenging long-time standard bearers. The new, speedy and handsome sedan provides another strong example of how the once upstart underdog is a severe competitor to rivals like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A5, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. In its initial year,

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IndyCar racing revving for 2019 return to Laguna Seca Raceway

After a 15-year absence, IndyCar racing will return to the Monterey Peninsula in 2019 with the series finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas. A three-year agreement was approved July 16 by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, which oversees the operation of the facility. Next year’s race will be held Sept. 22 and succeed the current season-ending event in Sonoma Raceway. It will end a 14-year run. Dates for the remainder of the 2019 IndyCar season were not announced. Laguna Seca hosted CART Indy cars from 1983 through 2004. The famed track opened in 1957, but Indy cars

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