Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
black mamba
Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
If you're into sprint car racing....particularly the historical side of the sport....then what you're looking at is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. It's a 1934 Dreyer Sprint. Floyd " Pop " Dreyer was a daredevil motorcyclist. He joined the Duesenberg Brothers ( the car manufacturers ) as a welder. He left that after several years, bent upon designing and building sprint cars for racing. Within a short time, he established himself as the finest in the country at body and chassis construction of these type racers.
This Moore Special was built for Don Moore and raced regularly until 1952. It is one of the most successful sprint cars ever.....regularly a winner in major events. In keeping with a growing trend in the world of auto collecting, it has been left in the state it was in when it was last raced in 1952. It is widely recognized as being the finest original-condition Dreyer Sprint car in existence. You can only dream of the money this thing is worth.....just as you see it.
This Moore Special was built for Don Moore and raced regularly until 1952. It is one of the most successful sprint cars ever.....regularly a winner in major events. In keeping with a growing trend in the world of auto collecting, it has been left in the state it was in when it was last raced in 1952. It is widely recognized as being the finest original-condition Dreyer Sprint car in existence. You can only dream of the money this thing is worth.....just as you see it.
I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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"If you've found a magic that does something for you, honey, stick to it. Never change it." - Mae West, to Edith Head.
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I agree, the patina is wonderful. All your high-end shows are establishing whole categories for cars left in an un-restored condition. As you well know, sometimes their value is even higher under those circumstances.
Take care my friend,
Tom
idea how interesting that might be. Neat set.
I recollect that some of the sprint / dirt-track racers I use to see were pretty ragged looking....but ran like hell. On a more current note, you should see some of these sports cars / prototypes that run in races like the 24 Hours of Daytona, Sebring, and LeMans. At the start of the race, they look like they belong on some showroom floor. At the end of the race, if they last that long, they look like they're ready for the dumpster.
Tom
and Happy 4th of July!!!
You never cease to amaze me with what you come up with.
What a great story and Racer.
Very nicely done!!!
Craig
Burleson, Texas
I doubt you'll ever see a show of just un-restored cars. A bit of explanation is probably due. In the top echelon of the collectible-car world, there is growing sentiment to leave certain cars in an un-restored state.
The un-restored car, just like any other of these top collectibles, must meet certain standards. It must either be rare, unusual, have a unique history or very important pedigree, etc., or enjoy a combination of the above. The sentiment is that a car is only original once. After restoration, it is never the same.
A basket-case car is, of course, a legitimate candidate for a total restoration. But the rare find of a car that is essentially complete....all the original parts and features it had when leaving the factory.....opens the door to a different interpretation of what to do with it. More and more collectors are saying " clean it up and leave it alone ".
A rare Bugatti was recently discovered in Hungary. It showed the ravages of time and neglect but it had all the original features and parts. A decision was made to " spruce " it up but not to engage in a restoration. It is certainly one of the most original Bugatti's around and is priceless.
The top shows are starting to accommodate these un-restored cars and recognize their value. Just like Amelia Island did with this magnificent Moore Special.
Tom
…and BTW if you wish to see a Type 37 on the road, check out Jay Leno's site; he has one and there's a video of him taking it out for a spin!
- Wil
Happy 4th to you and Karen too.
I'm glad I'm able to show cars of interest to all the folks. I consider myself to be a " documentary " shooter and , outside of an occasional abstract, I don't go in for the more "artsy " approach. Most of what I photograph are rare, unusual, or otherwise important cars and I want to show them in a factual manner.....where the subject ( and not my style ) is the star.
Be safe my friend,
Tom
Doug
My B&W Photos
Motorcycles in B&W
I'm always glad to have you chime in. And I always appreciate seeing a Bugatti. To think, this guy travels around in his....my kind of guy for sure.
Take care,
Tom
Thanks much for looking in. I couldn't agree with you more when it comes to old race cars....I'd far rather see them in the condition they were raced in as opposed to, as you say, " over-restored ".
Richard Petty was a central honoree at this last big show I went to. He brought along 8 or 9 of his more important past racers. They were all bunched together and I'll admit it was an impressive sight....not likely to be seen that way very often. But I'll also admit to being somewhat disappointed in that these cars all looked like they were ready for a night on the town. I would have much preferred to have seen them presented as they were raced....rough and ready, nicks, dings and all.
Tom