Category: Cars

I am a “car guy”… I love old cars.

Car Photo of the Day: Light at dark

I’m not a Porschephile, BUT… I’ve always had a liking for these old Targas and those “flower” wheels that were popular in my early 70s childhood. I was attracted to this particular Targa more however for the wonderful reflection of the Pacific Ocean sunset in its paint. This was actually shot in VERY low light… hand held… using my digicam’s “night” setting, so it was surprising to get as good color as it did. Still not as good as it was in-person though. Beautiful evening at Otter Crest on the Oregon coast two summers ago, a night’s rest after a day of competitive TSD Rallying at the Monte Shelton Northwest Classic. While most folks were having drinks, I was wandering about the area where the cars were parked shooting photos in the amazing light. By the time I got to this Porsche it was almost gone.

Car Photo(s) of the Day, last of the wet.

I’m leaving town tomorrow, headed south for (hopefully) warmer climes. San Francisco for Macworld Expo. I’ll still post while I’m gone, but I am going to wrap up the “wet classic” theme with a couple of photos of my own car, the beloved 65E, looking a bit moist on a dewy morning on the Oregon Coast.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen, playing in the mid-day snow.

Oddly, I received a Press Release from a friend the other day. Not something that happens very often! 😉 It included the photo above. That smirking brit on the left trying to look like a Rock Star is our very own John “Mad Dog” Morrow and his PR states the following:

Seattle Mini Owner to Compete in 2009 Monte Carlo Historic Rally Race

Seattle-based Mini Cooper owner, John Morrow will join forces with renowned
British circuit racer, Bill Richards, in the 2009 Monte Carlo Historique rally race.
The team will campaign Morrow’s 1965 1293cc Morris Cooper S. The car is a very
close replica of the fabulously successful vehicles built by BMC Competitions
Department in the 1960s and which won the Monte Carlo outright on three
separate occasions. Richards, who runs a well-known engineering and A-series
engine tuning business in Kent, UK, prepared the car.

The team, comprising driver Bill Richards, co-driver John Morrow and service
crew members John Griffin (also Team Manager) and Adam Cooke, will set off for
the start of the event at Reims, France, on January, 29, 2009.

This Monte Carlo Historique is one of the most gruelling rallies in the world and
the team will have to cover 2500 Km including a number of special stages over
narrow, snow and ice-covered, mountain roads before they reach the sunshine of
the Mediterranean. Richards and Morrow will be competing against 350 other
classic cars including several Minis. This will be third time the duo has competed
in the event; on the 2008 event they were leading their class when a broken
steering rack put them out of the running. Co-driver Morrow says, “2009 is the
50th anniversary of the Mini and there will be a lot of interest in how the car can
perform against its rivals half a century after it was first produced; the Monte is
an extremely competitive event but we are very well prepared and are hoping for
at least a class win”.

So I did what I usually do when John sends me an email… invite him out for a beer!

We’ll have that beer in a week or so, but let’s all wish John & Bill (and the Mini!) the best of luck in their coming Le Grande Aventure!