Tag Archives: Asheville

Fast Cars and Fast Love – Ferrari 250 GTO #4219

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Motor racing is littered with generous patrons but I venture to suggest that her wealth aside none has been quite so extraordinary as the 20 year old heiress from Asheville North Carolina known as Mamie Spears Reynolds.

In early 1963 she went to New York to see Luigi Chinetti with the intention of buying a Ferrari to enter in the Daytona Continental. She ended up buying today’s featured Ferrari 250 GTO chassis #4219 and finding love in the form of Luigi Chinetti’s son Luigi Chinetti Jr whom she married in July 1963.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

Mamie, heir to tobacco and mining fortunes along with the “Hope Diamond” had Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART) enter #4219 into the Daytona Continental for Pedro Rodriguez to drive and he promptly won the race. NART entered the car at the following Sebring 12 Hours for Joakim Bonnier and John Cannon in which they came home 13th overall.

In May 1963 Mamie sold #4219 to Beverly Spencer in California for US $14,000, Beverly entered the car in numerous events through ’63 and ’64 primarily for Frank Crane who’s best results were a 2nd overall at Laguna Seca and a class win at Candlestick Park Raceway.

Ferrari 250 GTO, Goodwood Revival

At the end of 1964 Spencer sold the car to George Dyer for US $12,166. George had the now white #4219 painted dark blue and kept it until January 1993 when he sold the car to Brandon Wang the present owner for an estimated US$ 3 – 3.5 million.

By October 1965 Mamie and Chinetti jr were not getting on and after a private phone call to J Edgar Hoover she was liberated by “agents” and promptly divorced Chinetti jr and remarried a dog breeder the same day with whom she appears to have settled down for good.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fast Cars and Fast Love” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Harmony Deal – Buick Electra 225 Riviera

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In 1959 Buick dropped the full size premium Roadmaster and Roadmaster 75 model names in favor of the Electra and Electra 225 names. The first generation Electras were superseded in 1961 with new models with much smaller fins and cleaner squared styling.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Today’s featured car is a 1962 6 window Electra 225 Riviera a body style shared with the 1962 Cadillacs. The 225 refers to the cars overall 225 inch length from which it derived the nick name “deuce and a quarter”.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

All 2nd Generation Electra’s shared the same 325 hp Super Thrust Wildcat 6.5 litre /401 cui V8 motors and up until 1964 all Electra’s had the same 2 speed Dynaflow Transmission.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

It was almost certainly not evident too Buick Designer Bill Mitchel at the time but the vertical adornment ahead of the rear bumper was an uncanny omen of the safety bumpers that were to appear in the 1970’s and 1980’s particularly on the Volvo 700 series vehicles first seen in 1982.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

As might be expected the premium Buick Electra came comprehensively loaded with two speed electric windscreen wipers, cigar lighter, step on parking brake, glove box light, power steering, power windows, anti glare rear view mirror, two way power seats an courtesy lights to name a few.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

A couple of years ago I came very close to taking a bus trip to Ashville NC in order to visit a friend in Brevard, unfortunately I was persuaded that my stay would inevitably be so short I may as well go and visit some other friends for a little longer. It turns out that Deal of Ashville NC was taken over by new owners Harmony Motors who operate a VW/Audi/Porsche dealership from the same site as Deal when they supplied this Electra 225 fifty one years ago.

Buick Electra 225 Riviera, Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

Last year a similar monotone 6 window Buick Electra 225 Riviera fetched a fraction over $17,000 at auction which seems like a lot of sheet metal for the money.

My thanks to Toni Burrell at Harmony Motors Asheville NC for taking the time to fill me in on what happened to Deal.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Harmony Deal” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to came back now !

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