This year the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance moved to the Desert Princess Country Club and Doral Desert Princess Resort in Palm Springs California on February 24th and Geoffrey Horton has kindly sent sent today’s selection of photographs to us an overview of some of the vehicles present.

Geoffrey own 1955 Jaguar XK140 FHC SE/MC was looking more resplendent than ever in the spring California sun.

When I saw this photo of a 1923 Mercedes Benz 28/95 I wondered if it was perhaps a creation from Gary L Wells workshop but in fact this beast with a 7.2 litre / 439 cui six cylinder aeroplane motor converted for road use is all the work of Mercedes Benz. The short wheel base version of the roadster, like the one seen here, was originally given the Targa Florio name after Mercedes Benz victories on the torturous Sicilian track in 1921 and 1922.

Looking similar to a Cord L29 is this 1929 Ruxton Model C which like the Cord L29 has front wheel drive and a straight 8 engine but unlike the Cord L29 of which 4400 examples were built only 500 Ruxton Model C’s are thought to have been built the two tone lilac paintwork is standard for the period.

Last year Geoffrey shared photo’s of a Marmon V16 Limousine, above is the last Marmon V16 sold in 1933, a Coupe version of which just 5 others are thought to remain.

Although powered “only” by a 6.3 litre / 384 cui straight 8 Geoffrey’s car of the show was without question this 1931 Chrysler Imperial which appears to have a sheen just a little brighter than all of the other vehicles seen on the day.

This 1948 Tucker 48 chassis #1003 featuring a motor in the boot / trunk and rear wheel drive is one of 51 built and is expected to fetch between US$1.5 and 1.9 million at auction on March 9th.

Moving forward five years this 1953 Cunningham C3 is one of 20 Roadsters built in West Palm Beach, it is fitted with 331 cui Hemi V8 and was shipped to Turin for coachwork to be fitted by Vignale. In addition to the roadsters Cunningham built 5 C3 convertibles.

This US Spec 1957 Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster would have originally been distributed by Studebaker Packard Corporation.

According to the owner of this 1959 Maserati 3500 GT was sold new in Mexico and it “may” have once belonged to left wing Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos.

The 1968 Shelby Cobra GT 500 above is fitted with a 428cui interceptor motor and had clocked well over 100,000 miles prior to a two year restoration in 2005, since when it has won a Best in Show award at the 2007 Cobra Owners Concours and been drag raced at California Speedway.

Geoffrey tells me the ’32 Ford Roadster above belongs to well known IMSA racer Rick Knoop and packs 400 hp.

Finally a Friday car this much modified Ferrari 512 S was upgraded to M spec in 1971 and upgraded further by the Filipinetti team with a Porsche 917 windscreen to what has become known as M/F spec. Drivers of the car in period include Ronnie Peterson, Henri Pescarolo, Mike Parkes and Joakim Bonnier.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs and a smidgen of welcome California sunshine.

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