Shot on iPhone—Car Week 2018

September 3, 2018
Images by Shawn Glad

Monterey Car Week in August is a mecca for automotive enthusiasts along the West Coast, drawing crowds with a thirst for rare, vintage, and cutting-edge automobiles. This year, I made a rookie mistake – I forgot my camera. I made the best of it, using my iPhone to document the week, and found that it afforded me a new freedom to work my way through the crowds, unencumbered by the weight of camera gear. The convenience of having just a phone for photos was unmatched, but it meant getting a little creative with shots and angles, especially with the wide-angle lens making all my shots a bit more zoomy.

Regardless of camera, the 1951 Porsche 356 SL was the star. It was brought back to life by Rod Emory at Emory Motorsports, and is the car that brought Porsche its first-ever class win at Le Mans. It caught my eye and stole the spotlight at the Porsche Werks Reunion. Additional highlights, images below, included Carmel’s Concours on the Avenue which always seems to attract rare vehicles like the 1951 Porsche 356 Sauter Roadster. Bonham’s and RM Sotheby’s Auctions also brought out some big guns, including a ’97 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Strassenversion (street version) that hammered for more than $4.5 million Saturday night to one fortunate bidder. The Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance offered a closer look at classics, including the 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta.

One of my favorites is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, where Nissan and Datsun were the featured marque. They brought legends like John Morton and Peter Brock into the forefront, alongside an always fantastic array of vintage and historic race cars.

I hope you enjoy the cars, even if they didn’t get the full camera treatment they deserve. Cheers!

1951 Porsche 356SL Gmünd Coupe — Porsche Werks Reunion

This 1951 Porsche 356SL Gmünd Coupe, notable for its victory at Le Mans in 1951, where Porsche entered two cars, suffered a crash with one, but triumphed with this chassis, 30031A, and securing their first win in an international road race. The restoration effort, led by Rod Emory of Emory Motorsports, brought the car back to its condition as it crossed the finish line at Le Mans, arguably one the more significant moments in Porsche’s racing history.

Having seen bits and pieces of this car’s journey in the media over the past few years, it’s a real privilege to see it finished in person. Kudos to both Cameron and Rod for having the patience to take on such a monumental task.

Chassis: 30031A
Owner: Cameron Healy

Porsche 356 Split Window — Carmel Concours on the Avenue

This Porsche 356 Split Window is distinguished by the name “John von Neumann” above the driver’s side door. John von Neumann, owner of Competition Motors in North Hollywood, originally bought a Porsche from Max Hoffman in 1951 to race and then went on to sell the vehicle within his own showroom becoming an early distributor for Porsches on the West Coast and helped establish the brand. The interior door panels have been drilled for weight savings and look absolutely period correct in this coupe, so great.

1951 Porsche 356 Sauter Roadster — Carmel Concours on the Avenue

This 1951 Porsche 356 Sauter Roadster, was created through a collaboration between industrialist Heinrich Sauter and fabricator Hans Klerk to push the boundaries of the 356’s performance. By integrating a more aerodynamic body and upgrading to a 1.5-liter engine from the standard 1.3-liter, they significantly enhanced its competitive edge. In 1952, this strategy paid off, as the car dominated the racing scene with victories in six out of seven races. Notably, its reverse-hinged doors, a “one and only” for any Porsche, provided a tactical advantage in Le Mans-style starts adding a split-second advantage entering the car.

Chassis: 10359

1960 Porsche 356 Roadster Classic — Carmel Concours on the Avenue

This 1960 Porsche 356B Roadster has a distinguished racing heritage on the West Coast, making a name for itself from the late 1960s to the 1970s. It has a 1620cc push-rod 356 engine, producing 130 horsepower, and is equipped with a 4-speed transmission. This 356 also participated in this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway.

Chassis: 87214
Driver: Mike Sullivan, Hawthorne, California
Group 1B
GT Cars
1955-1962

1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta — Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

The 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta Pinin Farina Coupe, was raced by Count Bruno Sterzi and Giulio Rovelli in the 1953 Mille Miglia and went on to compete in notable events such as the Autodromo Monza, Coppa d’Oro, and the Six Hours of Pescara. I really love hand painted numbers on a vintage race cars, especially on perfectly restored examples like this, because that’s how it was done. Absolutely perfect.

Chassis: 0258 MM

1972 Nissan Skyline GTR — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

1972 Nissan Skyline GTR
Chassis: 39138
Driver: Alex McDowell, Miami, Florida.
Group 5A
FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, GTU, AAGT
1973-1981

1956 Lotus Eleven — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

1956 Lotus Eleven
Chassis: 235
Driver: Jeff Mincheff, La Center, Washington.
Group 2B
Sports Racing under 2000cc
1955-1961

1974 TYRRELL 007 — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

This 1974 Tyrell 007 did not make an appearance on the track this year, but wow, what a cool display with that period correct, shagged out van in the background.

Driver: Nicholas Colyvas
Formula One
1967-1984

1972 Brumos Porsche 917-10 — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

This 1972 Brumos Porsche 917-10 was the first car to feature the iconic red, white, and blue “Brumos sweeps” livery. Driven by Peter Gregg in the 1972 Can-Am sports car series, this car finished ninth in the overall standings. Hurley Haywood drove it to a third-place podium finish in 1973.

1998 Porsche 911 GT1 — Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

This 1998 Porsche 911 GT1, wearing the number 26, won the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans overall. This win marked Porsche’s 16th overall victory at Le Mans.