The 27th installment of the Cavallino Classic concours on the lawn of The Breakers was nothing short of historic in every sense of the word. The theme for this year’s show centered around celebrating the magazine’s 40th anniversary and as such, cars that have been featured on the cover of Cavallino Magazine over the years were invited to the occasion. It was quite a spectacle, and as always, the show began before the sun came up.
The pre-dawn ‘line up’ was filled with cars that had not come out to the show in quite some time. This was literally an all-star gathering of the crème de la crème of vintage Ferraris, and, a prime opportunity to see cars that you are not likely to see again in your life. As cars were rolling up the long brick layered road of The Breakers, their lights were illuminating the cars that flanked the driveway in an interesting manner. This provided for an awesome opportunity to create unique images of the cars that arrived early.
As I started to make my way down the line I spotted two cars that made it to my top 5 list of this year’s show. One was a 1955 375 America Coupe PF that was featured in issue 140 that was painted in an astonishing emerald green with a dark red roof, and the other was a one of a kind 1968 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder. This 275 was the last of the 10 NART spyders built and is also the 3rd to last of the whole 275 series of cars.
Equally impressive was a 1949 166MM Touring Barchetta and a 1952 212 Inter Ghia Cabriolet, both which were gleaming under the bright lamp posts. Just a few cars ahead, was a 1953 250 MM PF Berlinetta with racing livery and an immaculate 1958 250 GT LWB California Spider in amazing shade of gray. I had never seen this shade of gray on a vintage Ferrari, and it looked almost as if the paint had not yet dried up on it.
As daylight began to break, the early rays of light bounced off beautifully from the bodies of a pair of 275 GTB/4’s, a stunning 1951 212 Export Spyder by Vignale featured on the cover of issue 130, and a beautiful example of an F-50. It’s alway quite a treat to see the modern mixed with the old.
As cars began to enter the lawn and get positioned it was a pleasure to hear the engines of these magnificent cars come alive. One usually expects an engine to sound a certain way when you look at a car, but those of us who have been around vintage Ferraris know that each car has its own distinctive notes. As each car was maneuvered into place you could hear each gear change, each engine rev and the note of each exhaust.
Walking down field more gems were on display under the basking South Florida sun. There was a 1955 410 Sport flanked by a 1959 250 GT LWB TDF, both in racing liveries. I also spotted a 1950 166/195 S LeMans Berlinetta in an amazing shade of teal, and to boot…an amazing 365 GTB Daytona in a blazing yellow.
As I continued to walk down field, I left behind a 1965 275 GTB and came upon what most people consider is Ferrari’s true supercar, the F-40. While I wouldn’t say its successors are not ‘true’ supercars, I will admit the F-40 is unique. However, I much prefer the shape of the 288 GTO and was more than happy to admire this example for more than a few minutes. An added bonus was seeing perfect examples of the 512BB and the 512TR.
One major attraction at the show was without doubt a 275 GTB barn find in true “barn find” condition. This car had been untouched for decades and the proud owners only dusted off a small part from the windshield to allow them to move the car around. This car had not even been started, it was a real gem.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the details of all these cars. The quality craftsmanship from years-gone-by does not go unnoticed decades later and they are sure to remain a testament of both design and engineering for decades to come.
In summary, the Saturday concours was one of the most memorable shows in recent years. It was a brilliant idea to invite previous models that have graced the covers of Cavallino Magazine over the last 40 years, I can only imagine how they are going to top this.
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