The finale of the 27th edition of the Cavallino Classic came by way of the Classic Sports Sunday show at the Mar-a-Lago Beach Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Contrary to last year, this year’s show was regaled with fabulous weather and a generous turnout of classic vehicles.
Seeing that Mercedes-Benz was the featured marque this year, there was an amazing assortment of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwings and Roadsters set up at show-center. I had never seen so many Gullwings in one place and seeing a Navy Blue one was something really special. I hope to see a red one some day.
Equally impressive were the other Mercedes-Benz vehicles that made up the show-field, in particular 3 Limos, of which my favorite was a 220 Cabriolet A in a gorgeous shade of blue.
As in previous years, pre-war cars took stage pool-side and this year some amazing vehicles were on display. An amazing Red Duesenberg was set up right next to a V12 Lagonda and a black Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A. The Duesenberg was by far the most impressive and with so much detail that it was hard not to keep hitting the shutter button.
Of course, the vast majority of the show field was comprised of classic Ferraris. Among them were a 166 MM Touring Barchetta, a 342 America PF Cabriolet, and many others, but my two favorites by far were the 250 GT SWB by Bertone and the 250GT TDF Zagato.
There was also a small patch of field devoted to some classic Lamborghinis. The highlight of which was a “barn find” Miura. However, the coolest part of the Lamborghini field was a Green 400GT, which ironically is the car that Ferruccio Lamborghini built to spite Ferrari. Of course, I have a soft spot for the Countach, and the one present was a Euro Spec 25th Anniversary edition.
One thing that has always amazed me about the Cavallino Classic is the assortment of vehicles that are on display. Pre-war cars sitting right next to modern cars is always such an amazing sight. Even more amazing, is the fact that each one of these vehicles is driven in and out of the show field. AND, even MORE amazing, is that a lot of them are tracked to this day. The Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix is one of such cars and to see it against such an amazing backdrop and in such company was a real treat.
The two cars that stood out the most for me during the show however were an amazing (and imposing) 1928 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom and a striking 1929 Duesenberg Model J LeBaron. Here are two “giants” of the automotive world from the roaring twenties sitting under the bright Florida sun in 2018. I know I keep using the word amazing over and over, but there really is no better word to describe the cars at this event.
In closing, the 27th Cavallino Classic was a monumental success, and planning for the 28th iteration are well underway as of this writing. I cannot wait to be back in Palm Beach next January and be amazed once again by all the rolling works of art that will bask in the warm Florida sun.
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