The devil’s in the details…

Posted on August 6, 2012 by digitaldtour

How many times have you looked at a particular make or model of car without ever stopping to take notice of the many smaller, unique features or design details that collectively combine to define each car, and create sufficient visual interest to grab your attention?

Saturday, July 28th was one of those mornings where I suddenly found myself drawn to a study of these lesser details, rather than obsessing about shooting each car as a whole.

The following photos represent that mornings shift in visual perspective…

And if you look closely, you will actually see that each vehicle is truly a sum of its parts…

(All photos by the author)

Thank you from digitaldtour…

Posted on July 29, 2012 by digitaldtour

Today marks a milestone for my blog, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge it.

I have just surpassed 1000 followers to my blog, and wanted to thank all of you that have found my blog (digitaldtour.com) to be of sufficient interest and worthy of following. I truly appreciate all of the comments and encouragement I have received, and hope that you will continue to enjoy my future postings…

Thank you all and Regards,

Chris

(Porsche GT2 photo by the author)

On a clear day you can see…Stuttgart

Posted on July 28, 2012 by digitaldtour

Sunday morning, July 15, 2012 started off slightly overcast, as the Porsche 356 Registry began staging cars for their yearly Concours event, once again held at the Lantern Bay Marriott, overlooking the harbor in Dana Point, California.

By 8 AM, the full range of 356 models gathered had been assembled and aligned in rows on the lawn. After the last 356 had been staged, the remaining Porsches queued up awaiting entry onto the grounds (911s, 912s, 914s, etc.), were allowed onto the lawn and staged just to the west of the 356 Concours display…

Around 9 AM, the judges were called and assembled for their last-minute instructions, at which time they donned their event – issued green polo shirts. Armed with clipboards, scoring sheets and stop watches in hand, they all headed off in teams towards the gleaming rows of Porsche 356s, patiently awaiting their turn to be judged.

The first row of the event had been reserved as a showcase for the days most rare and unique examples of the 356 model. Situated within this row were examples of 4 cam Carrera 2s, in both Coupe and Cabriolet form, a sole example of the ultra-rare 1952 Glockler Porsche, and several amazing examples of highly modified 356 models, commonly referred to as “outlaws”.

The rare #44, 1952 Glockler-Porsche special; #3 of only three “Glockler special” cars produced as seen below…

Amidst the unaltered 356 model Porsches, were several examples of highly modified Porsche 356s, referred to as “Outlaws”. The title is due in part to the level of modifications / alterations made, and the cars departure from a “100% Stock” configuration.

Now it was time to check out the remaining rows of 356s…

An example of the 1955 Porsche 356 “Continental”coupe as seen below. The Ford Motor Company apparently took exception to Porsches use of the “Continental” name, and as a result, Porsche stopped using the name on its 1956 models.

After making my way through the multiple rows of Porsche 356s, it was time to check out the “other Porsches” that had shown up in support of their 356 siblings…

By 1:30 PM, the judging had been completed, scores tallied, and the awards presentation began. One by one, as each of the class winners was announced, the winning car and owner would drive up to the front of the show area, where they were presented with their trophies.

The silver 1957 “outlaw” speedster shown below won first place in the “outlaw class”; an even more impressive result given that this event was the cars debut, and very first concours competition…

The class winners from the event on display below, each representing a specific class and model year.

And after observing this impressive gathering of Porsche vehicles, both vintage and newer models, it’s easy to see why Southern California is often referred to as Stuttgart West, as witnessed by the incredible diversity of Porsches found at this event.

(All photos by the author)

Lighting strikes twice; an encounter with a Porsche 356/2 Gmund Coupe

Posted on July 20, 2012 by digitaldtour

Well, it happened again; another encounter that spawned a delayed case of extreme Porsche deja-vu.

It all began with my coming face to face with an incredibly rare Porsche 356 on Saturday morning July 7 at Cars&Coffee. As I was driving into the parking lot around 6 AM, I noticed a curiously proportioned Porsche 356 already parked between several other Porsches. After finding my spot and parking, I headed straight towards the middle of Porsche row, where this unique Ivory colored 356 was located.

I quickly realized based upon the profile, unique contours, the shape of the hood, the presence of a split windshield and several other subtle design details, that this Ivory colored 356 parked before me had to be one of Porsches earliest production models; a Gmund coupe. By the time I made my way to the back of the car, the details observed out back helped to validate its identity.

The broad contoured rear fenders, accented by the pair of small, dual beehive rear tail lights, combined with the small, sharply raked rear window and vintage California license plate, all worked together to establish this car as a true Porsche Gmund Coupe.

The single grill on the rear deck lid also held a subtle clue as to this cars identity; a commemorative badge proudly displayed, which translates to “A Legend becomes 50”; a reference to the 1948 debut of Porsches Gmund built vehicles, beginning with the first 356 (356-001).

As I circled the coupe, photographing it from a variety of angles in an attempt to record its very presence at the event, I could hear parts and pieces of conversations taking place in the groups standing around the car. The common questions being asked had to do with the nature of this car; what model is it, and what year was it built? The thing I find very interesting is that there seems to be three very distinct camps with opinions regarding the total number of Gmund vehicles built. In one book that I read, the author suggested that between 1949 and 1951, Porsche produced a total of only 49 Porsche 356/2 Gmund models. He went on to state that of the 49 total produced, 41 had been built as coupes, while the remaining 8 cars were constructed as cabriolets. The second camp believes the Gmund production numbers to be at 50 cars. However, it is the third group that appears the most optimistic. Accordingly, their research suggests that Porsche initially produced a total of 52 Gmund vehicles, and later crafted an additional 11 Gmund bodies, intended solely for racing.

I later learned from a very reliable source that this particular car is actually chassis number 50 (356/2-050). That number makes it one of the last Gmund coupes produced by Porsche. The one missing piece of the puzzle however, has to do with the cars build date. Is this a late 1950 or 1951 model?

The genesis of the 356 hood handle and early Porsche badging (as seen below)…

For turn signals, the Gmund models utilized “trafficators”; a semaphore type device that would rise up out of the side of each front fender, and centrally located between the front edge of each door and the front wheel well (as seen below)…

Fresh on the heels of my encounter with the Porsche Gmund coupe at Cars&Coffee, when I arrived home after work on Monday evening, I was greeted by two car magazines that had just come in the mail. The first was “Excellence”, the Magazine about Porsche, and the second was “Christophorus”; the Porsche Factory’s in-house publication that celebrates all things Porsche. Because the June /July 2012 issue of Christophorus would be # 356, it was only fitting that Porsche dedicate the entire magazine to a celebration of the 356. As I thumbed through the issue, I discovered a section highlighting five cars of significance selected from the Porsche museum, one of which just happened to be a 356/2 Gmund coupe. Interestingly enough, in the brief write-up about the museum car, a reference was made regarding its rarity; a total of only 52 Gmund vehicles produced. After finishing my review of Christophorus, I shifted over to Excellence and began skimming the articles. Midway through the magazine, I turned the page only to discover an article titled “Pure Joy”: 356/2-045 – Out of the mud grows the lotus”, and a photo taken of the front end of a red 1950 Porsche Gmund coupe. That’s when it hit me; this car was virtually identical to the Ivory colored coupe that I had just seen in person. After eagerly reading the article, I learned that the car featured in the article (chassis # 045) had undergone an extensive 2 year restoration, which concluded with its entry into the Pebble Beach Concours event in the summer of 2011, where it scored a first place victory in the “Postwar Sports Cars, Closed” category. Even more impressive is the fact that the car is owned and had its restoration commissioned by a member of the Porsche family; in particular Hans-Peter Porsche, one of Dr. Porsches four sons.

My wife frequently asks why I attend a car show every week, and asks “aren’t the cars always the same ones? And my answer is always the same – “there is something new every week, and you never know what rare and exotic treasures will show up “. This statement could not have better described my early morning encounter with the Gmund coupe…

(All photos by the author)

Eggplant, Oranges, Limes, Fire, Smoke and Mirrors…

Posted on July 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

One of the factors that keeps me returning to Cars & Coffee each week is the diversity of vehicles and owners that come together every Saturday morning. And with each weeks sunrise, the dawning light uncovers and seems to set the tone for the mornings pending explorations. Some weeks the focus is geared visually towards a particular make of car, in part due to the sheer number of similar makes or models present. Other times, the morning may appear like a scene taken directly from the paddock area at a vintage race track. But this past Saturday struck me as a morning set for celebrating the wonder of light and color.

My first encounter that morning was with this beautiful 1973 Porsche 911T as seen below, wearing the rare, period correct color; “Aubergine” (Porsche paint code # 025).

Ironically, the French word for eggplant (which is exactly what this color resembles) is “Aubergine”. And to give you an idea of just how rare this particular color is, this is only the fourth car I have seen in person painted this color, after experiencing it for the very first time back in 1973.

Ironically, that first sighting occurred on the occasion of my dad taking me with him to shop for his very first Porsche. The dealers demo car at the time, and the one that we got to test drive, could have been the twin to the 1973 911T shown here (also Aubergine with a tan interior). On a side note, our 1973 test drive was a huge success; upon returning to the dealership, my dad placed an order for a 911, and two weeks later took delivery of a brand new silver metallic, 1973 1/2 Porsche 911T with black interior.

My next stop was over at the “Featured Lot”, to check out the cars on display. Situated towards the back of the lot, and parked in proximity to one another were two orange hued supercars. The first was this stunning burnt orange, 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 as seen below.

The second car was this 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, painted in the classic “McLaren Orange”…

Returning to the main lot, I picked a route that paralleled motorcycle row. And at the end of the row was this trio of custom motorized bicycles on display. All three were equally impressive, however it was the lime green model that really caught my eye, probably because my very first bicycle had been lime green…

Upon closer inspection, it became obvious that the top tube on this custom bike had been repurposed, and now served a dual function; to not only provide structural support to the frame, but also serve as the fuel tank for the motor, securely anchored to the frame below. According to the builder, the bikes can be configured with either a 2 stroke 49 cc or a larger 80 cc motor.

The fit, finish and detailing visible on all three bikes was top-notch, and the display really drew a crowd. For more information on these three cool bikes and others under construction, check out the builders website – www.dutchmanmotorbikes.com

It was now time for me to check out the cars parked out on the very back rows of the parking lot, and then work my way back towards the front, row by row. Arriving on the back row, I was rewarded by the sight of two more exotics; one French and one Italian. Representing France was a fire engine red Bugatti Veyron 16.4, as seen below.

And representing Italy was a second Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4, this one however dressed in black.

And parked immediately across from the Bugatti and Lamborghini was the beautifully restored, charcoal gray Ferrari Dino.

The Dino’s front hood made for the perfect mirror, and it wasn’t until I got home and was reviewing my shots that I realized the full extent of the reflections captured. I had not only recorded the reflections from the Bugatti and Lamborghini parked just across the row, but had also captured the images of two of the commentators from the Speed Channel (Bob Varsha and Mike Joy) standing nearby, who happened to be in town broadcasting from the Barrett – Jackson / Orange County auction.

Feeling inspired by these cool reflections, I decided to go in search of other interesting reflections as my quest for the rest of the morning.

Parked just off from the main parking lot, was this beautiful 1962 black on red Chevrolet Corvette roadster as seen below.

And the amazing hidden treasure found beneath the hood…

My last stop of the morning would be back at the featured lot, as my final challenge to capture the last few reflections for the morning. And luck was on my side; the two Lamborghini Diablo’s flanking the orange McLaren MP4-12C were still in place, and capturing some amazing reflections.

Now only four days to go until Saturdays sunrise once again reveals its magic, and sets the tone for a whole new set of discoveries…

(All photos by the author)

A Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport comes face to face with its Doppelganger…

Posted on June 26, 2012 by digitaldtour

The morning of June 16, 2012 saw the return of the rare, mexico blue Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport to Cars&Coffee/Irvine. However, parked and lurking amongst the Porsche faithful was a hidden doppelgänger; a rare example of a full race Porsche 993 Carrera RS Cup Car. Webster’s dictionary defines doppelgänger as a ghostly counterpart; double; alter ego. These three definitions could not have more accurately described the early morning encounter between these two Porsches…

And with a little jockeying, suddenly the two cars were parked side by side, each representing examples from the highly developed 993 Carrera RS DNA strand. Both the 993 Carrera RS and the Club Sport variants were built to fulfill the homologation requirements necessary for Porsche to produce their ultimate type 993 genetic offering; the full race Carrera Cup car. Powered by a 3.8 liter air-cooled six cylinder motor producing 305 horsepower, these became the largest air-cooled flat six motors to be built and sold by Porsche. And for those who were fortunate enough to attended Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV back in October, you may recognize this red # 9 Carrera RS Cup car as having been one of the competitors from the weekends Group 6 – Cayman Interseries / 911 Invitational races.

The following photos are a brief glimpse of this rare encounter between the two Porsche Carrera RS models…

And just as quickly as they had appeared, with a twist of their keys, both were brought to life and soon departing, under escort from a trio of early model Porsche 911s…

(All photos by the author)

Observations from the 2012 O.C.T.O Show; a showcase of VW type II transporters…

Posted on June 18, 2012 by digitaldtour

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Last Saturday morning saw a major departure from my usual weekend routine. On this particular morning, I found myself heading south down the 605 freeway towards Long Beach, to check out the VW type II transporter show titled “The 2012 O.C.T.O Show”. The event was hosted by the Orange County Transporter Organization, staged in the parking lot at Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium, as a vehicle display and swap meet. For anyone with an interest in Volkswagen type II transporters (produced from 1949 through 1967), these are the ideal type of event to attend. Then imagine finding yourself surrounded by a parking lot full of nothing but vintage type II buses; with each new row encountered, there existed the possibility of coming face to face with an even more amazing bus than the last…

And in the middle of it all was the events featured “Barn-Door display”, as seen below

No matter ones preference regarding Volkswagen type II’s (barn-door, Single Cab, Dual Cab, Panelvan, Safari windowed bus, etc.), you were assured of finding an example or two on display. And if looking to buy parts to restore a bus, or maybe even purchase a vehicle, the event was able to accommodated either pursuit.

The following photos represent a small percentage of the total number of participants present the morning of the show…

Interior view below, showing optional equipment code # M199 – Drivers seat swivel…

For a listing of upcoming VW shows and events near you, please check out the following website: www.thesamba.com

(All photos by the author)

Something Wicked This Way Comes …

Posted on June 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

As noted in my last post, Saturday June 2nd promised to be a very interesting morning at Cars&Coffee/Irvine, especially in light of Mercedes-Benz being selected as the weeks featured marque. On my drive down to Irvine that morning, I found myself taking a mental inventory of the different 300 SL Gullwings that I had encountered in the past (since they are on my all time favorite cars list), and wondering just how many of those same cars might be on display. Saturday morning would also be an opportunity for the select owners within the Mercedes-Benz community to exercise their supercars, such as the Vision SLR, AMG SLS, and the CLK AMG Black series coupes, and to share them with the spectators for the morning.

By the time I arrived at the event, there was already a line of Mercedes-Benz stretching all the way out of the parking lot, queued up single file and waiting to enter the featured lot. Non- Mercedes traffic was being waved over to the left side of the entrance, in order to avoid this early morning traffic jam. Once I cleared this bottleneck, I quickly found a space, parked the car and headed off to grab a quick bite. After visiting with several of my RGruppe friends (all the while finishing my donut), it was time once again to grab my camera and head off into the crowd that was building over at the featured lot.

As I picked my way through the crowd, the first Mercedes-Benz I came across was this beautiful 300 SL roadster, with its hard top in place, in pale yellow with red interior. And if I’m not mistaken, this was the first time this particular 300 SL has been displayed at Cars&Coffee.

And parked just behind this pale yellow 300 SL hard topped roadster, was a collection of five 300 SL’s; three Gullwing coupes and two roadsters. The white Gullwing seen below was the only one from this grouping to be actively campaigned in vintage racing. Externally, the visual clues to this cars alter ego was the removal of the front bumper, the application of racing numbers and a large collection of technical inspection stickers proudly displayed on the driver’s side corner of the windshield. Internally, the clues were equally as obvious; the inclusion of a roll bar, fire extinguisher and racing belts.

Immediately to the right was the first of the two 300 SL roadsters, this one in red.

And to its right (as seen below) was the second Gullwing coupe, wearing a set of rare Rudge knock-off wheels…

And this Gullwing’s engine compartment was just as clean and detailed as the rest of the car.

And one space over to the right sat the second 300 SL roadster; this one in a rich slate blue, equipped with european headlights.

The last 300 SL parked on the row was this stunning dark blue on tan Gullwing coupe.

Another of the immaculately detailed engine compartments.

The car’s interior was equally as impressive as its exterior; from the tan leather appointed trim, to its leather seats with plaid patterned inserts, matching fitted luggage and tie-down straps.

The paint job and overall finish on this car was equally mind-blowing; the color depending upon the lighting, appeared as either a very dark blue or a bluish black. I had a chance to ask the owner about this unique color and its spec name, and with a straight face he responded “its blue”… I followed that up by stating that it looked allot darker than any of the other Mercedes-Benz blues that I have seen. He then confessed that this particular shade of blue was in fact a custom color that he created, to insure that there would not be another 300 SL Gullwing coupe painted this same color. The dark blue finish also lent itself well as a medium for capturing some incredible reflections across its flawless contours.

Ironically, as spectacular as this group of 300 SL’s were, there was still one more surprise awaiting. And what a surprise…

Parked on the outside of the median, just opposite of the 300 SL row, was this amazing silver 2012 Mercedes-Benz race car.

My first impression was that this must be a Mercedes-Benz spin-off model from the German DTM racing series.

However, after reading the biography information provided on the clear acrylic display, I quickly learned that this car had been purpose-built to compete in the American based Pirelli World Challenge GT series, by the local Huntington Beach, California firm MBBS Racing, and their affiliate Evosport Engineering.

While walking around the car and after shooting it from a variety of different angles, I struck up a conversation with one of the team members standing nearby. It turned out that the gentleman (Evan Chance) was in fact the race engineer /sub assembly specialist for the team, who was kind enough to share some of the back story regarding this car and the MBBS Racing / Evosport Engineering race team. During our conversation, I was introduced to Craig Stanton, the teams Lead driver and Development Manager, who is a very successful Southern California-based road racer. Craig also has the challenging task of monitoring all of the racing activities to be undertaken by Evosport Engineering.

Shortly after meeting and talking with Craig, I was then introduced to Simon Atik, a team Principal, who shared with me his and the teams excitement in building this Mercedes-Benz race car. He spoke of the teams amazing opportunity to debut a Mercedes-Benz race car into a major U.S. racing series, and the chance to compete against the Cadillac CTS/V, Volvo S60 and the Porsche GT3 Cup car; all competitors in the premier level GT class.

Evan then asked if I would like to take a closer look at the car, and in response to my reply, proceeded to open up the doors and then the rear trunk, explaining many of the details and features as we went…

Craig Stanton’s office…

Out back, beneath the rear carbon fiber spoiler and massive trunk mounted rear wing, were some amazing race components…

Mounted on top of and plumbed off of the fuel cell was the fuel pump and filter, and framing each side of the centrally mounted fuel cell were the remote pressure reservoirs for the MCS rear shock absorbers. And the long blue anodized cylinder, mounted just to the right of the fuel cell is an accusump unit; a pressurized dry sump oil tank that will provide supplemental lubrication to the 6.3 liter V8 race motor under severe racing conditions.

Evan then mentioned that the team was just several weeks away from a test session up at Buttonwillow ( a race track located 28 mile northwest of Bakersfield, California), and how much the entire team was looking forward to getting the car out onto the track. He also stated that their goal is to have the car race ready for the last several Pirelli World Challenge GT races of this season.

With the event winding down, and as the crowds began to thin, it was time to button up the Mercedes and load it back into the transporter…

Evan (below), waiting for the transporter lift gate to be lowered…

The Evosport transporter…

Even the undercarriage displayed the same attention to detail and finish as the rest of the car…

Based upon my conversations with the team, and having witnessed firsthand the thoroughness and attention to detail paid in the building of this race car, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with, and one that will quickly become a threat to the competition. Stay tuned for future progress reports relating to this team…

I’d also like to give author Ray Bradbury (who passed away Tuesday, June 5) credit for the inspiration behind this weeks blog post title, taken from his 1962 book by the same name…

(All photos by the author)

“I Keep Holdin’ on to Yesterday”…

Posted on June 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

My title for this post came from what I perceived as the theme for last weeks gathering at Cars&Coffee, and reinforced after recently hearing the song with the same title by the 1970s group Ambrosia. Saturday morning May 26th definitely had a nostalgic feel to it, given the sheer number of vintage cars that were in attendance.

This was especially true regarding the first pair of vehicles I encountered that morning; a Dove Blue Volkswagen type II transporter, parked alongside a pale yellow Porsche 356 A coupe. This setting looked like a scene straight out of the 1950s…

And just two cars to the west of this pairing sat another classic; a black, 1950s vintage Porsche 356 A coupe. In addition to having a flawless paint finish, the car possessed a very interesting interior; one that was finished and detailed in green leather. Combined with its charcoal gray carpet, it made for a very interesting color combination. The green leather actually worked quite well with the black exterior, though not a color combination one normally associates with a black car.

From the outside, it was obvious that a lot of time had been spent on body work; addressing panel gaps, hours of block sanding and the laying down of a mirror like paint finish. The reflections alone were incredible, with body panels as smooth as glass, another testament to the amount of care given to the prep work. And the chrome trim installed was just as pristine as the rest of the car.

And out back, the reflections were just as amazing.

My next stop was just across the aisle at Porsche row, to check out the mornings assembled participants.

My first subject on Porsche row was this beautifully restored, orange 1970 Porsche 914-6. While I was standing at the back of the car, studying the reflections and colors visible across the rear decklid and bumper, the owner approached and suggested I take a look up front, as he had an interesting detail to share.

Once I was positioned up front, and with a twist of the key, the owner powered up the electrical system and up popped the headlights. It turned out that the mystery detail was the white headlight trim bezels (as seen above and below), which are incredibly rare, and as I came to learn, were only sourced from 1970 through 1972. By 1973, Porsche switched over to using only black trim bezels. These were the first white bezels I think I had ever seen on a Porsche 914, let alone on a 914-6, but because of the meticulous concours preparation that this car has undergone, I would expect nothing less than absolute period-correctness. I also received some additional design insight into the origins of the pop-up headlights as used on the 914. Apparently Porsches original design for the 914 had the headlights located just below the bumper (where the fog lights wound up being located), but because of the United States headlight height laws, it became apparent that the original location would not work. Porsche returned to the drawing board and came up with an ingenious solution; pop up headlights. By positioning them above the bumper, at the corners of the front hood, once raised their centerline height was almost identical to that of the 1970 model year Porsche 911s. They now had a design which would be in compliance with the U.S. headlight height law.

(This same design concept would reappear, repurposed for 1977, incorporated into the design of the brand new Porsche 928).

My next stop was over at the “Featured lot”, which on this morning hosted an eclectic mix of automobiles. Tucked away in a corner parking spot, sat this burgundy over tan, “coffin nosed” 1937 Cord 812 convertible, as seen below.

From a historical standpoint, the Cord was the first American front wheel drive vehicle produced, which also included the use of an independent front suspension. Cord produced two different models over a two-year period; the model 810 in 1936, powered by a 289 cubic inch motor.

For 1937, the model 812 was built, which added a supercharger to the base 289 motor, bumping up the horsepower figure to 170, well over the stock motors rating of 125 hp.

The key design feature used to identify a Cord 812 from an 810 model were the external, dual chrome plated exhaust pipes that exited out the sides of the front cowl, merging into the cars pontoon front fenders (as seen above and below).

Parked just across the row and facing towards the Cord, was this beautifully prepared, modified British Racing Green Jaguar E Type roadster, one of several Jaguars on display. This car is still campaigned in vintage racing events, and on this morning was being displayed complete with a drivers helmet resting in the interior.

I immediately recognized this helmet design as being from Formula 1, but could not remember which driver had this as his personal design. After doing some research when I returned home, I was able to confirm that this was in fact the helmet design as worn by Eddie Irvine during his career with the Jaguar Formula 1 Racing team, during the 2002 F1 season. It was also the same helmet design Eddie Irvine wore during his participation in the 2002 United States Grand Prix.

And parked just one row behind the Jaguar, as seen below, was this beautifully restored yet slightly modified, early 1970’s vintage Datsun 240 Z (produced well before the rebranding of the marque, which saw the name change to Nissan).

Back over at the main lot, cars had already begun leaving, but were quickly being replaced by cars that had been queued up and waiting to enter the event. I had observed these changes first hand, especially since the pale yellow Porsche 356 A coupe that had been parked next to the Dove blue VW Type II transporter was now gone. However, in its place was a black Porsche 997 turbo cabriolet.

This also presented another interesting visual comparison; old and new models displayed side by side, providing a clear example of changes in automotive design philosophy, technology and vehicle evolution.

This pairing also made for some very interesting visual imagery: reflections cast across the flanks of the turbo Porsches bodywork…

As I was getting ready to leave the event, I hard a rumor that the following weekends event (on Saturday June 2), would be a tribute to Mercedes-Benz. My immediate thoughts raced at the possibility of another gathering of 300SL gullwings, SL’s, SLR’s and more. Little did I know the surprises that awaited… Please stay tuned for my next post with coverage from another truly amazing event.

(All photos by the author)

“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”

Posted on May 28, 2012 by digitaldtour

As I walked through the rows of cars Saturday morning at Cars&Coffee, it dawned on me that regardless of the makes or models present, each and every car to one degree or another possessed an often overlooked detail; vehicle graphics, be it dimensional manufacturers badges or applied decal/vinyl graphics. And in addition to these basic badges, a large percentage of these cars also displayed secondary ID in the form of car club badges, installed on either vehicle grills or on badge bars (i.e. driving light bars), typically mounted at the front of the car.

If one takes a historical look back at the creation of the automobile, the coachbuilders and subsequent manufacturers soon recognized the value of marking their cars to identify their origins and over time used these emblems or badges as a tool to differentiate between brands and models. Manufacturers also shifted their design focus over to the creation of vehicle radiator caps and hood emblems; starting out as a functional component and over time evolving into visual brand markers.

With the arrival of the automobile, and as public interests grew, these new passions translated into the creation of car clubs. These interests in turn created a need for member identification, thus the creation of car club badges. These became a means for the identification of specific regional club members, and provided the opportunity to commemorate specific events (club tours, driving competitions, concours events, etc). And with each new event, owners had the opportunity to add additional car club badges to their vehicles. For many of the european makes, these club badges were proudly displayed on the front grills of the cars, or if the car was equipped with driving or fog lights, the badges were secured onto the unused portions of the horizontal lighting support brackets, common to so many of the cars of the day.

It also became apparent that most vehicle manufacturers utilize a two tiered system regarding vehicle identification; a primary graphic ID (hood of front grill brand ID), along with a secondary graphic( usually found at the back of the car), and used to identify the specific models.

The following photos recount a few of the observations I’ve made on this topic…

And as seen above, Porsches new 2012 type 991 with its new branding design layout, reintroducing the PORSCHE copy as a dimensional element in concert with the model ID. However, for those within the Porsche community, the concerns being voiced seem to be over branding; how much is too much? What do you think?

(All photos by the author)

digitaldtour

A photographic journey through the Southern California car culture

Tag Archives: Cars

The devil’s in the details…

Thank you from digitaldtour…

On a clear day you can see…Stuttgart

Lighting strikes twice; an encounter with a Porsche 356/2 Gmund Coupe

Eggplant, Oranges, Limes, Fire, Smoke and Mirrors…

A Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport comes face to face with its Doppelganger…

Observations from the 2012 O.C.T.O Show; a showcase of VW type II transporters…

Something Wicked This Way Comes …

“I Keep Holdin’ on to Yesterday”…

“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”