Autoblog

Pink Floyd's Nick Mason headlining classic car investment group?

Noah Joseph — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Earnings/Financials, Celebrities

Nick Mason drives the 1937 Auto Union Type D at Goodwood

Classic rock fans recognize Nick Mason as the drummer from Pink Floyd, but classic car enthusiasts know him just as well for his automobile collection and regular column in Octane magazine. Now the musician/car nut is headlining a different kind of group: an investment fund.

Based on the growth in value of some of the top collector cars the past few years, IGA Automobile is putting together a portfolio of historically significant and highly collectible cars for its investors. The new investment fund targets raising $150 million in capital and turning it around over the course of seven years to earn its investors a 15% profit. To get there, IGA is looking at buying cars like Ferrari 250 GTO, Aston Martin DB4 Zagato, Ford GT40, McLaren F1, Shelby Daytona Coupe and Porsche 917 and selling them at a profit.

The fund has solid basis for its financial projections: record prices have been fetched in the past few years by such exemplary automobiles as a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa ($12 million), a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder ($11 million) and a 1936 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic (~$35 million). Overall, Hagerty's "Cars That Matter" index rates prices for collectible postwar automobiles as having gone up 67% from 2006 to the end of last year, compared to the S&P 500 Index, which dropped 5.9% over the same time period.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

Pink Floyd's Nick Mason headlining classic car investment group? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrity Classics up for grabs from Bonhams at Brooklands

Noah Joseph — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Rolls-Royce, UK, Celebrities

Pan's Labyrinth 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III by Inskip - Click above for high-res image gallery

Few auction houses have dealt with as many celebrity automobiles as Bonhams, and the upcoming event at Brooklands is poised to carry on the tradition.

Among the lots up for grabs during the auction at Mercedes-Benz World will be this unique Rolls-Royce Phantom III. The first of 24 Phantom IIIs sold to the United States, this particular 1936 example - a five-seat limousine with custom Inskip coachwork and 7.3-liter V12 - was used in the bizarre fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth in the chase scene against a Bentley.

Also crossing the auction block at the event on December 6th will be a 1934 Lagonda M45 Tourer once owned by Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd fame) and a Mercedes-Benz 600 formerly owned by Elvis Presley. Other highlights include a '64 Maserati, a '55 Mercedes Gullwing, a 2000 Ferrari 550 GTZ and a '64 AC Cobra. Follow the jump for the full press release and check out the trio of Rolls-Royce photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Pan's Labrynth 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III by Inskip

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading Celebrity Classics up for grabs from Bonhams at Brooklands

Celebrity Classics up for grabs from Bonhams at Brooklands originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Autocar drives the McLaren F1 GTR ahead of P11's debut

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, UK, Celebrities

Click the image above to view the video after the jump

Some guys have all the luck. Fresh off his adventure chasing a Lamborghini LP670-4 SV around Millbrook with a Corvette ZR1, Steve Sutcliffe is back in front of Autocar's cameras -- only this time he's driving a McLaren F1. And not just any old McLaren F1. No, Mr. Sutcliffe is driving a F1 GTR -- one of the McLaren Le Mans winning race cars converted back to street duty. Chassis number 10 owned by Pink Floyd's drummer and certified auto maniac Nick Mason, to be precise.

So, what's the difference between a regular F1 and a F1 GTR? Weight. About 400 pounds. The F1 GTR barely tips the scales at an unbelievable 2,068 pounds. That's Lotus Elise territory. Yet it still packs the mid-mounted 617 hp BMW M Power V12. And instead of the regular F1 gears, the GTR sports much shorter (i.e. quicker) gears, which has the "who cares?" effect of lowering the top speed from 240 mph to 180 mph.

Before you get ahead of yourself, listen to Sutcliffe run through the gears -- it sounds as if he's whipping the car. And if you're not smiling when he says, "There's a very small, red dot in the mirror," we don't know what's wrong with you. Pay special attention to Steve's facial expressions throughout the clip -- they tell the full story. Oh, and the video has something to do with the new McLaren P11's debut, but frankly, we don't care.

Continue reading VIDEO: Autocar drives the McLaren F1 GTR ahead of P11's debut

VIDEO: Autocar drives the McLaren F1 GTR ahead of P11's debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari launches new magazine, next phase of "Formula Uomo"

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Plants/Manufacturing, Ferrari

Ferrari Company Restaurant designed by architect Marco Visconti

Ferraris have long been known as striking and powerful machines, typically at the front of the pack in any competition. It should come as no surprise, then, that Ferrari the company is also a leader, extending that same philosophy to how it designs its manufacturing facilities. Late last millennium, the company launched its "Formula Uomo" plan to modernize production in a way that would be good for profitability, good for the environment, and good for the workers. With the opening of their latest new car assembly lines facility and company restaurant, they have reached that goal. The restaurant is a thing of beauty that allows workers a peaceful retreat from the factory. The new assembly lines reduce worker movements so they can work more efficiently, all while catching glimpses of the original plant's red walls through their huge windows. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Amedeo Felisa presented these most recent and final pieces in the "Formula Uomo" program, just over ten years after the launch in 1997. It cost the company something like 200 million euro to hire award-winning architects to design and build the new facilities.

The other bold move the company is making is the launch of a new magazine. Produced in conjunction with Condè Nast, this new Ferrari Magazine is a large-format mag that features "a lively and interesting mix of cars, racing culture, fashion and design seen from the point of view of the Ferrari world and the passionate individuals who buy these superb cars." What they said. This quarterly publication will be sent to 30,000 owners worldwide and will only be offered in English. A limited number of subscriptions will be offered to the public as well, at 250 Euro per year. Our CPAs tell us we can write this off. Expect Montezemolo and Schumacher to make regular appearances, as well as other company executives, designers, and even celebrity owners like Nick Mason. The magazine will capture everything Ferrari, with the December issue each year acting as a replacement for the annual yearbook. So you can be sure that F1 will get a thorough rundown as well. For more info, read the press releases after the jump.

Gallery: Ferrari Formula Uomo and Ferrari Magazine

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari launches new magazine, next phase of "Formula Uomo"

Ferrari launches new magazine, next phase of "Formula Uomo" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd's Nick Mason takes to the 'Ring

Dan Roth — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Etc., Rolls-Royce, First Drives

Picture this - you're screaming around the Nurburgring in a not-insubstantial Rolls Royce Phantom, hammer down, stereo on, trying to complete a circuit of the 14-mile course before the woofers go still. Driving on the 'Ring certainly requires concentration, but for a drummer, sometimes you've just got to find the beat. So, when the drums come in, you're going to be compelled to tap along on the rim of the steering wheel, no matter what. Nick Mason impressed his passenger, a reporter from the Times of London, with his ability to multitask like this. Mason, the man on traps for Pink Floyd and noted car nut, had taken to the German racetrack to test himself. The challenge was to complete a single lap of the Nurburgring in the time it takes for half of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to play. While he didn't quite make it, a good time was likely had by all. We would like to know, however, if the accelerator pedal in his V12 Phantom has been replaced with a Speed King.

[Source: Inside Line]

Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd's Nick Mason takes to the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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