When I was approached by one of the founders and organizers of the first ever Arizona Concours d’Elegance many months ago I was immediately all in. I was all in not only because Arizona has been sorely lacking an event of this caliber, but because of who it was who approached me. I knew right from the start that it was going to be a very solid event put on by true enthusiasts and that it would garner all the attention it deserved from all the people you want attentive. There are so, so many cars hidden away in the Phoenix valley and surrounding areas that unless you’re a very regular attendee to various events or lucky to know the right people, you really have no idea of just what’s out...

For the first time in five years, I was finally able to attend RM’s annual Scottsdale auction. It is an auction that is, without question, one of the very best in the entire world and for me it was even more special as quite a number of cars I’d shot in the past year were going across the auction block. The crown jewel of the auction was this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Spyder, which sold for a record-setting $8,800,000 and one of the many cars I had the pleasure of shooting prior to the auction (that gigantic print in the background came from said shoot). Not only was the California Spider the top sale for RM, but it was the top sale for all of the 2014 Scottsdale auctions. A bit further...

Shorrock-supercharged XPAG 1,250 cc OHV inline four-cylinder engine, SU carburetor, four-speed manual gearbox, rigid front and rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 94″ • Owned since 1948 by E. Alan Moss, founder of Moss Motors • Original engine with period Shorrock supercharger; rust-free California and Arizona car • Fascinating history; featured in several books and catalogues • Toured extensively with numerous entries in the Monterey Historics • Chassis no. TC 5473 • Engine no. XPAG.6182 • Sold for $66,000 While all classic MG sports cars are treasured by their lucky owners, this 1948 MG TC is a particularly special example with a...

My very first car was a Super White 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo. Before I was even sixteen years old I was looking at photos of SW20s online, researching everything there was to know about them, posting on MR2 specific forums and saving every penny I had while browsing classified ads. Once I finally found and bought my car (the only MKII Turbo within hundreds of miles) I grew even more fond of MR2s (later purchasing a 1987 MR2 as well) and Toyotas in general. With that, not surprisingly, the Toyota 2000GT very quickly became one of my favorite cars. However, up until the evening I shot this particular car, I’d never had the pleasure of laying my eyes on one in the flesh. After seeing the flawless curves of...

As the weather cools down and the sun comes up later, Cars and Coffee gets even better. I tend to skip most of the hottest months due to the heat, but when I finally returned this month (last time I was out there was June) it did not disappoint. Everything I saw from the months I skipped impressed me with the quantity and quality of cars despite the intense heat, but once we get to this time of year the event takes it to another level. I arrived very early at 6:30am (either 30 or 90 minutes before start time, depending on who you asked) and there were already a half dozen or so cars in the lot with new cars arriving constantly. I got there so early so that I could hop up on one of the ~16ft walls that run...

* Chassis no. 10MC * Engine no. EB75 * 7,688cc ohv six-cylinder * Four-speed transmission * A very early Phantom * Australian delivery example Successor to the legendary Silver Ghost that had made Rolls-Royce one of the world’s preeminent automakers, the New Phantom arrived in 1925. Its entirely new 40/50hp overhead-valve six-cylinder engine had a 7,688cc displacement and was considerably more powerful than its Edwardian predecessor. As with the smaller Rolls-Royce 20hp that had preceded it in 1922, the New Phantom chassis utilized a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters. The chassis, though, remained essentially the same as that of the later four-wheel-braked ‘Ghost’. After...

This 427 Cobra was the fourth of just 260 original 427 Street Cobra produced by Shelby. Let us be clear; this is not a reproduction or continuation car, it is an original Cobra built at Shelby American in 1965. CSX 3127 served as Shelby’s test vehicle and to gauge customer response to the 427 Street cars. Factory records obtained from AC Cars Limited show that chassis number 3127, as listed on their invoice: “Prototype Mk.II Road Car, Unpainted, Black Leather”, was completed and shipped to Shelby American in Los Angeles by air on April 30th, 1965. While most Cobras were shipped by boat to the States, the importance of 3127 is demonstrated by the fact that not only was it shipped by air, but...

135 hp, 4,230 cc OHV inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission with low range and part-time AWD, semi-elliptic front and rear springs with live axle, and hydraulic front disc and rear drum brakes. Wheelbase: 90 in. • Rust-free Arizona example; recent frame-off restoration • Finished in original Freeborn Red with Cygnus White hardtop • Surely one of the best FJ40s in existence Much like the vintage Land Rover, the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser has a devoted following all its own. Both vehicles were developed in the early-1950s and were based on the Willys M38 Jeep, which earned worldwide respect in WWII. When Toyota and Land Rover went head-to-head in the 1960s, Toyota won nearly every...

Despite considerable renown in certain automotive circles, the Ultima GTR is relatively unknown to most. Taking the GTR to car shows or out for a Sunday cruise results in many puzzled looks and baffling guesses as to exactly what it is. But that unknown factor doesn’t stop people from gawking and, in fact, adds to it. Even just taking it out to the grocery store for milk, people reacting with waves, thumbs-ups and cameras out of car windows is the norm. Be it Ferrari, Lamborghini or otherwise next to the Ultima, the Ultima is getting most of the attention. Out on the street juxtaposed to a sea of mundane, gray sedans and SUVs, the GTR looks more like a spaceship than a car. Like it doesn’t belong and...

The 1969 Shelby looked very different from the 1969 Mustang with fiberglass fenders, hood, and rear cap which made the Shelby three inches longer than the already elongated 1969 Mustangs. The hood was fastened with five recessed NASA-type hood scoops. The leading edge of the hooded ended with a chrome strip that wrapped around the grille to meet the thin Shelby chrome bumper. A second chrome strip formed a wide mouth on the grille between the headlamps with Lucas driving lights mounted just below the bumper. The Shelby GT side stripes were wider, centered vertically, and ran the entire length of the car. The rear break body side air scoops were wider and mounted in the center for the convertible but higher...