Tag Archive for Vintage Cars

Classic Porsche’s in The Gorge

Route 30 fron across street2If you are near Portland, Oregon and enjoy vintage Porsche’s, there is a gem of a place that you should know about.  Everybody knows that The Gorge has plenty of stuff (like for mom and the kids) to do – but if you are a car guy that has come to Hood River to visit the WAAAM (air and automobile museum), for the Maryhill Loops Hill Climb, or to see some of the most recognized driving (car video, and commercial filming) roads in North America, you will end up close to Route 30 ClassicsJust take the Mosier exit (Exit 69) from I-84, and you can’t miss it – really.

Mosier is an eclectic little town 5 miles east of Hood River – when wind sports took of in The Gorge, a lot of the hippy / hipsters settled right there.  One of those hippies is Stephen Demosthenes – he’s a Porsche nut with a collection of Porsche memorabilia (some of it for sale) and some cars.  Oh, and there is also an ice cream shop…

I stopped by last week and there were two very nice early 70’s 911’s on display, and Stephen’s blue 6 cylinder 914 that you’ve seen if you regularly ride a bicycle between Hood River and The Dalles.

Dean and McQueen

Porsche’s are cool, as evidenced by the fact that both James Dean and Steve McQueen are inextricably linked to them.  Dean for famously dying in one, and McQueen for his movie LeMans.

917 Arentina 1000K

LeMans featured the Porsche 917 – the biggest, baddest sports racing prototype of all time.  The 917 was capable of speeds approaching 250mph, it was the pinnacle of technology in the early 70’s – they were loved by racing fans and feared by those who drove them.  At Route 30  Classics, Stephen has a nice collection of the posters that  commemorate the Porsche 917 and great races of that era.

Route 30 911's

This is a nice spot in a little town that has something of interest for just about everybody – especially a car guy that likes ice cream…

Why Ford is Better than Ferrari…

It was 1963, Enzo Ferrari was in a mood to sell a large stake in his little car company.  He had his eye on Ford, and made the overture.  Henry Ford II responded, and a deal was struck.

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GT40 MkI Henry Ford II

Henry Ford II with an Early GT40

Each had their motivations – Ferrari wanted cash for racing, Ford wanted the prestige that would come with Ferrari’s racing success. And, that’s about when the wheels came off the cart – a very fast cart, no longer being pulled by a prancing horse… Unexpectedly, Ferrari had announced that he didn’t care for the final terms offered by Ford – and by some accounts, they were both more than a little bit pissed off about it.  So, Henry II would need to find a different path by which he could establish his company’s sporting credentials – and the racing world would be better for it.

Lola Mk6

The Lola Mk6

Ford contracted with small British sports car builder, Lola, to provide the first chassis – it was, more or less, a Lola MK6.  It would be powered by a Ford V8 and it would be called the GT40 (it was 40 inches tall).

John Wyer GT40

John Wyer GT40

Victories didn’t come easily.  At first, the cars didn’t work so well.  They suffered from poor reliability in the hands of future sports car racing legend, John Wyer (all those Gulf Racing Mirage’s and Porsche’s were also his), and eventually the GT40’s made their way to Carroll Shelby, in Texas – yes, that Carroll Shelby.  And yes.., before we saw anything that looked like a Mustang with Shelby’s name on it.

250LM Chinetti NART

Ferrari 250LM – The Last Ferrari to Win at LeMans

In 1965, Ferrari would win LeMans, for the last time, with the gorgeous 250LM (would it have been a Ferrari / Ford?).  From 1966, the GT40 won 4 consecutive 24 Hours of LeMans (First with Shelby and then with Wyer), beating some of the baddest sports prototypes ever.  And, dare I say it? – embarrassing Ferrari. As all this Ferrari sports car crushing was going on out in the French countryside, Ford would also agree to fund development of the most successful Formula One engine ever – The 3.0 liter, V8, Cosworth DFV.  Lotus, McLaren, Brabham, Williams,Tyrrell and others, all became Ferrari killers with the DFV. As distinctly European as sports car racing and Formula One are, Henry Ford II and Carroll Shelby had managed to put their fingerprints all over both of them – Bravo, America!!! and, if you haven’t heard, Don’t Mess with Texas…

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Carroll Shelby and the LeMans Winning GT40 MkIV