Spotted: Camping World Truck

As NASCAR fans already know, this Saturday and Sunday features the first Canadian running of a race in the Camping World Truck series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. That’s just north of Bowmanville, and about an hour east of Toronto. If you’re looking for information on the Mosport website, the actual race is called the Chevrolet Silverado 250. And no, they’re not racing RVs (now, that would be something to see), but it’s possible to camp on site so you’re near all the truck racing action. After all, RV retailer Camping World is a sponsor.

Appropriately enough, this Camping World inspired truck was on display at the recent Rebel Ridez show.

Photo by Kate Tompkins

Photo by Kate Tompkins

Putting the Rat in Rat Rod

1950 Mercury Rat Rod
Photo by Kate Tompkins

Further to my post of the other day, here’s a rat rod based on a 1950 Mercury that caught my eye at the recent Rebel Ridez car show. Check out the hood ornament.

1950 Mercury Rat Rod
Photo by Kate Tompkins

1950 Mercury Rat Rod
Photo by Kate Tompkins

Rebel Ridez Car Show

Rebel Ridez 3rd Annual Car Show, Montreal
Photo by Kate Tompkins

Got out to my first local car show of the season last Saturday, the third annual Rebel Ridez show. It’s the first time I’ve been out to one of their shows, and I have to say I was impressed. In addition to their own members’ cars, they had a few race cars on display, and there were sponsors’ booths as well. They had a lot of volunteers, easily identifiable by their T-shirts, to help participants get parked. Lots of participants, too, a booth selling food, and a table full of trophies to hand out.

 

Rebel Ridez 3rd Annual Car Show, Montreal
Photo by Kate Tompkins

There was a nice selection of cars to look at, too. While the emphasis was on muscle cars (from classic to modern), there was something for everyone, from hot rods, to 50’s chrome, and even a miniature Mercury. I’ll be taking a closer look at some that caught my eye over the next few days, but these group shots give you some idea of what the show was like.

Rebel Ridez 3rd Annual Car Show, Montreal
Photo by Kate Tompkins

Russo and Steele’s Monterey Catalog

Russo and Steele’s online catalog for this week’s auction in Monterey, California, (August 15 through 17) can be found here, all 216 pages of it. A trip to Monterey certainly isn’t in my near future, but I do enjoy looking. They’re featuring a couple of Ferrari spider conversions, among other things. Fancy a 1981 Jaguar XJR-4 race car? A 1969 COPO Camaro? Lots of Shelbys, and even (yuck!) a 1975 Chevrolet Corvette wagon. I wish I was making that up, but it’s right there on page 110.

Little Red Corvette

Power Wheels® brand introduces a brand new 

battery-powered ride-on replica of the highly

anticipated 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

(Photo: Business Wire)

Seems Fisher-Price is adding a new car to its Power Wheels line of battery-powered ride-on toys. Just in time for Corvette’s 60th anniversary, it’s a replica of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. This highly desirable toy (well, I know I want one, and I’m too big for it) will do 0-6 mph and is for three years and up. It has forward and reverse gears and even comes with Power Lock® brakes. Suggested price is just under $300.

According to the press release from Fisher-Price, it’s possible to order it from Walmart.com, where it’s currently listed for $210.08. I don’t see it listed on the Walmart Canada site. Bleah.

If the Corvette’s not your thing, they have other cars, Jeeps, trucks and SUVs, including a Ford Mustang Boss 302, and a Cadillac Escalade. Those are available in Canada.

[SOURCES: http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/powerwheels/products/74945, http://www.businesswire.com]

The Queen’s State Limo on Display

Bentley State Limousine
Photo courtesy Bentley Motors

If you were at the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace Gardens last month (July 11-14), you would have had a chance to see Her Majesty’s state limousine up close. No, I wasn’t there, either—guess my invitation must have been lost in the mail--but Bentley Motors has provided photos so the rest of us can see what we missed.

The car, built to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002, is unique, even for a Bentley. According to Bentley PR, the car was “designed to ensure as many well-wishers as possible have the opportunity to see the Queen” thanks to a panoramic glasshouse and extra height. They add that “the rear seat position was determined using a model of the same height as the Queen and the doors are hinged at the rear and open through 90 degrees to enable Her Majesty to almost walk out of the car.” A feature I wish my own car had, some days.

Bentley State Limousine
Photo courtesy Bentley Motors

The limo was being displayed together with a collection of other Bentleys (I’m eyeing up the red car to the right—sweet!).

Bentley also presented the Mulsanne, their flagship model. It looks like Her Majesty approves. Bentley claim it takes almost 400 hours to build a Mulsanne, 200 of which goes on the interior. Potential purchasers have a choice of over 100 standard paint colours, and 24 colours of leather. All hand-stitched, of course. It’s enough to make you feel like a queen.

The Queen visits the Bentley stand at the Coronation Festival.

Photo courtesy Bentley Motors

[SOURCE: http://www.bentleymedia.com/release-476.htm]

Spotted: Cadillac Fleetwood

1955 Cadillac
Photo by Kate Tompkins

While I haven’t managed to get to a single one of my local car shows so far this summer (thanks, life), that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen any classic cars. Spotted this Caddy in a parking lot in Belleville, Ontario, on one of my recent out-of-province excursions. Based on a perusal of Wikipedia, I think it’s a 1955 Cadillac 60 Special Fleetwood, but that’s only a guess. If anyone out there knows for sure, I’d love to be set straight.

1955 Cadillac
Photo by Kate Tompkins

 

1955 Cadillac
Photo by Kate Tompkins