Elysée Wednesday: Drive!

This is the promo for my new TV series Elysée Wednesday: Drive! Many fine people offered up their time, their cars and their enthusiasm for which I would like to thank them all. The series is an extension of our Elysée Wednesday gatherings and almost all of the people one sees in the promo are EW regulars.

Drive!

This is the quick tease for our new Elysée Wednesday series Drive! The show is an extension of our weekly gatherings and features EW regulars, their friends and their cars. The intention is not to compete with Top Gear (a program that I enjoy very much) but to have the viewer join us in what we consider to be great fun and to provide a close up view of these extraordinary cars.

Ferrarista.fr

I am pleased to note that, with a dozen posts, my thread on Ferrarista.fr--a French language Ferrari forum--ranked 4th in my first month on the board. For those who speak French, it is a very enthusiastic collection of knowledgeable Ferrari people.

Quelques-uns des 10 sujets les plus populaires actuellement sur le forum Ferrari de Ferrarista.fr

. Vos émotions en Ferrari : on n’y est ou on n’y est pas !?!
2. Ou entretenez vous vos italiennes ?
3. Le marché des 550 Maranello
4. Ma vie avec GTO 3987
5. Prochain Car & Coffee by EAP le 12 février 2012
6. La remplaçante de la Ferrari 599 en 2012
7. Rumeurs et spyshots de la remplaçante de la Ferrari Enzo
8. Ferrari 458 "Scuderia" : a-t-on des infos ?
9. Rencontre Ferrarista.fr du premier trimestre 2012 : inscriptions ouvertes
10. Comment obtenir votre autocollant de Ferrarista.fr

Point of Departure (theme)

This is the theme music for my film Point of Departure which was composed and performed by Michael Chanslor. Michael and I have enjoyed a long association and he created music for Clip Joint and The Jerry Fairfax Show. Michael also served as post production supervisor on the Carrera Panamericana documentary.

Michael knew that I like Nelson Riddle's Route 66 theme so he worked a musical quote into the Point of Departure theme with his variation on the piano fills as a gift to me.

Motor Trend Vintage Video Find

From Motor Trend Magazine:

For the enthusiast, there’s nothing like seeing in-period footage of vintage cars tearing up the road, and that’s exactly what today’s video find is. Three Ferraris – a 250 GTO, 250 California Spyder, and 250 Pininfarina Coupe – on Mulholland Drive in the 1960s being driven the way Enzo intended. Of course there’s a fair amount of goofing around by the drivers as well – one of whom who was a founding member of Southern California’s first Ferrari club.

The video was recently rediscovered by the poster (the owner and driver of the GTO) and his commentary – full of recollections, memories, and observations – is as mesmerizing as the footage itself. Today, this collection of three Ferraris would be worth in the neighborhood of $20 million, but in the period this 8mm film was shot, they were considered nothing but interesting used cars – the vintage Ferrari market had yet to begin its stratospheric soar. Different times, to be sure. Click below to check it out.

[Read more]

Ferrari 330GTS (video)

We go for a drive in Michael Adam's Ferrari 330GTS. Kenny Lombino's Ferrari 16M Scuderia is the chase car. A Ferrari 599 also makes an appearance.

Gary Wales: Ferrari Breadvan

The photo here shows Gary Wales after signing artist Phil Ward's rendering of the Ferrari Breadvan. Breadvan fans will remember that Gary and his partner Dick Merritt were the first owners of the car in the USA.

Photograph of Enzo Ferrari at Monza

On September 5, 1970 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy, I had the good fortune to meet Enzo Ferrari. We spoke in the paddock during Saturday practice for the Italian Grand Prix. As we talked about my Ferrari GTO, Juan Manuel Fangio joined us and listened politely. The full story can be read here.

Two days ago, I came across the photo posted above while searching for photographs to use in my book about GTO 3987. It immediately caught my attention. Posted on Photobucket (below is the link to the photograph as I found it.), the picture is labelled '1970-Enzo_Bertet ACi-Monza'. The photo was taken on the same day and at the same place--in the paddock at Monza--where I had my encounter with Enzo Ferrari. It is conceivable that the photo was taken within a few minutes of that meeting. I contacted the gentleman who posted the photo--I've been following his blog for many months as it turns out--but he did not know who took the photograph or who might hold the copyright (as it is not watermarked).

I would like very much to find the photographer or copyright holder for two reasons: The first being that I would like to obtain permission to use the photograph in my book; the second being to ask if he/she might have taken a picture of Enzo Ferrari and Juan Manuel Fangio talking with a kid from California on that day. It would be too miraculous, but I have to ask.

Should anyone know the photographer or how to track down its copyright holder, I would be much obliged.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/enzo%20ferrari%201970/bouboum/Enzo%20Ferrari/1970-Enzo_BertetACi-Monza.jpg?o=9

Kenny Lombino: Ferrari Club of America

Here are excerpts from my talk with Kenny Lombino about Ferraris, the Ferrari Club of America and Kenny's Ferrari 16M Scuderia spider.

Ferrari 330GTS

I received an email from Michael Adams saying, "...don't forget to come over to see the best 330GTS ever. It's at home now." Two weeks earlier, Michael had invited us to take a drive in his immaculate Ferrari 275GTB which we did. He said he really wanted us to see the GTS which was elsewhere at the time. It had come home and thus the invitation for a return bout. Since Kenny Lombino of the Ferrari Club of America had made the introduction, I thought it was fitting and proper for him to join us. This time he left the Maserati at home and brought along his Ferrari 16M as a chase car.


I had driven a 275GTS many years ago and Michael's 330GTS seemed newer now than the 275GTS did then. Like his 275GTB, Michael's GTS seemed to be in showroom condition. The engine sounded like Ferraris of legend and it idled at high revs like a nervous Thoroughbred going into the starting gate. I've never experienced another engine that conveys as much excitement and anticipation as does the Ferrari V12.


Michael pointed out to me that the interior of the GTS and been re-done more than once and it was finally the handiwork of Tony Nancy that we see in these photographs.


It was a beautiful day for a ride and photographing this gorgeous car. While we were at it, Kenny treated my son Sean to a warp-speed experience in the 16M which doesn't accelerate so much as it moves instantly through space and time.



We were a skeleton crew for this EWTV shoot with Kenny Lombino, Sean Mitchell and Jeanetta Dumouchel handling cameras and chase cars and we want to thank Michael Adams for extending his invitation to us to enjoy this car that has a seven-figure market value and a provenance that is beyond price.

Dino 246GTS

The EWTV crew on Mulholland with Scott McClure and his magnificent Dino 246GTS.

The Batmobile

From Randy Evans:

"Burt Ward and the Batmobile came to work as part of a promotion for Gentle Giant dog food. Everyone came out to have their picture with it. Which of course sparked trivia contests about who were the villains played by.

Burt was delightful and enthusiastic in sharing stories from production and patiently answered questions from and took pictures with all. Ironically he arrived in a Smart Car."




Thank you, Randy! I got to know Frank Gorshin--The Riddler--as he was a friend of Paul Stanley back in the day. I kept calling him Mr. Gorshin and he kept saying, "Frank, Stephen."

Ferrari 330GTC (video)

Here are some excerpts from our time with Eduardo Renta and his fabulous 330GTC.

From Don Klein who introduced me to John Fitch and facilitated my interview with John for the Carrera Panamericana documentary:

"Hi Stephen,

Thanks for the link. As you may recall, I have a '67 330 GTC up here in the Litchfield Hills of CT, and can attest that it's a wonderful touring car. Next time you see Eduardo's car, notice two things:

1) when sitting in the driver's seat with the door open, you can put your right hand on the steering wheel and reach back with your left hand and easily touch the rear tire. The car is THAT compact!

2) There is a sharp crease on top of the front fenders that stretches from the headlights to the windshield that's almost invisible until viewed from INSIDE the car. A wonderfully subtle design element.

Fitch is back at home, in relatively good health and spirits. I will give him your regards.

Cheers,

Don"

Gary Barnhill: Costa Concordia perspective

From Gary Barnhill:

I'm amazed at how often my airline check-pilot experience helps me understand current events.

My Example: The captain of the wrecked cruise liner held his job because no company "check-pilot" investigated his continual dangerous show-boating that led to the crash landing on rocks near the shore. The equivalent of tree-top buzzing in an airplane.

My Example: An airline has a minimum standard for all pilots. When pilots fail to meet that standard and are removed from the pilot seat the argument is usually; the standard is too high. (actually their union lawyer speaks in code: "the check-pilot was unfair") They argue, in code; the standard should be brought down to my lower level so I can keep the job.

Gary

Ferrari 275GTB (video)

Thanks to Kenny Lombino of the Ferrari Club of America, we were able to meet Michael Adams and enjoy his Ferrari 275GTB. Here are some excepts from the segment we shot for Elysée Wednesday TV.

Stephen Mitchell talks with General Richard Wilmot (part 1)

Always fascinating, always insightful, I was fortunate enough to sit again with General Wilmot and have a relaxed talk with him away from the studio.

Ferrari 275GTB: A Sunday drive

While talking with Kenny Lombino of the Ferrari Club of America on the phone, he asked if I knew Michael Adams. I did not. Kenny tells me that Michael is an interesting guy with some great cars and perhaps I'd like to do a shoot a video of one of his cars for the Elysée Wednesday TV drive series. Yes I would and so it was that we show up at Michael's house to experience his immaculate 275GTB.

Michael would have preferred we sample his 330GTS--his favorite--but the GTB has long been a favorite of mine and it has been decades since I drove one. It belonged to my friend John Andrews and it is said that John's car once belonged to Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and had been driven by Charles Manson when he spent some time hanging with the band. It wasn't John who told me this but, if true, it makes for an additional connection to the dreadful night on Cielo Drive--Steve McQueen, Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring and that GTB.

Seeing Michael's GTB under the lights in his showcase garage, it could have been sitting in Otto Zipper's showroom on Wilshire at 26th Street back in the day as it looked brand new and flawless.
Making a tour of the car, there isn't a bad angle and I remember Brock Yates' write-up where he described moving a Captain's chair to different positions around a 275GTB so he could sit and contemplate the design from all angles.

When it came time to drive the GTB out of the garage, the ticking of the fuel pump brought back some very fond Lusso/GTO memories. The sound of the constant velocity starter motor completed the flashback. This GTB is a long-nose, single-cam V12 and it makes all the sounds one expects of a Ferrari engine with Weber carburetors, timing chains (instead of belts) and twelve cylinders.

Another vintage reference to the Lusso/GTO days is the view from the driver or passenger seat--one sees the finely sculpted hood and fender contours as they reach forward to a vanishing point. Mid-engined moderns don't offer this, the base of the windshield usually serving as the vanishing point with the front bodywork dropping immediately from sight.

Our drive took us down to the Pacific Coast Highway and up Sunset to Pacific Palisades Park. Continuing on Sunset, we completed the loop turning on Allenford and driving past Paul Revere where I went to school. I don't know which was more pleasurable--being in the GTB or looking at it from the chase car (Kenny's Maserati) and admiring this beautiful piece of industrial sculpture moving amongst the more prosaic automobiles.

Back home in Michael's driveway, Michael and Kenny engaged in some very entertaining banter that will be on display in the video excerpts when I post them. In the meantime, I offer my thanks to Kenny Lombino for making the introduction and to Michael Adams who graciously shared his marvelous GTB with us.

Jeanetta Dumouchel of EWTV was there to enjoy the car and shoot stills and video.

Dino 246 GTS: A day of fun

When Elysée Wednesday member Scott McClure mentioned that he was driving one of his Dinos to Los Angeles, it got my attention in a big way. I had never driven one of these Ferrari-made 246 Dinos though I had long admired their shape and often marveled at the sound of that engine as one would pass by on the road. I liked its size, too. The Dino is compact--a go-kart for grown-ups, you might say. Scott gave me an immediate 'yes' when I asked if he would like his Dino to be the subject of an EWTV drive segment.

Our crew on this outing consisted of Larry Crane (Auto Aficionado), Jeanetta Dumouchel (a producer with me on the Carrera Panamericana documentary), Chad Glass (who executed the Carrera Panamerican poster and the cover and internal art for my GTO book--perhaps I should say 'our' GTO book) and Kira Gurnée (who is producing her own TV series, 'Corkscrew Adventures'). Scott and I completed the group.

We gathered at the top of Beverly Glen and discovered that a number of Ferraris were present--430s, a 512TR, a 308 Dino--but Scott's red Dino drew the crowd. Though a beautiful car in photographs, the Dino shares a characteristic with all the Ferraris I've ever seen--they are even more beautiful to the eye than to the camera. The voluptuous curves of this spider reward the eye and have an almost hypnotic effect on the observer. The obvious style references to the P4 race car are very well executed here.

As we motored out onto Mulholland Drive, it was quickly clear that Scott drives his car like a Ferrari factory test driver doing justice to the Prova Modena plate attached to the Dino. The gearing was ideally suited to the tight corners and relatively short straights of Mulholland. We could not have picked a better road to sample this car.


Above, Chad drives Scott. Below, Kira drives Jeanetta.


Above, Jeanetta takes off with Kira. Below, Kira joins Scott.

When I took the wheel, what impressed me most was the quickness of the turn-in. Placing the car on the outside of a corner, only a small movement of the steering wheel put the car right on the apex and the Dino sling-shots through the turn. The power-to-weight ratio gives the car all the performance one could want on Mulholland and then some.

Above, the Dino showing poise. Below, Larry Crane is right at home.


We all took turns at the wheel and behind the cameras--still and video--so the day's effort was collaborative in every sense. Larry Crane took some low-angle roadside shots of the Dino drive-bys that recalled some shots from Steve McQueen's film Le Mans. Everyone had a great deal of fun--it took a day or so to get the smile off of my face--and I am only sorry that my son Sean was not with us on this occasion, the victim of a changing work schedule.


I'll post video clips once they have been edited.

Buskers: A New York story

Many of the projects I work on are understandable and predictable--movies with a French flavor or location, documentaries on Ferraris or racing. Elysée Wednesday TV has my signature all over it featuring good friends and exciting cars and is an natural extension of our Wednesday evening gatherings.

Buskers is something else entirely. It is a New York story and while I've visited the city, I've never lived there nor can I say that I know it more than superficially. Busking is the term for musicians--and other types of artists--performing in public on the streets and in the subways. It is not an activity unique to New York--two actors in my first film Montmartre were buskers and I spent an exciting July 14th celebration with them as they busked in the rue Mouffetard. I loved it!

I was recently given a copy of the book Buskers by my friend Larry Masser who was my agent when (Interview) began to attract interest in Hollywood. Larry is erudite and we share many interests. He thought I would enjoy Buskers. I did.

Written by Heth and Jed Weinstein, Buskers chronicles the life and times of these busking brothers and details the joys and the pain that comes with the life of a street performer. They endure so much for the pleasure they provide--though the music is too often taken for granted by passers-by--and one hopes that the pleasure they take from it is as gratifying to them as it would be for any performer with an audience. The story is as much about the brothers and their relationship as it is about the music. Life hasn't always dealt them an easy hand but they've played their cards well learning to bluff when the occasion demanded.

The first and natural instinct is to attach a New York director in making this book into a feature film--Abel Ferrara, for instance. Then the name Marshall Brickman comes to mind--a man who certainly understands New York and performing. Neil Jordan created such an edgy yet accessible atmosphere with The Good Thief, a favorite remake of a favorite French classic Bob le flambeur, that I can't help wondering about how such a film would look given his deft touch. Would the story interest David Permut? Creating the imagined combinations of writer, director and on-screen talent that will bring a project to life is like enjoying the appetizers to a wonderful meal--it shouldn't be rushed but we should be ready to move on to the first course that promises to be just as rewarding.

Serge Dermanian remembers Ferrari GTO 3987

Serge Dermanian looked after the cars in the Ralph Lauren collection that were kept in Montauk. Here he writes about GTO 3987.

Stephen, regarding the 3987 GTO, I remember when I got the car ready for New York State inspection, after carefully checking brake pads, hand brake, all fluid levels, all lights, wipers, etc.

As a whole, I was not to satisfied with the overall condition of the fit & finish. I had noticed, that the roof line was not as a few others I had seen in the past! My first "joy meeting" with a GTO, was in the early 60s at Thompson race track were I was spending my Sunday afternoons with Mike Gamino and his mechanic Liberio Gerardi. The sight of that tall shift lever impressed me, and the sudden silence of a Ferrari, every time he switched off the engine. Wonderful memories!

Now, the test drive. The engine ran "fairly well" but the gear box had a major problem. You probably remember the reverse gear safety feature, which is a piece protruding under the shift gate; in order to engage reverse, when in neutral, you must push the shift lever down to pass this safety feature. It was designed to prevent going inadvertently into reverse when shifting quickly from 1^st to 2^nd. Imagine the fiasco!

That safety device was completely worn out, probably during extensive racing. It was no trouble for me since I had worked on and driven many of these cars. As a matter of fact,

I had the NART spider next to the GTO and that gate was OK.

The next problem was excessive play in the steering system, I brought the car back to the garage, lifted it to check the steering carefully but all tie rods ends were fine. The steering box was the reason.

I called my friend Geoff Holland in Vermont who had the parts, follower and bearings, in stock. I purchased the shift gate as well. Removing the steering box is an easy task, I had done many of them. After dismantling it, I replaced the worn out parts utilizing special grease with anti-corrosion agents. I filled the box with GLX 140 that I purchased from a trucking company. You should not use 80/90 hypoid oil.

After replacing the shift gate, I purchased a beautiful piece of mahogany (knowing how much Ralph Lauren loved this type of wood) and installed the old gate on the wood block and drilled holes for pens and pencils! On the front, I glued a Ferrari emblem from a key chain and underneath a piece of velvet. Then I mailed it to Ralph for Christmas.

Voila! A Ferrari pencil holder for his desk. If someone sees it on his desk, you will know were it came from!

Hope you like my comments,
Serge Dermanian

I do like them, Serge. Thank you!

A Face in the Crowd

One day I was having lunch in Art's delicatessen in Studio City. This was before the big earthquake and Art's still had its counter-space. Always a popular lunch spot, Art's seemed to attract a lot of celebrities from the area which included the nearby CBS Cinema Center where Steve McQueen's grey Porsche 911S was frequently seen in its chained-off parking spaces--Steve got two.

Like most delicatessen's I've known, Art's tended to be a noisy environment--good food, loud talk. As I was having lunch with my companion, a gentleman in the booth across the way caught my attention saying, "Excuse me, but aren't you a director?" I told him that I was, thinking he had assumed from my general appearance that I wasn't an accountant. Then he asked, "Aren't you the film director who does that interview series on cable TV--the one with the fictional authors?" Again, I confirmed his suspicion but now I was curious. "How did you know?" I asked him. "I recognized you," he said. I thought about this for a moment before an obvious question came to my mind.

"How could you recognize me," I asked, "since I'm never seen and my voice is heard off-camera posing the questions?" Without missing a beat, he answered, "I recognized your voice." I thought it extraordinary that a stranger would recognize my voice in a crowded and noisy deli. "How many of the shows have you seen?" I asked. "Lots of them," was the answer. I had a fan!

Of the 500 or so half-hour interviews I produced for the series, there was only one in which I appeared on camera as the author. I wasn't prepared for the recognition that came from the show. I would be stopped in the gym by people who had believed the interview was as real as Charlie Rose and wanted to comment about the book the fictional character had written. Walking along the sidewalk in Brentwood, I would hear people call out, "Sean Miles!" which was the name of the fictional character I played. At the L.A. Coliseum watching Raiders football games, I noticed people pointing me out and making comments to their friends. The character I played had been a homicide detective who, it was suspected, had been killing suspects of violent crimes instead of arresting them. It was a sign of public frustration, I think, that most of those who approached me were very supportive of Sean Miles. An unarmed public can but hope for the best, I suppose.

Recalling this, I am reminded of just how powerful is the medium of television. It also validated my decision to remain off camera--with the one exception--when doing the series as I don't know how people in the public eye cope with the recognition that occurs everywhere they go. I remember seeing A Face in the Crowd, the film directed by Elia Kazan starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal and Anthony Franciosa which dealt admirably with this aspect of working in media.

I wonder why--in this era of reality shows--no one has thought to re-make this film.

Ferrari GTO: The history of s/n 3987

PJ said...

Hello Stephen,

I found your blog few days ago and I'm completely stunned with your stories about your Ferrari GTO #3987.

Those videos at Willow Springs and Mulholland are astonishing and the passion that you put in your writing when the subject is the GTO is almost touching.

I'm writing you from Portugal, I'm a huuuuge Ferrari fan and I would like to know please if it's possible for you to write about the GTO # 3987 since the first owner to the present, if you know the full history, of course.

It would be very appreciated and make me dream for a little while.

Thank you in advance.

My best regards,

Paulo Vilela,
Braga
Portugal

Hello Paulo,

Below you will find a history of GTO 3987 as compiled by the Barchetta website [http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/Detail/3987GT.250GTO.htm]. There are four errors/omissions I can point out. The first is the indication that a 3.3 litre 250LM engine was installed in 1966. This is inaccurate. The LM engine was installed during Dr. Stuart Baumgard's ownership which began in 1972 after he acquired the car from Alain de Cadenet. The second is that two owners are overlooked entirely. The first is Mark Slotkin who bought 3987 from Otto Zipper. The second is William Reinhart (I'm not certain of the spelling) who bought the car form Mark Slotkin. I bought 3987 from William who had over-cooked the engine. The date given as my acquisition--1965--is incorrect and I did not take ownership of the car until 1968 if I remember correctly. Finally, according to Marcel Massini, the original GTO engine removed by Stuart Baumgard was reunited with 3987 by Don Walker.

There may be other inaccuracies of which I am unaware.

Ed Niles makes a further correction to the Barchetta information:

"Otto Zipper was on Wilshire. Ferrari Reps of Ca was von Neuman, on Cahuenga."

This is a cut & paste from Barchetta:

62 - N.A.R.T.
62/oct/21	1st OA	1000km Paris, Montlhery	Pedro Rodriguez/ Ricardo Rodriguez	#1	Pourret p325, 326 1000km Paris p20, 23
62 - Mecom Racing Team, Houston, TX, USA
62/dec/02	1st OA	5 Lap Tourist Trophy over 2-litres heat, Nassau	Roger Penske	#85
62/dec/02	1st OA	25 Lap Tourist Trophy, Nassau	Roger Penske	#85	BSW p232, 233
62/dec/02	1st OA	5 Lap Governor's Trophy, Nassau	Roger Penske	#85
62/dec/08	5th OA	5 Lap Texas Classic race, Nassau	Augie Pabst	#85	C137 p55
63/feb/17	2nd OA	3h Daytona Continental	Roger Penske	#29
63/mar/23	4th OA 1st GT	12h Sebring	Roger Penske/ Augie Pabst	#24	250 GTO p72
63/may/25	1st OA	Pensacola GT race	Roger Penske	#17
63/sep/08	8th OA 2nd IC	Road America 500, Elkhart Lake	Roger Penske/ Augie Pabst	#7	C152 p51
63/sep/29	2nd OA 1st IC	Lynndale Farms, Wisconsin Race, main	Augie Pabst	#2
63/oct/13	5th OA	L.A. Times GP, Riverside	Richie Ginther	#211
64 - Otto Zipper Motors, Ferrari Representatives of Hollywood, Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, USA
64/oct/11	5th OA	Riverside, Los Angeles Times GP	Richie Ginther
65 - S. Mitchell, USA
66 - with engine 6045 250 LM
71 - Alain de Cadenet, GB
72 - Stuart Baumgard, Encino, CA, USA +213-981-0883
77/aug		Pebble Beach Concours	Stuart Baumgard
78 - Gaon & Stillmann, USA
83 - Don Walker, Dallas, TX, USA - restored
84/aug/23		International Ferrari Concours	Don Walker
84/aug/25-26	7th	Monterey Historic Races	Don Walker
85 - Ralph Lauren, Long Island, NY, USA
02/jan/26	display	XI. Cavallino Classic, class 16	Ralph Lauren
05/mar/16-jul/31 - displayed in the Fine Arts Museum, Boston, MA, USA