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Recommendation Letter from Ron Busuttil

“When asked, ‘ What most impressed me with the car ?’ my answer related to the fact that not only did I purchase the car, but also commissioned modifications solely by telephone.”

-Ron Busuttil, M.D., Ph.D.

"Doug, your reputation is beyond reproach. I have bought several Ferraris in my lifetime, and I know when I buy from you I am buying a car from a reputable person."

-Joe Perella

"The exhaust and engine work you did are spectacular! The car sounds completely wonderful - I can actually hear it swallowing air, and I have no doubt the bad headers were causing all kind of backpressure issues -- the increase in power is kind of breathtaking. Obviously the timing correction has a lot to do with that as well. I feel pretty sure the car runs better than it did when it was delivered new to Sonny Crockett back in 1997. And it sounds like a Ferrari again, not a landscaping truck!"

"The engine compartment is vastly improved as well, and the resurfaced console etc. looks most excellent."

"None of this was cheap, but it was all well worth it. A job really, really well done!"

-Mike Offit




© 2005- J.M. Pirrone

Berlinetta Motorsports Ltd. is an independent enterprise and is not affiliated with Ferrari S.p.A.,Ferrari North America Inc., any club, Ferrari dealer or distributor."

By Carbon McCoy
August 2009
What's In Store...
Before we begin, I just want to mention that if you're having trouble viewing this text - if it's too small - you can simply make it larger by holding down the control (CTRL) button on your keyboard and scrolling up with your mouse WHEEL simultaneously. Additionally, you can also make the text smaller with that same process, only scrolling downward with your mouse wheel.

Ferrari will debut the 458 Italia at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a week. Unfortunately, we won't be there. But we're certain that pictures will surface and we'll share whatever we can with you in the next issue.

Ferrari had me all excited with the prospect of a coming-out-of-retirement Schumacher to fill in for an injured Felipe Massa. Unfortunately that didn't happen, but things have been interesting nonetheless.

I've been attending car shows like a mad man, including the one, the only, the original Cars & Coffee - that and more is below, in this July, 2009, issue of The Berlinetta Letter.
This Issue's Trivia Question!

Last Issue's Fun Fact and trivia question:

In the abbreviation 'TRI', what does the 'I' represent?

ANSWER: Independent! In the instance of the 250 TRI and the 330 TRI, 'TRI' stood for 'Testa Rossa Independent', with the independent referring to the independent rear suspension.

Our
Fun Fact winners are:

G. de Noyelles, Jr.:
"I believe that TRI stands for Testa Rossa Independent (Rear Suspension) I think first used in the 1960(?) season."

Keyvan Milani:
"independent rear suspension, indicated by the "I" ("Independente") designation. Instead of the De dion rear suspension

Bob Culver, John Burke:
"The "I" in TRI stands for Independent rear suspension, specifically as introduced in the 1960 Testa Rossa", David Berg, Paul Wehmer, Larry Cheldelin, Stefan, Willis MurpheyDavid Eichenbaum

Thank you, Bob, Mr. de Noyelles, Kevyan, John, David, Paul, Larry, et al !

Now for this issue's Trivia Question...

What is the 360 Modena's chassis type? E-mail your response to berlinettamotorcars2@gmail.com.
California Car Culture
In the last month, I have seen many things that have led me to a single conclusion: California is America's Monaco. If that statement is a resonating familiarity, then either you live out here or you visit - often. Southern California seems like it was built for - and designed around - cars. It is, quite literally, an automotive Mecca.
 

Saw this 360 Spider in the parking garage at the movie theater.

Driving through southern California is like going to a moving car show. It's not unusual to see more than one exotic at a stop light or in a parking lot - and the drivers don't even know each other. In my 30 years, I've never seen a Fiat Jolly - at least not outside of a book or the Internet. But since moving to Orange County, on average, I'm seeing one Fiat Jolly per week - and only one of those was at a car show!
 

Saw this pearlescent Murcielago in the same parking garage the same night that I saw the 360 Spider.

But it's not just the cars - everything is conducive to cars. The roads - highways and streets alike - are seamlessly paved, devoid of potholes, and always on camber.  And perhaps I have some sort of California fever, but the lanes seem wider and no one seems to beep -except for a friendly toot-toot to say hello. And you know all of those Honda Civics and Nissan Sentras that you see? The ones whose owners aren't done personalizing them? You know, the ones that have two nice wheels and two hubs; the ones with a bondo door and a carbon fiber hood; the ones with an aftermarket exhaust from which smoke is billowing ...you know?
 

I saw this white Nissan GT-R on the highway.

Well when those cars are finished, they all somehow make it out here. Every car here, from half century old Cadillacs to last year's latest crew cab and everything in between and beyond, is wonderfully maintained. And if you've ever been in the market for a VW Thing or a Karmann Ghia convertible or a Porsche 914, but couldn't find one - it's because they're all out here, and being driven every day, so the owners have no interest in selling.
 

I see Karmann Ghias everywhere!

I feel like I've wandered onto the set of a movie! An amalgamation of all of the deleted scenes from James Bond's vacations. The sheer number of immaculately maintained British automobiles confirms my suspicions! Beautiful cars, beautiful women, impeccably manicured landscapes wherever I go. I'm trapped - albeit willfully - in some sort of twilight zone car guy bizarro world. When I walk out of the house each morning, I expect to hear the whiny cry of a director.
 

Saw this 360 Spider down the street from the Elysee Bakery, Westwood Village, Los Angeles.

"Cut, cut, cut! Who is this guy? Where'd he come from? How'd he get into my movie?"
 

A Fiat Jolly!!!

I sit at stop lights with Ferraris and Maseratis; I share stop sign intersections with 356s and rat rods; every day in Newport Beach is the most amazing car show - and it's never on purpose. I saw a pearlescent Lamborghini Murcielago in the parking garage at the movie theater the other night - and on the next level was a 360 Spider! This is the only place I know where a Ferrari dealer is open for business on a Sunday. The reality of southern California is, in itself, an anti-depressant. If Pfizer could figure out a way to prescribe Newport Beach in pill form, the whole world would be high. Newportoloft Beachapro? SoCalizol? ProzaCali?
 

A Triumph TR6 - in the next parking row was a Porsche 914.

In the late afternoon, as the face of the earth that hosts southern California spins away from the sun, I sit on the back patio overlooking a peninsula of the Pacific Ocean. It's a mini-canyon through which a salty river ebbs and flows as dictated by the moon. As the horizon fractions the sun, its last rays fire across the ocean and slam into all of the reflective windows of the houses across the peninsula. From far away, the terra cotta houses look like mountains atop the cliff; and the sun glaring off of their windows looks like huge chunks of gold jutting from the sides of these little mountains. And I sit there, listening intently to the raucous exhaust notes in the near and far distances. California gold rush indeed.
 

I see this Boxer in my neighborhood all the time.

If you still don't understand what I'm saying, then just read on...


For the uninitiated (which includes me!), this is a Lancia Beta Berlina.
Cars & Coffee
If you live in southern California and you're a car enthusiast, chances are, the term 'cars and coffee' is more to you than just a catchy article title. Chances are you hear it quite frequently, and it's as common a term as 'the 405', 'Pacific Coast Highway' and 'Look! Another Ferrari!' - the latter often heard by whoever is with me at the time that I yell it.
 


But Cars & Coffee elicits anything but commonality. Here in southern California, Cars & Coffee is like a car show. Only bigger. Every week. Except for Monterey weekend (considered a national holiday), you can expect anywhere from 200 to 400 cars to show up to the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, CA. If you arrive each Saturday morning at around six, then you're right on time to watch a seemingly endless line of cars pull in. And when I say 'line of cars', I don't mean a Concorso Italiano-like string of 360 Modenas and F430s.
 


Sitting at the driveway entrance from the street into the massive parking lot, a white Nissan GT-R is directed by volunteers who help organize the event every week. Behind the GT-R is a Shelby Daytona; behind that, a pair of Porsche Carrera GTs (three more would soon show up); behind the Carrera twins is a Series I 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet (yes, a real one). Behind the PF Cab is a dark purple Hudson, and behind that is a yellow Alfa Romeo Montreal, and behind that is an Aerial Atom, and behind that - well, you get the picture.
 


The lot fills up quickly as droves - literally droves - of cars show up. A gaggle of Porsches will pull in and fill the various empty parking spaces among dozens of other 914s, 924s, 928s, 944s, 962s, 993s, 996s and 997s. It's not uncommon for a car - or cars - to be turned away when the lot is at capacity. Recently, a regular attendee pulled up in his long nose 275 only to be told that the there were no available spaces. But, thankfully, some people leave earlier than others, so the 275 owner filled up for gas, came back and was let in. Such is a day in the life of Cars & Coffee!
 


The popularity of Cars & Coffee has spread. Not only are there similar Saturday and Sunday morning events scattered about California, they're popping up all over the country. Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida are some of the more well-known states that have adopted this growing craze.
 


While many events throughout the country have adopted the name and camaraderie of Cars & Coffee, the event that takes place every Saturday from 7AM-9AM at the Irvine Spectrum is the original. Organized by John Clinard (1079 GT), Manager of Western Region Communications for Ford, he and his wife Linda are the first ones in the Ford and Mazda parking lot at sunrise every Saturday.
 


John and Linda are diehard automotive enthusiasts, and their smiles get bigger with each car that pulls in every weekend. Ford's Design Director, Freeman Thomas, co-hosts the event with the Clinards, keeping things running smoothly. Each Saturday is host to a featured marque - but no one except the organizers know what's featured! So you can show up one weekend and see a dozen Ferraris simply because that's who came out. But the following Saturday could yield scores of Maranello's finest. You never know until you get there.
 


The ever-present Tom Shaughnessy, with his assistant Arlyn Timmes, treks to Cars & Coffee under the moonlight every Saturday. Tom and Arlyn volunteer each weekend, donating their time to making Cars & Coffee the best experience for any and all who attend.
 


Cars & Coffee is free - actually, seeing the cars is free, but you have to buy your own coffee. While there is an official logo for the Cars & Coffee at the Irvine Spectrum, there is no Website. The organizers prefer that the event, which brings in hundreds (literally!) of cars each week, remain popular only by word of mouth (so don't tell anyone about this article, or else I'm in big trouble). If you ever find yourself in southern California - and can deal with waking up at an inhuman hour - I highly recommend you take a trip to the Irvine Spectrum for Cars & Coffee.


The Ferrari 458 Italia Debut!



The Frankfurt Auto Show is rapidly approaching - 15-27 September, to be exact. And while that's where the car will make its official debut, it has already been shown to a very select public.

The following images are courtesy AutoBlog.it and ForumCommunity.net.






















Monterey
While I didn't have a chance to make it to Monterey this year, the week-long event proved interesting. The M2 class (Ferrari GT and Competition cars), which was the only Ferrari class that was judged,  at Pebble Beach saw Heinrich Kaempfer's 375 America Vignale Coupe (0337 AL) take 1st place. Fellow Ferrari collector Robert Lee won the overall Best of Show award with his 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet.
 
This year marked the 60th anniversary of the 166 MM Touring Barchetta - and a total of 10 showed up! That's roughly one third of the total 32 produced. The 50th anniversary of the 250 TR/59 brought four Fantuzzi-bodied 250 TR/59s to the freshly manicured lawns.
 
But perhaps the most interesting 250 Testa Rossa to show up in Monterey this year was a 250 Testa Rossa that shows up in Monterey every year. David Love's 1958 250 TR, s/n 0754, has competed in more than 250 races since Love bought it in the 1960s. David won his class in this car at the very Monterey Historics in 1974 - and he's been racing it there ever since.
 
This year was no different. And while David did not win the race - he didn't even win his class - but he won the hearts of tifosi around the world. During a lap around Laguna Seca, Love introduced 0754 to a wall of tires, leaving black streaks across the right side of the car and bashing the symmetry from the right front fender. But David is okay and will no doubt be on the grid at the 2010 Monterey Historics. Love, 73, undoubtedly knows that the 'old man' would surely be proud.
 
In other, less adrenaline-pumping news, auction results from Gooding, Bonhams, Russo & Steele, RM, and Mecum revealed a slight but positive trend in the Ferrari market. See below...
 
Ferrari in the Monterey Auctions, Monterey, CA
August 14-16, 2009


Car, s/n, remarks, result, US$ (DNS = did not sell)


Gooding & Company Auction, Pebble Beach, CA, August 15-16, '09

500 Mondial Spider Pinin Farina 0418MD w/engine #0506MD 1.540.000
250 GT Coupe Boano 0673GT no reserve sale 550.000
250 GT California Spider LWB 0937GT 2.750.000
250 GT California Spider SWB 3163GT Ferrari Classiche certified 5.115.000
250 GT Lusso 5399GT w/engine #5599GT 396.000
275 GTS 07885 451.000
312 Formula 1 0017 ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
Results include 10% commission on hammer price for sold cars


Bonhams Auction, Carmel, CA, August 14, 2009


212 Inter Coupe Vignale 0197EL 804.500

400 Superamerica Coupe Aero 3221SA Ferrari Classiche certified ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
Dino 246 GTS 04770 ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
365 GTB/4 Daytona 15117 ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider 16835 celebrity-owned car ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
328 GTS 76613 36.270
Results include commission on hammer price for sold cars


Russo and Steele Auction, Monterey, CA, August 13-15, 2009


250 GT Cabriolet Series II 1911GT ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS

275 GTB/4 10045 ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
365 GT 2+2 13103 110.000
512 BBi 45929 90.750
F355 Berlinetta 103344 44.000
355 F1 Spider 115068 ? bid, DNS ? bid, DNS
Results include commission on hammer price


The Monterey Sports car Auction by RM, Monterey, CA, August 14-15, 2009


166 MM Spider Scaglietti 0050M period rebody 1.100.000 DNS 778.431 DNS

225 Sport Berlinetta Vignale 0168ED w/250 GT engine 781.000
212 Inter / Barchetta Touring Replica 0259EU replica body from 1997 440.000
250 GT Coupe Boano 0641GT show condition 583.000
250 GT Coupe Ellena 0785GT 220.000
250 GT Cabriolet Series II 1865GT 385.000
250 GT Cabriolet Series II 2359GT Ferrari Classiche certified 467.500
250 GTE 3787GT 121.000
330 GT 2+2 / 250 TR Replica 6301GT 250 Testa Rossa Rebody 154.000
330 GT 2+2 Series I 6499GT 55.000
275 GTB/2 Short nose 07333 probably wrong engine 605.000
365 GT 2+2 11681 79.750
365 GT 2+2 12619 77.000
365 GTC/4 15257 European model 79.750
365 GTC/4 15639 97.500
Dino 246 GT / GTS conversion 03128 no reserve sale 159.500
365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider 17053 880.000
Dino 246 GTS 07904 no reserve sale 170.500
512 BB 28543 not legal in all states 100.000 DNS
400i 35097 30.250
288 GTO 54805 California legal 410.000 DNS
F40 89888 5.500 original miles 462.000
Enzo Ferrari 131631 ex-crashed / repaint 850.000 DNS
Enzo Ferrari 132650 1.000.000 DNS
360 spider 139643 110.000
Results include 10% commission on hammer price for sold cars


Mecum Auction, Monterey, CA, August 15, 2009


365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder Conv. 16869 266.000, DNS

308 GTB Vetroresina ? 48.000
348 ts Challenge ? 42.500, DNS
456 GTA ? 47.000, DNS
Formula One Report
After revelations emerged of a kept-quiet motorcycle accident, Michael Schumacher was forced to reconsider coming out of retirement to replace Felipe Massa for the European Grand Prix at Telefonica. Subsequent neck pain stemming from the hitherto unknown motorcycle incident kept Michael off of the grid. In lieu of these developments, Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer took Massa's seat - and that leads to my first question:
 
What is up with Luca Badoer?
 
This issue, we're holding an open forum. Because I'm honestly baffled by how Ferrari's Formula One test driver can qualify and finish so terribly in a Formula One race. I'm soliciting any and all opinions - so please fire away.
 
The race at Telefonica afforded Ferrari six points with Kimi Raikkonen's third place podium finish - Badoer finished 17th after starting 20th. McLaren-Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took second while long-time Michael Schumacher second fiddle Rubens Barrichello drove his heart out for the win. Incidentally, Toyota's Timo Glock, who started 13th and finished 14th, set the lap record for this circuit at 1:38.683.
 
After the European Grand Prix, Brawn-Mercedes maintains a point lead of 126, with Ferrari at just 46. While the Belgian Grand Prix could be interesting, there is little hope that Ferrari will see victory this year. This raises the question whether or not Ferrari should replace Badoer with Marc Gene - or put three cars on the grid in the hopes of picking some much needed points. The saga continues...

This Issue's Featured Ferrari Sale
Here we have a beautiful 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS. Liveried in silver with black leather, this stunning convertible is an excellent candidate for Ferrari's Classiche certification. Additionally, if entered in competition, it is a wonderful choice for Class and Preservation awards.

This 275 GTS is a totally original, unrestored car that comes with tools and a tool roll; 36,000 miles. Call Berlinetta Motorcars today to inquire about making this dream come true.










Next Issue!
1979 to 2009: Thirty Years of Renowned Ferrari Restorations,
Service and Repairs


For the September 2009 issue of The Berlinetta Letter, we'll feature a look into the weekly gathering at the Elysee Bakery in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California. From Ferrari owners to film producers, movie stars and more, you never who might show up each week.

Also, we'll take a look at some of the most amazing two-wheeled creations ever to be fathomed. All courtesy of Confederate Motors.

Do you like the new look of The Berlinetta Letter? Well, it mirrors the new look of Berlinetta Motorcars' 100-point, ground-up, freshly-restored Website. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out now - at BerlinettaMotorcars.com!



In This Issue
What's In Store
This Issue's Fun Fact!
California Car Culture
Cars & Coffee
Ferrari 458 Italia Debut
Monterey
Formula One Report
This Issue's Featured Ferrari Sale
Next Issue!
Quick Links

Featured Article
Check out this issue's featured article below, 'Cars & Coffee'

A weekly gathering at the Irvine Spectrum, Cars & Coffee is rapidly becoming the worst-kept secret!
This issue is sponsored by:

TWC Graphics

www.TWCgraphics.com
tcarnright@gmail.com





















 

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