The Quail Motorsports Gathering 2012 was held Friday, August 17th at the Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel, California. The 10th annual “Quail” again celebrated the finest sports and racing automobiles and motorcycles, while offering wonderful food, drink and camaraderie among like-minded enthusiasts.
The 2012 Quail Motorsports Gathering honored Pre-War Alfa Romeos, the 50th Anniversary of Iso Automobili and Sports and Racing Motorcycles. More than 180 performance machines were on display on the rolling greens of Quail Lodge Golf Club to celebrate The Quail’s first decade as a premier motorsports event.
The 2012 Quail also had classes for The Great Ferraris, Pre- and Post War Sports, Pre and Post-War Racing and Super Cars, and, new for this year, Revolutionary Designs and FIVA Preservation. Notable entrants included a 1949 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta, the ninth Ferrari built out of 25 of its class and the first Ferrari ever shown at a Concours. It was raced in period by Clemente Biondetti, four-time winner of the Mille Miglia. Also on notice was the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Short Chassis Zagato Spyder, one of two Alfa Romeo factory team entries in the 1931 Targa Florio. It was raced in period by Enzo Ferrari and Piero Taruffi.
Additional automobiles on exhibit included race cars from the Shelby Cobra Class at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which made their presence quite clear as they drove via police escort to the Quail Lodge Golf Club from the nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
This year, The Quail paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of Iso Automobili, with Piero Rivolta, author, former managing director and designer of Iso Rivolta, sharing the rich heritage of the Italian automobile manufacturer as part of The Quail’s Fireside Chat series. Rivolta’s own 1968 Iso Rivolta GT led an impressive collection of 27 Iso motorcars in celebration of the automaker’s 50th anniversary.
Judging at the Quail Motorsports Gathering is different than traditional Concours because each car is judged by the other collectors competing in the same class. Only one car per class is honored with Best in Class, while they all compete for the Best of Show Award. This award, given at the Rolex Circle of Champions Awards Ceremony, called on all entrants to vote on the vehicle that achieved what they believe to be the best representation of historic excellence. All cars must be fully operational to compete and class winners are placed in the Rolex Circle of Champions for viewing once announced.
Best of Show at the Quail Motorsports Gathering 2012 was awarded to the 1930 Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Supercharged Gurney Nutting Two Seat Roadster owned by Robert Lee. The car is a one-off, built for the Chairman of Bentley Motors Limited at the time, Captain Woolf Barnato. Constructed as a race car that never raced, the Bentley has been lovingly preserved and restored throughout time. “It feels great. To win something like this is very difficult and there is a lot of work that goes into it,” said Lee.
The 1947 Ferrari 159S 002C entered by Jim Glickenhaus won the Spirit of Quail award.
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Quail Motorsports Gathering 2012 – Award Winners
Jump to Quail Motorsports Gathering Photo Gallery
Jump to Quail Motorsports Gathering Photo Gallery
Jump to Quail Motorsports Gathering Photo Gallery
Jump to Quail Motorsports Gathering Photo Gallery
Quail Motorsports Gathering 2012 – Photo Gallery
(click image for larger picture and description)
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[Source: photo credit: Sports Car Digest]
I need to attend this next year! Wow, that Alfa 2900 is ridiculous.
I’ve seen that GT40 at the Watkins Glen vintage races. Great to see it race and also win!
I could have, would have and should have gone to the event but the beaches have been so nice here on Long Island, NY that my personal inborn viscosity with the salt water and the sand kept me home. Maybe next year! I suppose that is why we have Greenwich.
Greenwich is a nice show, but it’s regional at best. I’ve been to shows all over the States and Pebble and Amelia are the only ones that consistently garner an international field of entrants. You really need to check out Pebble (and everything that goes with it). Lots of salt water too..!
This was a great event, great food, great cars and great people. We lunched with a fascinating couple who had gone to Pebble Beach (he’s been a judge) for 15 + years and now just go to The Quail because of the more intimate nature. Lovely event.
This wasn’t meant to be anonymous – the Twitter and Facebook logins do not work.