California Notes
2026 Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway
. 2 min read.81
Another stellar edition of the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway. Highlights this year included a row of five GMA T.50s, a brace of McLaren F1s and a P1, Ferrari 250 GTOs and SWBs on track and a BMW CSL in full Schnitzer livery. Historic groups covered everything from 1950s GT cars and Formula Junior through IMSA GTO and modern Le Mans prototypes.
2025 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance
. 1 min read.106
Another early morning at Point Sur Lighthouse to watch a parade of some of the world's most valuable cars on an open road. 2025 featured centennial tributes to Chrysler and Invicta, a look at Virgil Exner's collaborations with Moretti, and the Shelby Cobra at 60.
2023 Laguna Seca Rennsport Reunion 7
. 5 min read.38
An early-morning drive down to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Rennsport Reunion 7 - the largest Porsche-organized fan event in the world. Heritage prototypes from Germany, an impossibly packed paddock, Carrera Cup and PCA Club racing, and eighty thousand fans across four days.
Concorso Ferrari at Pebble Beach Fairway One
. 4 min read.25
An incredible selection of Ferrari cars displayed on the famous golf course, from 166 MM — early days, to tailor-made 812 Competizione with all stops on the way. Ferrari 250 GT & GTO, California Spyder, Daytona, 330P4, 412P, Daytona SP3, 12 Cilindri. And this was a free event, preceded by a short driving tour on a 17-mile highway. Colorful, unexpected and mind-blowing event.
San Francisco Academy of Art Car Collection Auction
. 5 min read.42
What used to be The Academy of Art University Automobile Museum is no more. 104 pre and post-war automobiles in an exhibition condition got sold off at Saturday auction on February 15th, 2025 for $14.5 million in total. I got a chance to see them gathered in one somewhat cramped place for the last time, and snap pictures representing a great palette of an automotive history. Cars from the collection were used by art students, and it's easy to see why - I found it very inspirational.
2024 All British Motor Show at Blackhawk Museum
. 4 min read.31
Mid-size family-like British Car community meet celebrating the centenary of MG. Plenty of MGs, Mini and Jaguars of 50-th to 70-th, not a single Porsche in sight. The most photogenic parking lot car meet I've been to. Rows of lovely cars I have never seen before.
2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Test Drive Review
. 5 min read.7
I've heard enough of good things about CT4-V Blackwing and finally rented it on Turo. Lived with it for a better part of the week, and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. It's quite a relief to realize that in year 2024 you still can walk into a dealership, and buy a great new car - with sufficient power, 6-spd and in the right size. The fact that its a Cadillac dealership, is even more surprising.