The Four Finest Cars From the 2025 Heritage Invitational

Miami Herald

09-04-2025

There is a certain allure involved with priceless automobiles adorning the finely trimmed lawn of a golf course. Now, take those same automobiles and spread them methodically along a newly-paved track in one of the finest private car clubs in North Carolina. Welcome to the 2025 Heritage Invitational.
This year's Heritage Invitational not only celebrated some of the most sought-after examples of automobile history but also the opening of the Ten Tenths Motor Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Located outside of turns one and two of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Alex Wurz-designed circuit surrounds a private clubhouse for some of the state's most influential automotive enthusiasts and is the brainchild of Rick Hendrick and Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith.
It is no easy feat to choose the best cars from a lineup that included every V12 Lamborghini and two examples of the Mercedes-AMG ONE, but here are four that stood out to yours truly in particular.
This Italian grand tourer is unlike anything I've ever seen. Its bodylines remind me of the Ferrari 412: a stately machine that's equal parts elegant and handsome. Not only that, but it also sports an American V8 under the hood, providing an excellent mix of European design and American force. This Iso Rivolta is number 196 of the 799 units that were built before production ended in 1970, and only 10 of those featured a sunroof, making this example particularly rare.
What a machine this is. The AMG ONE is a limited-production plug-in dual hybrid sports car made by the powerhouse that is Mercedes-AMG with Formula One-derived technology. It uses a 1.6 L Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid E-turbo V6 paired with four electric motors for a total output of 1,049 hp. Only 275 units were ever produced at a price of US$2.72 million per unit.
For our latest iteration of "Wow, what is that?!", I present the Golden Rod. This is an original, unrestored example of a mid-1950s East Coast street rod that was built by Jack Lentz of Middleton, New Jersey. Lentz served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954, including tours in Korea and Japan as a radio operator. When he returned from the front, he started his own auto body shop in Belford, New Jersey, which he kept in operation until he retired in 2010 at the age of 81. What an absolute legend.
The Golden Rod began with a 1932 Ford Roaster that was lowered three-and-a-half inches, channeled another eight inches, and had its grille sectioned five inches. Power came from a 1949 Mercury flathead V-8 bored .060 over and running a three-quarter race cam, yielding a 9.5:1 compression ratio. If you think it's gorgeous in pictures, then seeing it in real life will have you blushing like on your first date. It's a tremendous combination of the gritty beauty of hot rods and the meticulous craftsmanship of an artist that is hard to put into words.
You can't blame me for this one; I own a Nissan 300ZX. This particular 280ZX was given to the SCCA's Jim "Fitzy" Fitzgerald, who famously coached Paul Newman, to be built and raced for Nissan. Under the hood is an L28 engine with triple Solex Mikuni carburetors, a five-speed Datsun comp II transmission, and an R180 rear end. Fitzgerald raced this Datsun 280ZX from 1978 through 1983 in various classes, primarily on the East Coast. Legend has it that he won 350 races in his entire career, with many of them being thanks to this 280ZX. Not only is it an aggressive beast to look at, but hearing its L28 roar freely will send shivers down your spine. It's the kind of sound you feel in your chest that triggers your fight-or-flight response. It's beautiful, to put it succinctly.
The Heritage Invitational was one of the most impressively varied Concours shows I have attended thus far. Its setting was equally as impressive and helped elevate the presentation of the wheeled works of art on display. We thank the Ten Tenths Motor Club for hosting us at their event and wish them the best of luck in the future!
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