Latest news with #PebbleBeach
Forbes
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
This One-Of-Two Ferrari 250 California Could Hit $20M At Auction
Built in 1961, the Ferrari is one of just two California Spiders in this specification. The Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider is already one of the rarest, most beautiful and most exclusive classic cars of all time – and now one of just two competition-specification examples is up for sale. To be offered by Gooding Christie's at the Pebble Beach auction across 15 and 16 August, and with an estimate in excess of $20,000,000, the Ferrari is one of the most significant classic cars of all time, and for interested buyers may well represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The car comes with a rare removable roof made from aluminum. Built in 1961, chassis number 2383 GT is one of only two such California Spiders to leave Ferrari's Maranello, Italy factory as alloy-bodied, full competition-specification examples. The car boasts a V12 engine with higher compression ratio and more power than regular SWB Spiders, with its estimated 280 horsepower output being 40 more than standard. The race-ready engine was derived from that of the 250 Testa Rossa, and identical to those powering the closely related 250 GT SWB coupes of the same era. This example also benefits from a competition-spec Abarth exhaust, covered headlamps, ribbed gearbox, limited-slip differential, oversized fuel tank, quick-release external fuel filler and the rare addition of a removable aluminum hardtop roof. The car retains its original 2,953 CC Tipo 168 'Colombo' engine, four-speed manual transmission, chassis, body and differential, as stated by the enclosed 'Red Book' marking its Ferrari Classiche certification. The first owner competed in hill climbs and circuit races with the car, racking up several wins. According to its Ferrari Classiche file, the car began life with bodywork painted a silver-gray colour called Grigio Argento, paired with a blue leather interior. Sold to Ernst Lautenschlager in Stuttgart, Germany, the car was raced extensively in German and Austrian hill climbs and circuit races, Gooding Christie's says. The California's racing record shows two hill climb victories in 1961, followed by a third the following year, two second-place finishes and a fourth. The car was sold in 1962 with about 3,700 miles on the clock. As is common for many classic Ferraris, the California was soon repainted red by its new owner, also in Germany, and was taken on Alpine camping holidays. The car moved to Switzerland a few years later, before heading to a new owner in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1968. In the mid-1980s it entered the collection of television producer and noted Ferrari collector Greg Garrison. One of just 56 SWB California Spiders produced, the car has an estimate of $20,000,000. Finally, the California was acquired by its current owner in 1999, after which it underwent a complete restoration and was repainted Grigio Fumo (smoke gray). For the next 25 years, the auction house says, the car 'remained a centerpiece in one of the world's most admired Ferrari collections,' and made appearances at almost every top-tier historic motoring event, including Le Mans Classic and the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
80 First Tee Teens Selected To Compete During PGA TOUR Champions' PURE Insurance Championship At Pebble Beach
First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions are proud to announce the 80 exceptional teens selected to compete in the 2025 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee, to be held September 19–21 at the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Marley Pedrique poses after the final round of the final round of the 2025 First Tee National Championship at the Walker Course at South Bend University in South Bend, Ind. on Thursday, June 26, 2025. (Jason E. Miczek/First Tee) The annual tournament is hosted by PURE Insurance and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and broadcast internationally on Golf Channel. It uniquely pairs First Tee participants with PGA TOUR Champions professionals and amateurs from the business world for a week of competition and mentorship. The teens, ages 15 to 18, represent 48 First Tee chapters nationwide and will compete for the male and female pro-junior titles. Participants were chosen based on both their golf skills and personal growth through First Tee's youth development programs. This year's class boasts an average GPA of 3.89 and nearly seven years of involvement with First Tee. 'The PURE Insurance Championship is more than a golf tournament — it's a celebration of the dedication, perseverance and character of First Tee juniors," said Katie Krum, Chief Marketing Officer at PURE Insurance. 'Having experienced firsthand the lasting impact of youth sports, I am proud to support such a worthy cause and thrilled to share that we have extended our title sponsorship commitment through 2029 and continue championing these inspiring young leaders.' The 2025 junior field was announced live on Golf Channel, featuring an interview with Dylan Au, an alumnus of First Tee – Greater Seattle, who competed in the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship alongside Fred Couples. Au will begin pre-med classes at the University of Washington this fall. First Tee - Greater Seattle's Dylan Au poses alongside his playing partner Fred Couples at the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach. In addition, Marley Pedrique of First Tee – Florida Gold Coast earned an exemption into the tournament by finishing third at the 2025 First Tee National Championship, held in June at the University of Notre Dame's Warren Course. 'This moment represents years of hard work and dedication for these 80 teens,' said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of First Tee. 'Thanks to our partners at PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel for supporting this event. It is a week filled with incredible golf, mentorship and invaluable life lessons.' This year's PGA TOUR Champions field will include legends such as David Duval, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and defending champion Paul Broadhurst. Clint Eastwood returns as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship. Tournament play begins Friday on both Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Following Saturday's rounds, the top 24 juniors will advance to Sunday's final round at Pebble Beach, where one male and one female First Tee participant will be crowned champions. The junior field for 2025 PURE Insurance Championship can be viewed here.
Auto Express
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
This Bentley concept reveals the brand's future... If you know where to look
The future of Bentley is hiding in plain sight, in the EXP15 concept car. Its clean surfacing, striking details and interior flourishes hint at the design language of the Luxury Urban SUV, the electric SUV that will go public next year. But longer term, the high-riding saloon concept is testing the water for a bodystyle to replace the Mulsanne, the traditional limousine that rivalled the Rolls-Royce Phantom until it went out of production in 2020. Advertisement - Article continues below The electric EXP15 – only the fifteenth experimental car in Bentley's 106-year history – has almost the same footprint as the long-wheelbase Mulsanne, measuring 5.5-metres long and with a 3.5m-long wheelbase. But the show car stands 6cm higher due to its sizable ground clearance, with its ride height rising on tough terrain or lowering at speed to improve aerodynamics. Auto Express was treated to a sneak preview at the official opening of Bentley's new design studio at its Crewe factory, just before customers were ushered through to take a look. The concept will also take a bow at the world's richest car show in Pebble Beach, California, while the social media response will be closely monitored. All the feedback will help Bentley decide whether to green light the bodystyle as one of five electric cars planned for its new EV factory by 2035. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The concept car blends SUV, coupe and sedan forms to create something fresh in the luxury space, although cars such as the Citroën C5 X and BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo have tried it unsuccessfully in more mainstream circles. Head of exterior design Domen Rucigaj told Auto Express the purpose was to find a bodystyle with more commercial appeal than just a traditional limousine, during an exclusive walkaround of the show car. 'One of the first [instructions] I gave the team was to design the car a little bit higher, because we want a global car. This means you're not doing a limousine but an SUV. But SUVs can be negative in cities because they're so big. So I said, let's merge the two cars together – and use the 'Blue Train' as inspiration.' Advertisement - Article continues below The Blue Train is the legendary 1930 Bentley mistakenly credited with beating a locomotive in a race from Cannes to Calais. Bentley chairman Woolf Barnato actually drove a Speed Six four-door saloon, but he was inaccurately painted as using another coachbuilt Bentley, the one-off Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe. Its rakishly thin, curved window graphic and cab-backward notchback proportions have very much influenced the concept car's. As has its three-seat cockpit. But while the Blue Train had a rear seat mounted at 90˚ to the two front seats, the EXP15 contains a conventionally positioned driver's seat and two rear armchairs. But on the passenger side, the standalone seat offers epic legroom from the rear (with storage space in front) or it could slide forward into a co-driver position. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below And the three-seat concept is not as outlandish as it first appears. 'There's no reason why we couldn't do something along these lines, within the footprint of the car,' head of interior design Darren Day told Auto Express. 'Maybe it's flexible: we have four- and five-seat cars or three- and four-seat cars. It's really good to test the water and get feedback.' The EXP15 is asymmetrical: the driver's side has a coupe's single door, while the passenger side has suicide doors. When these doors open, a portion of the roof pivots away and the single chair rotates towards the aperture, enabling the passenger to 'step out with dignity in the perfect Instagram shot,' says Day, onto a projection of red light to give a red carpet-effect. This isn't a flight of fancy either. Bentley has patents for the movable roof section, and engineers are striving to channel rainwater away: nothing would ruin the Instagram moment more than a celebrity getting a huge drip on the head, though the resulting meme would no doubt break the internet. Advertisement - Article continues below So it appears there's genuine production intent for these features, either in a future series model or as Bentley expands its coachbuilt range by the Mulliner division, which has delivered the limited edition Batur and Bacalar. The EXP15 will have a profound influence on Bentley's first electric car, which we're set to see in the first half of 2026 before full production in 2027. The upright front end and long bonnet leading into a strong shoulder line are Bentley design pillars, and the clean, modernist surfacing – chosen for its 'timeless' quality according to designer Rucigaj – is sure to feature. Take a close look at the grille too. Although those recessed vertical headlamps are unlikely, a version of that dramatic grille – with its central spine and recessed crystals – are set for production Bentleys. The engineers have been working for four years to productionise the illuminated crystal effect, to ensure it meets regulations and repairability criteria. Backlit crystal will also adorn the cockpit, as Bentley experiments with shining light through translucent materials. This should create spectacular, animated patterns inspired by nature, such as the moon shimmering on water. 'We do concept cars to establish design principles and to understand where we are going, and to show our more modern design language of cars that will come,' concludes Robin Page, Bentley's director of design. Tell us which new car you're interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let's go… Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: 10k miles a year in Cupra's Terramar for under £300 a month Car Deal of the Day: 10k miles a year in Cupra's Terramar for under £300 a month The Cupra Terramar is an appealing family SUV that looks stylish but offers plenty of practicality. It's our Deal of the Day for July 5 New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life This refreshed Swedish SUV focuses on familiar areas of strength to take on BMW and Audi Car Deal of the Day: MG ZS gives a big SUV feel for a miniscule £194 a month Car Deal of the Day: MG ZS gives a big SUV feel for a miniscule £194 a month The MG ZS is an easy car to like and live with. It's our Deal of the Day for 3 July
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing' Coupe in Photos
More from Robb Report This Stunning 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing' Could Fetch Over $1.5 Million at Auction Why the Iconic Porsche 356 Is a Bucket-List Classic for Any Collection The New Mercedes-AMG Might Be the Last Gas-Powered CLA Ever Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article. This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing' Coupe has been owned by the same family for 30 years. Revealed at New York's International Motor Sports Show in 1954, the production 300 SL ('Super Light') was based on the already renowned 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL race car. The model is built on a tubular spaceframe. The 300 SL was pivotal in having Mercedes-Benz not only survive but thrive in the United States during the middle of the last century. With a striking red interior, this car was restored by a team of specialists that have won awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The 2,996 cc inline-six engine, benefiting from Bosch mechanical fuel injection, makes roughly 212 hp. A close-up of the gearshift for the car's four-speed manual transmission. The vehicle's second owner, Georgina Garcia Conde, acquired the car for $1,500 in 1969. The car now carries a high-end estimate of $1.55 million.
Miami Herald
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
BMW's M Division Is Working On A 'Dream Car For Collectors'
Cast your mind back a decade to 2015, when the F82 M4 GTS was but a Pebble Beach concept. At that point, cars that cost seven figures were scarce, and Bimmers that cost six and didn't have a 7 on the back were non-existent. But nowadays, after selling every example of the - ahem - $750,000BMW 3.0 CSL, getting several requests about the Concept Touring Coupe, and then finding resounding success with the Skytop and Speedtop, the Bavarians are poised to build on that momentum with something new, reports BMW Blog. What exactly remains to be seen, but it's described as a "dream car" that will be "for collectors." It seems BMW is making hay while the sun shines. Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Customer, Brand, and Sales at M, reportedly told BMW Blog that BMW's small-series team had approved a limited-run M: "We are discussing things, but we need to find the right time to do it. Be assured, we share the same dream and passion. We have been talking with Adrian van Hooydonk [Head of BMW Group Design] and the team who does the small series planning, and there is a slot reserved for BMW M." As is typically the case with these sorts of projects, you need to build suspense. You don't hear the name of Oppenheimer, nor that it'll be shot on IMAX, before you hear that Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy are working on a new project. Getting the media talking about what the producers have in mind builds excitement, and in this case, it gets potential buyers calling to ask for a build slot. BMW has ruled out the idea of reviving the M1 supercar. If it's to be a true supercar like the Audi R8 was (and may again be), it would need a unique chassis, or something close to it, and BMW is still a massive company built on efficiency, where economies of scale need to make sense. If this project is to be a stepping stone to building a department that could make an M1 happen, it needs to be financially viable, and there's still only so much money you can ask for an M. Thus, we can be sure that it will be based on something BMW already makes, which effectively rules out a supercar, but only for the time being, as Neubauer hints: "We always think of where there might be potential markets for the future. Many times, we are doing this together with our [BMW] AG colleagues because we need some base car to then turn it into a high-performance model. There are some ideas we are discussing with our AG colleagues at the moment." Our best guess? BMW is still deciding what to do for its 8 Series replacement. Some rumors have suggested that the 4 Series and the 8 Series will meet in the middle to become the reborn 6 Series, which is exactly what Mercedes did with the E-Class and C-Class coupes when it came up with the CLE. Once the bean counters decide where to go, and the M division knows what it has to work with, then - and only then - will we start to hear rumblings of what is really going on. Until then, anything is possible in this market - especially when there are third parties that can do the hard work of producing a bespoke chassis. Then again, working with a third party (Lamborghini) is what burned BMW the first time it tried to enter the supercar space. Whatever the special model may be, it can't be poorly timed, and it can't be overpriced. BMW hasn't missed in a while, so fingers crossed. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
