| | | | | | Not getting our FREE Newsletters? Don't miss out on the next one and sign up today! | | | | | | | | When you least expect it, special treasures jump
right in front of us | | A group of Monte Carlo owners took a road trip to Jefferson, NC to have a great day with newfound friends and look for hidden treasure at the Eddie Vannoy Collection auction, hosted by Mecum. With over 6,000 items, there was no shortage of interesting and exciting finds. Among the collector cars, motorcycles, and road art, the Monte Carlo team found a special treasure, the car that | | | | Eddie Vannoy sponsored for my nephew, Alex Bowman, when he ran the NASCAR Xfinity series about 5 years ago.
What a great memory. And, what an honor that Mr. Vannoy sponsored Alex in his early days. And no, we did not buy it (although they were willing to make it a group effort!).
In this issue, be sure to read about Spencer Gates, Hagerty Insurance manager. He is a wealth of knowledge about all things with motors. You probably know Hagerty as an insurance company, but did you know they also have a Driver’s Club, special events, valuation tools, and other products geared for car enthusiasts? And you don’t need to have Hagerty Insurance to enjoy them, in most cases! Get to know Spencer in the Snapshot below.
The Monte Carlo community is growing. Drop in sometime and talk with John about exciting things coming soon at Monte Carlo!!
Keep healthy and safe. And, enjoy the ride!!Brad Bowman
Monte Carlo Garages | | | Exclusive News and Features | | | | | |
As the Hagerty Insurance territory manager for North and South Carolina, Spencer Gates works with vendors and agents in representing the 35-year-old insurance company in the region. Serving over 1.7 million vehicles, Hagerty is much more than just an insurance company – Spencer helps to keep that on everyone’s mind.
“We have wonderful insurance products like individual vehicle policies, commercial and business insurance, motorsports coverage, marine protection, Cherished Vehicle Coverage, and Private Client Services, through which private collections and garages can be protected,” said Spencer. “But Hagerty is also a tremendous resource for information, a great resource for car enthusiasts, and supports the lifestyle way beyond just policies.”
A popular Hagerty component is the Hagerty Driver’s Club. For $45 per year, members receive a custom magazine, exclusive automotive discounts, and invitations to members-only events. Nicely, to join the club, you don’t need to buy insurance.
“Some events include a speaker series whereby known personalities in the hobby or industry come and discuss various things from trends in the industry, the future of the hobby, or any number of interesting topics,” he said. One of the discounts is $50 off your first rental with their DriveShare program.
“DriveShare is a great program, because not only does it allow people to rent various types of cars to try out, it helps them network with other classic car owners and enthusiasts,” said Spencer. | | | | Hagerty Valuation Tools are another great free resource. With Hagerty Valuation, enthusiasts can ascertain various values for a variety of vehicles depending on their overall condition. Popping onto the website and playing with the tool is fun. You can search vehicles in several ways, including by the VIN, the system telling you the year, make, model, and basic equipment applied to the VIN and showing you various values.
“Hagerty has gathered the information through thousands of private sales, auction results, and trends seen across the board,” he said. “With this information, it helps sellers and buyers make better-informed choices for what a vehicle might actually be worth at the moment.”
A frequent misnomer about Hagerty is that they only insure classic cars, but that’s not entirely true. They also insure modern classics and special-interest vehicles.
“Hagerty is happy to produce a policy for a new or late-model Lamborghini or Hellcat or other special-interest car,” said Spencer. “We even offer insurance to cover cars that are never driven, but rather just sit in a garage and get trailered everywhere.”
To learn more, spend some time on their website here or call Spencer on 704-612-1546.
“Hagerty is a lot more than just insurance, we are dedicated to the hobbyist community,” said Spencer. | | | | | | | | By now, most everyone has seen the various racing-themed furniture from PitStop Furniture – barstools with checkered upholstery, racing springs helping support the post, a steel steering wheel as the base; or maybe it’s the office chair that looks like it was plucked right out of a racing car, highly detailed with little casters resembling mag wheels, a gear knob to adjust the height of the chair, and more. It goes on and on at PitStop Furniture where you can literally decorate any room you want in a racing theme that’s not only stylish, but functional.
Learn more here.
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Rene Claude Lalique studied under Louis Aucoc in France crafting jewelry which quickly gained the interest of some of the nation’s most renowned jewelers such as Cartier and Jacta, allowing him to open his own shop in a short amount of time. He was known for exquisite detailing and pushing the envelope, following his desire to “create something that had never been seen before.” He revolutionized jewelry styles and became known as the “inventor of modern jewelry.” To further create works the world had never seen, he began experimenting with glass creations, another medium for which he became hugely successful. Through this work, he created beautiful glass ornament radiator mascots to supplant the more rudimentary thermometer-enclosed units usually hailing from the factory. Andre Citroen was extremely impressed with his mascots and commissioned him to create a special design for the company’s new 5-horsepower model, and thus, Lalique created Cinq Chevaux, a mascot of five prancing horses. In all, 30 different radiator mascot sculptures were created during the 1920s and 1930s. Adhering to a decidedly Art Deco style, the mascots were purchased by the world’s most wealthy to adorn their expensive vehicles, further personalizing them. One of the rarest of the mascots is The Fox, but the truth is no one actually knows how many examples of each mascot were actually made as the records were lost during World War II. Interestingly, it’s thought that only seven people in the world own the full collection.
| | | | | | | | | | Movie Night: American Graffiti | | | |
An absolute icon of a movie, “American Graffiti” took viewers back to a snapshot in time and is well worth visiting again. With an all-star cast like Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Harrison Ford, and many more recognizable faces, the George Lucas film takes us back to a night in 1962 when teenaged friends cruised the boulevard in search of – basically anything they could find to fill the void and provide them with what they were looking for,even though most didn’t know what that was. With cinematography that would become the benchmark of other movies, a soundtrack that completely set the tone, and a script that had an innocence that most all teens of the era did, the entire movie is absolute magic. Take a tour back in time, watch an old-fashioned drag race, enjoy a burger and malt at Mel’s Drive In, meet Wolfman Jack, rip an axle off a police car, and fall in love with the Blonde in the Thunderbird all in just a little over an hour. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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