Turbocharged Era at the Cincinnati Concours

 

A goal for many is to increase the power of their automobile engine. One way to do this is to increase the amount of air mixing with the fuel. One of the first highly successful methods was the supercharger, basically a mechanical device that would generally run off of belt attached to the engine's crankshaft. A more efficient way is the turbocharger. This is more efficient, running off of the exhaust gasses, allowing for air to be compressed at the intake. This means more air being forced into the piston, creating a more powerful explosion and therefore, more power. OK, so that is the most basic explanation possible, but the result is more power. Starting around the mid-1970s, commercial vehicles began getting turbochargers, in some cases as a result of government legislation. The Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance had a special display class for Turbo Era Cars which included a 1991 Nissan 300XZ Twin Turbo. The car has a three-liter inline six-cylinder engine that generates 272 horsepower.

This is a rare 1987 Chevrolet Calloway Corvette Convertible. Calloways were special orders with higher performance, and most were coupes with convertibles being quite rare. The car has a 350 cubic inch twin turbo V 8 engine that turns out 345 horsepower.

1979 was the last year that Porsche made a turbo 930 for the United States market. They did not start again until 1986. This 1979 930 is one of only 652 built that year. The car has a 3.3-liter flat six turbo engine that puts out 253 horsepower and allows the car to go from zero to 60 in a blistering five seconds.

Here is a 1974 BMW 2002 turbo that is one of only 1672 made that year. These were highly successful rally cars based partly on their two-liter inline four-cylinder engine that creates 170 horsepower. A quick side note, a friend of mine had one of these and, yes, they are fun to drive.

This is a "Dealer Collection" special edition 1994 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo2. Only 173 of these were built. It has a two-liter inline four-cylinder turbo engine that churns out 215 horsepower.

Here is a 1987 Buick Grand National GNX, which held the distinction of being America's quickest production car for its time. The GNX was modified by McLaren/ASC for high performance. It has a 3.8-liter V 6 turbo engine good for 300 horsepower.

This is a high-performance 1986 Ford Mustang SVO. It possesses a 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine that creates 205 horsepower.

In 1985 the Ferrari 288 GTO was manufactured for racing homologation. Only 272 were built to meet the requirements. At the time this was the fastest production car in the world, powered by a 2.8-liter V 8 turbo engine that generates 400 horsepower and can shoot the car down the road at 186 plus miles per hour.

This 1983 Renault R5 Turbo 2 was built as a factory homologation car for Group B rally racing. It has a 1379 cc inline four-cylinder turbo engine that is mid mounted and which creates 158 horsepower.

This wraps up the coverage of this year's Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance. Let me know what you thought by either leaving a message (no ads, please, they just get deleted) or by dropping me a note at turnerbudds@yahoo.com.

Fast and Furious Cars at the Cincinnati Concours

 

Each year the Cincinnati Concourse d'Elegance features special displays in addition to all of the other classes. This year, one of the special displays was cars from the Fast and Furious movie series. For this the organizers found automobiles of the same make, model and year as some that had appeared in one or more of the films. On display was a 2000 TVR Tuscan. The Tuscan is extremely light, weighing only 2400 pounds, thanks in part to a fiberglass body and a tubular frame. The car sports a four-liter inline six-cylinder engine that generates 380 horsepower. This allows the car to go from zero to 60 in four seconds and to reach a top speed of 180 miles per hour.

This is a 1996 Acura Integra GS-R. Those letters stand for "Grand Sport Racing," signifying that this car has some special "go fast" features to accompany it's 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine that puts out 170 horsepower. In addition to a sophisticated electronic system, the car has an upgraded suspension as well as a front spoiler.

Here is a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. This is a replica of the car which stared in the initial racing scene in the first movie in 2001. The car has a two-liter inline four-cylinder engine that turns out 140 horsepower. 

This 1993 Nissan R32 Skyline GTR is a V-Spec or Victory Specification car, meaning it is loaded with extras to go faster. And go fast it does, with a 2.6-liter inline six-cylinder engine, this car raced in Japanese Group A and won every race for four years.

This 1995 Toyota Supra has been heavily modified by the current owner. The most noticeable upgrade is to the 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine giving it 1000 horsepower. 

Toyota's halo car in 1993, the Soarer, designed to introduce a lot of new technology. The car features a 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder engine that creates 305 horsepower. This car has seen modifications including to the suspension and incorporating numerous racing high performance parts.

The Cars of Cars at the Cincinnati Concours

 

Each year the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance has Special Displays for unique or different types of automobiles. This year they had three. This first one is quite fitting as it highlights the cars from the Disney animated features Cars. It's fitting because Cincinnati was one of the very first concours events to take part in the Hagerty Youth Judging program. This was the 15th year that young judges got to make their choices. Concours programmers managed to assemble real automobiles that resemble the ones from the movie. Among them was a 1976 International Loadstar that resembles "Tow Mater," the comic relief for the films. This is a medium duty truck packing a 350 horsepower V 8 engine. 

Of course, there has to be Lightening McQueen. This is a full-sized replica built by Scotlea Hot Rods. In the movie this is a "Piston Cup Racer" that has a 6.2-liter V 8 that generates 550 horsepower.

This 1951 Hudson Hornet represents Doc Hudson from the movie. In the movie Doc is a retired racer and serves as the mayor and doctor of the local town. In reality the Hudson was the fastest street legal car built in 1951, powered by a 308 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine turning out 170 horsepower that could hurtle the car to 107 miles per hour.

A 2010 Maserati Quatraporte Sport GT represents Carlo Maserati, a character in Cars 2. The real car 4.7-liter V 8 that generates 435 horsepower.

This 2007 Ferrari F430 represents the character Michael Schumacher who, in both the movies and in reality, was a famous F1 racer most noted for wins with team Ferrari. This car runs on a 4.3-liter V 8 that creates 480 horsepower. This car was the last Ferrari to have a gated gear shifter.

This 1968 Fiat 500 represented the character Luigi who, in the movies, runs the Casa Della Tire Shop. The 500 is a small "city" car which, following World War II, was the "Peoples'" car of Italy. It has a 650-cc flat/boxer two-cylinder engine that produces all of 28 horespower.

This 1990 Mazda Miata were there to represent Lightning McQueen's biggest fans, the twins Tia and Mia. The world's bestselling sports car has a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that turns out 116 horsepower. 

Classic Sports Cars at the Cincinnati Concours

 

Sports cars have always been popular at any type of car event but especially at a concours level show. Here are generally some of the most stunning and rare sports cars many will ever see. The Sports Classic class at the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance was no different. The class featured a 1951 Allard K2, one of only 119 every built. The Allard was a British car stuffed with a big American engine. The car is powered by a 331 cubic inch Cadillac V 8 using 3X2 Stromberg carburetors. The engine produces 170 horsepower.

Combine a racing background with high-quality luxury and you get a 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS. Sporting an aluminum body styled and built by Touring, it benefits from "Superlegarra" or super light construction techniques. He has a 2500 cc inline six-cylinder engine that generates 110 horsepower. The car has been in the same family since 1964.

This is a very rare 1939 MG TB as only 319 were built before World War II interrupted production. Only 90 are known to still exist. Running on a 1250 cc inline four-cylinder engine that creates 54.4 horsepower. 

Here is a 1958 Porsche 356A T2 Cabriolet. The 356 was the first road car to sport the name of company founder Ferdinand "Ferry" Posrche. The earliest models were partial "parts cars" from the Volkswagen Beetle bin, a car designed by Ferry's father. It has a rear mounted 1582 cc four-cylinder flat/boxer engine that makes 75 horsepower.

A younger 1956 Porsche 356 Coupe was also on hand. Using the same 1582 cc four-cylinder flat/boxer engine, this car has been regularly driven by the owner for 38 years.

This 1962 Chevrolet Corvette convertible marked the end of the first generation, or C1, version of the Vette. It also introduced the famed 327 cubic inch small block V 8 engine. This engine churns out 340 horsepower.

Racers at the Cincinnati Concours

 

Race cars have long been celebrated by concours events around the world. The Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance is no different. This year the organizers curated a variety in their racing class including the 2025 SCCA T1 Road Racing Champion, a 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302. This car started out as part of the Ford Racing School before being picked up by Team Blitz. It has a 302 cubic inch V 8 that generates 475 horsepower.

A member of the Porsche factory team, this 2009 GT3 Cup Grand Am finished third in its class and 11th overall at the 2009 Daytona Rolex 24 hour race. It sports a 3.6-liter flat boxer six-cylinder engine that creates 395 horsepower.

This 1953 Allard JR is one of only seven ever built. It took part in 33 races reaching the podium 26 times including 17 first place finishes. It is powered by a 331 cubic inch V 8 that churns out 300 horsepower.

A recreation of a famed distance racer, this 1951 Packard 200 Club Sedan ran in the revival race of La Carrara Panamerica in 1996-1999. It has a 327 cubic inch inline eight-cylinder engine that makes 165 horsepower.

Built specifically for the Indianapolis 500, this 1960 Schmidt Special and finished eighth that year. It raced again two years later and was subsequently used as a camera car for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It has a 255 cubic inch inline four-cylinder engine.

This 1969 Oldsmobile Smothers Cutlass convertible was one of five prepared by Factory Perf Eng and was one of only 26 such cars built that year. With a 350 cubic inch V 8 engine it can turn out over 325 horsepower.

This 1973 Plymouth Barracuda was prepared specifically for drag racing. With a 508 cubic inch V 8 that generates 580 horsepower, this car hurtles down the quarter mile in 10.73 seconds, reaching a top speed of 120 miles per hour. It's little wonder it won multiple races and ISCA awards.

Here is a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix Winston Cup racer. The chassis uses a special Laughlin Racing tubular frame. The car has a 358 cubic inch V 8 engine that is good for 690 horsepower.

Complete with a hand built 304.5 cubic inch V 8 R3 Paxton engine that creates as much as 390 horsepower, this 1964 Studebaker Daytona LSR was one of only 647 convertibles built that year.

 

Vintage Pre-War Cars at the Cincinnati Concours

Cars manufactured prior to World War II are typically classified in two areas, antiques and vintage. The antiques are the earliest cars, generally prior to 1925, while the vintage vehicles go from that year up until the start of the war. The Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance has a class for those pre-war vintage automobiles. Among the entrants in this year's event was a car seen as a top competitor to the Ford Model T. This is a 1923 Chevrolet Superior B Sedan. The car originally sold for $860 and has an overhead valve four-cylinder 171 horsepower engine. It generates all of 26 horsepower. This particular car was part of the collection in the Nethercutt Museum for 20 years.

 

This 1926 Franklin Series 11A Victoria coupe is one of only 12 known to currently exist. Franklins were built in Syracuse, NY and were seen as luxury automobiles, this having an original selling price of $2750. It sports a 199 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine that creates 32 horsepower.

Here is a 1934 Plymouth PE Deluxe Business Coupe. These cars were built without a back seat with the intent that salesmen would use the space to carry their samples. It has a 201 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine that puts out 77 horsepower.

This is a 1925 Franklin Series 11 A Sport Runabout. This represented a new look for Franklin as the front end had a mock radiator shell for the air-cooled engine. This brought the car more in tune with the current styles. It has a 188 cubic inch overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine that creates 35 horsepower. 

Performance and Muscle at the Cincinnati Concours

 

Performance has always been a staple of automobiles. From the beginning, people worked at getting more power and performance from their vehicles. But it was in 1949 when Oldsmobile introduced the Eighty-Eight, a car flush with a 303-horsepower V 8 engine that they called the Rocket V 8. This was a street legal car with racing aspirations. By the mid-1960s, American car magazines had coined the term "muscle car" and an era of high performance was born. This high-performance muscle car era was recently celebrated at the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance with the American Performance class. This group included a 1967 Oldsmobile W-30 442 coupe. With a 425 cubic inch V 8 "Ram Air" engine that generates 450 horsepower, this is a higher performance version of an already high-performance car. This particular car has been in the same family for 46 years.

Central Office Production Order or COPO designation on a Chevrolet meant that this was the most power packed performance version of a car. Here is a 1968 Nova SS COPO. These cars were built to compete in NHRA drag racing. With a 396 cubic inch V 8 engine that puts out 375 horsepower, this is essentially a street legal dragster. This is number 15 of 50 such cars ever built.

Carroll Shelby had a habit of taking cars to the next level of performance. He famously did so to the AC Cobra but also to the Ford Mustang. This is a 1965 Shelby American GT 350. It started with the standard Ford 289 cubic inch V 8 engine that Shelby tweaked to 306 horsepower. Only 562 of these were produced in 1965.

Back in the 1960s, a number of manufacturers were creating racing versions of their standard cars. For the Chevrolet Camaro, that was the Z/28. Created to spec for SCCA Trans-Am racing, these Camaros, like the 1969 seen here, has a 302 cubic inch V 8 that makes 290 horsepower.

Here is a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS or Super Sport. The SS designation indicated a higher performance model. Originally made as a mid-sized family car, Chevelle soon became a staple in the muscle car scene. This model has a 396 cubic inch V 8 engine that fires out 325 horsepower.

For much of its early life, Pontiac was a lower level "family" brand for General Motors. That is until a guy named John DeLorean showed up. He managed to wedge high power engines into family cars and helped usher in the muscle car era. Perhaps Pontiac's most famed muscle car was the GTO. This 1965 model has a special option 389 cubic inch V 8 engine the cranks out 360 horsepower. It also has a "Tri-Power" special option which gives it three two-barrel carburetors.

Carroll Shelby didn't stop with the GT350. In 1967 he wedged Ford's new "Cobra Jet" 428 cubic inch V 8 into a Mustang, enhancing it to give it 355 horsepower. The GT 500 was born. With some re-designed body work, these helped Shelby American sales increase six times over.

Often called a "gentleman's muscle car," this 1967Plymouth GTX convertible is one of only 680 ever produced in that year. With a 440 cubic inch V 8 engine, this car turns out 375 horsepower.