The Garage Report Edition #13

The literary equivalent of a 2001 Audi TT with a twenty three year old timing belt, leaking valve cover gaskets, and dead pixels in the dash.

Driving song of the week “Machine Head” by Bush

Just last month, the epicenter of the one-percenters’ automotive universe was the Monterey peninsula. By now, the champagne-and-caviar-induced hangovers have subsided, five-figure bar tabs have been settled, and many of world’s rarest and most exquisitely preserved motorcars have been safely tucked back into their climate-controlled garages, minus one Ford concept car (RIP). For a select few of that select few, the focal point of their universe will be firmly fixed in Colorado this week for the thirty-fifth running of the Colorado Grand. This road rally will take a curated group of pre-1960 European sports cars on a one-thousand-mile journey over the finest roads that our spectacular state has to offer as well as raise quite a lot of money for some excellent local charities and organizations.

Although most of us can’t experience the Grand first-hand, there will be several opportunities during the Vail Automotive Classic for the public to ogle some of the seriously rare and exotic automobiles which will have participated. For those of us with champagne taste and craft beer budgets, The Vail Concours held on Sunday September 15th would be worth the drive and cost of an over-priced lunch in Vail.

For a glimpse into what life is like on one of the world’s most prestigious classic driving events, check out episodes 152-153 of The Steering Committee podcast, when Doug and Ryan were embedded in last year’s running of the Grand. For current Grand news and impressions, keep an eye on Ryan’s Instagram, and keep an ear on his latest podcast project, The Road Show.

Colorado is home to several fine automobile museums where you can see rare and valuable cars like a Ford GT40, a Mercedes 300 SL, and a 1939 Bugatti Type 57-C. But what if you want a museum that celebrates classic cars which are less “Concours d’elegance and champagne” and more “Conoco station and champagne of beers”? If you love mid-century middle-class heroes like Nash, AMC, and Rambler, a trip to Rambler Ranch could be the perfect way to spend a nice weekend morning in Colorado this fall. Naturally, this unique museum is packed with hundreds of cool and attainable classic cars, but it also houses a collection of Atomic-Age American appliances, and even a super groovy ‘60s ranch home. Eat your heart out Petersen Museum!

The grocery store chain Sprouts is best known for having relatively healthy fresh food at reasonable prices and does not typically make local headlines or intersect with the car world, beyond being a destination that people drive to. One Sprouts store in Castle Rock has recently garnered viral attention for a large-ish rock placed in one of the medians of their parking lot which has claimed the mobility and dignity of several small crossovers and SUVs. You heard that right, people running over a rock and getting their cars stuck in a parking lot is major news, and even spawned a Facebook account with over 1,500 followers. The fact that “Sprouts Rock” has become a viral local news sensation is a testament to how many bad drivers there are out there. Anyone who manages to beach their car on a landscaping rock clearly wasn’t paying attention. Use your eyes and brains folks, we have ‘em for a reason.

“It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as just two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know we have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities…well, not a Toyota Corolla obviously, but you can develop a relationship with a car and that’s what non-car people don’t get.” -Jeremy Clarkson