Beach cars shine at 2017 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance
Redondo Beach resident Amando Martos’ 1939 Cadillac Series 6127 Opera Coupe won the Pre-War American Elegance, 1925-1942 class at last month’s Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance. But not before the car almost caused the previous owner and his wife to divorce, twice. The first time was when the previous owner bought the car, the second time when he sold it.
Martos met his Cadillac’s previous owner in 2001. Martos was living in Chesterfield Missouri. His neighbor Jack Compton had purchased the unrestored Cadillac 20 years earlier. “I would drool just looking at what a beauty it was,” Martos recalled. “Jack, a US Air Force retiree, took daily walks to a nearby coffee shop. During one of those walks I happened to be on my driveway cleaning up my two Harleys, when Jack walked over and started a conversation.”
Martos mentioned how much he admired the Cadillac and how he had begun restoring and reselling cars after his family moved from his native Argentina to the U.S and his dad opened a truck repair garage
Compton said he bought the Cadillac because the build tag (the date it came off the factory line and was delivered to its original owner) was Compton’s birthday and the paint was called Antoinette Blue and his mother’s name was Antoinette. But Compton had neglected to consult with his wife before buying the car. He told Martos that his wife got so mad she threatened to divorce him.
“Then he offered to sell me the car. But only with my wife’s approval. But when I came back to his house with my wife and my checkback, Jack came out of the garage looking white.
“He said ‘Armando, you know how I told you how my wife almost divorced me when I bought this car. Well, I’m sure she’ll divorce me if I sell it. I promised her when I bought it that I’d restore it. She said I can’t sell it until I keep my promise.
Fourteen years would pass before Compton would keep his promise to his wife to restore the Cadillac and keep his promise to Martos to sell it to him.
By then, Martos has moved to Redondo Beach.
“When he delivered the car to me in 2015, he said, ‘Armando, we don’t really own classics such as this one. We are simply their caretakers, preserving them for the next generation to appreciate.’”
After the car took a first place at last month’s Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, Martos called the former owner, before he even left the show.
“I’m honestly not sure which moment I enjoyed more – driving our 1939 Cadillac up to the concours podium and receiving the beautiful first place trophy, or the joy of hearing Jack’s reaction on the phone when I called him,” Martos said.
A second Beach City car with a podium finish at last month’s Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance was Pete and Cathy Hoffman’s 1956 Continental Mark II. The rare car placed second in the Post-War American Elegance though 1976 division.
“We are always pleased when the judges appreciate the efforts we’ve made to restore this car,” said Pete Hoffman, a Hermosa Beach resident. “But our real reward for participating in a show like this is sharing our car with the attendees and spending the day with the other exhibitors and ‘car people.’”
The Continental Mark II is a milestone car; Ford’s somewhat unsuccessful attempt to bring an understated, Europe-style, ultra luxury car to the U.S. market when other U.S. automakers were enamored with giant tail fins.
At $10,000 in 1956 ($90,000 in today’s dollars), the Mark II was roughly the price of a Rolls Royce and double that of a Cadillac. It had limited sales; only 3,000 were made between 1956 and 1957. Nevertheless, it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful American cars ever. The Mark II was popular with the Hollywood crowd of the 1950s. Owners included Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.
At the 2013 Palos Verdes Concours, the Hoffman’s Mark II won the “Best Design” award.
Tom’s parents purchased their Mark II in October 1955. It was the first one sold in San Diego and has been in the family ever since.
“We have a couple other collector cars, including a VW Safari and a Model A Ford. But they’re more special interest or ‘cult cars, rather than concours-quality cars like the Mark II,” Hoffman said.
Tom and Deb Kazamek, of Manhattan Beach, were awarded An Excellence in Class Ribbon in the Race Cars of Special Interest class for their 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda. The couple has been attending the PV Concours d’Elegance since 2000. They earned a first place in 2012 with their 1935 Delahaye 135.
“Winning the Excellence award this year was an honor,” Tom said. “I thought it was great that the judges appreciated the special history of our Ramchargers race car.”
The Kazamek’s car was a Ramchargers team car for about 13 years and the only one to survive. The Ramchargers were a group of Chrysler engineers who were innovators and record setters in drag racing.
The car was built and driven by Dean Nicopolis, and had an incredibly successful racing career from 1975 to 1988, winning 37 Super Stock D Automatic (SS/DA) championships at NHRA national events. It was also the overall winner of Super Stock at the Popular Hot Rodding Meet in 1977, 1979 and 1983, and the IHRA Summer Nationals, twice.
“I have been a drag racing fan all my life, and I watched this car race many times at the Indy Nationals when I was in my teens,” Kazamek said. “I bought the car at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January 2007.”
Manhattan Beach residents also took 1st and 2nd place in the Porsche 356 class. Kent Neumann took top honors with his 1956 Porsche 356 A Speedster while Jay Patrick was runner-up with his 1958 Porsche 356 A Speedster.
Taking home 2nd-place awards were Torrance residents David Guelff and George and Pauline Renshaw. Guelff in the Under 3-Litre European Sports Cars class with his 1965 Volvo 1800 S and the Renshaws with their 1971 Jaguar Series II E-Type Roadster in the Jaguar E-Type, 1961-1974 class.
The Eric P. Allen Memorial award for Most Elegant was presented to Earl Rubenstein, of El Segundo for his 1935 Packard 1204, Dual Cowl Phaeton. Best of Show honors went to Aaron and Valerie Weiss, of San Marino, for their 1936 Mercedes-Benz 290 Cabriolet A.
Proceeds from the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor and a new charity, the Western Museum of Flight.
The 24th edition of the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance had a different look this year. Instead of a Peninsula golf course, as in past years, the venue was Zamperini Airfield in Torrance, at the Robinson Helicopter Company’s facility. The new venue enabled the concours to include historic aircraft alongside the dozens of vintage automobiles. The theme was “Elegance and Speed,” a reflection of this year’s marquee cars, Packard and Porsche.
