Karen Moyers does not fit the mold, but, then again, maybe she does. My predominantly male adult school class, “Collectible automobiles as a passion” has for years attracted a broad spectrum of “Car Guys.” They display passions spanning the spectrum of collectible car enthusiasm. At first blush, it might seem counter intuitive that Karen, a pert bright eyed senior of retirement age, has been a respected class member for years. Any confusion disappears upon seeing how Karen leavens the class with her quick wit, infectious laugh and abiding love for driving Sally, her 1963 356B Porsche Super 90.

Meet Karen and Sally.

Karen and Sally, A Five-Decade Love Affair

Karen and Sally her 1963 356B Porsche Super 90

Mature and youthful, ready for fun on the open road while possessing a long history of black top adventures: for both Karen and Sally the description fits like a driving glove. Karen bestowed her 1963 356B Porsche Super 90 with the moniker “Sally” twenty years back after seeing Disney’s animated film “Cars.” Smitten with the animated Porsche’s persona, Karen appropriated the female lead’s name for her Porsche 356 automotive alter ego.

Karen’s relationship with Sally dates back to Karen’s marriage to her late husband Bill Moyers. Bill passed in 2015. Bill a Porsche executive and motoring enthusiast had originally purchased the Porsche in 1971. With Karen’s marriage to Bill in 1984 she gained a great husband and fellow motoring enthusiast. The Porsche provided just one more shared passion about which they could bond.

With Sally’s condition being all original save for a repaint in the 1970s, Karen, self confessed as “not the mechanical type,” marvels at how reliable Sally has been. This seems to reflect the more than 60-year old observations of Car and Driver in its October 1963 Review when it wrote “Porsche’s excitement is as much intellectual as visceral; the pride and pleasure of ownership comes not only from its characteristic comfort, controllability and roadability, but also its freedom from temperament. Its dependability can be taken for granted…It’s that kind of car.”

As to specifics, Sally features a lightweight design (roughly 2000 lbs.) matched with a high-revving 1.6-liter air-cooled 4-cylinder flat-four boxster engine. It puts out 90 horsepower and 89 lb.-ft. of torque. Car and Driver clocked its 0 – 60 mph time at 12.8 seconds. Its top speed peaks at roughly 100 mph.

A recent road test published on the Jalopnik website 60-years after the Car and Driver article sums up the 356 Super 90 experience pretty well. It appears to have aged well, like a fine wine. The Jalopnik reviewer states, “It’s pure joy. Unfiltered driving engagement and pleasure beamed straight into my brain. I spend a lot of time laughing and talking encouragingly to the little Super 90. It feels like a partnership or a conversation in a way that even old 911s can’t match with their extra weight and more modern suspension. With a curb weight of just over 2,000 lbs, you don’t feel like you’re trying to cheat physics.” Not unlike Sally, Karen has a life born into a car culture that produced years of driving pleasure.

Karen smiles in reflecting on the influences of her childhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They begin with her grandfather who owned an Atlantic gas station in nearby Quakertown. She says, “I remember being too young to be of any real help but loved being with my grandfather and feeling very comfortable in that automotive environment.”

Building on her gas station experiences her father introduced his young daughter to the classic car meet at Hershey. Karen fondly recalls saying, “My dad had an MGB. Every time Hershey had their meet, he would take me. I had my introduction to the meet when I was eight years old.” By her teens Karen had been comfortable driving her father’s manual equipped MGB and then later a Triumph TR4. Interestingly while Karen enjoyed full mastery of three-pedal driving, after marrying Bill most of her motoring experience did not involve a steering wheel.

Karen and Bill over their decades of marriage more often than not, hit the road on a Harley motorcycle; their newest Harley having been a late 20^th century Softail Springer. Sitting astride their Harley with Karen reclined against the sissy bar they logged over 100,000 miles together. Let’s be clear. Short day trips do not produce that kind of mileage. Karen’s and Bill’s travels across North America included up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway taking full advantage of the delights offered by the “Tail of the Dragon,” Sturgis, multiple trips to Florida and Daytona, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but none better than when they decided they should drive to Wawa, Canada. Why Wawa? Why not Wawa? With all that said, for them, the capper would be exploring the southwest and Route 66 in Sally.

Karen, Bill and Sally on Route 66

Touring the Mother Road had been on their radar for oh so long. And, now, life’s uncertainties had elevated it to the top of the list. Bill’s health had experienced serious challenges. His latest compromised condition included vision problems.

Without a second thought they knew this was something they always wanted to do. Karen says, “We were going to do this trip. We were going to drive. We were not going to let his health stop us. We had never let his cardiac problems bother us in any of our quests. We always believed

Roue 66 Arizona

that’s the way you should live your life.” In this case Bill’s failing vision would necessitate Karen taking on the responsibility of all the driving; ultimately all 6,503 miles of it. “So be it, I took comfort knowing I would have a great navigator,” recalls Karen. In late summer of 2008 Karen, Bill and Sally set out for what would be the best trip of their shared life.

“Sally performed flawlessly,” Karen recalls. The couple did take what turned out to be the needless precaution of working through the Porsche Club of America to make a list of people to call along the travel route if there had been a problem.

After that experience Karen says, “That journey sealed a bond between Sally and me. I gained a greater feel and respect for her. She earned it over those thousands of miles traveled in conditions ranging from cloudless skies with a blazing sun to snow blanketed mountain passes.”

Karen goes on to explain how she developed her feel for Sally. She says, “I really don’t know that much about the engine or things like that,but with miles and miles of experience behind the wheel you kind of know when something’s not right, no matter how slight because your ear picks up an unfamiliar, thus troubling, noise; or you perceive a vibration that seems annoyingly foreign and thus demands your attention. In considering the subsequent 18 years since that Route 66 trip, Karen reflects on Sally’s place in her life saying, “She’s like part of me. She provides a strength, a foundation that archives happy memories while promising opportunities for more to come.

Memories indeed populate our lives, few if any more powerful than those generated by the loss of a dearly beloved spouse. Karen shares a poignant recollection from the days after Bill’s passing. It was a rough period and she was talking to a good friend of Bill’s. Karen says, “He suggested that to help me through this difficult time I should get a picture of Bill and whenever I was taking Sally for a ride place his photo in the passenger seat. It helped. It absolutely helped.”

When asked what she would write if she could send a note to Sally Karen simply states, “Thank you so much.”

As of June 1st, I will be taking some time off from penning Drivin’ News, as I will have the  opportunity to campaign a car in this year’s Mille Miglia. I look forward to returning later this summer.

Shiny and red as a ripe apple and half the width of a Smart Car, it silently split the lane between two SUVs and sailed off down the highway. Witnessing this, friend of Drivin’ News, Dr. Chuck Berg, fueled by a high octane “need to get a better look” took off in determined pursuit. Thanks to a stoplight, Chuck finally caught up to what can best be described as a high performance transportation pod for two. It was then that Chuck would meet the vehicle’s driver and creator Rick Woodbury.

Meet Rick Woodbury and his creation, the Tango high performance commuter electric microcar.

The Tango Electric Microcar – Little Tykes Cozy Coupe reborn as a Dodge Demon

While faster from 0 to 60 mph than a 2026 911 Carrera, Rick Woodbury’s Tango also protects occupants with a chrome-moly steel roll cage construction that exceeds FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) racecar standards. Not bad work for a man who quit high school to live in Mexico, retreated to a Zen Monastery, worked as the Sales Manager at Beverly Hills Porsche Audi, raced Porsches in IMPSA and SCCA events, worked as an electrical engineer for Northface garments, spent all his spare time in machine shops, considers himself a master fabricator and, oh yes, an accomplished ice dancer. In so many ways Rick Woodbury’s unique creation, the Tango electric microcar, not unlike his life, defies categorization. In the case of the Tango this confusion has proven to be both a blessing and a curse.

Rick Woodbury and the Tango

The Tango idea sprouted during conversations with his young son. A very passionate Rick says, “By the time my son was in 5^th grade around 1998 we had enjoyed many discussions about the future of highway travel.” Dating back to when he worked with Porsche Rick would be exasperated by commuting to work behind the wheel of a 911 and poking along in freeway traffic at 10 mph. Rick says, “It would drive me nuts. And I thought, you know, we need narrow cars just for commuting.” He envisioned a future with highways hosting a plenitude of narrow cars providing more efficient use of road space for expedited commuting. How narrow? Rick says, “You have to get a car less than 40 inches wide to solve the traffic problem. You know, it’s just an absolute fixed line that you can’t change. It has to be that, or you have to change the infrastructure and that’s not going to happen.” Rick felt a width of thirty nine inches would work just fine. He observed that nearly 90% of the cars driven by his fellow commuters had a single occupant. To Rick it seemed really stupid to waste a whole lane for a single person. He surmised that with narrow commuter cars a single lane could carry twice the people. Rick says, “There’s 140 million workers in the US or at least there were at that time with 107 million of them being single occupant drivers. And how is the government trying to address this? They want to stick us in public transit.” Rick has strong feelings about that idea saying, “Stick us all in public transit? I don’t think so. You know, it’s not happening. People want to go where they want to go, when they want to go.” With the inspiration to revolutionize the driver commuting experience Rick began his pursuit of a solution. As to why the Tango name, Rick’s tenure as an ice dancer found him to be a big fan of that particular passionate Argentinean dance. Tango actually provides a quite catchy name. Hey, it sure beats Gremlin.

George Clooney and his Tango

Subsequent to his narrow commuter car epiphany, Rick dedicated his life and $50,000 of his own money to making the Tango a reality. To get it on the road in his home state of Washington he registered the Tango as a home built car. Rick says, “Back then in the state of Washington you just had to abide by eight pages of regulations. It was pretty simple to register the car at that time. Later on that would change.” Then, for the next three decades he has worked diligently to refine his concept. By 2005 with the Tango employing an Odyssey lead-acid battery Rick made his first sale, to actor George Clooney. Rick says, “Clooney drove it for a couple of years. Though his Tango had all blacked out windows it still drew throngs of gawkers even without people realizing that it had George Clooney at the wheel.” Having the Tango zipping around the film community generated a great deal of publicity. Rick says, “It increased awareness significantly. It helped us a lot.” Unfortunately Clooney’s Tango driving stopped when he departed Warner Brothers and, with that, eliminated his need to commute.” After the first sale to Clooney in 2005, late 2006 witnessed the Tango leap forward with Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page purchasing Tangos and promoting the use of lithium batteries to power Rick’s commuter pocket rocket.

Before reviewing the rocky path the Tango has faced in achieving acceptance much less success it makes sense to review its present day specifications. The Tango body, constructed from lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber, can accommodate two adults seated in a tandem, “I” formation. It weighs in at a robust 3,326 pounds with a width of 39 inches, a length of 102 inches (8 ft. 6 inches) and a height of 61 inches.

12.2 second 1/4 mile

The awesome power driving this commuter mini-beast comes courtesy of 2 Advanced DC heavy duty DC electric motors with each one driving a rear wheel. The two motors together produce a combined starting torque of 3000 ft.-lbs. With an 8000 rpm redline the Tango’s 600kW output translates into 805 horsepower. The Tango turns 12.2 seconds in the 1/4-mile  at 106 mph. Steering is rack and pinion. Front suspension features unequal length A-arms with coil-over shocks while the rear suspension offers a trailing arm design with coli-over shocks. Front and rear disc brakes employ Mazda Miata calipers. While the Tango equips both passenger positions with four aircraft style seat harnesses, it must be noted that the present Tango lacks numerous requisite safety features required to meet crash test standards. Its status as a kit car allows some leeway to excuse the absence of such features as a supplemental restraint system and an energy management structure that provides for the redirection and diffusion of the force of an impact. The Tango also lacks ABS braking. That said government agencies and private companies have taken a look at the Tango and walked away impressed but still walked away. While numerous global transportation experts have been awed by the tango many, at the same time, find it difficult to categorize.

Tango two-seater

One limiting factor that deserves to be addressed rears its very expensive head when the topic of production cost surfaces. Costs involved in hand building one Tango today top out at $420,000. That said, as Rick wants no interference with the production of his Tango dream, he rejects investors seeking involvement. He, thus, currently relies primarily on self funding. Over the years prices charged to Clooney, Brin, Page and others range in the area of $120,000 to the latest lithium ion powered unit with a 300-mile range costing $300,000. These prices clearly do not conform to Rick’s vision of an affordable dedicated commuter car.

What then is his vision? Would he consider looking for funding from some angel and create his own factory? Rick says, “That’s preferable, but I am 76. I’m getting up there. I may not be able to pull that off. I’ll have to see how it goes, but I will strive to guide the company forward to revolutionize the world of Transportation. When asked about the ideal environment to test the feasibility of the Tango, Rick ever the optimist says, “I think you can take any crowded city like San Francisco or anywhere in the Los Angeles area. There you have people spending literally hours commuting with half their time consumed creeping along because of the traffic congestion.”

Rick says. “Let’s say it is a government project. I would suggest they focus on select zip codes. A person living in one such zip code could rent a Tango for an affordable rate per month. I see the Tango being a no frills highly mobile form of transportation; something really bullet proof. The Tango commuter car would not be something to show off.” Reflecting on that comment he laughs as he says, “Though the Tango can back in between two full size parked cars.” He believes the Tango delivers a higher level of mobility than public transportation. He says, “It just gets people where they want to go. At some point an autonomous driving feature including autonomous driving lane splitting would be available. That’s my idea for the future.” He concedes that for the Tango concept to make a difference it would need a lot of people in Tangos. Rick says, “To do that the Tango solution has to be affordable. Right now, the car costs four hundred and twenty thousand dollars each to build. That’s not affordable to anybody. Not even billionaires want to pay that much. This does not mean interest from government and business has not been expressed.

Rick actually met with Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) in 2001. Recalling the meeting Rick says, “I gave them a test drive in the first Tangos and they said, we’re not going to build the lanes until you build the cars and you’re not going to build the cars until we have the lanes so you know we’re not going anywhere with this. That was 25 years ago. Undeterred, Rick soldiered on buoyed by his observation that motorcycles can be seen cruising legally as a group side by side. His belief in the Tango concept remained unwavering.

XPrize competition

The year 2008 witnessed the announcement of the Progressive Automotive X-Prize. Launched by the XPrize Foundation and sponsored by Progressive Insurance its intent was to inspire the creation of safe, affordable, and “super-fuel efficient” vehicles capable of achieving at least 100 MPGe (Miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent). Winners would share in a $10,000,000 pool of prize money. Rick entered the Tango.

The competition concluded in September 2010 with three winning teams sharing the prize purse. The Tango did not win. Rick with no bitterness says, “We did not win the $2.5 million purse for our special category of tandem seating.  An electric enclosed motorcycle with training wheels that extend when stopped called the Zero Tracer won the purse and then promptly went out of business. We ran air conditioning as it was 106 degrees that day, so we came up just short of the 100 MPGe that was required. Some of the competitors used ice blocks instead of A/C to keep the cabin under 95° which was the requirement. Seems like cheating, but the organizers approved it. One final comment in referring to practicality, Rick says, “The winner vehicle in my category was so unstable it fell over on its side when parked on a slope by the oval test track. That would have seemed to be worthy of disqualification, as these cars were supposed to be functional for daily use. I mean how many people would it take to upright an enclosed motorcycle weighing over 1,000 pounds in a San Francisco intersection? And so it goes. The Tango checked so many boxes; they just were not all on the judges’ sheet.

Rick Woodbury’s thoughtful Tango EV microcar concept may be a very fast, highly maneuverable and effective solution to a question no longer of much interest to the institutions in a position to promote it. His home state of California made it clear to him of its desire to be rid of cars all together.

The ingenuity and dedication demonstrated in Rick’s passionate desire to reduce traffic congestion suffers from the absence of a location supporting the necessary critical mass of refined Tangos necessary to realize its advantages; not unlike having an iPhone in a landline world but no cell service.

Brought by restorer extraordinaire Bruce Amster to Redline Restoration, this visual echo of mid 20^th century sports car design called to mind other striking Pininfarina creations. However, despite common design cues, no other car looked exactly like this one and for good reason, none existed.

In 1948 Italy, with the war in the past and the future in question, Pininfarina in collaboration with Lancia had created a strikingly forward thinking sports car design called the Lancia Aprilia Spider 2 Posti Pininfarina Special. Completed, it would honor a renowned Italian cyclist Gino Bartali whose war-time heroism and post-war patriotism made him a most deserving owner.

Who was Gino Bartali?

Pininfarina’s One of One Tribute to an Unsung WWII Hero

Lancia Aprilia Spider 2 Posti Pininfarina Special and Gino Bartali

Squirreled away in a decrepit garage deep in one of Detroit’s lesser neighborhoods it would seem to be the last place to find a mid 20^th century Pininfarina designed one-of-one Italian sports car. This once sleek pewter metallic Postwar Italian stunner had traveled a long distance over many years to find itself ingloriously stashed in a forgotten corner of a tired inner cityscape. Then, after its decades long journey into oblivion it had been unearthed by seasoned classic car collector Bruce Amster. Now, like the Phoenix, it would one day rise to the heady heights of the awards ramp at Pebble Beach. However, an even more interesting story would be that of the man for whom Pininfarina had created this classic car, famed Italian cyclist and WWII hero Gino Bartali.

For the Italian nation in the 1930s cycling reached its peak of popularity. It served as Italy’s most popular spectator sport until the 1950s. It was a mass cultural phenomenon that unified the country, shaped the national identity of its citizens, and up to WWII became a central tool for fascist propaganda under Benito Mussolini. Cycling stood above all other sports as did baseball in America. For Italians cyclist Gino Bartali towered as their Babe Ruth maybe with a little Charles Lindbergh mixed in.

A devout Roman Catholic and ardent anti-fascist, Bartali, born into poverty achieved legendary status with his cycling exploits. Described as tough, feisty, outgoing with a gravelly voice, broken nose and reputation as an aggressive cyclist, Bartali though only 5 ft 7 inches tall carried the nickname “Ironman”. He competed across Europe in hundreds of races from the 1930s till the 1950s. He won the Tour de France twice (1938 and 1948) and the Italian Giro d’Italia three times (1936, 1937 and 1946). Yet while a legendary athlete, Bartali’s two greatest accomplishments, achieved while cycling but not racing, resulted from selfless acts of courage, strength and moral fortitude. The first, unheralded till after his passing in 2000 at the age of 85, saved over eight hundred Jews from Nazi death camps. The second, claimed by many of his fellow Italians, averted an Italian civil war and communist coup that preserved Italy as a free nation.

Conscripted into the Italian army at the start of WWII as a bicycle messenger, Bartali’s duties as a messenger together with his rigorous training regimen made him a common sight on local roads. With Italy’s surrender in 1943 and the subsequent Nazi occupation, nearly 10,000 Jews suffered deportation to Nazi death camps. In this darkest hour Bartali’s familiar cycling presence over long distances would facilitate saving the lives of hundreds of Jewish men, women and children.

Based on research conducted by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Bartali, in 1943, responded to a request by the Archbishop of Florence, Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa to volunteer his cycling skills. The Archbishop in collaboration with Rabbi Nathan Cassuto established a clandestine network to hide Jews in convents and monasteries while producing forged documents to help them escape. Bartali’a role called for him to transport the counterfeit identity documents to points comprising the underground network bounded by Florence, Assisi and Genoa, an area of considerable size. He also would pick up money from a Swiss bank account in Genoa for distribution to Jews hiding in Florence. Bartali employing equal measures of courage, brazen ingenuity and chutzpa (Yiddish for audacity) would hide the documents in the frame and handlebars of his bicycle. Never taking the shortest route, to better avoid checkpoints, his clandestine rides, and he took many, could exceed 200 kilometers. When stopped and searched at German checkpoints, the famous Bartali would warn the guards not to touch the bicycle as he had it set just right to deliver optimum performance. However, as the war progressed the frequent sighting of a cyclist training for races that no longer occurred began to raise questions. In July of 1944 Bartali found himself being interrogated at the infamous Villa Triste (Sorrow House) in Florence where fascist officials practiced forced imprisonment and torture. With luck and possibly God on his side, one of Bartali’s interrogators happened to be his army CO who promptly vouched for the cyclist’s innocence. Not to be satisfied with his good works as the conduit by which Jews could escape the Nazis, he, at the same time, hid a Jewish family in his home until the allies entered Florence.

In 1948 during one of the mountain stages on his way to winning the Tour de France, French fans pelted him with rocks, snowballs and calls of “Dirty fascist.” He never responded by revealing his heroism. Only upon his death did details of his courageous exploits come to light. In 2010 the World Holocaust Remembrance Center honored Bartali by declaring him “Righteous Among the Nations.” And then there is the matter of preventing an Italian civil war and saving the nation.

Bartali’s role in preventing an Italian civil war and saving the nation again finds a parallel in the lore of American icon Babe Ruth. In this case the fabled story of Babe Ruth’s “Called shot” comes to mind. The story takes place in the 1932 World Series. In that game “The Babe” being mercilessly heckled by the opposing Chicago Cubs pointed to the centerfield bleachers and promptly hit the next pitch for a home run into the centerfield bleachers. Though still debated, it stands firmly anchored as baseball lore.

In the case of Bartali, he has been credited with preventing a communist led civil war by way of his historic and courageous come from behind victory in the 1948 Tour de France. His electrifying victory during a period of mounting political conflict and unrest in Italy had distracted and unified a fractured nation. It released the mounting pressure for insurrection and with that the threat to civil order subsided. Like the Babe’s “Called shot,” Bartali’s role as “savior of Italy” though questioned by some, stands as a truth. Now, let’s return to the future and a flatbed truck gaining undesired attention as it winches a sad memory of Gino Bartali’s one-of-one Lancia Aprilia Spider out of a ramshackled garage in a trashed Detroit neighborhood.

No prima donna he, Bruce Amster while a da Vinci of classic car restoration is not above driving a flatbed to Detroit to rescue a long abandoned rolling treasure he had discovered.

In recalling the experience Amster says, “The car had been left in the, now, rundown garage for decades and not in a good area. Much of the neighborhood had been abandoned or leveled. Backing in, I succeeded in snaking the flatbed through an overgrown back yard. Now, as I’m winching the car out of the garage. People start appearing out of nowhere. Junkies start peppering me with questions like ‘What’s in there?” “What’s that?’ I start talking fast explaining that it’s just an old car that I’m picking up for scrap.” Laughing, he says, “I strapped that load down with the speed of a NASCAR pit crew and headed out of town with my precious barn find.”

In 1948, years before Giovanni Battista “Pinin” Farina changed his name to, simply, Pininfarina, he, together with Lancia, created a beautiful forward thinking cabriolet called the Lancia Aprilia Spider 2 posti Pininfarina Speciale (Try saying that without taking a breath). Displayed at the Paris Salon of 1948, he had produced the beauty as a special order for Italian cycling hero Gino Bartali. Combining beauty and performance the sculpted curved lines emphasized the cabriolet’s graceful character. Technologically, its bespoke light weight aluminum construction, four-wheel independent suspension, Aluminum overhead cam V4 engine and a platform chassis that paved the way for the wider application of unibody construction positioned this Lancia as a forerunner in the coming age of sports cars.

Owned by Bartali into the early 1950s when his need for a larger vehicle necessitated its sale. As best as can be figured, it first went to a dealer in Italy. The 1960’s saw it purchased by iconic classic car broker Ed Jurist at his Vintage Car Store in Nyack, New York. Amster says, “From then until I picked it up for my present client in the early 2000s it had been in the old owner’s hands. During that 30-year period the old owner tried to do the restoration work himself as he apparently couldn’t find a qualified mechanic who would take the project on.” Sadly he could not get it done before he died.

In the late 1990s with the old owner’s death the car and the house in Detroit where it was stored passed into his estate. Over the next number of years both house and car deteriorated. Finally, with resolution of the estate in 2000, Amster flatbedded the car back to Redline Restoration and a waiting buyer. Once at Redline, Amster had the opportunity to probe the mysteries of the unique sports car that he would be commissioned to restore in 2001. Recounting a very pleasing discover, Amster says, “The car had maintained much of its originality. In researching the car, broker Ed Jurist back in the 1960s must have realized he had gotten something special. For that time, he had gotten good money for it.” Amster found the doors of the car especially fascinating. He says, “This car basically was unique in many ways; One being how the doors were built. They were spring-loaded. So you pushed a button and the door would open up for you.”

Bartali Lancia at Pebble Beach 2021

Aware that this Lancia held a unique and significant place in automotive history, the new owner directed Amster to restore the Bartali Lancia to concours standards, which Amster did. The completed restoration rolled out of Redline in 2003. It would not be until eighteen years later that the same owner would decide to show the car at Pebble Beach. August of 2021 saw the Bartali Lancia depart from Redline for California. Widely considered the most prestigious car show in the world, Pebble Beach stands as the pinnacle Concours d’Elegance competition. There on Sunday August 15, 2021 the Bartali Lancia took an amazing 2^nd place in its class.

Once again the Bartali name held its head high. Even Babe Ruth never took a trophy at Pebble Beach.

My 2008 BMW X3 “Refresh or Replace” “Drivin’ News” post garnered significant feedback sympathetic to and supportive of my decision to refresh. An appreciable number of people shared that they too had lately mulled the same question. Some had already made the commitment to refresh. Maybe not surprisingly, I found those seriously considering undertaking this fairly costly preservation effort bore many similarities and shared concerns. For me, reader comments drew attention to an evolution in the character of car enthusiasm that I found quite telling.

Let’s see if you agree.

My 2008 BMW X3 Refresh, Going all in on another 50,000 miles

Valentines Day present. Just got my X3 Refresh back

Defining a Refresh demands focusing on functional excellence as compared to aesthetic perfection when applied to a long time daily driver. It is not a restoration. When successfully executed it does not target attracting huzzahs from admiring Concours judges. It does reward an owner’s investment in a long held daily driver by providing additional years delivering the driving experience that earned the owner’s loyalty in the first place. My experience has identified three requisites necessary for a vehicle to merit consideration for a Refresh: Good bones, an owner with a comprehensive knowledge of the car and a marque astute shop to entrust with the work.

The quality of the car being considered for a Refresh ranks first and foremost. Good bones, proper treatment, regular maintenance and a proven track record over its driving history all determine if a vehicle merits the investment. Good bones displayed in a car bear similarities to the desirable qualities bred in a horse. Over time, the quality of materials, construction integrity and design of a specific make and model imparts a reputation; sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

Step one demands knowing if the car deserves the love and money a Refresh will demand of its owner. Other than the general attributes that history has shown the car to possess, the specific vehicle’s track record means everything. Thus, long time ownership by the present owner ranks very high. Only he or she will know how the car has been treated; how it has been maintained and all or at least a considerable portion of its driving history. In my opinion, a serious accident in a car’s past disqualifies it for consideration as a Refresh. Contemplating a Refresh on a car that you just purchased introduces too many questions, any of which could produce an answer that would disqualify the car.

Finally, the third leg to support a successful Refresh, and very possibly the most important, resides in the shop entrusted with the Refresh. The guy who changes your oil or can fix “any car” has no place in the conversation. You must do your homework. If you are looking to get off cheap, it will be the most expensive mistake you could make. You are lucky if a marque specialist already services your car. In my case MotorWorks West has previously worked on my 2003 E46 BMW 330. It features a very professional exclusive BMW facility and enjoys a very positive reputation. For a Refresh, consider the shop you choose as your partner in the project. As well, the shop, too, should view this relationship as more than just another job. It certainly will be more expensive. Finally, thoroughly review the vehicle with the shop owner. This review must include both an under the hood and an up on a lift visual inspection. Before proceeding you should have a written estimate from the shop detailing all aspects of the project. This is when you decide if the Refresh merits the cost. If yes, establish a budget before proceeding. It should include a contingency of maybe 15% for legitimate work not foreseen. Have the shop save all of the old parts removed for your confirmation and inspection. Remember this job will dent your wallet. Know and respect the limit of yours.

With my X3’s Refresh completed Steve Smith owner of MotorWorks West reviewed the final invoice. the absence of any surprises delighted me. To my BMW’s credit the clutch and flywheel, both with 155,000 miles of wear, remained fully functional. However, inspection clearly showed that future failure fast approached. As to the engine Steve provided me the individual cylinder wave form printouts of my compression test. These graphic representations confirmed my engine’s health as did the results of the other diagnostic tests. They supported a decision to proceed with the Refresh. Should the diagnostics have shown serious engine problems, I would not have proceeded. Either way the diagnostics would have been worth the cost in providing evidence supporting a go/no go decision.

Compression test wave form #4 cylinder

To add perspective to the wisdom of refurbishing a long time daily driver, I interviewed five seasoned car enthusiasts and friends of Drivin’ News who have or are considering giving new life to their high mileage daily driver.

Jim El Nabli loves his 2011 BMW X5 with 135,000 miles and recently conducted a major refresh to keep the love alive. Once upon a time an automobile technician, now an attorney and passionate BMW enthusiast, Jim, a multiple BMW owner, has for the past decade, immersed himself in a 100 point restoration of a 1999 BMW Euro-spec E36M he purchased new.

Peter Desbets cannot say good bye to the 2011 Volvo XC60 daily driver with 173,000 miles he has owned since new. He has spent over 40 years as an executive in the automobile industry and president of a media company serving the automobile industry. A dyed in the wool car guy he presently owns a pristine 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera and an eclectic track record of classic car ownership.

Bill Hoover bought his 2015 Volvo XC70 T-6 daily driver new. He describes it saying, “It’s the last of the in-line 6’s with just the right level of technology. A Polestar performance upgrade adds some fun to the experience.” Now, with 100,000 miles recently showing on the clock he looks to do whatever is required to provide another 100,000 miles of high-quality motoring. An auto industry executive in both the United States and Asia he has an SCCA racing history and a significant roll call of classic cars owned now and in the past.

Each of these men champion a perspective that embraces an analog, tactile driving experience left in the dust if not for dead by today’s new car offerings. Possibly the leading edge of a movement, the cohort of individuals rejecting today’s expensive, technology drenched automobiles appears to be growing.

Jim says, “I’m the original owner of my 2011 X5. I bought it brand new. I special ordered it with pretty much every option. It had everything that I want.” Upon hitting 130,000 miles he looked into a new replacement. He ran the numbers to cost out buying an equivalent new X5. Jim says, “I was shocked to find myself looking at a price well into the 90s, maybe even higher, which sounds crazy, but that’s where the prices are today. That’s a huge pill to swallow financially.” He even notes that prices for a used X5 go through the roof as well. Luckily for Jim his X5 enjoys life being owned by a fastidious owner. For the decision on doing a Refresh, Jim’s X5 checked all the boxes. He has owned it since new. It had enjoyed all scheduled services and been maintained to keep it in peak running form. It had good bones. He started on his Refresh by addressing all recognized weak points such as the harmonic balancer.

Jim estimates that the Refresh made great financial sense. He says, “If I can get another hundred thousand miles out of it. I’d be very happy. I think that would have been well worth the cost. When it comes to dollars you can’t look at it as I’m putting in ten thousand, twenty thousand dollars and I’m going to lose that money. You have to amortize that over time so let’s say I hold on to the car now the five years. So, how much am I really spending per year?

A universal concern among all the men interviewed played a significant role in Jim’s decision to refresh. He says, “Complexity towers as a growing concern for automobile longevity. The past 15 years have witnessed a profound reengineering of automobile functions utilizing sophisticated electronics. Jim has an opinion saying, “Cars are far more complicated by the integration of digital technologies and electronics. In my experience electronics don’t last. Today’s cars are so complex that when things go wrong, diagnosis can present a formidable, frustrating and costly challenge.”

Jim acknowledges that his car while considered cutting-edge when new, today, ranks as a dinosaur based on today’s technology. That said, he responds saying, “Dinosaurs did last for 75 million years. I’ll take my chances on my X5 not being wiped out by a meteorite.”

Bill, in describing how he feels when he slides behind the wheel of his 2015 Volvo XC70, says, “There is a comfort factor when I jump into that car in the morning. It feels like an old friend. The feeling brings to mind the old Mastercard tag line, that feeling is priceless.” Bill finds much of that comfort in the smooth robust power delivered by the Polestar tweaked Turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine putting out 370 horsepower.  With his home in Tucson 200 miles away from a mountain getaway at an altitude of 7200 feet Bill savors his Volvo’s elevation eating performance.

Bill says, “With power to spare, it’s great for my drive up to the mountain house. It’s a car that is reliable. It’s not going to have suspension issues or brake issues. It’s basically going to perform like a new car. Yeah, it’s priceless.” Bill is confident in the longevity inherent in his 2015 Volvo’s bones. He expresses concerns about the product life inherent in today’s maximized low displacement engines and the reliance on sophisticated complex technology, engineering solutions upon which contemporary automobiles rely.

Bill, while accepting some technology such as parking sensors and blind spot warning, lacks any passion about wanting every next new thing that comes along. Actually he comes across as being quite sanguine about all of the latest things absent in the 2015 Volvo XC70 that he loves. To his driving delight one of the newer things his XC70 lacks is EPS (Electronic Power Steering). It does have the old traditional hydraulic power steering which features exceptional driver feedback. EPS on the other hand provides the means for enabling the inclusion of advanced driver-assist features like lane-keeping assist and automatic parking. Bill clearly favors his XC70’s old school hydraulic. He says, “I occasionally drive my partner’s car with EPS. For me it has nowhere near the same road feel as my XC70. It’s too light. It drives me crazy. They have the software dialed in to prevent torque steer. The steering angle also controls the throttle response. I find myself pressing on the accelerator and not going anywhere. It’s like wait a minute, wait a minute. Now, unwind the steering wheel. OK, now we’re going. It frustrates the crap out of me. As for my partner, she sees no problem other than my complaining.”

In recent years Peter has casually explored a suitable replacement for his limited edition Cosmic White Metallic 2011 Volvo XC60, but to no avail. In reflecting on his long time daily driver it features a 3.2 liter non-turbo inline 6 cylinder engine with a 6-speed Geartronic transmission and Haldex all-wheel drive. It ranks among the last of Volvo’s non-turbo sixes.

He says, “I like the way it looks. I love the way it drives. Great suspension, it’s all been rebuilt over time. Marvelous seats. It’s an R design. Its 20-inch wheels and stance look great.” But, now with 15 years and 173,000 miles on the clock, Peter finds himself at a crossroads. He says, “I’m the original owner. I’ve had it for 15 years this February. It runs great. All the known quirks have been addressed including oil consumption issues and a leaky windshield. It has been meticulously maintained. Frankly, no real necessity demands a Refresh or Replace decision. All that exists is that nagging 173,000 on the odometer.”

Peter’s first move took him to the new car marketplace. He has a new car in the family, his wife’s Acura. Reflecting on the new Acura he says, “Pricing is ridiculous.” With that in mind he decided to explore CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) used cars. He looked in the $25,000 to $28,000 range. About his CPO search Peter says, “Cars in that range have 80,000 miles to 100,000 miles. I look at that and think has it been serviced properly? Have the brakes been done and when? Have this and that been done.” The idea of leaving a good car that he knows well and jumping into something that he knows little about haunts him. And, then, comes the complexity kicker: Newer cars possess much more sophisticated electronics. He expresses his concern saying, “This is all great. But what will the sophisticated electronic features be like five years down the road?  And if you look at something with a high degree of complex technology what happens seven, eight, nine or ten years down the road. Will that technology be supported? Software changes constantly. What if the software running something in your car is no longer viable like a cell phone that is no longer viable or your laptop can’t be upgraded. What do you do?” After due consideration, Peter’s decision called for keeping his XC60.

Peter says, “It has been so well maintained I don’t see any major investment needed in the foreseeable future. God forbid, the transmission goes. Still, I’ll probably get it fixed and continue to use it. Certainly from a cost of insurance standpoint money savings versus a new car is huge.” Echoing the sentiments expressed by Bill about his beloved XC70, Peter says, “I love my Volvo. Settling into the great Volvo seat, my XC60 fits like a great pair of old sneakers.” Similarities common to each individual’s experience painted a fairly clear image of Refresh minded owners.

Clearly an older group, predominantly but not exclusively male, all gained their driving chops in the late 20th century’s “Golden Age” of the automobile. They cut their motoring teeth when feeling the road qualified as a good thing. All possess confidence in their skill behind the wheel and frequently find high tech driver aides an annoyance or worse a distraction. They know what they like and they like cars designed to enhance the driving experience not dull it.