Sure but there could have been a middle ground. Now it's just "another California"
Easy statement to make when not your car or money. While I've been an advocate for "preservations" for several decades (and long before they became fashionable), having not seen this car in person and basing my opinion on "as found" pictures only, I'd say it was far too abused/neglected to be reasonably considered anything other than candidate for complete/full restoration. Only thing sad I see with cars of this statue is that they rarely, if ever any more, get used the way they were originally intended, but that too is easy for me to say as I don't have the wherewithal to acquire and enjoy them to that extent either.
I actually have seen this car in the flesh at Cavallino a few years ago when it (and our Mondial) was the focus of the Saturday morning presentation/conversation on three special cars. The owner put a lot of serious consideration into how to treat the car before restoring it to its present condition; Paul Russell presented the car and actually put the question to the assembled group - "What do you do with this car?" The conversation centered on the notion of what course of action would best "honor" the car. Looking at all the storage wounds - crushed panels, the corrosive effects of decades of bird poop, etc. - the general consensus was that this was not so much a patina'd car that had aged gracefully under tender loving care and use, as it was one that had suffered greatly from neglect.
Of course but didn't the owner pay some extra money because of the special provenance and "patina" of the car? At the time, it was a world record for a California. Having probably invested even more money to make the car like new, didn't he finally lose some value (which would be surprising of course)? I love that the Baillon Maserati was preserved but I hear Bryanp arguments and accept them. I just find strange to pay extra money for authenticity and somehow take it away (even if I'm sure the restauration was most sensible)
I find great value in a confirmed original closed headlights car, when no player on this planet seems to be able to reconstruct the nose so it would look right. Cal Spider is an amazing car, but it needs to be 100% correct to really look that good. How many correct looking closed headlight cars do we have left? Fingers of one hand are enought to count em all.
Totally agree but what value do you put on the ability to do that. Its not a financial value so much as a boost to the owners ego to be able to go through this and "rescue" a car even if it does make it just another SWB California. The process also allows him to have two goes at the concours cherry, one in the preservation class and now a second go as a fully restored car. In the long term it probably wont matter because at some point these will be worth more than whatever he or she has invested.
The Baillon Maserati A6G 2000 by Frua #2040 is a difficult case: the car was NOT born with that front section and has NOT its original first paint! This had been changed after the Paris Show 1955, most likely by Carrozzeria Frua itsself. Question is now - back to its first specification or keep it in its current condition? I would let it restored to its earlier version that was very briefly seen in Paris (for only 1 say!).
Mr Glickenhaus talking to Lord March today at Villa d'Este with the wonderful Modulo. Fabulous is the word. Pictured by the maestro himself, Marcel Massini. Image Unavailable, Please Login
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