Not going to Cavallino this Year

+1

 

I appreciate your point of view. You have experience with shows and cars and present a valid opinion of the show. Once you get past the politics, price of admission in many ways it is in fact un-paralleled.

 

I was at the show this year. By design they took in less cars in order to allow people to move around the cars and take pictures. Last year they packed them in and felt they had too many cars. I believe they had 138 cars in the field this year. It looked like there were less people this year or it may be a function of less cars means more space. Nevertheless, some people who feel that the price of admission is too expensive and don't go end up creating more space for the people who do go. Whether Barnes wants crowd control or not price creates crowd control.

We can debate the price of admission forever but when I factor in my air flight, hotel and meals my weekend experience at Cavallino rose by 10%. Hardly insane. It is an opportunity to see some of the rarest Ferrari's in one day and get some much needed sun.

The Finali Mondiali may have been heavily subsidized by the factory and not by a businessman. I'm sure it was a great event for those fortunate to attend.

 

Just tired of the outfit.... spent all the time at the 24hours of Daytona.
Not sure I will be back.

 

The Finali Mondiali was a whirlwind... so much activity that it seemed like another world. As a spectator, so surreal with its sensory overload. Just a phenomenal experience.

Total opposite from Cavallino (nothing wrong with that).

 

All valid points.
I fail to understand the agenda of those who bash the event- in another thread someone cited (absurdly) 50 cars on the concorso field- another example of "alternate facts"? I was there, and find 138 cars realistic- all of high quality, by the way.

 

There were 110 cars on the concours field.

Marcel Massini

 

THANKS- does that figure include the F50, F40, etc. that were relegated to the adjacent paved area, but were entered/judged nonetheless?

 

28 Ferraris are missing? Call WPB PD!

 

Yes.

Marcel Massini

 

You've got the wrong town- West Palm Beach and Palm Beach are worlds (and an Intracoastal Waterway) apart. ;-)

 

Hello everybody

I might be biased but I wanted to give my view on this years Cavallino Classic as well.
One of the most used words in the previous posts are "money, costs, value, passion"...
Yes, Cavallino Classic is expensive as many other events are today as well. It might be possible to make it cheaper but moving to the parking lot of the nearby Publix supermarket might take away a lot of the charme of the event
Is it too expensive? One has to decide it by his own but just in relation: one could easily spend the same amount of money going to Disney World or Las Vegas as millions do every year and none of them is complaining afterwards that by surprise those venues were more about money than only about passion...Yes, Cavallino was founded by passion and it is certainly run by passion but nobody could blame them for making money out of it. For those thinking it should be all about passion I would ask where you have been the last 10 years, I doubt that it could have been anything else than local club events.
I travel to a lot of events all over the world and the commercial aspect is getting more and more everywere, this is not exclusive to anyone!

The track days were very quiet but again this is certainly not surprising as driving events all over the world attract less and less superb cars as they are getting to expensive. We are living in a time when owners of million dollar cars debate about bringing the car out on a sunday concours because they might get wet so nobody should be surprised when only very few are brave enough to actually "race" them.
As for the concours at the Breakers: yes, there were just a limited number of really "new" (never seen or freshly restored) cars on the field but were should all the new cars come from. With the limited amount of cars available neither Pebble Beach nore Cavallino can bring twenty new ones to the upper lawn year by year.
Cavallino 26 might have been a little bit more quiet but one should keep in mind that last year was the jubilee so a comparison with last year is very difficult. And with a big Ferrari event (Finali Mondiale) just a few weeks ago not too far away certainly did not help either...

But: when looking over my images and the amount of people in there it was far from being "deserted" so obviously there was a good amount of people who thought it was still worth visiting. And a few cars were shown here for the first time after their restoration (like the BoS winning 212 Export) showing that CC still has an importance among collectors.

Enough said, to each his own opinion...now to a few images showing what those staying at home might have missed or to remember for those who were there:

Day 1 at the Track and the Jet Center Party: Cavallino Classic 26 ... Day 01
Day 2 at the Track: Cavallino Classic 26 ... Day 02
Concours at the Breakers: Cavallino Classic 26 ... Day 03
Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago: Cavallino Classic 26 ... Day 04

 

Thanks for the great photos. I didn't make it this year. Less rain than last?

 

Dear Peter,

Magnificent photos as usual, thank you for posting for those of us who did not make it to Cavallino26.

Best regards,

Robert

 

Thank you Peter.
The perspective of someone who attends (and has attended) most of the great automobile events is appreciated.
Not having been to Cavallino before I was impressed to see some cars that I've missed in my fifty years as a tifoso and in seeing a friend take best V8. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Having said that I won't be running back next year. Perhaps a day trip to PBIR but I understand better now why so many have told me "been there, done that".
Perhaps I'm spoiled living somewhere Ferraris of many vintages aren't rare, but even a sea of Fiat era cars isn't worth the trip.
I don't know how the attendance splits but following December's big Ferrari bash at Daytona and coinciding with the Daytona 24 Hrs. many local Ferrari owners took a pass.
Coupled with the more expensive ticket the gate must have taken a hit.

 

Peter,
Your photos are magnificent!
And FWIW, I agree with your analysis.

Ira

 

Peter,

Beautiful motorsports photography. A pleasure to view it!

Thanks

 

Thank you for sharing your excellent photos, Peter.

 

Disney is a good analogy.

There are no alligators at the Breakers, to my knowledge.

 

That's a nice post John...cheers!

 

Bummer- hope she feels better fast!

 

Just the occasional shark......