All in the Details

Kauffman crosses Bixby Bridge in his 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder l while on 2021 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance.

It sounds like you drive many of your cars. I do. All of them. I am more of a “go” owner than a “show” owner. It’s one thing to drive a car over the ramp of a concours, but it is another to drive it on the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, or the historic races or the Colorado Grand. These cars were built to be driven—and, in most cases, driven fast.

In 2017, we took the 1907 Renault Vanderbilt Racer on the Pebble Beach Tour down to Big Sur and back. My guys in the shop were worried about being able to make the whole tour given the old brakes, the antiquated systems, but I said to them, “Look, here’s a picture of Willie K. Vanderbilt (an American racing legend who lived from 1878–1944) driving this car over the Arlberg Pass in 1907. If he could make it to the top of that pass back then, I think we can certainly make it to Big Sur and back tomorrow!”

Likewise, the 917/30 Porsche. This car is totally badass in my opinion. We took it on the Pebble Beach Tour, too. It looks huge and heavy, but you take off the body and you are left with an aluminum frame that is about as light as a lawn chair. Mark Donahue raced this car at over 220 mph around Talladega—it was called the “Can-Am Killer”—and it was victorious in every race but one in the 1973 Can-Am series. We took it on the Tour, tootling around the country roads—it was great! Everyone loved it, heard it running, saw it in the flesh. We did the entire thing in first gear, cruising at 50 to 60 mph. The hardest part was the U-turn at Big Sur. The car certainly wasn’t designed for that!

You have entered cars into the Pebble Beach Concours every year since 2016. What’s it like for you to be at Pebble Beach? It’s unbelievable. If you could have told little Robbie Kauffman, as he was lying under a junk Firebird in the driveway at 13 years old, that he would be taking cars to the Pebble Beach Concours and would have friends there, he would never have believed you. It is the pinnacle, and I love the hard non-negotiable deadlines and uncompromising standards it requires; it appeals to my nature.

Also, I see that Pebble Beach is evolving and moving with the times. There is a perception out there that fewer and fewer people are interested in classic cars, but I’m not sure that’s true. Recent statistics from my friends at Hagerty show that half a billion people worldwide and more than 70 million in the U.S. say they are “interested in cars.” If you go to an event

Below: This 1937 Bugatti, once Thunderbird Aqua, has since been returned to its original Slate Grey with Oxblood leather.

Above: “Little Robbie Kauffman” in his early racing days.

or a race meet, you see kids and families, and that’s great. People in our position have a responsibility to pass the torch to the younger generation. That begins with the addition of different classes, such as supercars, Countaches, 917s—and this year there is even an “unorthodox fuel” class on the field. Exhibits oriented to younger people, plus some youthful judges, all add up to younger people feeling more involved— I hope. Don’t forget, the cars from the ’80s and ’90s are now 40 and 30 years old. These cars are fast becoming the “new” contemporary classics. Just saying that makes me feel old!

You entered the Pebble Beach Concours with a 1901 Panhard and the GT40 Le Mans winner in 2016, a 1907 Renault Vanderbilt Racer in 2017, a 1937 57S Bugatti in 2018, a 4.5 Liter Bentley in 2019, and the Porsche 917/30 in 2021 (as there was no Concours in 2020). Do you have a favorite moment? You know, awards are terrific, but I try not to get too hung up on the judging. I look at it like this: if you are a world-class racecar driver and you happen to come up through the ranks at the same time as Lewis Hamilton, you are probably not going to win as much as you think you should. Life is often about timing. When I go to Pebble, or any such event, I go to enjoy the magnificent cars, the wonderful people—the experience and privilege of being part of the day. But of course, winning is always great, I’m as competitive as anyone else!

I can’t deny that 2016, when we took the Ford GT40, was a special year for us. Le Mans had a 50th anniversary celebration of the 1966 Ford win, when the GT40 took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. (That was the event that engendered the movie Ford v Ferrari. We went to the movie premier with Matt Damon and Christian Bale, and it was so much fun.) Edsel Ford wanted to get the three cars together and we had one of them, so I shipped it to Le Mans and all three did a parade lap. I have the photo of the cars together with the modern Ford GT racer and the Dunlop Bridge in the background; it’s my screensaver. Then, I shipped the car to Pebble Beach, and along with the other two Le Mans cars we lined up on the ramp on Day of Show. Edsel and Henry Ford III gave us each an award. It doesn’t get any better than that. It is an amazing piece of automotive history, and it can still do 200 mph.

The same year you brought the GT40 to Pebble you also brought a 1901 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 Racer—more than half a century its senior. That’s quite an age difference! What is the race history on that?

The 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C, the 1934 Le Mans winner, is “small, light and ultra-fun to drive!”

The Panhard won one of the first-ever endurance races in the U.S., from New York to Buffalo. It was the Bugatti Veyron of its day; it can go 45 mph and the driver is completely exposed to the elements. It’s a bit like racing on a bar stool!

Rob and I wander around the showroom, passing by scores of cars with history and prestige, including a 1907 American (one of the first American purpose-built sports cars), a 1912 Simplex (chain driven with a 10-liter, 4-cylinder engine), an all-original unrestored 1915 Harley Davidson motorcycle, a 1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly, a 1928 Bentley, a stunning 1937 Bugatti (which was formerly an ugly Thunderbird Aqua and has since been returned to its original Slate Grey with Oxblood leather), a 1962 Mercedes 300 SL Roadster, a 1964 Shelby Cobra, plus various supercars, such as Ferraris, Ford GTs, a McLaren F1 and P1, and various NASCAR celebrities. We end our tour with the paragon of collectibles. . . .

The 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C! You are taking this to the Le Mans Classic this year; will you be driving it yourself? Yes, absolutely. This is a very special car—the 1934 Le Mans winner. It’s the ultimate 1930s racer: small, light and ultra-fun to drive. It was way ahead of its time when it raced against the Bentleys. I will be driving solo. I wouldn’t want someone else to have the responsibility for such a historic car. If it were more fungible—maybe, but at least if something happens to it, I know who to blame! The Le Mans Classic is an amazing experience because we drive the cars at speed around the full Le Mans 24-hour course. It becomes very clear how much skill and stamina the drivers in the ’30s had to race these cars for 24 hours on this track. It was serious stuff; it was tough and dangerous.

You mentioned that you feel that owners of these cars have a responsibility to pass the torch and share their cars. How do you execute your sense of responsibility? We do a Coffee & Cars here once a month, opening up the showroom and running some of the cars on a makeshift testtrack around the industrial park. We get cars lining up around the block, and hundreds of people attend. It’s really fantastic. When I see a kid leaning in, really showing an interest and asking questions, I love to get them sitting in the car—a Ferrari, another race car, it doesn’t matter. I think, maybe that could be the next little Robbie Kauffman getting all fired up for the future. It makes my day.

What’s your bucket-list event and your bucket-list car? As Chip Ganassi always says, his “favorite race is the next race.” I like that philosophy—whatever the next event is, whatever the next car is. It is an evolving thing, not a contest. I try to keep in mind that, regardless of your resources, you can only drive one car, in one place, at one time. The key is to be safe, stay solvent and enjoy the moment. That’s my overall goal.

early lincoln & the world of Art

By Leslie Armbruster

From the moment that Lincoln was purchased by Ford Motor Company, the marque was destined to embody luxury. Lincolns were to be more than transportation; they were to be subjects and objects of art.

Edsel Ford, the only son of Henry, had argued for Ford’s purchase of Lincoln on February 4, 1922, and he was soon appointed to serve as its president, overseeing every aspect of production and perception. Edsel had an impeccable sense of style and design, and this was evident in everything he did, particularly in overseeing the development of Lincoln and crafting its public image. The market was primed for a luxury car.

After World War I, Americans were ready to leave the trials and tribulations of wartime behind and embrace the opulence of the roaring ’20s. That trend was evident as magazines began to focus on wider circulations in the new culture of consumerism. Print advertisements became more prominent within the magazines and more artistic, often featuring beautiful images of high society, a peaceful home life, and bucolic outdoor settings. The intent was to illustrate all that society had missed during the war.

Popular artists like Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish became household names when publications featured their art on covers and companies commissioned them to create original illustrations for advertising. At a time when illustration was not considered fine art in America, many artists turned to advertising contracts as a way to both make a living and gain an audience for their beautiful works.

Though color photography would not become mainstream in magazines until the mid-1930s, color printing was increasingly affordable for publishers in the early 1920s. Illustrators had the ability to be colorful and bright, while still being as factual as possible with their artful depictions of everything from food to automobiles.

The 1920s and 1930s were arguably the greatest years for creating works of advertising art. It was a time when the convergence of big advertising budgets, pools of great artistic talent, and hungry consumers created the perfect recipe for these wonderful works of art. Along with other companies of the time, Ford Motor Company and its Lincoln Division benefited from this wealth of talent by creating advertising that still speaks to consumers today, 100 years later.

Edsel and his wife, Eleanor, were lifelong supporters of the arts, amassing an impressive personal collection of fine art, many pieces of which would be donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts after their deaths. During their lifetimes, they supported that and other artistic organizations, such as the Detroit Artists Market and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

The most prominent of Edsel Ford’s collaborations with the Detroit Institute of Arts was his patronage of Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals, a series of twenty-seven original frescos adorning the walls of an interior court of the museum. Created in 1932 and 1933, the murals depicted the people and machines that had worked to create the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, and subsequent prosperity, in the Detroit area. A sea of machines, industries, and workers of all shapes, colors and sizes, the murals represent the heart and soul of the community. Rivera took a break from creating the murals to paint a separate portrait of Edsel Ford, choosing to honor his artistic spirit by depicting him in an automotive design studio, rather than a factory. Edsel would eventually play a role in designing some of Lincoln’s finest offerings, including the Lincoln Continental and the Lincoln Zephyr. But from the very start, he focused on Lincolns as custom creations. And no doubt he had a say in choosing which artists would be selected to create beautiful advertising for the brand.

Many of the largest advertising agencies were based in Chicago during the 1920s, so Detroit’s automobile manufacturers had easy access to a large pool of both experienced and up-and-coming illustrators from which to choose. Ford Motor Company and its Lincoln Division engaged many different artists and illustrators to create imagery for their product advertisements during this era.

Oftentimes, one illustrator would create an elaborate background scene, while another drew the actual vehicle being advertised, highlighting optional equipment like wood trim, wire wheels, side-mount mirrors, and in the 1930s, radios, leather upholstery and custom luggage.

Artists frequently highlighted optional elements of the actual vehicles in a subtle way within their pieces. Take, for

Opening page: In the mid-1920s, the art of Haddon Hubbard “Sunny” Sundblom helped to position Lincoln as a luxury marque. Sundblom also helped to create Coca-Cola’s version of Santa Claus. Prior two pages and next two: The birds and butterflies that William Stark Davis painted for Lincoln advertisements in the late 1920s represented optional color variations for a car, both inside and out. Davis went on to work for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Right: Later advertising art, such as this 1932 piece created for the Lincoln KB, was often unsigned.

example, the work of Winthrop Stark Davis, better known as Stark Davis, who created some of the art for ads for Lincoln in the late 1920s. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1885, Davis based his career out of Chicago, where during the 1920s and 1930s, he created art for the Ladies’ Home Journal, as well as a wide variety of businesses, including the Ethyl Corporation. He would go on to work for Walt Disney Animation Studios in California, where he lived until his death in 1950. Perhaps his most famous pieces of advertising art are the various imaginary birds—and one butterfly—that he painted for Lincoln. Each of his birds or butterfly represented optional colors for exteriors and interiors of Lincoln motor cars. Separate artists then drew the vehicles to appear with each bird in coordinating optional color schemes. The overall effect of this campaign was dramatic and elegant, which speaks to its enduring popularity.

Other artists utilized negative space to create a sophisticated feel in their advertising art. Campaigns by Haddon Hubbard Sundblom, Frederick Smith Cole, and Floyd Curtis Brink often demonstrated this technique. Their understated outdoor scenes were partnered with expansive backgrounds in soft, muted colors, which gave consumers time and space to reflect on the vehicles shown. This allowed them to imagine how these beautiful cars might enhance their lifestyles. The simplicity and stylishness of these advertisements can still be felt today.

Born in 1889, in Muskegon, Michigan, Haddon Hubbard “Sunny” Sundblom studied at both the Art Institute and the nearby American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he based his career. He is most known for the advertising art he created for Coca-Cola, helping to invent their version of Santa Claus, but he also worked for the United States Marine Corps, Proctor & Gamble, and Quaker Oats, among other companies—and he created many works of art for Lincoln advertising, often placing the cars in settings that offered hints of palatial dwellings, peaceful settings or favorite pastimes, including golf. Sundblom died in 1976, leaving behind a lasting legacy of beautiful work.

The advertising art of Floyd Curtis Brink (left), Sunny Sundblom (middle), and Frederick Smith Cole (opposite) often placed Lincolns in peaceful settings, with favorite pastimes.

The art of Floyd Curtis Brink continued many of the same themes as Sundblom, and Brink’s creations might be mistaken for those of Sundblom although they often include somewhat more bold strokes and fewer details. Brink was born in Illinois in 1892, he studied at the St. Paul Institute of Art, and his art appeared in publications like Good Housekeeping and Ladies’ Home Journal. He created advertising art for several automobile manufacturers, including both Ford and Lincoln. He died tragically in 1935 when a plane flown by fellow commercial artist Albert Whitney lost one of its wings and crashed.

Born in 1893, Frederick Smith Cole attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and after fighting in World War I, he returned to Chicago to work as an illustrator. He would later move to Detroit and open The Art Studio with his business partner to be closer to automotive manufacturers. During his career, he created advertising illustrations for both General Motors and Ford, including the Lincoln Division. His work for Lincoln expanded on the themes initiated by Sundblom and Brink, showcasing the excitement and adventures of world travel,

Left: This 1925 artwork by Cole pairs Lincoln with the growing advancement of flight. Below: The new Lincoln-Zephyr with its aerodynamic streamlined shape was the sign of the future, as noted in this 1936 ad. Opposite: This 1933 advertisement emphasized the 12-cylinder power at the heart of Lincoln motor cars.

even pairing Lincoln motor cars with new airplanes. He lived in the Detroit area until his death in 1967.

Although Lincoln continued to create beautiful advertising for its products, like the Model K, Model KA, and Model KB, the use of signed artwork in its advertisements soon ended. The clean lines and geometric figures of Art Deco style, which were clearly apparent in some of the later Lincoln materials, were also used to advertise Lincoln’s all-new Zephyr in the late-1930s. The streamlined design and alligator-type hood of the Zephyr lent themselves beautifully to the Art Deco style. Economic challenges and technological advances of the day would bring this era of advertising art to a close by the end of that decade.

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