Reno collector Bob Lee snapped up another prestigious 'best of show' at the 10th Quail Motorsports Gathering on Friday 17 August.
Lee's 1930 Bentley 4 1/2-litre 'Blower' with Gurney Nutting roadster body pipped Ferrari and special pre-war Alfa groups at this exclusive $400 a ticket event set in the lush Carmel valley.
But the talking point was the debut of David Smith's stunning Alfa V8 special (above).
At a glance the black beauty looked like a short chassis 8C 2900B roadster but the new creation is based on a 1939 2600B chassis powered by a prototype 2 1/2-litre V8, one of three built before WW2, and discovered in an Italian scrapyard.
With the help of 2.9 owner John Mozart, Pixar animation, and a supremely talented Seattle-based hot rod body specialist Adam Hart, industrial designer Smith has created his dream car.
"We only finished it last week after four and a half years work," said Smith. "I can't wait to take it on the next Alfa 8C rally."
Other highlights included the largest ever gathering of ISOs, which featured four from Germany.