The Strange World of Supercar Values Today
I recently ran across an advertisement on Pistonheads for the Koenigsegg CCR that I traded in a dozen years ago for two Ferraris. At the time the trade “package” was valued at around £210k which I thought was more than fair. The onus behind the trade at the time was I needed a couple of cars that were a lot…
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Analysis of Porsche AG’s 2023 Results
Porsche AG (maker of the 911) IPO’ed in September 2022 and 2023 represented its first full year as a public company. Porsche released their 2023 results in mid March and they had what I would call a solid first year. However, before diving into the results in more detail, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at…
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McLaren’s Capital Reorganization is Complete
On Friday, March 22nd, McLaren released the following statement below. This statement finally brings closure to what has been a long drawn out highly complex restructuring (more on this below from the Dec 2023 article) of McLaren’s ownership and capital structure. As usual, what is highly interesting is not only what’s said but what is not. McLaren Group Completes Successful Capital…
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Aston Martin: Another New CEO
Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) just announced that current Bentley Motors (Bentley is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Adrian Hallmark will take over as CEO by October 1st. Hallmark will be Aston Martin’s 4th CEO since Lawrence Stroll took over as Executive Chairman in 2020. Stroll will now have had the same number of…
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Analysis of Rivian’s 2023 Results
Recently, the two COVID EV darlings, Lucid and Rivian reported their 2023 full year results. I covered Lucid (Analysis of Lucid's 2023 Results) a couple of weeks ago which now brings us to Rivian. Both Lucid & Rivian IPO’ed in 2021 and have been developing Electric Vehicles since the mid 2010’s. Lucid stock peaked at $55.21 in November 2021 and…
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Aston Martin: Another New CEO
Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) just announced that current Bentley Motors (Bentley is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Adrian Hallmark will take over as CEO by October 1st. Hallmark will be Aston Martin’s 4th CEO since Lawrence Stroll took over as Executive Chairman in 2020. Stroll will now have had the same number of…
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Aston Martin’s FY 2023 Results: Turtle Flambé
In his opening remarks on the Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) earnings call this week, AML’s Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll proudly stated: Just last weekend, the latest season of Drive to Survive was released globally. Featuring Aston Martin in episode one, the most watched show on Netflix in more than 40 countries, the series prominently brings our brand and products to…
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Analysis of Lucid’s 2023 Results
This week, the two COVID EV darlings, Lucid and Rivian reported their 2023 full year results. I will cover Lucid in this article and come back to Rivian shortly. Lucid caught my attention due to the EV technology agreement it signed with Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) in 2023. Both Lucid & Rivian IPO’ed in 2021 and have been developing Electric…
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Update: Aston Martin: Time for a New CEO ?
On Feb 6th, Bloomberg published the following: Aston Martin is Hunting for its Fourth CEO in Four Years . The Bloomberg article confirms what I was hearing in early January, which is captured in the article below. For Bloomberg to have published the article, they would have confirmed it with multiple different sources. Since I posted the original piece, I…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Feb 2024
Since the last Supercar Market update in Nov 2023, the world is no saner. There are two wars raging with the surrounding areas continuing to look highly volatile. A clear plan to resolve either situation remains highly elusive. In the “who would have ever thought” category, Taylor Swift is now the face of the NFL and Lewis Hamilton will be…
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Range Rover P38 “Borrego Edition” – End of Term
The song “The Gambler” includes the following lyrics: You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,Know when to walk away, know when to run.You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. And while the song was written about poker, it is equally applicable to Range…
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SuperSuvs: Should & Will McLaren Join the Fray?
I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while now that McLaren is seriously considering launching an SUV. How much of this is projection given the fact that basically every other sports and supercar manufacturer has now done so is hard to tell. The arrival of McLaren’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, who has a chronic case of SUVitis, having been deeply involved…
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Now For Something Completely Different: Range Rover P38
My dalliance with the idea of owning a Range Rover started back in 2009. It would end up taking three tries on two continents over 13 years before the relationship was finally consummated. It started back when I was in the process of moving to the UK. The “Use Case” at the time was for a “family utility” car capable…
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Thoughts: Ferrari SUV, Aston Martin, SCG, GMA & More
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog in their own right but thought they were still worthy of sharing. What the future will look like in six months is anyone’s guess but…
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Monterey Car Week Report 2019
This was our first time at Monterey Car Week. I would probably best describe Car Week as combination of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival spread out over multiple stunning locations and then supersized in the best American tradition. We arrived on Wednesday late afternoon and departed the following Monday morning (see: McLaren 675LT Spider Road Trip). In between, it was…
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The SSO Awards: 2023
For the final article of 2023, I’ve put together the fourth annual SSO Awards, the motor industry least prestigious honors. In putting the list together, I have to acknowledge, I have no real basis to be doing this (that’s better left up to the professional journalists and those that actually work in the automotive sector). Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty…
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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
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The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
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The Strange World of Supercar Values Today
I recently ran across an advertisement on Pistonheads for the Koenigsegg CCR that I traded in a dozen years ago for two Ferraris. At the time the trade “package” was valued at around £210k which I thought was more than fair. The onus behind the trade at the time was I needed a couple of cars that were a lot…
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Ferrari’s 2023 Results: The Horse Takes A Victory Lap
On February 1, 2024, Ferrari released their 2023 full year results. Over the first three quarters of 2023, Ferrari delivered stellar performance and Q4 2023 was no exception. Back in November after the Q3 2023 results were released I wrote:2023 TargetsFerrari continues to execute its long term strategy brilliantly and its hefty $61 billion market cap reflects this. Italy hasn’t seen…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Feb 2024
Since the last Supercar Market update in Nov 2023, the world is no saner. There are two wars raging with the surrounding areas continuing to look highly volatile. A clear plan to resolve either situation remains highly elusive. In the “who would have ever thought” category, Taylor Swift is now the face of the NFL and Lewis Hamilton will be…
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The SSO Awards: 2023
For the final article of 2023, I’ve put together the fourth annual SSO Awards, the motor industry least prestigious honors. In putting the list together, I have to acknowledge, I have no real basis to be doing this (that’s better left up to the professional journalists and those that actually work in the automotive sector). Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty…
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The SSO Holiday Gift Guide
Figuring out what to get a loved one for the holiday season can be a daunting task. In our family, it’s a never ending string of text messages and emails asking the same “what do you want for Christmas?” It only stops when some ideas are finally coughed up, half the time in a fit of desperation, just to get…
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Hotel Bennett, Charleston: Unparalleled Luxury?
By Mrs. SSO I have always wanted to go to Charleston; the advertisements in travel magazines painted it’s charm and romance so beautifully. Earlier this year, my brother-in-law was part of a group invited to Boeing Headquarters where they were given a tour of the Factory and were wined and dined; they were escorted on private tours of the City, they…
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The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, & Now Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We first stayed at The Londoner at Christmas time 2022. My first Londoner review concluded that: The Londoner, the World’s First Super Boutique Hotel is conceptionally brilliant, but the execution is far from what I would expect given its cost and 5 star rating. It requires more training of the staff is has and more staff; this…
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 4 – The Hotels
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, But Not Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We were excited to return to London as we had lived there for over a decade – to go back, if only for a vacation was in order now that COVID is ‘under control’. We love just walking around London, especially at Christmas time. It is so festive with all the lights and decorated Christmas trees. I…
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Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 – A Floating Beach House
Owning a large sailboat, our is a Beneteau Oceanis 51, is like owning another vacation home. While a sailboat is technically a mode of transportation, from a cost perspective, the annual ownership costs are much closer to what a ski or beach house run. Given that you could describe our boat as a mobile wind driven 3 bedroom waterfront home,…
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The SSO Awards: 2023
For the final article of 2023, I’ve put together the fourth annual SSO Awards, the motor industry least prestigious honors. In putting the list together, I have to acknowledge, I have no real basis to be doing this (that’s better left up to the professional journalists and those that actually work in the automotive sector). Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Nov 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in July 2023, the world has changed……again. We have two wars raging with the surrounding areas looking highly volatile. Money is now very expensive and might get even more so in the coming months. Mortgage rates in the US are now at a 20 year high with the Fed threatening to push…
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The Use Case Rule of Car Collecting
Earlier this year I met a wise experienced car connoisseur over zoom (it is 2020). This gentleman has owned a number of cars that have also passed through our garage over the years (including a Ferrari F50, 16M, McLaren 675LT) along with at least one that I can only dream of (McLaren F1). He introduced me to the “Use Case…
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Our Other Sports Cars
Almost all of the articles I’ve written have been on the supercars we have owned over the years. Both before and alongside these cars, we have also owned a number of other sports cars over the years that have remained anonymous. I thought I would do a bit of a trip down memory lane on the rather eclectic group of…
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Ferrari F50 to the Jaguar XJR-15
Car Collecting Journey: Ferrari F50 to the Jaguar XJR-15 Recently I wrote an article on our experience owning a Ferrari F50 (The Ferrari F50). Looking back today, owning the F50 was a watershed experience in our car collecting journey. It both changed the direction, and has heavily influenced, all our car buying since. The F50 firmly cemented several critical attributes we look for in…
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The Strange World of Supercar Values Today
I recently ran across an advertisement on Pistonheads for the Koenigsegg CCR that I traded in a dozen years ago for two Ferraris. At the time the trade “package” was valued at around £210k which I thought was more than fair. The onus behind the trade at the time was I needed a couple of cars that were a lot…
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McLaren’s Capital Reorganization is Complete
On Friday, March 22nd, McLaren released the following statement below. This statement finally brings closure to what has been a long drawn out highly complex restructuring (more on this below from the Dec 2023 article) of McLaren’s ownership and capital structure. As usual, what is highly interesting is not only what’s said but what is not. McLaren Group Completes Successful Capital…
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Book Review: McLaren The Road Cars 2010-2024 by Kyle Fortune
If Oxford or Cambridge University ever decide to offer a history course on the McLaren Automotive Road Cars, Kyle Fortune has just written the first book that would be required reading for this class. The book very much reads like a biography of the cars, written by an individual who was present throughout the development journey. In 15 short years,…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Feb 2024
Since the last Supercar Market update in Nov 2023, the world is no saner. There are two wars raging with the surrounding areas continuing to look highly volatile. A clear plan to resolve either situation remains highly elusive. In the “who would have ever thought” category, Taylor Swift is now the face of the NFL and Lewis Hamilton will be…
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The SSO Awards: 2023
For the final article of 2023, I’ve put together the fourth annual SSO Awards, the motor industry least prestigious honors. In putting the list together, I have to acknowledge, I have no real basis to be doing this (that’s better left up to the professional journalists and those that actually work in the automotive sector). Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty…
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Analysis of Rivian’s 2023 Results
Recently, the two COVID EV darlings, Lucid and Rivian reported their 2023 full year results. I covered Lucid (Analysis of Lucid's 2023 Results) a couple of weeks ago which now brings us to Rivian. Both Lucid & Rivian IPO’ed in 2021 and have been developing Electric Vehicles since the mid 2010’s. Lucid stock peaked at $55.21 in November 2021 and…
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Analysis of Lucid’s 2023 Results
This week, the two COVID EV darlings, Lucid and Rivian reported their 2023 full year results. I will cover Lucid in this article and come back to Rivian shortly. Lucid caught my attention due to the EV technology agreement it signed with Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) in 2023. Both Lucid & Rivian IPO’ed in 2021 and have been developing Electric…
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Range Rover P38 “Borrego Edition” – End of Term
The song “The Gambler” includes the following lyrics: You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,Know when to walk away, know when to run.You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. And while the song was written about poker, it is equally applicable to Range…
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The Circle of Supercar Life: A Birth (Praga) & a Death (Brabham)
While the new year is still young, in the supercar world there has already been a birth and a death notice. The Praga Bohema has entered production and Brabham Automotive has been laid to rest. Neither of these developments is a major surprise, Praga has been making consistent progress on the Bohema’s develop for quite some time and Brabham Automotive…
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Hotel Bennett, Charleston: Unparalleled Luxury?
By Mrs. SSO I have always wanted to go to Charleston; the advertisements in travel magazines painted it’s charm and romance so beautifully. Earlier this year, my brother-in-law was part of a group invited to Boeing Headquarters where they were given a tour of the Factory and were wined and dined; they were escorted on private tours of the City, they…
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Analysis of Porsche AG’s 2023 Results
Porsche AG (maker of the 911) IPO’ed in September 2022 and 2023 represented its first full year as a public company. Porsche released their 2023 results in mid March and they had what I would call a solid first year. However, before diving into the results in more detail, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at…
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End of Term: Porsche 911 (997.2) GT3 RS
After 7 years, it was time for our red eared Porsche 911 (997.2) GT3 RS to head to a new home. The GT3 RS was just the latest victim of our household rule that if you aren’t getting driven regularly, you lose your garage space. In many ways though, the fact that the GT3 RS lasted 7 years is a…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Feb 2024
Since the last Supercar Market update in Nov 2023, the world is no saner. There are two wars raging with the surrounding areas continuing to look highly volatile. A clear plan to resolve either situation remains highly elusive. In the “who would have ever thought” category, Taylor Swift is now the face of the NFL and Lewis Hamilton will be…
- 5
- Karenable
The SSO Awards: 2023
For the final article of 2023, I’ve put together the fourth annual SSO Awards, the motor industry least prestigious honors. In putting the list together, I have to acknowledge, I have no real basis to be doing this (that’s better left up to the professional journalists and those that actually work in the automotive sector). Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Nov 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in July 2023, the world has changed……again. We have two wars raging with the surrounding areas looking highly volatile. Money is now very expensive and might get even more so in the coming months. Mortgage rates in the US are now at a 20 year high with the Fed threatening to push…
- 5
- Karenable
Hotel Bennett, Charleston: Unparalleled Luxury?
By Mrs. SSO I have always wanted to go to Charleston; the advertisements in travel magazines painted it’s charm and romance so beautifully. Earlier this year, my brother-in-law was part of a group invited to Boeing Headquarters where they were given a tour of the Factory and were wined and dined; they were escorted on private tours of the City, they…
- 5
- Karenable
The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, & Now Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We first stayed at The Londoner at Christmas time 2022. My first Londoner review concluded that: The Londoner, the World’s First Super Boutique Hotel is conceptionally brilliant, but the execution is far from what I would expect given its cost and 5 star rating. It requires more training of the staff is has and more staff; this…
- 5
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The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, But Not Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We were excited to return to London as we had lived there for over a decade – to go back, if only for a vacation was in order now that COVID is ‘under control’. We love just walking around London, especially at Christmas time. It is so festive with all the lights and decorated Christmas trees. I…
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The Bayside Restaurant: Home of New England’s Best Lobster Roll
This is actually the first standalone restaurant review we have ever done. All the prior one’s have been included in road trip reports. However when a restaurant consistently makes the best lobster roll in New England, it has earned the right to have its own review. The Bayside does, and it certainly has, for the two years since we first…
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To Cork or Not to Cork?
Editor’s Note: The following article was written by my brother, the Wine Collector (his wine cellar is probably worth more than my garage). The Wine Collector is a bit of a car enthusiast himself and he has owned a Ferrari 430 Spider for many years. Do screw cap wines and supercars go together? You don’t buy a Ferrari or a…
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Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) 004 Update
On the morning of January 9, 2024, Scuderia Glickenhaus CEO Jesse Glickenhaus drove a SCG 004CS from Connecticut to Montreal. Jesse left Connecticut at 3:30AM in the morning and drove the 330 miles straight through to the PMG labs outside of Montreal. Doing this in the middle of winter, in a prototype, is a great demonstration of confidence in the…
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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
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The SSO Garage Round Up: June 2023
I’ve had a few questions recently on what’s currently in our garage. As a result, I figured it was about time to do another quick round up on the current residents and plans. I was going through a bunch of old pictures from a decade plus ago and one thing I did notice is we tended to turn over cars…
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The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
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A Few Thoughts: McLaren 750S, De Tomaso, GMA, & Praga
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog but thought they were still worthy of sharing. The McLaren 750S & Future Plans Just over a year ago I wrote an article which included…
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