Spotted this Japanese classic on Prytania, just a few miles from the action on Bourbon Street. The handsome little roadster, produced from ’65-’70 in this iteration, was Nissan’s answer to popular British sports cars of the period from the likes of MG and Triumph. It would eventually become the Z car we all know and love today. Love the rally lights nestled into the grille and tripple layered tail lights in back. The prominent hood buldge is imposing to onlookers and adds a bit of sass to an otherwise understated sports car.

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Spotted this gorgeous Pontiac Bonneville on St. Charles ave and Josephine St. outside of a new restaurant called the Eiffel Society. Much like the hip new restaurant, which has been constructed inside of a building that was originally part of the Eiffel tower, this Pontiac is representative of an iconic automotive brand whose legacy will live on forever, enriching car culture and the enthusiasm that supports it.

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Modern smart phones are entirely too good. My Droid, for instance, has a 16 GB hard drive that is so big that I often forget about pictures I have taken around the city. I cleaned house a little bit recently and figured I would share. These vehicles were seen in and around Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Enjoy

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Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ was brimming with love for Deutschland during Waterfest 16 last weekend. The annual VW/Audi car show and motorsport event is the largest of its kind in North America and saw damn near 20,000 in attendance this year. Attractions like a tire burn-out contest, drag racing and various judged car shows kept people pretty entertained throughout the 2-day event. And if that didn’t quite keep your attention, there were enough aftermarket part sponsors and vendors to occupy almost a mile of display space. Seriously, they took up a mile of display space at the 2009 event.

Be sure to check out our Engines of Waterfest featured gallery. It’s choc full of glorious headers, carbon fiber accent kits and other engine bay goodies these German car freaks stuffed under the hood.

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Time Square served as the finish line for 125 2010 Gumball Rally cars that participated in the 3,000 mile, cross-continent journey that started in London on on May 1st and ended in our very own Time Square a scant 7 days later on May 7th. Needless to say, locals and tourists alike flocked to the intersection of 42nd & Broadway to catch an eyeful of automotive exotica. Sure, there were a bunch of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins and other six figure sports cars. But perhaps the coolest arrival of all was Tony Hawk in the A-Team van.

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We peeked into Bertrand’s massive Brooklyn loft with big, stupid grins plastered onto our faces. Why? Because the 16,000 square foot, mixed use building was filled with enough cool toys and hip furnishings to make any grown man blush. There is a hang glider suspended from the ceiling, vintage French mopeds displayed in the foyer, a beautiful wood-carved pool table and humidor and a bunch of over sized modern paintings hanging from the wall. Perhaps coolest of all, there is a 1:1 Porsche to Pug ratio – seriously, there are 3 of each strewn about this amazing bachelor pad. For the record, Bertrand does have a girlfriend and we’re guessing this glorious man palace didn’t hurt in cementing the relationship.

You seem to have very eclectic taste in art. Tell us about your galleries and some of the featured art

I love art, all Art… I love the way it makes me feel. Most of my artists are from Europe though I also represent a couple American artists. It really doesn’t matter to me who makes it and where the art comes from. I show original paintings, prints and sculptures. Some landscapes, some figurative and some semi abstract works. I used to collect, trade and sell vintage posters. I have more than a thousand. Over the years I got tired of them and my interest shifted towards modern and more contemporary art. So I rolled them up and put them away. Like good wine their value appreciates with time and one day I will enjoy them again I’m sure.

We dig your Porsches. Tell us about them
I will hold onto these 3 cars forever – the last thing I will ever do is sell. I love them. I’ve had that one (white 930 Turbo) since the early 90s. That one I got in 2000 (1970 911T – Tangerine). I was at Potamkin shopping for a car for my girlfriend and they had this car hidden away on the second floor covered in dust. I inquired about it because I loved the color and ended up buying it for $10 or $11k dollars. I had it completely redone.

All of the beautiful art work hanging on the wall was actually printed inside the building. Bertrand owns and operates a print shop on the top floor that specializes in silk screening. He tells us it is one of the last print shops in NYC that does silk screens. Each color is printed one at a time, sometimes utilizing up to 60 or 70 different colors at a time.

Bertrand’s 1970 911T (tangerine) and 1987 Porsche 930 Turbo (white)

So you’re into hang gliding – what’s that like?
Hang gliding is better than sex (kidding). It’s my hobby and I do it as often as I can, mostly in warm climates like Florida, Mexico and California. My longest flight is 6.5 hours…you eventually get tired and really dehydrated and have to come in. The glider will take you 20-60 mph depending on tail and head winds. The record length flight is over 10 hours and 400 miles. It’s nice to just get lost.

What do you love about Porsches?
I just love the way they drive, the way they feel. I grew up in Germany so whenever we were on the autobahn, Porsches would be flying up our asses and flashing their lights as my dad would curse at them. You would see some asshole take off and I thought to myself…I want to be that asshole. I always loved speed and I got into a Porsche when I was a kid for the first time. I promised myself a Porsche by age 30 and managed to pick my first one up when I was 28. I have had many of them over the years.

Tell us about your printing business
My business was originally in publishing. I used commercial printers to publish limited edition prints that I would sell to galleries at wholesale all over the world. I had some empty floor space and was tired of hearing all the bullshit excuses from the printer so I bought the print shop. Then the business changed and the wholesale pretty much died. So instead of doing very high numbered commercial editions, we cater more to artists that do smaller editions – 100 pieces or so.

What’s up with those old bicycle-looking things?
They are vintage French mopeds, called Solex, and are an easy and convenient way to get around. They were all over Paris in the 60s and 70s and are a lot of fun to drive. They get about 100 mpg. Of course they are completely illegal here because they fall between the category of bicycle and motorcycle You pedal like a normal bike and, once you get going, you drop the little engine on the front wheel. You can go like 25 mph.

How do you decide what to feature inside your gallery?
If it’s not in my house, it’s not in my gallery.

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GM gave us an advance preview of their new Buick Regal before it hits dealerships this May. We weren’t able to drive this particular pre-production unit for fear of the wheels rolling off into Park Avenue traffic, but the sporty-looking sedan definitely has some curb appeal – taught surfaces, an athletic stance, upscale styling cues and a level of interior refinement that goes beyond hard plastic and faux chrome accents. Overall, the aura (no pun intended to Saturn may they R.I.P) is decidedly European, which makes sense considering the Regal started life in Germany as an Opel Insignia [GM’s German subsidiary]. The Insignia has been on sale in Europe for about a year, where it sold more than 140,000 units and nabbed European Car of the Year honors. GM tells us it is often cross-shopped with the Audi A4…not too shabby for a brand that was selling rolling barcaloungers not too long ago. The Regal is also sold in China where Buick has achieved unprecedented sales success and possesses an almost Rolls Royce-like status in terms of prestige.

GM is down to its core brands after laying Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Oldsmobile to rest and selling off Saab to the Dutch. So it seems Buick is more important than ever for the GM brand portfolio. But as any auto marketer will tell you, there is no greater challenge than bringing a once great brand like Buick back to life. If Cadillac stands for luxury and Chevy for mass market quality and affordability, that leaves Buick square in the near-luxury segment currently occupied by the likes of Acura, Lexus and Infiniti. Fresh product and contemporary design seen in Buick Lacrosse and Enclave certainly aren’t hurting their chances based on the younger wave of buyers flocking to Buick dealerships. We caught up with 20-year GM vet David Lyon to get his take on things. Dave currently oversees interior design across all of GM’s brands and was formerly Executive Director of GM Asia Pacific Design where, among other projects, he oversaw the design of the utterly gorgeous Buick Riviera concept. More pictures and a Q&A after the jump.

What got you into car design?
It was cars first and then design. My dad was a car nut. We grew up just outside of Chicago. He used to take me to the Road America races at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin. You would see all the Porsches racing…Can Am was big back then. I was nuts for cars. At first, I really thought you had to be an engineer to style cars. That’s what I was told at least. So in high school it was four years of math, four years of science, drafting classes, advanced calculus. It turns out you don’t need any of that stuff. So right out of high school, I found a school in Detroit [College for Creative Studies] and they had a major in car design. It’s a pretty tough program. They started off with 60 people Freshman year and, going into sophomore year, it was down to 14. It was a lot easier to get into the school then it was to stay there because they have pretty formal reviews every semester. All the professors throw your work up on the wall and decide if your on probation or not. And If you’re on probation twice in a row then you’re out. You have to have really tough skin.

What are the “must have” design traits for the vehicles you work on?
Designers hate rule books. But for me, it has to be classically beautiful, it has to have a lot of tension but also very rounded forms and there has to be a lot of beautiful sculpture on the body side. A good car design should look like its in motion while standing still.

How does Buick position Regal next to other models like Lacrosse?
Its no secret that Lacrosse and Regal are built off the same architecture. So are the BMW 5 and 7 Series. But they are very different vehicles. Compared to the Lacrosse, which allows you to cross your legs while sitting in the back seat and is used by Chinese diplomats as limousines, Regal is a much more personal-sized vehicle. The interior is tighter…it’s less of a family car and more of sport sedan. I wont say 4-door coupe but it’s a coupe like profile for sure.

So how does it drive?
I drove one of the turbocharged models with a manual transmission the last time I was in Frankfurt…it’s a pretty thrilling drive. The turbo is very smooth. I used to have Saab 900s and the turbo was fun there but man you knew when it was on and when it wasn’t. This is a lot more seamless than that.

Sports sedans aren’t exactly the mental image when I think of Buick. What gives?
We get into trouble when we pigeonhole one brand too much. Cadillac’s portfolio is going to be predominantly rear drive at a price point that Buick won’t go. In order for Buick to be relevant today, it can’t just be about cushy family boulevard cruisers. There is a near luxury class of vehicles that are fantastic but don’t necessarily have the style and appeal of more premium brands. I’m talking Acuras, Infinitis..their not quite true luxury yet. We want to go after those guys with Buick and I think we can win.

Regal is sold in Europe as the Opel Insignia. Are we looking at the same car here?
We’ve done some tuning but we are not trying to take the character out of this vehicle. We designed this car to be sold globally so there is very little we needed to change. It’s a hit in Europe. It’s a hit in China. And we hope it will be a hit here. There are some regional differences for sure. Germans, for instance, really like a hard seat. What’s nice about having Lacrosse in the mix is that we have something that is a little more of a bridge from where people expect us to be to where we’re going.

What is the dynamic like with GM staffers outside of the design realm?
For most people it’s a little bit of a trust fall for the designer. When you are spending $100 million on a new car program, far more than that if it involves a new platform, it goes without saying that it’s tough to convince people to take you at your word when I tell them something will look good in the sheet metal. And if I am doing my job right it won’t look great today, it will look good 3 years from now when it’s on the road. You have to have pretty thick skin.

What moves you most about automobiles?
From a design standpoint, there is nothing more difficult. You’ve got life or death decisions on safety and ergonomics. You have complex materials and part interfaces. But when it’s all done, it has to look like a work of art or you didn’t do your job. That challenge is unbelievable. In my career I have worked on the outside of cars, I have worked on the inside, different brands, different regions…it never gets old. It is always changing. There is always a new competitor that comes along and does something you didn’t expect. It stings for day or two and then you get back into it and try to beat them. I’m not into sports, I don’t have hobbies..this is it. This is everything to me.

You have been styling cars for the General for 20 years – what are your thoughts on the “new” GM?
The last few years have been emotional for sure but the cars have never been better. A lot of that is Bob [Lutz]. Journalists often ask me if we fired all the old designers and hired new, better ones. The answer is NO. I graduated from the same school as designers from Mercedes and BMW. The difference now is that we have a company that really cares about design and took the leash off. The last 10 years have been very different than the first 10 years. I don’t know if it was Stockholm syndrome or what but I’m not quite sure why I stayed. For a while it was tough to be a designer in this company. And now we have full and free access to top management to explain exactly why we are right and the car has to look this way. And generally they agree with us. There is nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for on this car. It’s a designers dream.

What’s your personal style?
I probably align more with British philosophy where you have to respect traditional stuff. I don’t care if it’s fashion, clothes, cars, or shoes – the Brits do an excellent job of keeping what’s great about tradition and always managing to reinvent it. I wear a lot of Thomas Pink shirts, a lot of Ben Sherman. I’m very casual at home, but always in a suit at work. I lived in Korea for 3 years so I got used to not wearing belts and having slip on shoes. You pick up a lot of style habits along the way.

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We arrived at Fred Kanter’s massive Boonton, NJ warehouse early on a Sunday morning. I had seen the old building a million times before while speeding past on nearby I-287 and was always intrigued. You can’t really miss the place – it has a massive Packard sign affixed to the side as if the iconic, and now defunct, automobiles were being manufactured inside. But Fred, an engineer by trade, is in the business of preserving old cars not building them new. Along with his brother Dan, the Kanter bros started their first automotive business, Kanter Auto Parts, in 1960 when they were teenagers. That company is now the world’s largest supplier of new, used, and reproduction parts for vintage American cars.

Needless to say, Fred has a penchant for collecting cool old cars. All told, he has about 100 of them split between two massive NJ warehouses. Some of the cars are a little tired and haven’t been run in a few years while the others are rare and valuable collectibles that would fetch a pretty penny at any upscale auto auction worth its salt. The one consistent theme throughout Fred’s diverse collection is that there is nothing wrong with impulse buying. From an aerodynamic bubble car Woody Allen drove in the 1973 film Sleeper to several Ford concept cars and a Screaming Orange 1930 Packard Speedster that is 1 of 2 remaining rumbleseat roadsters built, what Fred wants, Fred gets.

Fred’s 1967 Lincoln Continental 4 door convertible with removable plexiglass roof. It was used in NYC by Secret Service agents to move around dignitaries during various parades, Johnson and Nixon daughters on Honeymoons, all Apollo astronauts and was even sent to South America in ’68 for use by the Pope.

Did your parents drive a Packard? If not, what influences made you so fond of the brand?
MY FATHER BOUGHT A ’53 PACKARD PATRICIAN IN 1955 AND IN 1959 AT AGE 14 I DID A VALVE JOB ON IT IN THE DRIVEWAY

You have 100 automobiles at your disposal. How does one even attempt to decide what to drive? Do you have different cars for different occasions?
USUALLY MY EVERYDAY CAR IS ONE I RECENTLY BOUGHT OR JUST FINISHED RESTORING

Any of the new cars on the road doing it for you these days? Anything new you would be excited to own?
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Does walking through your collection take you to another place?
NO, I LIVE IN THAT “OTHER PLACE” WHERE INDIVIDUAL STYLE, COLOR AND DIVERSITY ARE THE NORM.

Can you describe your personal style?
YES, IT HAS A SPECIAL NAME, FRED KANTER ECLECTIC WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDES HAVING A 17 FOOT RUNABOUT BOAT MOUNTED 30 FEET UP IN AN OAK TREE IN MY FRONT YARD.

Tell me about that first Packard you bought with your brother Dan
IN 1960 DAN, A FRIEND AND I BOUGHT A 1937 PACKARD MODEL 120 SEDAN FOR $50.  THE ENGINE WAS APART AND FULL OF WATER.  OVER THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE ITEMS WE NEEDED INCLUDING A $40 ENGINE IN A JUNK YARD AND IN A FEW MONTHS IT WAS ON THE ROAD.  IT WAS MY EVERYDAY RIDE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THEN I TRADED IT FOR A BEAUTIFUL 1954 PACKARD CONVERTIBLE AND WAS ON MY WAY TO 50 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS PACKARD OWNESHIP.  NOW DAN AND I HAVE SEVERAL DOZEN PACKARDS

Anything that you absolutely must add to your collection? Something you’ve wanted for a long time perhaps.
THE KEY TO CONTENTMENT IS WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE, NOT HAVING WHAT YOU WANT.  I’M NOT SEEKING ANY PARTICULAR CAR, BUT IF SOMETHING EXCITING COMES ALONG THAT HAS “GOTTA HAVE IT” WRITTEN ALL OVER IT WELL…..

1983 Ford Probe IV Concept Car

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