Ferrari By Design

In the 1970’s, being only in my 20’s, I was lucky enough to work for both the Ferrari and Maserati Importers in New York. It made me appreciate even more, those great Italian machines. I had a chance to see them taken apart, enjoying all the wonderful craftsmanship put into them. I was also fortunate enough to drive many of the different models, both on the street and on the track.

I recently came across a great collection of Factory and Pininfarina Studio blueprints from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. Seeing these really took me back to that time in New York.

The collection includes racing and street cars such as: 250 coup and 2+2, 275, 400SA, 330 coupe & 2+2, 250 TDF & LM, Dino 206 & 246, and others. Most of the blueprints are 1/5 to 1/10 scale and are available for purchase at www.arteauto.com. Click on Prints then Various Artists.

Some time has passed since then, but I now enjoy being involved in the automobilia side of things. It allows me to be a part of preserving all the wonderful history of these great machines. 

Automobile Memorabilia Market is Hot

There is no greater cluster of collectors than the automobile memorabilia enthusiasts, with the exception of sports memorabilia collectors. These automobile memorabilia enthusiasts collect anything from signs, manuals to posters and paintings and the market is hotter than ever.

One of the most sought after items by collectors are vintage hood ornaments, and the value of these can be thousands of dollars. If you go to eBay’s Completed Sales list and do a search, you will find that a MG Tigress Car Mascot Hood Ornament sold for $3,275, an ORIGINAL Packard Adonis Daphne at the Well Hood Ornament Mascot sold for $2,655.  and there is a 1954 Chevrolet Eagle Design currently listed for $225 at l’art et l’automobile.

Some other vintage items to keep your eye out for are; Tin Signs from car and tire factories and car touring clubs, especially car touring clubs that are no longer in existence are esteemed, like the 1950’s Tin sign available at l’art et l’automobile  for the Deutscher Touring Automobile Club. Classic automobile badges, automotive pins, and racing medallions are also collected. Books, Literature, Programs, and Magazines also have a place on the collectable list. Antique Sculptures, Mascots and MotoMeters are all great collector items, and Automobile Photographs are collectible. This is only a partial list, and truthfully, it would take many blogs to cover them all.

Paper collectibles has been something that l’art et l’automobile has been selling for years. Some of the most collectible items are the owner’s manuals for special models. These can bring in some fancy money if they are for the right car, like the 1952 Ferrari owner's & maintenance manual +warranty booklet currently listed at a price of $5,750 listed at l’art et l’automobile. Dealer signs and advertisements, including magazine ads, also often catch the collectors fancy.

Jacques Vaucher, owner and operator of l’art et l’automobile has been an automobile memorabilia enthusiast since he was a teenager, and his love of the automobile has continues even today. His collection has continued to grow to one of the largest in the world.

View and browse l’art et l’automobile gallery here at: www.arteauto.com

Car Memorabilia - A Nice Surprise at a Reasonable Price

Everyone has a friend or family member on their list that is impossible to shop for. This person generally expresses no desire for a particular gift, or in some cases they have such a unique interest that you don’t even know where to begin.

At l’art et l’automobile, we are famous for our Big Boy Toys, like classic car posters, car models, vintage car paintings, prints and drawings. These vintage automobile items are available at a price almost anyone can afford.

Our Model cars that are life like miniatures of the classics that inspired them. Timeless vehicles like the 1903 Fiat Touring Car, 1950 BMW 500cc Twin model by John Lucas and the  Ferrari 640 F1 model by MG are just a few of the models to choose from.

Customers can browse our website, www.arteauto.com, and choose from all sorts of replica items, classic toys, retro watches, memorabilia and much more.

We boast a selection of Auto Signs, Rally Plaques and Automotive banners including a 1953 Nash Ambassador Airflyte dealer showroom banner, a 9th Annual Ironstone Concours d’ Elegance-2007 official event large vinyl banner by Roy E. Dryer III and 1959 FIM Scarborough Rally pennant and much more.

There is a complete line of nostalgic gifts including anything from an Andy Green montage, featuring his original autograph to a Marlboro Racing School helmet by Bieffe, signed by Rick Mears.

If there’s one gift you can’t go wrong with, Gift Certificate. Let them choose their own gift when you surprise them with a shopping spree at www.arteauto.com.

Give the gift of knowledge with an informative and entertaining vintage automobile book that your loved one will actually want to read, like Jensen Service Bulletins, Vol. 1 book, edited by Richard Calver or The T-Series MG book edited by Richard L. Knudson, 1975, 2nd ed.

If you are shopping for an automobile memorabilia collector or a classic car enthusiast this holiday season, start by visiting our website (www.arteauto.com) for these and many more collectable items. You are likely to find a nice surprise at a reasonable price.

l’art et l’automobile’s online auction is now open for viewing, registering & bidding ending December 11^th. We have 341 lots of auto memorabilia available, including; Books, Magazines, Programs, Factory publications, Lithographs, Prints, Photograph, serigraphs, Giclees, Blueprints (some autographed), Drawings, Paintings, Posters, Nameplate, Coachbuilder plates, Badges, Pin, St. Christopher medals, Enzo Ferrari autograph, Albums, Watches, Racing suit,  Mascots, Sculptures, Models & Toys. Visit our auction site at www.arteautoauction.com.

Upcoming auction dates

Auto Enthusiast Christmas Gifts

If you’re looking for that perfect Christmas gift for your Auto Enthusiast, then look no further! We have listed 10 of the Best Auto Memorabilia Holiday Gifts available.

1. Vintage Car Poster

Choose from vintage automotive posters from the 1890's to the present. Browse our huge collection of 24 hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix Posters and every other racing event, even posters from the amazing modern day poster artist Razzia, including his famous Louis Vuitton posters.

2. Vintage Hood Ornaments

Looking for a Vintage Hood Ornament? Surprise your Auto Enthusiast by visiting arteauto.com where you will find a 1920’s Masonic Logo hood ornament, a Windermere Motor Boat Racing Club hood ornament and a 1954 Chevrolet hood ornament, all reasonably priced and ready to be wrapped up and put under the tree.

3. Car Models

Whether you're shopping for the ultimate scratch built automobile model, or looking for a unique toy for a special grown-up child, at arteauto.com you can buy many hard to find car models like the 1982 Ferrari 126C2 hand-built model, 1/24th scale by Jeff Alderman, or a Packard by American National pressed steel toy car.

4. Automotive Paintings

Check out some of the amazing automobile artwork from some of the best artists from around the world available at arteauto.com including Geo Ham, Carlo Demand, Ken Dallison, Peter Hearsey, and Alain Levesque, among others. From the rare and vintage to the modern, we can suit all your holiday needs in fine automotive paintings and drawings from many motor racing scenes, touring or automotive studio renderings.

5. Auto Signs, Rally Plaques and Automotive Banners

Choose from multicolored modern wooden signs to an actual Royal Auto Club (RAC) large original fabric two-sided flag/banner or early 1970’s Michelin ZX original lithographed tin sign, at arteauto.com you'll find the most unique hard-to-find auto signs, banners or even a Bulova display sign/clock.

6. Classic Automobile Badges, Automotive Pins and Racing Medallions

Trying to find a rare Monte Carlo participant's badge? Or maybe you're looking for the perfect St. Christopher medallion. At arteauto.com we have a huge selection of to suit every need, including a great selection of British Motorcycle clubs badges.

7. Literature, Programs and Magazines

We have the hard to find, classic automotive literature you've been looking for. Whether it is an Indianapolis 500 official event program, a 1926 Locomobile Model 90 prestige catalog or a collection of Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club Publications, at arteauto.com you can find that unique piece of literature, race program, catalog or magazine for the ultimate automotive collector.

8. Automobile Prints

We have an amazing collection of automobile prints from a fantastic selection of artists at www.arteauto.com. Alain Levesque, Ernest Montaut, Francois Bruere, Geo Ham, Alain Mirgalet, Nicholas Watts and LeRoy Neiman are just a few of our featured artists.

9. Classic Car Automobilia

From a Tribute to Ayrton Senna sterling silver fountain pen set by Montegrappa to a Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar race car nose grill or Borrani aluminum front wire wheel for Ferrari 250 GTO Series II, at arteauto.com you can find that unique collectible gift for your special automotive enthusiast.

10. Gift Certificate

Getting ready for the Holidays? Don’t know what to get your Auto Enthusiast? Let them browse www.arteauto.com and choose from 1000’s of Vintage Auto Collectibles. What better way to say “Merry Christmas!” Gift Certificates make great stocking stuffers too and come in increments from $25 and up.

Gearing Up!