You don’t typically hear about disasters befalling the annual luxurious gathering that’s the Monterey Automotive Week. Nevertheless, this yr disaster struck when a priceless Ford Ghia Probe 1 Idea Automotive went up in flames leaving the occasion and now a second multi-million-dollar motor has been destroyed in a fireplace following the meet.
Final week, a $2 million greenback Hispano-Suiza traditional automobile caught hearth whereas being towed in Monterey, experiences native information outlet the Monterey Herald. After being exhibited at Traditional Automotive Week in Monterey, the 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Vanvooren Cabriolet was being towed alongside Monterey-Salinas Freeway and York Highway final week when catastrophe struck.
The trailer hauling the traditional was absolutely engulfed in flames at round 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday September 4 and the hearth rapidly unfold to close by vegetation. Because the Monterey Herald experiences:
The crews moved rapidly and extinguished the hearth on each the trailer and the vegetation, stopping additional unfold in keeping with a information launch from the town of Monterey. The Monterey-Salinas Freeway was closed in each instructions and site visitors was diverted by means of Decrease Ragsdale Drive for about an hour and a half till the trailer and car was eliminated.
A complete of 16 hearth personnel labored collectively, led by the Monterey Hearth Division, together with two division chiefs from Monterey Hearth and Monterey County Regional Hearth District, 4 engines and one water tender. The Monterey Police Division additionally helped with site visitors management and Pacific Gasoline & Electrical inspected close by energy traces for any harm.
Fortunately the motive force of the truck towing the traditional automobile was capable of exit the car safely and CBS Information experiences that they unhitched their truck and obtained away from the scene with solely minor accidents. The automobile, nonetheless, was a lot much less lucky.
After claiming a second-place award at Traditional Automotive Week, the automobile was utterly destroyed by the blaze. Its slick European bodywork was singed off the body and the automobile’s monumental V12 up entrance was topic to some intense temperatures whereas the hearth raged.
Firefighters responding to the blaze shut the freeway whereas tackling the hearth. They’ve since opened an investigation into the hearth, however don’t imagine there to be something suspicious in regards to the tragedy. As CarScoops provides:
Firefighters declare that there aren’t any present causes for suspicion, even though one other present car, on this case a 1979 Ford’s Ghia Probe 1 Idea Automotive valued at $1 million, was additionally destroyed in a trailer hearth on August 18 in Monterey.
“That is an uncommon occasion to occur twice,” says Monterey Hearth Division Chief Chris Grogan. “Neither one in every of them seems to be suspicious. It’s only a string of dangerous luck.” The J12 is notable because it was initially provided with a 9.4-liter V12. This instance is owned by Hong Kong billionaire businessman Michael Kadoorie, says Monterey County Now.
The 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Vanvooren Cabriolet had simply taken second place within the J-1: European Traditional Touring Early class on the Monterey occasion. Previous rosette winners at California’s annual summer time of automobile reveals have included a 1937 Bugatti Sort 57SC Atalante in addition to a Nazi period Mercedes-Benz 540 Ok Autobahnkurier.
