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  • dyintorace

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:17 p.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    So I managed to wrangle an invitation to meet with Ken Lingenfelter earlier this week at his office outside Detroit. He is an avid car collector who made quite a bit of money in the title agent/insurance business with a company he started in the late seventies. He sold his company to a public company in 2003 and worked there for 5 years. He then "retired", but, having purchased Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in the mid-2000s after his 2nd cousin, John Lingenfelter, passed away, he once again works full time, guiding that company.

    He couldn't have been nicer to me or more gracious. We spent the better part of an hour talking about title insurance. Then, as that conversation wrapped up, he asked "so you want to see the collection?" I thought he'd never ask!

    His collection is best described as eclectic. He has a penchant for 3 general genres: muscle, Corvette/Camaro and exotics. But he would appeal to this crowd, if for no other reason than he has 2 spotless Fiero GTs!

    Here is an article that talks a little about him: Corvette Magazine article

    Here is a link to pictures I took. I didn't take nearly as many as I would have liked. In fact, in looking through them, I saw cars that I completely missed! I could have spent the entire day there.

    Photobucket album

    And, as a teaser, here is one of the cooler cars:

  • drmike

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:21 p.m. drmike New Reader

    I looked right over the (of course awesome) Lambo at the Alfa 8C after reading "here is one of the cooler cars."

  • Javelin

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:22 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

    8C Compitizione!

  • Javelin

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:23 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

    Honestly I saw the 951 in the background first...

  • MrJoshua

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:25 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork

    I dig a guy who with that kind of bank has an ~$7,000 944 turbo in the "Exotics" room.

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:28 p.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    MrJoshua wrote:

    I dig a guy who with that kind of bank has an ~$7,000 944 turbo in the "Exotics" room.

    Funniest part about the 951 is he bought it off ebay. He was proud of that.

  • Platinum90

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:33 p.m. Platinum90 SuperDork

    Yeah, that is crazy. there are at least 3 cars there that cost over 1M...and over in the corner is a 914...

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:33 p.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    Another cool tidbit is this 914 sitting in the corner. He just bought it, with plans to perform a widebody/LSx conversion. He was super excited about that plan.

  • JFX001

    Oct. 7, 2010 8:54 p.m. JFX001 SuperDork

    wow....

  • Raze

    Oct. 7, 2010 9:49 p.m. Raze Dork

    Yeah the 8C was what first caught my eye, then the F22 inspired Reventon

  • Jay_W

    Oct. 7, 2010 10:20 p.m. Jay_W HalfDork

    So he's all jazzed about doing an lsx to a 914, that's parked behind the Carrera GT... yah OK, the feller's all right in my book. I must have a sick and twisted book.

  • rob_lewis

    Oct. 7, 2010 11:45 p.m. rob_lewis Dork

    I know we all like our inexpensive cars.

    And that modern muscle cars are just too bloated and big in comparison to the originals.

    And GM should now stand for Government Motors.

    But I'm a kid the '70's and this made me giggle just like the first time I saw Sally Field flip off Sheriff Buford T. Justice....

    Photobucket

    -Rob

  • junkbuggie

    Oct. 8, 2010 12:05 a.m. junkbuggie Reader

    wow.

  • junkbuggie

    Oct. 8, 2010 12:06 a.m. junkbuggie Reader

    page 1 pic 2 what is that I think I am in love.

  • ValuePack

    Oct. 8, 2010 12:19 a.m. ValuePack HalfDork

    drmike wrote:

    I looked right over the (of course awesome) Lambo at the Alfa 8C after reading "here is one of the cooler cars."

    I did the very same.

    Neat collection! Thanks to the OP for sharing! Does my heart good to see someone with money who enjoys acquiring new and old, pricey and cheap.

  • Luke

    Oct. 8, 2010 4:04 a.m. Luke SuperDork

    Wow, awesome collection.

    Any info on this 'Vette?

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 8, 2010 10:35 a.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    Jay_W wrote:

    So he's all jazzed about doing an lsx to a 914, that's parked behind the Carrera GT... yah OK, the feller's all right in my book. I must have a sick and twisted book.

    And the Carrera GT is sitting behind an original 959 that he (no lie) bought from the Sultan of Brunei.

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 8, 2010 10:36 a.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    Luke wrote:

    Wow, awesome collection.

    Any info on this 'Vette?

    Very significant car. It was the original Duntov test mule when the Corvette was first being developed. It is the crown jewel in his Corvette collection. Only one in existence.

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 8, 2010 10:38 a.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    ValuePack wrote:

    drmike wrote:

    I looked right over the (of course awesome) Lambo at the Alfa 8C after reading "here is one of the cooler cars."

    I did the very same.

    Neat collection! Thanks to the OP for sharing! Does my heart good to see someone with money who enjoys acquiring new and old, pricey and cheap.

    Happy to share. I was blown away and wanted to tell the story.

    I loved the Alfa 8C as well. The frustrating thing about the tour was that it was compressed due to Ken's schedule. I'm still shaking my head that I walked through a collection like this and "blew off" cars like the Mercedes SLR, the Saleen S7, the Alfa, etc. There were just so many cool things to see.

  • Strike_Zero

    Oct. 8, 2010 10:44 a.m. Strike_Zero Reader

    Javelin wrote:

    8C Compitizione!

    Oh My Yes. . .

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 8, 2010 11:00 a.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    This is a big push for Lingenfelter Performance Engineering right now. There were three current gen Camaros in the warehouse that each had some sort of 'vintage' treatment.

    This one was very neat looking too.

    rob_lewis wrote:

    I know we all like our inexpensive cars.

    And that modern muscle cars are just too bloated and big in comparison to the originals.

    And GM should now stand for Government Motors.

    But I'm a kid the '70's and this made me giggle just like the first time I saw Sally Field flip off Sheriff Buford T. Justice....

    Photobucket

    -Rob

  • Adrian_Thompson

    Oct. 8, 2010 1:05 p.m. Adrian_Thompson HalfDork

    junkbuggie wrote:

    page 1 pic 2 what is that I think I am in love.

    I'm thinking Ferrari 400i??

  • junkbuggie

    Oct. 8, 2010 1:15 p.m. junkbuggie Reader

    Adrian_Thompson wrote:

    junkbuggie wrote:

    page 1 pic 2 what is that I think I am in love.

    I'm thinking Ferrari 400i??

    I don't think so. but my first thought was also ferrari of the 70s-80s

  • JFX001

    Oct. 8, 2010 1:40 p.m. JFX001 SuperDork

    junkbuggie wrote:

    Adrian_Thompson wrote:

    junkbuggie wrote:

    page 1 pic 2 what is that I think I am in love.

    I'm thinking Ferrari 400i??

    I don't think so. but my first thought was also ferrari of the 70s-80s

    Bitter SC.

  • dyintorace

    Oct. 8, 2010 2:00 p.m. dyintorace SuperDork

    JFX001 wrote:

    junkbuggie wrote:

    Adrian_Thompson wrote:

    junkbuggie wrote:

    page 1 pic 2 what is that I think I am in love.

    I'm thinking Ferrari 400i??

    I don't think so. but my first thought was also ferrari of the 70s-80s

    Bitter SC.

    ^^Winner. Ken and I spoke specifically about that car as the last item of the tour. It happens to be the first car you see upon walking into the warehouse, but we touched on it last. He said he walked by it at a show and did a double take, thinking it was a Ferrari. Upon discovering it was a Bitter, he snapped it up, thinking it would make a nice addition to the collection.

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