BEHIND THE LENS COMING FULL CIRCLE In the collector car hobby, it’s not uncommon for someone to sell a vehicle only to buy it back several years later, or to miss out on purchasing that Shelby GT350 at Kissimmee, but have the opportunity again a couple of years down the road at Indy. At Mecum’s auctions, we regularly see vehicles and people come full circle—buying, selling and even having chance meetings with long lost friends. Earlier this month, I received an assignment to photograph a Dodge Super Bee. SCOTT MEAD With a little help from his grandfather, Mecum’s senior photographer, Scott, started driving at the age of 3 and was racing go-karts by the time he turned 8. He received his first camera (a Kodak Instamatic) around the same time and started photographing car events, races, rallies and concours. Before coming to Mecum, he was a writer and photographer for Edmunds.com, Motor Trend and spent 15 years in Hawaii photographing the island’s splendor. Scott’s wife swears he gargles with 100-octane race gas and bleeds 20/50 motor oil, and when he’s not on the road, you can find him in his garage, wrenching on their DeTomaso Pantera or Porsche 914. The client’s name sounded familiar, a rather common surname, but since I couldn’t readily place a face to it, I quickly dismissed the recognition and called to set up the shoot. Speaking with the client, the voice on the other end of the line struck a chord, even with the not-so-clear cellular connection. With my mind spinning, doing double backflips with half gainers trying to nail the name-to-face equation, the appointment was set for two days’ time. I needed to figure this puzzle out. The morning of the shoot, I rolled up to the unassuming single-level home; the only thing making it stand out from the rest of the SoCal cookie cutters was the gleaming Super Bee in the open garage. As I walked up the driveway, the owner came out from behind the car, and gongs immediately started going off in my head. I knew this guy, and by the look on his face, it was evident that he knew me. The “aha” moment then hit us: we had both lived on the island of Maui in Hawai’i at the same time; we had both lived in the same town (our homes were but a mile and change apart); and we were also both members of the Maui Exotics car club. The world had just shrunk to the size of a BB. It didn’t take long for some Island Car Guy bench racing to start between shutter clicks—the runs up the volcano to the summit of Haleakala, freezing our backsides off in board shorts and tank tops while checking out everyone’s cars; or the spirited drives to the Ulupalakua General Store for burgers, fries, Cokes and lunchtime shop talk at the massive picnic table. Ah … the car shows at Peggy Sue’s in Kihei, or upcountry at one of the member’s homes, or cruising down Front Street in Lahaina and watching all the tourists’ jaws drop—who would have thought this small island would be home to throngs of classic Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Panteras, Porsches, Lotuses and heck, even a Devin? Yes, the fun meter was pegged off the scale. Circle complete. 52 // MECUM.COM
