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If you missed my daily updates from the Ferrari Annual Meet, you can see them here.
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My “N.I.R.V.A.N.A.” Documentation Scale
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Welcome to my totally made up N.I.R.V.A.N.A. scale that ranks the importance of the documentation that comes with a collector car. This scale does not factor in the provenance, originality, rarity or desirability of said car. It has nothing to do with the car itself.
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For example, if we are talking about a 1974 Mustang II with all of the records, photos and documentation from new, it would rank high on the NIRVANA Scale. If it is an original 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa worth +$30M but it has zero documentation, it would rank very low. The value of the collector car has no impact on this scale. Kapish?:)
Now to the rankings. N.I.R.V.A.N.A. is an acronym and it goes from Nothing (N) and increases in importance until you spell NIRVANA. You’ll have to read this entire article to see what the final “A” is for. And trust me, it is worth it!
I will use the incredible documentation that came with my 1966 Pontiac GTO as an example. If you missed seeing it featured on Jay Leno’s Garage, you can watch it here or click on Jay’s face…he won’t mind…he’s a really nice guy. Let’s get started…
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7) N = Nothing…Nada, Zilch, Zippo, Zero
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You’ll see a number associated with each ranking from #7 to #1. This goes from Nothing (#7) to NIRVANA (#1).
As stated, the “N” in NIRVANA is for “Nothing”. This ranking is for cars that have no documentation of any sort.
I will use my first car as an example. If you can get past my cut-off jorts and my lustrous head of hair, you’ll see a mediocre 1968 Mustang coupe that I bought for $1,000 when I was 18ish. Not only was it lacking any sort of documentation, it was also the cheapest Mustang built…it had zero options. It came equipped with a straight six-cylinder engine and a three-speed tranny. If you are wondering why it is parked halfway in the grass, the emergency brake did not work and this was my well thought out solution. It did not roll away…that day. The day it did, is a story for another email:)
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6) I = Imitations & Reproductions
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This ranking is for cars that have some documentation and/or paperwork but none of it is original to the car. This could be a reproduction owner’s manual, protect-o-plate, maintenance booklet, etc. They are not from the date of purchase and therefore they are imitations of the authentic item. I almost called this ranking “Las Vegas Elvis,” but I needed a vowel to make my acronym work:)
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5) R = Robust, Third-Party Documentation
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For this ranking, third-party professionals are brought in to document your car. This could be through a Marti Report for post-1966 Mustangs or Porsche Vehicle Documentation or Jaguar Heritage Certificate. There are many of these services available for certain brands. Typically, all you need for one of these reports is your car’s VIN. This is great information to document the options that came on your car. It ranks low on this scale as it is a bought service and it is not from the period the car was originally sold.
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For my GTO, I ordered the Pontiac Historic Services (PHS) report. It verified most of my options but not all. My GTO was order with 1-of-5 special paint exterior colors, in this case, Tiger Gold. But this report does not document the specific color…just that it was one of the five available. It is a great resource to have, especially if your data tag is missing as it verifies the options and build configuration of the car.
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There is nothing better than documentation from the original dealership that sold your car. The images below are of a dealership magazine that was customized with the original owner’s name, Bob (Bobby) Morgan, on the centerfold which looked very similar to his car. If you watch the Leno video, Jay was quick to point out that it was not his car as Bobby’s has a red pinstripe.
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Next is the dealer plate that was never put on the GTO but was carefully saved…including the double-sided tape that would have affixed it to the car.
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Another rare dealer item is the original key chain which was personalized with Bob’s name. It is hard to make out the dealer’s name as it has faded from use but it’s there!
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Bobby was a race car driver and owner of Morgan’s Sunoco and Speed Shop in Chillicothe, Ohio. Additional vintage swag includes his racing jacket which matched the GTO, gold with red accents, #66, as well as his Sunoco U-Haul, service shirt and jacket which he customized with “I Can Be Very Friendly”.
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Bobby Morgan passed away in 2020 at 89 years old. By the time his racing career ended, over 100 trophies were on display in the station. If you squint your eyes, you can see them to the right of the Pepsi machine.
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Bobby’s racing career was honored with the Bobby Morgan Memorial Race. While not coming from the era when the GTO was new, these shirts add another facet to the GTO’s story.
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3) A = Authentic & Original Documents
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This is the level of the NIRVANA scale where documentation really adds value to your car. Why? Because this is documentation that cannot be bought or replicated. It not only verifies the authenticity of your car, but enhances its provenance for future owners.
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This is the original Protect-O-Plate with the owner’s name on the metal plate. I’ve been told that this one item can add as much as $10,000 to the value of a GTO. Please note the tape with 4-15-68 on it…this day/month appears again in six additional shocking ways. Please note the GTO’s VIN to the right of the tiger’s head.
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This blue sheet of paper was added to the owner’s manual by the dealership. It lists addition items that were not covered by the warranty. Nothing feels better than having that extra layer of protection from your loyal customers:)
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This is the original “Build Sheet” for the GTO which was found when the gas tank was pulled in 2023 in preparation to sell the car. This is the ONLY document that verifies the special paint color and the custom ordered red pinstripe. This piece of paper is gold!!
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This is the original GTO Dealer Invoice which shows that Bobby did a partial trade in of a 1965 VW 2-door (Bug) and a 1960 Chevy Wagon. Fun note, the GTO’s engine is a 389 cubic inch V-8. Guess what, the last three digits of the GTO’s VIN is “389”!
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This pile of awesomeness includes the original title, loan document, owner’s manual AND many state registrations back to 1970! Three of these expired on April the 15th…1970, 1972 and 1973. And a gas receipt…you guessed it…from 4/15/1970…weird right?
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I love it when a car comes with stickers as they can tell a story. For the GTO, it has an Ohio inspection sticker from 1968, a Sunoco “260 Fired” and oil change stickers back to 1971. But wait, there’s more. The oil change stickers are from Bobby’s Sunoco station so HIS NAME IS ON THE STICKERS!
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And There’s More From April 15th
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Remember the 4/15 dates from the Protect-O-Plate, registrations and gas receipt? Below is the inspection tag I found when I was detailing the engine bay. It is dated 4/15/1966 which was one week after the build date and once week before Bobby bought it. As if that isn’t cool enough, we filmed with Jay Leno on 4/15/2024…58 years later to the exact day!
Another fun fact, I heard about the GTO on Bobby Morgan’s birthday and I bought the GTO on his wife’s birthday!
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2) N = Nostalgic Period Pictures
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For most cars, this is the best of the best documentation you could ever ask for. Having a picture of your car, the day it was bought at the dealership with advertising behind it…it really does not get any better. And for the GTO, there is a FREAKIN STUFFED TIGER ON THE HOOD! On top of that, we actually have two different pictures from 1966.
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Additional pictures from the time the car was new with Bobby and his family are also priceless. Please keep reading…believe it or not, it gets better:)
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This picture of Bobby with his race car was taken in the parking lot of his Sunoco station which was across the street from the dealership where he eventually bought the GTO. Gold with red accents and the number 66, where have I seen that before?:)
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The GTO won the Jim Ibold Preservation Award at the Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance in 2024. While there, I asked the daughters to replicate this picture of them from 1966….58 years later! Their sad faces were a must to replicate the original picture which was very difficult for them as they were so thrilled with the award.
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OK, this is it. You have all the original documents, vintage swag and period pictures for your car. The package is complete and you cannot imagine what else could enhance the story of your car. And then you get a Polaroid picture in the mail…
The last “A” on the NIRVANA scale is for “Another Level”. And this is it…a cake.
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A what? Yes, a cake. This photograph is the entire reason I created the NIRVANA scale. I thought the picture of the GTO from 1966 with the tiger on the hood was the ultimate photo documentation of a car. But I was wrong! This is the THANK YOU cake from the dealer to Bobby Morgan for buying the GTO. If you look closely, you can see one of the daughter’s hand, Lisa I believe, reaching in.
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Here is the back of the photo…
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And Finally…The Can Of Paint
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This also falls into the “Another Level” category. For GTOs that were ordered with one of the five special exterior colors, Pontiac included a can of touch up paint in its trunk. My GTO has its original can with the paint code written by hand on a piece of tape. To see one of these cans with the original car is extremely rare.
Automotive NIRVANA is achieved when there is great documentation of a car. I’m there right now.
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Where Does Your Car Rank on the NIRVANA Scale?
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How about you? Do you have a NIRVANA car? If so, please share your story with me by responding to this email. No matter where your car ranks on the scale, you can add documentation while it is under your ownership.
Having my GTO on Jay Leno’s Garage was a great addition to this car’s story. I asked Bobby’s daughters to join me as their story growing up with the GTO is just as important as any of its documentation.
Showing it at the Cincinnati Concours and winning a Preservation Award adds documentation. It will have even more when it is shown and judged as a preservation car at Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) in November.
Getting a Corvette judged at an NCRS event adds documentation. Ferraris that achieve Platino at the Annual Meet or Cavallino, Muscle cars at MCACN, Mustangs at MCA Nationals…all help you reach your own automotive NIRVANA.
When I bought the GTO, I was involved in the selling of the 1962 Ferrari GTO that sold for $51.7M through RM Sotheby’s in November of 2023. Since I had two GTOs in my life at the same time, I had to get them together for a few pictures.
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Thank you if you’ve read this far. These emails take a lot of time and effort and I want to provide an entertaining read that is informative and fun for all.
I will talk to you next week on The Collector Car Podcast. Greg
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Don’t forget to ask for a poker chip when you see me in person!
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