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Race Recap: 2015 US Grand Prix was wet, wild, and historic

Hurricane Patricia made landfall in Mexico this weekend, and made her presence known throughout the South. For two of the three days of the grand prix weekend it rained non-stop in Austin, so badly on Saturday that qualifying had to be postponed until Sunday morning, and then it only stayed dry enough to conduct the first two sessions. At the end of a tricky, slippery Q2 Nico Rosberg had put his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on the front row, one tenth ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. The German had done the best he could to keep his hair-thin chances of a World Championship fight alive. Daniel Ricciardo lined his Infiniti Red Bull Racing chassis in third ahead of teammate Daniil Kvyat, both drivers having moved up a place because Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel took a ten-spot grid penalty for using a fifth engine and dropped to 13th. Continuing the two-up theme, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg were fifth and sixth for Force India. After that came variety: Felipe Massa in seventh for Williams, Max Verstappen for Toro Rosso in eighth, Fernando Alonso looking good in the rain for McLaren in ninth, and Romain Grosjean for Lotus in tenth. When the lights went out, Turn 1 set the tone. Pole position is on the outside line at Circuit of the Americas, and Hamilton had got himself far enough under Rosberg by the time the two got up the hill that Rosberg had to stick to the outside through the corner. At the corner exit Hamilton used the entire track, pushing Rosberg wide, their cars touching. As Rosberg left the track and dropped back to fourth, Hamilton radioed to the team to say the contact was unintentional. The two Mercedes' and two Red Bulls animated the front. Rosberg passed Ricciardo at the end of a Virtual Safety Car period employed to let the marshals clean the debris at Turn 1. Kvyat started chasing down Hamilton until the Russian ran wide and let Rosberg and Ricciardo through, then Rosberg ran wide on the next lap to let Ricciardo through. On Lap 15, Ricciardo passed Hamilton through the esses to take the lead. After the first round of pit stops the Aussie still had the lead, followed by Rosberg, Kvyat, Hamilton, and Vettel. Then Rosberg got around to take the lead and Vettel closed in on Hamilton as the Brit duked it out with the Russian. Rosberg showed excellent speed, building up a nine-second gap on Ricciardo, but a Safety Car period erased that when Marcus Ericsson had to park his dead Sauber on the inside of the track after Turn 10.

Multimillion-dollar Ferraris line up for Pebble Beach

Wherever high-value classic cars are being sold, you can bet that vintage Ferraris will be topping the list. Especially at Pebble Beach. And that's precisely the auction for which Gooding & Company has lined up a trio of multi-million-dollar examples. Arguably the most enticing (and sure to fetch the highest price) of them all is a classic red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, complete with the highly-coveted covered headlights – just like the one in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Chassis number 3095 GT is one of just 37 made in this configuration. It's been fully documented and certified, but not restored. This is the first time this particular example will be offered in the United States, and Gooding expects it will fetch around $17 million - placing it at the high end of the Sports Car Market database of prices paid for 250s of any kind. Joining the California Spider is a striking 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica – the fastest road-going sports car of its time with a top speed in excess of 150 miles per hour. Painted in metallic grey with a contrasting dark red roof and red leather interior, this Series II coupe was purchased by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. It went with his wife following their divorce, and was awarded first in class at Pebble Beach in 1978. It's projected to raise between five or six million in financial scholarships, potentially eclipsing any record for Superamericas to date. Finally, in what could be a footnote only in this rarefied company, is a 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast that boasts similarly lofty provenance, having been delivered new to Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. In stunning dark blue with red leather, chassis 6049 SA is anticipated to sell for over $3 million (over a million more than any Superfast yet) when the gavel drops at the Concours d'Elegance next month. Gooding & Company Announces Multiple Show-Stopping Ferraris Including a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider to Headline Pebble Beach Auctions This quintessential open-air Ferrari is expected to set record-breaking numbers when it crosses the block this August SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 14, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is pleased to announce the addition of three unparalleled classic Ferraris to its sale in August – a 1961 250 GT SWB California Spider, a 1957 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe, and a 1965 500 Superfast.

Luxury carmakers make way more than just cars

Whether it's as simple as Ferrari offering model cars or as opulent as Bugatti with an $84,000-belt buckle, practically every automaker does more than just sell cars to keep their brands visible. The profits from these ventures might not be enough to keep the lights on, but in such a competitive industry, any extra cash is welcome. For the automakers that get licensing just right, there is a ton of profit to be made. According to a recent story examining the practice by The New York Times, Ferrari makes around $2.6 billion from merchandising each year, and General Motors tops that at $3.5 billion. Beyond just a profit center, merchandising can also protect an automaker's name. Take Hummer for example. The GM division shut down years ago, but it has continued to produce licensed cologne on sale around the world. "Because we still have the active fragrance, we're protecting the brand if we ever decide to bring it back," Gene Reamer, a GM licensing senior manager, told the Times. The whole piece is a fascinating look into this often ignored, but quite lucrative facet of the auto business. Read it for yourself, here. Related Video: News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Luca Bruno / AP Photo Design/Style Earnings/Financials Marketing/Advertising Read This Ferrari GM Hummer branding