John C. Lutsch - Etcetera Column
Founder and current owner of Aeromobilia.com, an internet-based purveyor of unique automobile and aviation-related art, models, and rare treasures for the collector and enthusiast. John is also currently engaged as a commercial photographer, serving national and international corporate clients.
John C. Lutsch
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After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, he became a full-time staff member with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, contributing to production of over twenty coffee-table books and exhibition catalogs.
John has been published in Road and Track and Cavallino magazines, as well as being a regular contributor to Prancing Horse and Vintage Motorsport magazines. He also participated in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s landmark exhibition, ‘Bugatti’. AeroMobilia.com john@aeromobilia.com |
Some of Dale's Articles: Etcetera Column
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The Ruddspeed Decanters: Issue #1 Sept/Oct 2018
In the world of automobiles, ‘facial recognition’ has been with us from the outset. Beginning as entirely utilitarian devices, car’s radiators and grilles evolved into objects of great beauty, carefully styled to provide instant notice as to the identity of manufacture. The grilles and radiator shapes became so iconic and identifiable that who could fail to recognize a pre-war Bugatti, Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Maserati grand prix car, or Mercedes-Benz speeding toward them? Even today, a glance in our rear-view mirror confirms immediately that an approaching, black, twin-nostril grille belongs to a BMW; instant recognition. |
“Surprise at Monaco” by J. Paul Nesse, 1989. Edition of 24, approximately 20” long. Value: $10,000 to $15,000.
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Art Works in Three Dimensions: Issue #2 Nov/Dec 2018
I started collecting auto racing photography over 30 years ago when I invested in a couple of Jacques Henri Lartigue photographs of my favorite subject. I had just sold a 6-page spread of my own photographs to a magazine, the check arrived, and I promptly spent it all on the Lartigues. Little did I know at the time that this would lead to what I now must call a collection. In the field of automobilia, quality sculpture has always been desirable, and happily, we are living in something of a ‘golden age’ where beautiful works are available to suit a wide range of budgets and tastes. Regardless of materials used or limits of edition size, there is a marvelous variety of desirable new and vintage automobile-inspired sculpture currently available to enthusiasts, from incredibly rare to common place. |
McKenna wheels: 1:8 scale. $300 - $500
McKenna radiator 1:8 scale. $300 - $600
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Part & Parcel Part I: Issue #3 Jan/Feb 2019
For those of us who are automobile history and racing fans, and like to collect along those lines, often the very high outlay (think thousands of dollars) for a significant piece of memorabilia is well beyond consideration for most of us. Thankfully, a few manufacturers and custom builders have addressed this problem by constructing scale model representations of the real items, creating works that stand on their own as highly collectible. |
GMP - Ferrari’s and Offenhauser,
7-12” long. Value $350-$700.
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Part & Parcel Part Deux: Issue #4 Mar/Apr 2019
Our previous article, “Part And Parcel”covered only a tiny portion of the vast array of collectible reproductions of automobile components; a situation we’ll try to redress by examining several outstanding scale model engines, starting with a group produced by GMP in 1:6 scale several years ago. Offered were 12-cylinder motors from Ferrari; a 250 Testa Rossa, a 250 SWB, a 250 GTO (pictured), and a flat-12 312 PB (pictured). Also produced were three different 4-cylinder inline Offenhausers; a “clean” version (pictured), a “dirty” race-used version, and a turbocharged Indy engine. A group of three Ford V8 Flatheads followed, along with a Keith Black Chrysler drag racing engine. |
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Mille What?: Issue #5 May/June 2019
Today, the term "souvenir" often conjures images of cheap, plastic, almost throwaway mementos from a particular event or experience. It wasn’t always so. In the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, incredibly beautiful objects were created to commemorate the American and European elite’s travels to classical historical sites, most often referred to as “The Grand Tour.” Items were constructed of bronze, stone, semi-precious stones, and mosaics to connect their owners with memorable travel experiences. A parallel exists in the world of automobilia collecting; special items directly related to significant races. In this article, we will just touch on one particular event; the legendary Mille Miglia. A grueling race that took place from 1927-1957, traversing a one-thousand-mile route from Brescia in Northern Italy, down to Rome, and back up to Brescia, passing through some of the most beautiful (and dangerous) roads on the peninsula. Over the three decades of its existence, the Mille Miglia hosted most of the world’s greatest automobile marques, and doubtless its greatest drivers. |
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Sometimes it's the Story: Issue #6 July/Aug 2019
For collectors, most of the time, it’s all about the object; whether artwork, models, posters, photographs, etc., our eyes are drawn to a well-rendered car, a beautiful hood ornament, or shining porcelain sign. But sometimes, it’s the story behind the object that assumes primary importance. Suzy Dietrich was a pioneering female racing driver from Sandusky, Ohio, who gained notoriety in the early 1950s through late 1960s, piloting Porsches, Elvas, MGs and a Formula Junior Cooper in regional and national SCCA-sanctioned events, such as Cumberland, Elkhart Lake, Watkins Glen and even Daytona and Nassau Speed Week. She competed primarily in the ladies’ division, but occasionally went head to head with the men. |