Cordero Studios/www.corderostudios.com
Profiles: In Full Regalia
August 1, 2007
Restoring important cars is
nothing new for Mike Regalia. He began his career in 1978 as a painter for J.B.
Nethercutt, and in 2001—hundreds of projects later—became president of the
Nethercutt Collection (The Robb
Report Collection, August 2006). "It was at
[Nethercutt’s] shop that I began to understand and appreciate the importance of
authenticity," says Regalia. "If a car can be made perfect, I make it
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Photograph by Cordero Studios/www.corderostudios.com (Click image to enlarge)
During his tenure, Regalia worked on concours superstars like
the Twenty-Grand, a 1933 Duesenberg SJ Rollston Arlington Torpedo sedan that
took Best in Show honors at Pebble Beach in 1980. The car, which resides at the
Nethercutt Collection and Museum in Sylmar, Calif., still wears the metallic
pewter-silver paint Regalia applied.
In 2005, he opened his own shop—Regalia Concours Restorations.
"I can always envision the completed car before I start on any restoration,"
Regalia says. "Color, upholstery, body lines—the car is already done in my
mind." A recent visit to his garage revealed three cars on their way to the
polished perfection he has imagined: a 1939 Talbot Lago T150css, a 1969 Ferrari
365 GTC and a 1972 Ferrari Daytona coupe. The average restoration takes from 12
to 18 months and ranges from 2,000 to 4,000-hours to complete; Regalia plans to
have the 365 GTC and the Daytona coupe ready for the 2008 Palm Beach Cavallino
Classic in January.
From his perspective, all restoration projects are not created
equal. "Finding the right car requires patience and often times, guidance,"
Regalia says. "You never want to start a restoration on the wrong car." The
extremely rare 1939 Talbot Lago, for instance, qualifies on a number of fronts:
One of three Marcel Pourtout teardrop bodies known to exist—and the last
unrestored example—it also happens to be the only custom coach built T150css
Lagos chassis with a competition history. "I don’t want to be known for a lot of
cars," explains Regalia. "Only perfect cars."
Regalia Concours Restorations
www.regaliaconcoursrestorations.com
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