The Californian from Salinas, California • Page A10

10A thecalifornian.comThe Salinas Californian PEBBLE BEACH Leland F. Powells was a little nervous as the judges app roached his 1912 Moon 30 Raceabout and what car entrant at the 2016 Pebble each Concours Elegance e. Pebble is considered the top- anked concours. sort of like that old gunslinger nervous beforehand and shaky afterwards, but always rocks steady during the big Powells said, winking. Atall imposing figure dressed all in black, complete with a black leather wrapped peg leg and wearing a tweed riving cap and amber goggles that are more than a century old perched atop a flowing mane of shoulder length auburn hair, Powells cuts a dashing figure among a field of car entrants all dressed match the era of their vehicle entries.

Except Powells dresses this way all the time. And unlike many Pebble Beach contestants, who rarely drive their pristine machines and likely have never worked on them themselves, Powells drives his magnificent Moon Raceabout often and often at the limit. car was built to run, the open road just calls out to said Powells, hose history with the car goes back many decades to when his father bought the car when the bulk of the William Harrah Automobile Collection was auc- ioned off in the eland F. Powells of Cambria can ake a far better case than most who ould like to claim they have automotive history in their blood. When his son was born, veteran Lincoln collector Thomas Powells named his son Leland to honor a utomotive pioneer Henry M.

Leland, he founder of Cadillac, and later, the incoln Motor Company. Of course, along with the Leland name, the younger Powells also inherited a love of fine early Lincoln motorcars hat dates back to the early era of custom oach-built automobiles and when V-12 ngines were still offered by many automobile manufacturers. He keeps coming back to Pebble Beach for the Concours, too and always with an early car. In 2013, Powells won hird place in his class with a 1912 Simp lex 50 Toy Tonneau his family restored 35 years prior to the show. Powells said he believes in preserving a car that is already in fine shape just the way that it is.

ike his Moon: The car may be 104 years oung, but it has never been restored, ust maintained. car runs great, and the brakes were last done in he said, explaining that the Moon might have a few spots of tarnish, but he is loath to restore any art of it for fear that making any cos- etic improvement might draw him into afull restoration, or otherwise one shiny part or two will look out of place amidst the overall patina. owells said, at first, kids often made un of him at school for being named Lel and, but growing up in a household with antique motorcycles and veteran and classic automobiles made it all seem worthwhile when he got a little older. Even a catastrophic accident suffered ome 37 years ago while riding a 1929 arley dimmed love of early automobiles. lost my leg, but that stopped Powells said.

Now when the open oad calls, he just stretches out a little bit ore, and goes and goes. But sometimes ow, he lets a friend help out by hand cranking that Moon to life. CLASSIC CAR WEEK By the light of the silvery Moon 1912 Raceabout gets driven often and at limit of performance ERIC COYNE SPECIAL TO THE CALIFORNIAN BRENNER Leland F. Powells, of Cambria, shows his 1912 Moon 30 Raceabout at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours held on the lawns of the Del Monte Lodge. father bought the Moon Racebout at auction when the world famous Automobile Collection was downsized in the.