A Day at The Bridge Hamptons by Stephen Landau

As I barrel down the expressway in an 83’ Porsche 911, the steering wheel in my left hand and camera in my right, my lens is pointed towards a grotesque Tesla Cybertruck towing a factory-built Renault Clio race car. John Sharkey of Express Diagnostics is at the wheel of the Braun razor blade with wheels as Anthony Randazzo, owner of the Clio, sits shotgun. We are on our way to “The Bridge”, one of the most exclusive automotive events on the East Coast. It’s an invite-only affair, created by Bob Rubin, Shamin Abas, and Jeffrey Einhorn.

Having covered Monterey Car Week, Audrain, and the Amelia Island Concours, I’m certainly not new to Concours events. However, The Bridge is certainly different from the others. Its exclusivity, paired with a selection of rare and interesting vehicles jars against the fact that the normal fare of judging and high-brow snootery is missing. The Bridge is more like a local car meet if all your locals were multi-millionaires. It’s really refreshing to have an event that simply celebrates appreciating vehicles without the need for prizes or a dog show.

As we arrive at the golf course and follow the parking instructions, I spot my friend and client, Joe Buzzetta Jr., overseeing James Buzzetta as he helps unload some vehicles from a nearby trailer. The Bridge is featuring a display in honor of Joe’s father, Joe Buzzetta Sr., celebrating his legacy in Porsche collecting. On exhibit are his 1964 Elva Porsche, 1964 Porsche 904-005, and 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 Lightweight. After the event, I caught up with Joe to learn why these three particular cars were selected for the display.

The Elva Porsche was driven by Buzzetta Sr. from 1964 to 1965, dubbing it a “diabolical little car.” Its creation was a joint venture between Elva Cars in GB and Porsche A.G. after Huske Von Hanstein reportedly approached Elva with the idea of putting a Porsche engine into the Elva Mk 7.

The Elva was already a successful sports racer powered by a Cosworth engine so why not stuff a reliable Porsche 4-cam Fuhrmann engine into it and compete in the endurance series? The rear control arms had to be changed to fit the Porsche engine. Which dramatically altered the handling and transformed the car from reliable and safe to “diabolical”. Despite its handling challenges, the car still achieved multiple class victories.

“My dad bought (back) the 1964 Porsche 904-005 in 1997 from a collector in Germany. It has the most racing history of just about any 904, including winning the Targa Florio in 1963,” Joe Buzzetta Jr. told me. “Dad raced it at Daytona in the 1966 24-hour race to a 1st-in-class victory and 7th overall. Dad also had all 3 available power plants for a 904 but it currently has the 2.0L 906 engine. What I love about the 904 is it can be driven on the street or track and is pretty good on both! It’s a wonderful car that I plan to use in select vintage racing events and occasional, street use.”

“The iconic 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS is more so the lightweight version. Only 200 were produced. A true driver’s car, in every sense of the word. One of my favorite cars of all time. When my dad bought it at auction around 2001. He called me to say ‘I just bought your favorite car!’ Now, I’m finally finding the time to use it!”

I take my leave of Joe, John, and Anthony. They need to unload cars and I need to photograph them so I run to the entry under the iconic Chevron sign. Other lens militants are hiding in the high grass along the road. Each holding their cameras as if in a warzone, waiting for the enemy to show himself so they can fire away.

I’m positioned down the road in what I later discover is the least ideal spot. A golf cart adorns every one of my photos and I decide to move on. As golf carts are generally eyesores in photographs. When I arrive at the clubhouse I see James had just arrived with the Porsche 904 with Joe hot on his heels in the Porsche-powered Elva.

With the Elva parked and the Buzzettas heading back to get ready for the day’s festivities. I begin strolling the grounds when I stumble upon fellow shooter and Porsche owner Landon Nordman. Landon’s photography is stark portraiture. Fun and expressive work and I’m excited to see how he ties it in with the landscape of automotive art. I part ways with Landon and plan with John and Anthony to meet near his display. On the way, I scope out potential photography subjects and watch a Lamborghini Miura roll in which is, in my opinion, the most beautiful car ever created. Simple, fast lines and a sexy profile.

As I meander through the rolling hills of The Bridge, I run into Bobby Singh of Sacrilege Motors. In stark contrast to Buzzetta’s classic, petrol-powered race cars. Bobby is developing performance-tuned and EV-converted Porsche 911s using the 964 as donor cars.

“The custom motor delivers 500 horsepower and 500 newton-meters of torque. Without increasing the weight of the original ICE-powered vehicle, to deliver near-supercar performance,” Bobby told me. “This lightweight package was optimized for drivers, with custom-developed three-way adjustable Penske Racing shocks and Brembo six-piston brakes”.

I ask Bobby how attendees of The Bridge reacted to his cars, to which he replies “If anything, people were just blown away by the build quality”. Bobby is no stranger to Porsches, having built and maintained everything from classic air-cooled 911s to racing 917s. If you were going to go electric with a classic 911, he’d be the guy to do it right.

Eventually, I make it to where Anthony’s Renault Clio is staged. It’s a strange grouping of vehicles, but classifying a French hot hatch from Germany isn’t the easiest task either. The car is one of 159 factory-built race cars for Renault’s own one-make race series, powered by a rear-mounted 3.0L V6 engine coupled to a six-speed sequential transmission.

This Clio, Chassis # 120, raced in the German race series, placing third during the 2000 race season. And ultimately winning the Nurburgring race that same year. Anthony imported the car late last year and has spent the last few months getting it cleaned up for the 2024 race and show season.

As the sun sets on the retired race course, the sea of formed metal turns into an art piece in its own right. What once looked like cars parked on the lawn now took on the look of a modern art sculpture.

The reds, blues, and yellows are all bathed in a warm evening glow as the light hangs on the horizon. I rush through the maze of cars, trying to hold time in the palm of my hand. Each photo captures a moment that is now long lost. The sun disappears and all I hear is the distant chatter of cars leaving and people bidding farewell. A fond departure to this iconic event. ‘Til next year.