A friend of Power’s discovered this Maserati 200S at a facility in Tampa where it had been sitting and notified Dale. Reasonable offer made and accepted.
By Eric Davison
Photos courtesy Dale Powers
From the Archives, December, 2016
During the course of his automotive career Dale Powers has owned so many different great cars that he cannot recall all of them. There were Jaguars, Porsches, half a dozen Ferraris including a Daytona and a 2-litre Testa Rossa, a Kurtis, an HRG, an SS100. It would be hard to find a marque that he did not at one time own and drive. A beautiful Cisitalia cabriolet was his personal chariot for a few happy miles.
A dream car for most Italian car lovers, Dale got the Cisi by trading his motorhome for it.
Dale also found a Maserati 200si whose engine had been destroyed in SCCA racing. It sat unattended and unloved waiting for a new engine to arrive from Italy. The owner, tired of the wait, purchased a Porsche Spyder and Dale was able to purchase the car for an unreasonably small amount and resell it for a nominal profit.
Another one that got away was the 2900 B Alfa Romeo that took first place at the inaugural 1948 Watkins Glen Grand Prix. The head had been badly damaged when a valve had been swallowed. The price was $4500 but Dale could not raise the funds.
The list is almost endless and to spell it all out and the prices by which they were acquired or for which they were sold would be enough to bring tears to the eyes of those of us who can recall the ‘good old days.’
At one point he was asked if he could rebuild a Rolls-Royce engine. He replied that he could, provided that he was given the correct specifications. It was a turning point.
This 365 GT was but one of six Ferraris that Dale was able to own and enjoy.
With a successful Rolls-Royce rebuild in his resume his part time business turned into a full time business. Then, in 1971 with a small loan, high hopes and plenty of nerve, he established Dale Powers Automotive in St. Petersburg, Florida. His automotive service and restoration business grew, and was a success that at one time employed 18 people.
Dale and Marcia Powers celebrated their 25th anniversary appropriately enough aboard their 1922 Silver Ghost.
Dale Powers Automotive began to specialize in Bentleys and Rolls-Royce. He loved them and because of his success with a Rolls engine rebuild he soon developed a following of Rolls and Bentley owners who knew they could trust their cars to his experienced hands. His resourcefulness in obtaining parts and in making accurate and historically correct restorations gave him an international reputation. He also became a broker. He knew who owned cars and he knew what was wanted and by whom.
Over the years Powers owned 4 1/2 liter Bentley tourers. This was the third and was purchased from Armand Zildjian whose family has been making cymbals since the 17th century.
In all, Powers has owned over 50 Bentleys. He treasures them. His Bentley assortment included a rare 8-liter that he and his wife Marcia trailered from Florida to Pebble Beach where it was on the lawn but he asked that it not be judged because of minor cosmetic flaws. This was unfortunate in that the car was a popular choice among the judges for the ‘most elegant’ award.
As a Bentley specialist Powers usually got first dibs at something interesting that came up for sale. The Derby Bentleys were what interested him the most and the vehicles sported the work of just about every known coachbuilder.
At one time or another he owned three of the original, delightful W.O. Bentley touring cars.
Arguably the most elegant Bentley ever built and was presented at Pebble Beach.
It is important to remember that Powers was not a collector. He eventually became a licensed dealer but when it all started it was because he, as a young enthusiast knew what the great cars were and decided one way or another that he was going to participate in ownership of as many of them as he could.
It didn’t take long for him to become known as a man who could make the old ones run and who could find homes for them. He developed a network consisting of those who either had or had located something classic or who knew that he might be able to locate parts or buyers and in all cases accurate advice.
After he sold his shop in 1985, Dale and wife Marcia moved to Anna Maria Island where they had vacationed for many years. While he was not restoring cars, he was still active doing whatever came along that suited his fancy at the moment. This was usually buying and selling Bentley and Rolls cars and parts.
This rare and beautiful post war Mark IV sports a one-off body by Saoutchik.
He also purchased a building on Anna Maria large enough to hold his voluminous supply of vintage Rolls and Bentley parts as he had become the officially factory designated supplier of vintage parts for North America. He also became a collector or literature and memorabilia.
Dale and Marcia also helped to establish the Derby/Bentley association supporting those Bentleys built in Derby, England alongside the Rolls of the period. Bentleys were, at that time known as the silent sports cars.
Any enthusiast or restorer of Bentley and Rolls cars knows of Dale and has most likely done business with him.
A friend of mine was visiting in Geneva, Switzerland and was, by chance staying in a hotel where a Bentley world tour was having an overnight stop. Casual conversation with a Bentley driver from Australia led to a discussion of home towns. When my friend told his Australian that he was from Anna Maria, Florida the Aussie said “Oh, you must know Dale Powers!” To be sure.
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