Slipstream - November 2014

Garage Glimpses: Eclectic Tastes
By Linda Bambina, Region PR Chair
Photos by the Author
Michael Picolo has had an
interesting career path,
as well as owning some
amazing cars in the wide variety of
places he’s lived (from New Orleans
to LA to Dallas.) You might recognize
his name (or his car!) since
he has been a long time Slipstream
Advertiser, and both are part of his ad as a realtor for
Ebby Halliday. While Mike has just your “standard”
three-car garage, he has some outstanding examples
of engineering and style, with primo examples
of a Porsche, a Jaguar, and a Harley-Davidson.
But before I go into details about all that horsepower,
I have got to tell you about his home office and
his unique array of art and memorabilia. A bit of a
back-story first: Michael is Godfather to the granddaughter
of William (Bill) Motta. Motta is currently
the Art Editor Emeritus for Road & Track magazine.
He has created all kinds of posters and art for races
and racecars for decades, both for this popular car
magazine and for a variety of other occasions. Michael
has three knock-your-socks-off signed lithographs
(the #1 copy to boot!) of races and cars in his office.
He has a set of cedar shelves stocked full of books,
personal items, and gifts of all kinds that connect to
him, his family and his eclectic passions for life. (OH,
and he’s a avid chef as well! Has a talent for landscaping,
design, staging homes . . . you get the picture.)
Back to the garage: It’s immaculate, beautifully
painted and again, full of fabulous examples of fun
memorabilia. But once you hear the stories behind
the items on the walls, you begin to realize that Mike
carefully selects
what is displayed.
Everything has
important meaning
for him.
Mike in the garage with his 993,
E-Type, and Softail Deluxe
My favorite example of this concept is a large black
and white photograph of James Dean at a gas station
with his famous 550 Spyder in the foreground. OK,
Porsche, got it. But Mike explains: in the background
of this particular famous photo, there is a 1956
Cadillac just like the one Mike’s dad once owned.
Cadillacs and his dad were like forever connected,
a really big deal in his family. And where was that
Caddy parked? Next to a restaurant called Rosalie’s.
Yep, Michael’s mother’s name. Perfect Picture.
Now I wish I could TAKE the perfect picture of his
2008 Harley Softail Deluxe, his Primrose Yellow ‘72
V-12 Jaguar all-original convertible, and his ’97 Arctic
Silver 993 C2S Porsche with only 31K miles AND
approximately 23 three-digit factory option codes on
the sticker under the front deck lid! Talk about a
tricked-out-Porsche! I think he needs to bring that car
out to visit more often!
Above: One of Bill Motta’s signed lithographs. Below:
Harley-Davidson memorabilia also adorns the garage wall
On the outside looking in
8 November