The Naples 10: Courtney Hansen

Lush landscape, beautiful beaches and pristine settings—that’s what Naples is known for. What can be surprising is who might be lunching on the other side of the restaurant, or dropping by Wynn’s Market for a last-minute ingredient. Many of these notables chose Naples because of its quiet beauty and the ability to fly under the radar. We introduce 10 interesting, and possibly surprising, neighbors.

 

The Driven One

   Courtney Hansen | TV Personality

Courtney Hansen - Powerblock hostess on Spike TV - photo cred: Robert Hayman
Underneath Courtney Hansen’s well-tended fingernails, you might just find motor oil or axle grease. Indeed, as she enters her sixth year as host of Spike TV’s auto-intensive Powerblock, the former fashion and fitness model is more than eye candy for gearheads—she knows her way around a carburetor. Author of a nationally syndicated car column since 2005 (which appears in her hometown Naples Daily News) and a book about auto maintenance, Hansen understands the disconnect. “It used to surprise people, but I think most of them get it now,” she says, acknowledging that the double takes she gets when she overhauls an engine are “flattering and cool.” Having represented Rolls-Royce and Dodge, and serving as the current face for Matco Tools and others, Hansen’s car savvy—coming by way of her father, Jerry, a former pro racing champion and track owner—has helped make her a much-in-demand entertainment and marketing commodity since moving to Los Angeles 12 years ago. In addition to her host duties, she is currently producing and pitching a pilot for her own car-oriented TV show—“it’s nice to be on the other side of the camera for a change,” she says—and has just unveiled a line of designer T-shirts (Auto Angel) that will be distributed—where else?—at major auto parts stores. Even so, says the Barron Collier High School graduate, “Naples is still my home, and I love to get there as often as I can.”

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