Month: March 2023

Birds in the Hand

1993 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon Exceed 4WD S/N P24W0400476. 176,100 kilometers (109,500 miles). “2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 145 horsepower and 152 lb-ft of torque, 4-speed automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, 15-inch wheels, a brush guard, a sunroof, sliding, folding and swiveling second-row seats, folding third-row seats, an information […]

Wait and Pounce

“If it’s not really the car you are looking for, pass on it and keep looking.” Those were Miles Collier’s words to me as I was engulfed by the red mist. I was at a Silver auction in Portland when I spotted a handsome 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider. I recall […]

Fashionably Early

It’s nice to be first. Ask Jeff Bezos. Or Bill Gates. Or the Netflix guy. And, yes, even Mitsubishi. It didn’t nail it right out of the gate — that came later with the Lancer Evolution (see “Affordable Classic,” July 2021) — but the Eclipse GSX marked a lot of […]

Stamp of Approval

Last month, we looked at various factory-supported programs that provide certifications of originality, condition and provenance of collector cars. But those are not the only “stamps of approval” out there. There are also third-party services that provide inspections and documentation to help establish authenticity, although these vary in scope even […]

Online Scam Dealers Multiply

Publisher Martin called and said, “You’ve got to talk to our friend ‘Mark.’ You won’t believe what he’s gotten into now!” Martin had made a huge impression on Mark, telling him how his Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG was the best thing since sliced bread. So Mark started digging around on the […]

Keith’s Blog: The Allard Experience

Starting when I was three years old, my grandfather would perch me on the nose of his Ford 9N tractor. It was a ritual we repeated every Saturday morning at our family’s small farm in Novato, California (about 28 miles north of our home in San Francisco). My engagement with […]

Keith’s Blog: First Drive

A few months ago, my son Bradley turned 15. He passed the written test and then I signed him up for lessons for street driving from a professional. In the teacher’s Honda CR-V, he had several sessions navigating local streets, and a couple of stints on freeways. Now it was […]