Dave Brownell
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1913 Mercer Type 35J Raceabout
The legendary T-head Mercer Raceabout was one of the most significant cars produced during the glorious Brass Age. The enthusiasm shared by those fortunate few owners and admirers who have experienced the thrill of a Raceabout has elevated these pioneering sports cars to mythical status.The 300-c.i. four-cylinder engine had massive 2¼-inch valves, high-lift cams, a…
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1920 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria
The model J Duesenberg has long been regarded as the most outstanding example of design and engineering of the classic era. Introduced in 1929, trading was halted on the New York stock exchange for the announcement. At $8,500 for the chassis alone, it was by far the most expensive car in America. With coachwork, the…
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1959 AC Ace “Cobra” Roadster
The success of Cliff Davis’s successful Tojeiro sports-racer prompted AC Cars to put the design into production in 1954 as the Ace. The Davis car’s pretty Ferrari 166-inspired Barchetta bodywork was retained, as was John Tojeiro’s twin-tube ladder-frame chassis and Cooper-influenced all-independent suspension, but the power unit was AC’s own venerable two-liter long-stroke six. This…
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1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible
It is ironic that Packard should fail just as the company introduced what may be the most innovative and well-designed product line in the history of the company. The blame lay not with the product, but rather a series of management misadventures, including the ill-fated merger with Studebaker.The Caribbean featured a new, high output OHV…
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1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo
The 6C series was founded in 1924 when Alfa Romeo engineer, Vittorio Jano, was instructed to develop a medium capacity lightweight car with brilliant performance. The great engineer chose the balance and pick-up characteristics of an in-line six-cylinder engine and combined them with a lightweight and nimble-handling chassis design. The prototype, initially known as the…