Rory Jurnecka
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And Then There Was One
Photo courtesy Bring a Trailer The mid-engine Mondial is the last affordable Ferrari Twenty years ago, if you dreamed of owning a Ferrari, there were several relatively affordable ways to tick that item off your bucket list. Dino 308 GT4s were plentiful in the $20k–$30k space, as were 4-seat V12 models like the 365 GT4…
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Rory’s Blog: Alfas at Auction
This past week, an SCMer sent me a link to an online estate auction in Sewanee, TN. Among the tools, clocks, furniture and chandeliers are dozens of cars, including around 31 Alfa Romeos. “Fright pig” is a popular term here at SCM to describe cars that time hasn’t been kind to. Unfortunately, it describes just…
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1994 McLaren F1
Chassis number: SA9AB5AC4R1048014 Out of just 64 road-specification examples of the pioneering McLaren F1, offered here is the 14th car completed, originally configured in the bright shade of Titanium Yellow over a black leather and Alcantara interior ahead of being delivered to the Brunei royal family. Boasting Brunei provenance and later upgraded by McLaren with…
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Party Car
When we think of performance Fords here in the U.S., our focus is mostly on thundering V8-powered Mustangs, mid-engine GTs and the brawny F-150 Raptor. These are big cars with even bigger presence. But Ford of Europe is big on performance too, just in a smaller way. Across the pond, “Fast Fords” are most often…
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1988 Chevrolet Corvette Challenge
This 1988 Chevrolet Corvette is one of approximately 50 prepared by Protofab for Bergstrom Racing to compete in the SCCA 1988 Corvette Challenge spec series. Each was fitted with race equipment consisting of a full roll cage, an onboard fire-suppression system, racing seats, Bilstein shock absorbers and 17-inch Dymag wheels. This example was reportedly driven…
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The Best or Nothing
Since 1954, the Mercedes-Benz SL has built its legacy largely through popular culture. Think of Clark Gable and his 1955 300SL Gullwing or Hugh Hefner’s 1959 300SL Roadster. John Lennon owned a 1965 W113 “Pagoda” 230SL, and the R107 was given a starring role in countless 1970s–80s movies and television shows, including “Beverly Hills Cop”…
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The Everyman Italian Exotic
It doesn’t seem like all that long ago when 20 grand was enough to own an honest-to-goodness exotic Italian sports car. Driver-quality Ferrari 308 GT4s, Lamborghini Urracos and Maserati Meraks were all within reach for a middle-class wage earner with some diligent saving and a bit of patience. Today, however, exotics from manufacturers ending in…
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2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR
This 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR was purchased new by the seller from Anaheim Mitsubishi in California on September 3, 2007, and it now has 461 miles. Finished in Apex Silver over black leather and Alcantara upholstery, the car is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 mated to a 6-speed manual transaxle, an active…
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Little Giant
When Fiat exited the North American market in the early 1980s, it seemed unlikely that the economical Italian brand would ever return. A shoddy reputation had been built over the years on poor reliability, questionable build quality and a penchant for premature rust. Though its cars were small, they carried an awful lot of baggage.…
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End of an Era
When the next-generation Porsche Cayman arrives in roughly a year’s time, it and the new Boxster will both be fully electric vehicles. You read that right: Internal-combustion engines will no longer power Porsche’s mid-engine sports cars. That makes it a great time to look back at the now-affordable first-generation Cayman, a car that was aptly…