Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Stephen Serio
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2003 BMW Alpina V8 Roadster
In 1956, BMW released the 507, a stunning two-seat roadster that delivered exhilarating performance, luxury and rarity and that remains one of the most coveted BMW models ever produced. At the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, BMW displayed a stylish retro-inspired concept car, the Z07. The Henrik Fisker-designed concept was initially intended to merely exist as…
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1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
“Driving a 250 SWB is like wielding a hammer; it commands your respect through aggression and raw power. The Zagato, however, feels more like a tailored suit. It’s agile, sophisticated, and equally responsive… it’s a truly beautiful car to drive. And it fits perfectly.” — Peter Read After restoration, chassis 0186R hit the concours circuit,…
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Playing Whack-A-Mole in Monterey
It’s August 2015 on the Monterey Peninsula, and the results are in from the International Whack-A-Mole competition! Apply your knowledge of this zany arcade game to the recent auction scene. Where are the prices going next? What’s going to pop up in value and surprise you and what is going to get walloped and go…
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1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Coupe
The BMIHT Certificate states that this DB2/4 was completed on February 2, 1954, and it was originally sold to a Scottish customer. While its early history is unknown, its build sheet documents an early factory engine replacement. According to Anthony Forshaw, it is believed that its current engine is that period replacement unit. Aston Service…
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Monterey Loco Meter on Overdrive
No way. That’s not possible. That makes zero sense. Oh come on — really?” Welcome to the calliope of incredulity running around inside my otherwise-seasoned noggin during Monterey Auction Week. The madness that prevailed in the market for cars that sold in the perceived “lower end of the offerings” was more eye-watering than the prices…
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Serio’s Gang of Five $50k Buy-Nows
Allow me to fire up Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine for some personal perspective on a chronic, serious car-collecting habit. Maintaining such a habit for 35 years is certainly (albeit marginally) better than being a fall-down alcoholic, a street-punk heroin addict or a perpetual gambler-loser. The aforementioned addictions are generally shunned by society — and wreak…
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1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo
The Lotus Esprit was built between 1976 and 2004, and a future release is forthcoming in 2014. The silver Italdesign concept that eventually became the Esprit was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1972, and it was a development of a stretched Lotus Europa chassis. It was among the first of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s…
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1985 Aston Martin Lagonda Saloon
Aston Martin’s periodic revival of the Lagonda name saw it applied to a stretched, 4-door V8 in the mid-1970s, a mere handful of which were constructed. When the concept re-emerged, it was the sensation of the 1976 London Motor Show. Clothed in striking “razor-edge” bodywork designed by William Towns — the man responsible for…
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The Not-So-Affordable Trends of Arizona
The USA, China and the European nations have each all printed over a trillion dollars in the past few years. We are in a cash crisis, with no place for this cash to go,” quipped one of my longtime automotive writer colleagues. “This has to account for some of the big-dollar cars again being classified…
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Best Buys on the Peninsula
I think we can officially do away with the term “Affordable Classic” when speaking about Monterey. In my opinion, when using the term “affordable,” we should generally be referencing something that the masses could easily afford. The five rides I’ve chosen are valued from the mid-five digits to the mid-seven digits. That’s affordable, Monterey-style. Five…