Author: Thor Thorson

Thor Thorson is president of Vintage Racing Motors, a Seattle-area collector-car dealer and vintage-racing support operation. He has been actively involved with racing for over 40 years, dealing with racers from Ferraris to Sprites, but is mostly seen driving Elva sports racers. He has been writing the race-car profiles for SCM since 2003.

1969 Shelby GT350 “B Production” Racer

This fascinating 1969 Shelby GT350 race car, serial number 480033, began life as a Silver Jade GT500 sold new in Hayward, CA, on August 28, 1969. Shortly after its initial purchase, the car was stolen and damaged. The insurance company, unwilling to repair what it considered an “exotic” car, cashed […]

1927 Amilcar C6

After being discovered behind the Iron Curtain, this Amilcar — along with a second chassis — is understood to have been exported from East Berlin via Switzerland prior to being sold to Morris Frost of Florida, where a restoration was carried out prior to the car being used on the […]

1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce

This 1957 Giulietta Spider is a desirable 750F Veloce model that has been extensively prepared for vintage motorsport and maintained by KTR European Motorsports, having been previously owned and campaigned by the well-known marque specialists Alfas Unlimited of Norfolk, CT. Finished in an appealing shade of Alfa Red and fitted […]

1951 Alta Formula Two

This remarkable “time machine” Formula Two racing car is offered here for the first time after no fewer than 49 years in its current ownership. Furthermore, this long ownership period has seen the car raced once only — back in 1975 — after which it was set aside pending more-thorough […]

1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider

It was the Tipo 166, introduced in 1948 as a replacement for the 125 S, that first established Enzo Ferrari’s Modenese workshop as a leading manufacturer of racing cars. Powered by a 2-liter, Colombo-designed V12 engine, the 166 set forward a course of development that would define the look, sound […]

1967 Ferrari 412P

The era was perfectly encapsulated by Sir Jackie Stewart as being “when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.” Ferrari and Fantuzzi, aided by the Maranello marque’s genius in-house stylist Edmondo Casoli (aka “the father of the 250 GTO”) created one of the most sexy, most beautiful pieces of performance […]

1990 Nissan R90CK

Born in 1982, Group C relaunched the World Endurance Championship and, for almost 10 years, this category attracted many competitors, both from major manufacturers and from more-modest craftsmen wanting to try their luck. Nissan was interested in this championship from an early stage, starting with the 1986 R85 V, fitted […]

1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider

By 1955, Mercedes-Benz’s 300SLR presented a challenge that could not be met by Ferrari’s V12 racers, nor the nimble 4-cylinder 750 Monza, prompting Il Commendatore to commission Aurelio Lampredi to create a more-powerful straight-6 powerplant. The advanced 3,747-cc engine found a home in the 118 LM — a sports car designed to […]

1968 Chevron B8

Offered here for auction at the 2023 Race Retro International Historic Motor Show is DBE-45, believed to be the only Chevron B8 to escape a racing life and reportedly sold for road use, which is supported by a “pink slip” and letter of authenticity. The B8 proved too difficult for […]

1959 Lister-Chevrolet Sports Racer

Ranking firmly among the most successful and innovative post-war British constructors, Lister earned a brilliant victory tally during its brief original period of activity during the 1950s. Developed in 1958, the Frank Costin-designed, spaceframe-chassis Lister-Costin succeeded the legendary “Knobbly” and served as the final Lister model built. This Lister-Chevrolet, chassis […]