“Bob” was pretty excited about showing his car at a concours. His 1967 Alfa Duetto Spider Veloce was in exceptional condition. Never wrecked, it still sported the shiny, original red lacquer paint with no significant flaws from the car’s 120,000-mile life. It was highly original — all the way down to the hose clamps and the Dunlop disc brakes.
Bob staged the Alfa on the field the night before. Concours organizers told him they would have security overnight and that Read More
This First World question is posed to me frequently: Which Mercedes-Benz convertible should I purchase as my daily driver?
It’s a tough question.
High-quality examples of the Mercedes-Benz R107 are seemingly doubling in value overnight.
The R129 Series is doing what it was designed to do, which is spray hydraulic fluid from the top actuators everywhere — and cost you an arm and a leg for parts and repairs.
So, it makes financial sense — for those who want a Read More
Available with powerplants from Nissan, Honda HPD, Lotus and, as with this example, the Judd BMW M3 V8, the Lola B1280 was the LMP2 version of the larger B08/60 chassis. With the large spinal fin, the car featured excellent stability at speed — a must for a car designed to go nearly 200 mph down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans.
Formerly owned by Dempsey Racing and with extensive IMSA history including top 10 finishes at Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio, Read More
The first cars named “Skyline GT-R” were produced between 1969 and 1972 and enjoyed legendary success in local Japanese touring-car racing. After a long hiatus, the GT-R name was revived in 1989 as Read More
Presented here is a 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 21-Window Samba fitted with the M164 sliding-door option from new. Only available on the 21-window Deluxe Samba model during production years 1966–67, the M164 sliding-door addition represented an expensive option and consequently, not many non-commercial customers ticked this box, meaning this model represents one of the rarest Sambas in existence.
It is believed only nine other known LHD Microbus Deluxes with the M164 option survive worldwide. More interesting is the fact that, Read More
Introduced in 1956, the Volvo 120 Series lasted in production until 1970, by which time around half a million had been built. Its build quality, toughness and longevity helped to establish the Swedish company’s reputation worldwide. Marketed in Sweden as the Amazon, this model was the first car to feature modern seat belts as standard equipment — a safety revolution at the time.
This particular Amazon shakes off all those staid characteristics to go rallying. Built on Read More
Introduced in July 1963, the Aston Martin DB5 boasted a 4-liter engine, this enlarged unit having been seen first in the Lagonda Rapide of 1961. Equipped with three SU carburetors, the 400 engine produced 282 bhp at 5,500 rpm and was mated to a 4-speed/overdrive gearbox, a ZF 5-speed unit being standardized later.
The DB5’s distinctive cowled headlamps had first appeared on the DB4GT, and the newcomer was the same size as the lengthened, Series V DB4.
Outwardly there was Read More
The Packard Darrin was a special automobile in the maker’s lineup. It was a blending of all the glory that was Packard in the Classic Era and the stunning design work of Howard “Dutch” Darrin. The result was one of the more glamorous cars of the 1940s.
According to its body tag, this Darrin was first delivered to Mead Motor Co. in Houston, TX, on June 27, 1941. It has since been restored by Stone Barn Restoration from what is Read More
I have a pet peeve at concours. It’s owners who insist on leaving the hoods of their cars open all day long.
It’s hardly the way designers would want their cars seen.
Further, the hoods jutting upwards are a jarring contrast to the elegant setting of a concours field.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about this — and offered a solution:
I proposed an “SCM Hoods-Down” standard. I propose that hoods of all cars be down Read More
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