You don’t have to dig around very much to find horror stories about the Lotus Europa. Colin Chapman’s strange mid-engine “bread van” design is known for major structural problems, dodgy fiberglass and the kind of mechanical troubles only Lotus enthusiasts can tolerate.
The car’s reputation has kept prices low, but the Europa also has a well-deserved following of faithful owners, each with their own good reasons to keep that faith.
“It will out-handle just about anything on the road, even Read More
Styled by Pietro Frua, the lithe Mistral was the first in a series of great Maserati sports cars named for fearsome winds, which went on to include the Ghibli, Bora, Shamal and Khamsin, among others.
The Mistral was also the last of its kind, at least in terms of its engine. Equipped with the largest-displacement version of the twin-spark, 6-cylinder Maserati engine that could trace its way back to the motor that powered Juan Manuel Fangio’s Tipo 250F to Grand Read More
The Ford Escort Mexico was introduced in November 1970 and was so named because of Ford Motor Company’s victory in the World Cup Rally, which started in London on April 19, 1970, and finished some 16,000 miles later in Mexico.
Originally, Ford intended to use Escorts with the Twin-Cam or BDA engine, but after some local reconnaissance, it was decided that high speeds and large power outputs were less important than reliability and ease of servicing, and therefore the Kent Read More
As many who read this column know, I am a retired opera singer. One of my favorite composers is Giuseppe Verdi — not least because he wrote amazing music for the baritone voice.
Verdi loved Shakespeare, and one of the best baritone roles he created was that of Macbeth.
In Act Two of the opera, there is a scene set at a lavish banquet Macbeth and his lady are giving for the assembled nobles. Missing, of course, is Banquo — Read More
Think of the world of collectible cars as a giant lending library.
While every book is different, most have just five chapters.
Aware. Acquire. Activate. Exult. Farewell.
These are the five chapters that mark the relationship with every collector car that comes into your life. When the last chapter is completed, it’s time to close the book and return it to the shelf.
When its next caretaker selects the same volume, it is new to him or her — and Read More
