Columns
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A Weighty Decision
I recently got an email from the new owner of our former 2000 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. He reports that after several thousand miles he has had no mechanical issues and had to replace only a few consumables such as belts and pulleys. That was always a great car, and I began to wonder why I sold…
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Car-Nappers Dupe Shippers
The November 2025 “Legal Files” about car transporters getting hacked seems to have been just the tip of the iceberg. We received many responses to the article, but the best came from “Chuck,” who had an interesting experience after selling his GT3-class race car on Bring a Trailer. Chuck sold the car, received the money…
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Considerations on Collecting
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “collection” as “an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby.” Historically, most collectors fit into that last category, accumulating automobiles that interest them as a leisure pursuit. More recently, there has been a growing number of people buying special cars as a financial investment. Although…
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Le Sport Sedan
After years of peddling a variety of stodgy semi-luxury sedans on our shores, would a sleek, rev-happy 4-door with impeccable chassis tuning be enough to reverse nearly a decade of slipping sales? Peugeot sure hoped so — which is why it sent its 405 Mi16 to America in late 1988. Modern makeover The 405 was…
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1952 Muntz Jet
Earl “Madman” Muntz was, in every sense, one of the great characters of early post-war America. His fortunes — there was more than one — were made in used cars, and subsequently in manufacturing and selling televisions; reportedly “TV” was first coined when Muntz abbreviated the name for skywriting. Muntz’s Jet was created when the…
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2003 Ferrari Enzo
This 2003 Ferrari Enzo is the very definition of exclusivity in a bespoke Ferrari, a one-of-one creation ordered new by Phil Bachman and customized through the factory to Phil and his wife, Martha’s, exacting specifications. Of the 400 examples produced from 2002 through 2004, this Enzo, S/N 135262, is one of 127 built for the…
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2009 Nissan GT-R
The Nissan Skyline GT-R is, quite possibly, the most famous Japanese sports car ever created. Known the world over for its myriad appearances in popular media and atop motorsport podiums, the GT-R’s massive mystique is founded in its monstrous performance capabilities. From humble beginnings as a modestly powered “economy” platform of the late 1950s, each…
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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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1978 Renault-Alpine A 442
A remarkably historic car, this A 442 competed in the 1975 endurance-racing season, raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 and was in the pits at Le Mans in 1978. It has been driven by the greatest racers of its time. Of the five Renault-Alpine A 442 and A 443 cars built 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…