Two months ago (February 2020, p. 60), “Legal Files” focused on several traps that unwary sellers might fall into when selling collector cars. This month, we turn the tables and look at ways that a buyer can get into trouble.
Perhaps the most critical thing is to be sure that the car you are buying is actually what it is supposed to be.
Condition problems can always be corrected, but authenticity cannot be created — Read More
I broke “The Draneas Rules.” Again.
Our “Legal Files” columnist, John Draneas, constantly says that you should never buy a car without an inspection — and you should never send money to someone you don’t know (for a refresher, see this month’s column on p. 48).
After willfully and intentionally disregarding both these maxims, I added a new car to the SCM fleet. From finding to owning took less than four hours.
While my clutch leg is coming along nicely, Read More
If you were a young man in the mid-1980s, you wanted a 4×4 Toyota SR5 pickup truck. By any name, these trucks embodied the virtues of the mid-1980s — they were stylish, a little bit boastful and a lot of fun.
It’s no coincidence that young Marty McFly dreamed of owning a tricked-out Toyota SR5 in “Back to the Future.” McFly represented the Everyman of the era.
Japanese automakers sold mini trucks in America since Datsun brought Read More
During the early 1990s, premier sports-car manufacturers began to implement Formula One technology in road-going automobiles to a previously unheard-of degree. The first major step in this direction arrived in 1992 with the McLaren F1, a car that boasted a naturally aspirated V12 engine, a central driver’s seat and exotic, race-proven materials in all aspects of its construction.
Not to be outdone, three years later Ferrari unveiled the F50. Like the McLaren F1, the F50 was a brilliantly engineered supercar Read More
This beautifully presented matching-numbers Jaguar benefits from years of ownership by a marque enthusiast followed by a premium restoration by one of the nation’s foremost E-type experts.
The Jaguar was more recently sold to the consignor, a specialist in E-type refurbishments. The engine was then rebuilt with new pistons, bearings and crankshaft, and the cylinders were bored to a “plus 20” specification for improved power. The gearbox was rebuilt with new synchros and bearings, and the differential was rebuilt with Read More
Like the majority of the left-hand B24S Spider Americas, chassis B24S1156 was originally delivered to the United States. The most significant portion of the desirable Spider America’s history began in the mid-1980s, when it was acquired and reimported to Italy by Silvana Cima, a well-known Italian Lancia collector. In order to return the car to active use, Mr. Cima commissioned a complete mechanical and cosmetic restoration from Milan-based KCA Restorations, for many years one of the world’s leading Lancia restorers.
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