Archives
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How One Little Car Brought Down An Empire
Conservatives bolstered Rootes fortunes in the ’50s, but Labor and the Hillman Imp doomed it in the ’60s Of all the sad sagas told about the collapse of the British automotive industry, none is more depressing than that of the Rootes Group, and the once-respected marques it took down with it. We all know about…
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The Speedster Spell
Ferry Porsche considered Speedsters silly cars, but Europeans love them and have been buying them for a decade What is it about the Speedster that has caused prices to rise to unheard-of levels? While other 356s and Porsches in general continue on a solid upward trend, Speedsters seem to be on a tear. What’s so…
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Fangs for the Memories
The Shelby influence is very much evident on the Viper, and he is considered one of the car’s “four fathers” {vsig}2008-7_2194{/vsig} The discontinuation of several Chrysler models to help stop the corporation’s financial bleeding is no secret. Rumors abound about Dodge’s Viper being on this list, and numerous Dodge “insiders” claim the Viper will be…
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The (Ever Increasing) Sum of its Parts
Thanks to feedback from readers, virtually every column inspires a follow-up column. In “Opening Pandora’s Black Box” (December, p. 48), I wrote that “the older Ferraris, from the 512 BB backwards, can be restored by an experienced shop, and virtually any part is or will continue to be available or can be made.” What I…
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Putting a Price on Feelings
How anxious is the seller to sell? Is he emotional, ready to bail out? How anxious is the buyer? Has he just missed a similar car? Various Porsche talk boards are buzzing with complaints about the usefulness of price guides for early 911S cars (1967-73). About how the prices are too low, the guides are…
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1959 283/290 FI Race Car
Corvettes dominated SCCA racing in 1959, and Jim Jeffords took the SCCA B Production points championship with his 1959 Corvette, dubbed the Purple People Eater Mk III. Plans were laid to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA championship the following year. Against this frenetic backdrop, the 1959 Corvette offered here was…
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1963 327/340 Convertible
After a decade of production of the classic “solid-axle” Corvette, Chevrolet pulled out all the stops to present a brand new Corvette for 1963. Although the various engine and transmission choices were carried over, every aspect was otherwise redesigned, and a beautiful new fiberglass body was offered for the first time in either coupe or…
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1969 L88 Coupe & Convertible
The L88 Corvette entered its third year of production in 1969, having established itself as all-conquering in both SCCA and FIA competition. Rated at a measly 430 horsepower, the L88 pumped out an all-too-real 560 hp at its redline, and, with special heavy-duty brakes, F41 suspension, and a bullet-proof Positraction rear end, it was as…
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1987 Callaway Twin Turbo Coupe
This 1987 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette coupe was an original RPO B2K dealer-ordered car, number 100 of 188 built in the first of five years of RPO B2K production. It was delivered new in New York to its original owner. While on assignment for CM at the Arizona auctions in January 2008, Senior Analyst B.…
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2001 Z06 Hardtop
The Z06 designator began with the 1963 Corvette, where the option consisted of “Special Performance Equipment.” This included the L84 327-ci, 360-hp, fuel-injected engine, a bigger front anti-roll bar, vacuum brake booster, dual master cylinder, bigger brakes, and, initially, a 36.5-gallon fuel tank. The package added $1,818.45 to the $4,252 base price of the…