Archives
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Is Your Snake a Replicant?
Unless you are building an S/C or Comp car replica, just say “no” to scoops, roll bars, sidepipes, stripes, and other incorrect items Okay, I’ll freely admit I am a Cobra snob. I’m not as bad as one I witnessed at a Cobra gathering, running toward a replica yelling “I’m going to kick the lid…
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Where Are Ferrari’s Future Classics?
One of the frequent questions that crosses my desk is “Which current Ferraris will become classics like the Lusso, 275 GTB, or any of the collectible earlier Ferraris?” Sadly, the answer is very few, if any. Win on Domenica, sell on Lunedi From the first Ferraris built in 1947, the Ferrari reputation was built on…
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An MG That Fits You to a ‘T’
The fastest TF takes 18.9 seconds to reach 60 mph and you run the risk of being rear-ended by a soccer mom in her SUV {vsig}2008-3_2143{/vsig} The MG TC, TD, and TF brought top-down British sports car motoring to America, and all three are now affordable collectibles that give you an authentic taste of a…
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Keeper or Flipper?
Ever notice the guy at your cousin’s wedding, endlessly scrolling through his Blackberry during the service? Are you a collector or flipper? I find it makes all the difference to your enjoyment of the hobby to understand who you are and what you are doing. To see how you rate, take this little test. Don’t…
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Shelby Sacks SAAC
After 32 years, Carroll Shelby no longer officially recognizes SAAC In my May 2007 column (p. 60), I wrote about the 32-year relationship between automotive icon Carroll Shelby and the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC). I said then that SAAC is the best friend that Shelby ever had; it has steadfastly preserved the legacy of…
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A Dose of Reality in Your Ferrari Dreams
Recently, one early-morning caller wanted an “F1 Ferrari.” That afternoon, another emailed wanting “a race car,” and a later caller wanted either a 246 GTS or a 550. While buying a Ferrari is an inexact science, I start by explaining that all Ferraris are in some way “mission specific.” To the first-time buyer who wanted…
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Extras, Extras, Read All About It!
How about fitted luggage, a child seat that mounted over the center armrest, and leopard-skin seat covers? {vsig}2008-2_2130{/vsig} “Comes equipped with clock, luggage rack, driving lights, detachable hard top, AM/FM radio, and air conditioning.” That’s pretty typical equipment for any new sports car today, and in the 1960s, high-end Jaguars and Aston Martins offered similar…
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A Costly 911 Dream
Don’t let a shop bill you for the time it takes them to gain experience on a complex set of pressed-steel stampings We got plenty of mail on McKeel Hagerty’s 1967 911S restoration story (December, p. 58), including this letter from Pete Zimmermann, longtime SCMer and author of The Used 911 Story. He writes: I…
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Got the Hemi Pneumonia and the Big Block Flu
Figure a slide of 10%-20% from late 2006 prices across the board and you’re not far off; the better the car, the less the correction The drag chutes are out for the Mopar Hemi muscle car market. Unquestionably the most visible and talked-about phenomenon in the last five years of stratospheric price increases, the Hemi…
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1970 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder
If Italias offer style and performance, why would they sell for under $50,000? Well for one thing, their handling is a bit suspect {vsig}2008-1_2118{/vsig} In 1959, chemical engineer Frank Reisner combined his fascination with automobiles and professional talents to establish Carrozzeria Intermeccanica. Born in Hungary in 1932 and raised in Canada, he raced sports cars…