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The Wide World of Porsches
As you peruse Porsche classified listings, auction lots and SCM auction reports, you may have seen the term RoW, meaning “Rest of World.” Many buyers view RoW versions of Porsches (and other marques) to be pur sang — the way automakers chose to build them without intrusive North American safety and emissions regulations. Often, RoW…
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Big Lie Country
The August 2024 “Legal Files” about California cracking down on Montana-registered cars produced quite a response. We received more letters about this topic than for any other recent column, so we’re revisiting the subject this month. The surprise was that almost all the letter-writers were unsympathetic to this practice. Many were highly critical of what…
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There and Back Again
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the 49th national meeting of the North American MGA Register, held locally here in Welches, OR. The convention was organized by SCM contributor Reid Trummel and hosted by the Columbia Gorge MG Club. My address to the group concerned a trip I made as a 17-year-old in a…
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1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback
Assembled 10 days ahead of schedule on February 21, 1969, this 1969 Shelby GT500 left the factory finished as it is today, in Acapulco Blue over black trim with Clarion Knit and Corinthian vinyl Hi-Back seats. The car was further equipped with an automatic transmission, air conditioning, sport-deck rear seat, tilt-away steering wheel, AM/FM radio…
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1928 Bugatti Type 43
Assembled in the factory during the summer of 1928, chassis 43264, fitted with engine 124 and crankshaft 159, would not be mentioned for the first time until May 13, 1929, in the factory archives, along with two other chassis and inscribed “Prix Bugatti.” These three cars were destined to be the prizes awarded to the…
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1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-TypeSports Tourer
This Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Sports Tourer was delivered on December 19, 1928, to British Mercedes Ltd. London for a Mr. Cecil Harcourt-Smith of London and Cairo. According to the commission sheet, the S was delivered with a Sindelfingen 4-seater sports body, number 924 614. Recent research has established that it was anything but a standard…
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1968 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder
This 1968 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder is one of approximately 400 examples produced between 1966 and 1973. Chassis 50049 spent 37 years with its previous owner, undergoing a multi-year refurbishment by R&A Engineering of Manchester, MI, in the 2000s before being shown at the 2010 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. It was purchased by the current owner…
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2015 McLaren P1
McLaren unveiled the P1 in March 2013, and all 375 customer slots were filled within eight months. Rarer than the LaFerrari and 918 Spyder, each P1 is uniquely specified with an unbounded volume of special equipment available from McLaren Special Operations. However, not all P1s are created equal. Chassis 108 is a U.S.-specification bespoke creation…
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You Got the Look
1978 Toyota Chinook 4×4 Conversion S/N OR52523. 148,600 miles. “47k miles shown, replacement 2.2-liter inline-4, G52 5-speed manual transmission, dual Mikuni side-draft carburetors, Walnut Metallic paint, two-tone vinyl upholstery, dual-range transfer case, suspension lift kit, Nippondenso air conditioning, Recaro seats, pop-up roof, hammock and fold-out bed, dinette and kitchenette, Suburban furnace.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT…
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Collector Car Estate Sales
We’ve lately received several letters inquiring about estate planning, including this one: I have eight “special” cars that I have acquired over approximately 20 years. I maintain and drive them regularly. They are basically cars I always desired while growing up, which is probably a typical story. I will probably not sell them before I…