Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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What Were You Thinking?
Having me co-host a television show about cars sold at collector-car auctions is like turning a chocoholic loose in the Hershey factory. When evaluating cars for “What’s My Car Worth?” a TV show I co-host on the Velocity channel, I find myself slipping from the objective to the subjective. “This ’67 Healey BJ8 drives…
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Curb Your Enthusiasm
The collector car market has been very strong the past few years, and many cars are trading at prices that were unheard of not long ago. An unfortunate consequence of today’s market is that mistakes can cost a lot more than they did before. There also is a perception that good cars sell super…
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Mercedes’ Little Road Rocket
Most motoring enthusiasts are aware of the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 16-valve cars. These models have acquired several nicknames, such as “Cosworth” or its diminutive “Cossie.” Although they have become famous, good examples remain elusive. But these are tough little cars, and refurbishing a driver is affordable, so you don’t have to “buy the best.” These…
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1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432
In the late 1960s, Nissan began development of a closed sports car to replace their popular Datsun 1600 and 2000 roadsters. Under the direction of Yutaka Katayama, the president of the Nissan Motor Corporation in the U.S. (known as “Mr. K” and the “Father of the Z-car”), renowned German designer Albrecht von Goertz was hired…
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1963 Mercedes-Benz 230SL “Pagoda”
The Mercedes-Benz 230SL, immediately recognizable for its Pagoda top, was an extremely popular car within the circles of the rich and powerful. In 2013, the 230SL celebrated its 50th birthday, and it is still an iconic car today, with fans around the world. The 230SL, built to fill the gap between the 190SL and the…
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1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton
One of the few automobiles deemed worthy of inclusion in the Museum of Modern Art in New York — and arguably the most easily recognized American car of all time — the Cord 810 debuted in November 1935, receiving a rapturous reception at U.S. automobile shows. The work of a team led by Duesenberg designer…
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1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
The Type 904, born of Porsche’s disappointing foray into Formula One in the early 1960s, was produced to bring the company back to its racing sports car roots. In 1962, the immensely talented Ferdinand A. “Butzi” Porsche was tasked with designing a new two-seat competition coupe that could also be driven on the street by…
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1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Ellena
By the late 1950s, Pininfarina had established itself as not only the creators of the “Ferrari look” but also as the favored design house in Maranello. However, whilst the coachbuilder was rapidly expanding, it was not yet ready to meet the demand for increasing Ferrari production. As such, the first series-built “production” Ferrari models were…
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1992 Jaguar XJ 220
The XJ 220 prototype was unveiled to the world in Birmingham in 1988. The car was greeted with enthusiasm, and the decision was taken to produce a limited series of 350 examples. As Jaguar was not set up to produce such a small series, the build project was given to Jaguar-Sport, a joint venture between…
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1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport
The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport was an exciting, fast sports car that combined minimum weight with sparkling performance. The chassis was low and lightweight, featuring semi-elliptical springs that passed through the front axle. The 6C 1750 would go on to be victorious over much larger and more powerful machinery in a triumph of…