Columns
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1931 Ford Model A “unknown roadster”
• ’31 Ford roadster body channeled over a ’32 Ford frame • An authentic “barn find,” intact since the early ’60s • Fresh 286-ci Vern Tardel-built three-carb flathead V8 • Featured in Pat Ganahl’s book Lost Hot Rods II
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1955 Packard Caribbean convertible
Packard’s last prestigious, low-production offering was the Caribbean convertible of 1955 and 1956. This top-of-the-line model was completely redesigned for ’55, and it sported a new high-output overhead-valve V8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors, which could produce an amazing 310 horsepower, put to the rear wheels through a new push-button Twin Ultramatic transmission. An innovative,…
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1976 Ford F-100 Off-Road Race Truck
This 1976 Ford F-100 was built by Charlie Haga and accomplished Class 8 victories in the 1977 Baja 500 and Baja 1000. Haga built the truck for Frank “Scoop” Vessels in 1976, and the ’77 Baja 500 was an important race to Vessels due to the introduction of BFGoodrich Radial tires for the first time…
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1962 Studebaker 7E45E 2-Ton Road Tractor
This nicely frame-off restored dually Studebaker tractor is another fine offering from the estate of William “Bill” Kirby. He amassed a well-respected collection of heavy-duty equipment and was a regular at events displaying his outstanding vehicles. This Studebaker Road Tractor is finished in red with black undercarriage, wheels and running gear, and has a tan…
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Two Mercedes-Benz 190SL Cars, One Price Gap
Production of the Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster can be credited to New York importer Max Hoffman, who foresaw that the competition success of the 300SL Gullwing would translate into something that he could easily sell in America. The 190SL was first displayed as a show car at New York in 1954. This high-quality, two-seat roadster was…
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A Tale of Two Cobras
Recently we witnessed the sale of two unique 289 Cobras — at two different auctions, within two months of each other. One was a modified street-specification car that has lived a quiet life in the United States. The other was a factory-prepared Competition car that has lived a much more public life in France, including…
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1966 Brabham-Repco BT20 F1 and 1968–69 Lotus-Cosworth Ford Type 49B F1
1966 Brabham-Repco BT20 F1 When the FIA announced in late 1963 that a 3-liter limit would be imposed on Formula One racing in 1966, a scramble ensued among competitors to develop suitable new engines. Jack Brabham turned to Repco, an Australian parts supplier. Development centered on Oldsmobile’s F-85 V8 block, which offered the advantage of…
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1987 Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition Evolution II
For some people, the best is not enough. In 1984, the Koenig Workshop, a German preparer based in Munich, developed an extreme high-performance car that was given the name Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Competition Evolution. As the name reveals, the model used as a starting point was extraordinary in its own right, as the Testarossa was…
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1954 Healey Abbott Drophead Coupe
One of just 91 examples produced with coachwork by Abbott of Farnham during a four-year production run, OLY136 was first registered on March 25, 1954. In the current ownership since 2007, the car was entrusted to marque specialists Classic Restorations Ltd. in 2009 to carry out soda blasting of the body and a bare-metal respray,…
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1963 Maserati 3500 GTi Coupe
A rare survivor, this very original 31,370-mile-from-new 3500 GTi spent four decades in the care of a single California owner. The Amaranto Rame paint has taken on an added layer of character over the years, while the tan leather interior is clean and inviting. Benefiting from all of the final production upgrades bestowed upon it…