Columns

1954 Cunningham C-3 Vignale Coupe

The Cunningham car of the early 1950s was the product of revered sportsman Briggs Cunningham’s determination to win the 24-hour race at Le Mans with an American-built automobile. Cunningham had attempted the feat with production-based Cadillacs, but finding them not sufficient to the task, endeavored to build his own car, […]

1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine by Hooper

The English coachbuilder Hooper produced many types of bodies upon the Silver Wraith chassis, but among its rarest and most formal designs is the 7-passenger limousine, as offered here. Just 10 examples of these hand-wrought aluminum beauties were created between 1947 and 1951; the first was built for Lord Louis […]

1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Cabriolet Pinin Farina

The 6C 2500 Sport offered here is one of the most classic and desirable examples of coachwork on the standard-wheelbase chassis, the svelte cabriolet by Pinin Farina. Like the chassis itself, an elegant evolution of pre-war design, the body is steel with aluminum doors, hood and rear deck, and features […]

2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 6-Speed Manual

The 612 Scaglietti was named for the fabled coachbuilder favored by the factory, and its dramatic styling was inspired by the famed 375 MM built as a gift from Roberto Rosselini to his great love, actress Ingrid Bergman. Honoring both the Hollywood provenance of the design and the model’s appeal […]

1991 Porsche C4 “Reimagined by Singer”

This 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 coupe was modified by Singer Vehicle Design between August 2018 and August 2020 and was purchased by the seller through Singer after the commissioning customer was unable to take delivery. Finished in Fiona Metallic over a custom Blue Charcoal leather interior, the “Gratitude Commission” […]

2016 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H Coupe “Executive Car”

The run of 2016 Shelby Mustang GT-Hs for Hertz included 140 examples delivered into the rental fleet for allocation day-by-day to mere mortals, and then 16 of the “Executive Cars,” a name that to the Hertz Shelby enthusiast has a special aura. These 16 cars were not rented but were […]

1976 Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally

To get the 131 Abarth homologated for Group 4 competition and to replace the aging 124 Abarth, Fiat produced a roadgoing version in a few hundred units. Launched at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show, the 131 Abarth Rally got the same engine as the competition version, but a little “civilized,” […]

Mega Sale of a Mega Cruiser

1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser S/N BXD200001087. 90,900 km (56,500 miles). “4.1-L turbodiesel I4 engine, 4-speed automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, producing 155 hp and 282 lb-ft of torque, 17.5-inch wheels, portal axles, inboard brakes, locking front, center and rear differentials, a four-wheel steering system, a rear-mounted ladder, and […]

From Vague-O-Matic to Cash-O-Matic

In all my years of selling cars at auction, I have never had a “miracle moment” where the bidding went far beyond my expectations — until our 1971 Citroën DS21 Pallas sold this past fall. When I saw the car offered on Bring a Trailer in August 2021, I was […]

The Case of the Buried Benz

Readers often ask where I find “Legal Files” column ideas. Many times, they come from suggestions from SCMers, so if you spot something interesting, feel free to email a tip. This story came from my first and most loyal reader, Publisher Martin. Not usually a man of few words, his […]