Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
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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…
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When It’s Time to Say Goodbye
Is it fair to say that we love our cars? Over time, we develop relationships with them based on the things we have done with them — from changing spark plugs to repairing upholstery to going on tours and rallies. In a way, a favorite car is like a faithful Labrador retriever. It sits…
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Car Damage, Insurance and Agreed-Value Policies
Two recent cases that attracted a lot of attention seem to involve different issues, but they actually have a lot in common. In one, SCM and ACC contributor John Stein brought to our attention a recent fire in a Sacramento repair shop that destroyed a number of Porsches. In the other, SCMer Joel Gardner shared…
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Is the X1/9 Emerging from the Shadows?
The Fiat X1/9 has been all but forgotten in the 40 years since it was introduced to North American markets. Most collectors just ignore the little mid-engine, two-seater convertible. Many see the car as Fiat’s underpowered and somewhat half-hearted effort to hold onto the American market — and really, who wouldn’t rather have a Fiat…
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1974 BMW 2002 Turbo Coupe
The 2002 Turbo upped the game again. Engine designer Alex von Falkenhausen eschewed the option of a larger engine shoehorned into the lightweight 2002 and instead developed the successful Group Five turbocharging idea for a fast road car. By using a KKK turbo coupled to the tii Kugelfischer fuel injection, he created a 170-hp engine…