I have never lost as much money as I did with our 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C. In August 2022, I paid $18k for the car. A little over two years later, I had it placed on Bring a Trailer by my friend Matt Crandall, super-seller 911r. It was bid to only $17,800. […]
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Hidden Dragon
The Nissan 240SX wound up being a commercial failure over its 10-year production run, yet it was a cultural success long into the decade that followed. After years of strong sales of its inexpensive front-engine, rear-drive Silvia in Japan and other markets, Nissan decided to bring the car to the […]
1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster
In the days when Bugattis crossed France and 4½ Litre Bentleys tore through the British countryside, the American equivalent was the Auburn Speedster. The 1935–36 Speedsters were designed by the legendary Gordon Buehrig. Audacious by the standards of their time, they featured curvaceous bodywork with a straight hood line shooting […]
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy
Completed on January 12, 1956, this was the 26th alloy-bodied Gullwing off the Untertürkheim production line, and actually the first completed in 1956. Its data card, a copy of which is included in the file, records all of the usual Leichtmetallausführung glories — alloy body, NSL engine, sports suspension, Rudges, […]
1964 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype
Only a single original Iso Grifo convertible was built: this car, actually a companion to the original A3/L prototype coupe, with which it shared such distinctive features as the side exhaust rakishly snaking through the passenger’s side of the cowl and under the rocker panel trim with its nearly matte […]
2015 Ferrari California T
This 2015 Ferrari California T has 25k miles and is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle. Finished in Nero over red-and-black leather upholstery, the car has Novitec exhaust and suspension components, 20-inch split-spoke alloy wheels, a limited-slip differential, carbon-ceramic brakes with yellow-finished calipers, […]
1982 March-Chevrolet 82G
This 82G race car is the first of four examples produced by March Engineering in 1982 for use in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA GT Championship. Chassis 1, referred to as the 82G prototype, secured pole position in its debut at the Daytona 24 Hours, and […]
A Two-Way Ticket Down to Tennessee
I’ve finally taken a ride on the Chattanooga Choo Choo. This was my fourth visit to the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, sponsored by Millennium Bank. Like a fine wine, this event gets better each year. Developer and philanthropist Byron DeFoor is the founder of the festival. His commitment to nurturing the […]
Monopoly Money?
Tyler Reddick, driving for NBA legend Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, just went from 3rd to 1st on the last lap to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It gave the NASCAR regular-season champion an automatic entry into the NASCAR Championship 4, and a shot at the 2024 season championship. Amid the […]
Kaishū Means Renovation
We have previously looked at factory heritage programs available from many European automakers (“Collecting Thoughts,” April 2023). From Aston Martin to Porsche, owners can send their collector cars back to the mothership for verification and, in some cases, factory restoration. Now as Japanese collector cars increase in value, a similar-yet-distinct […]