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Year of the Rotary?
1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE S/N JM1FB3322F0899133. 4,800 miles. “1.3-L 13B rotary, 5-speed manual transmission, limited-slip differential, Royal Maroon Metallic paint, gray cloth upholstery, 14-inch alloy wheels, removable glass sunroof, factory cassette stereo with graphic equalizer, cruise control, A/C, power accessories.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT $35,700. Bring a Trailer, 3/21/24. This might be the year for…
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Summer of Solstice
In 2005, Pontiac brought forth what would be its last sporty car. The 2006 Solstice was an attractive — even rakish — convertible 2-seater with excellent balance and handling. The Pontiac’s introduction was followed up later in 2006 with a badge-engineered döppelganger called the Saturn Sky and Europeans got the same model as a revived…
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Sharing the Pain
Airbnb and Vrbo have become household names for vacation rentals, widely popularizing the idea of a “sharing economy.” A number of similar car-sharing services have also popped up in the past few years, all with a similar pitch: If you own a car, you can make extra money by renting it out through their app…
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Old Goat, New Guy
Even among collectors, it is perhaps unusual to own the exact same car twice, with 40 long years separating the two experiences. I first bought this Pontiac GTO in 1981, after discovering it with a scattered clutch in a Sierra Nevada meadow. After torturing it for a summer, I sold it on, only to rediscover…
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Love the One You Have
Erratic. Nonsensical. Devoid of any appearance of logic. That’s how my friends have described my approach to collecting over the past few years. But thanks to a recent temptation, my unfocused and somewhat frantic searching may be nearing an end. An adequately powered sports car that handles well on skinny tires and weighs around 2,500…
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1967 Ford GT40
The early history of this roadgoing GT40 is particularly fascinating, outlined in extensive detail by marque specialist Ronnie Spain, whose report remains on file for this car and is available for review by interested potential bidders. It begins on February 16, 1967, one week before its scheduled delivery date, and its assignment by Ford to…
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1904 Napier L48 “Samson”
This “Edwardian Giant” is offered from the collection of its fifth owner in 120 years, Australian businessman Peter Briggs. The discovery of this engine in the 1950s, fit to a complete body in the 1980s, heralded the definitive rebirth into the motoring world of the L48 and its singular legacy. Any new owner must keep…
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1935 Voisin C28 Clairière Berline
Among French automakers of the Art Deco era, Avions Voisin was unique. With a background in architecture, industrial design, engineering, and a successful career in aviation, Gabriel Voisin reached the height of his automotive career in the 1930s. Each Voisin automobile was designed as a whole in response to the number of passengers and their…
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1953 Ferrari 250 Europa
From its 1947 inception, Ferrari overwhelmingly relied on a Gioacchino Colombo-designed V12 that was successively developed from its original 1.5-liter displacement to 1.9-, 2.3-, 2.6- and 2.7-liter configurations. In early 1952, the engine was further enlarged with a single-cylinder volume approaching 250 cubic centimeters, and the resulting 2,953-cubic-centimeter engine became the first edition of the…
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1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60HP “Roi Des Belges”
In 1890, after parting ways with Deutz AG, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach established Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt, Germany. DMG revolutionized the design and manufacture of internal combustion engines, inventing the world’s first four-stroke petrol engine and float-feed carburetor. Despite groundbreaking developments, Daimler and Maybach initially attracted little interest for their products in…