Columns


  • 2008 Koenigsegg CCX

    2008 Koenigsegg CCX

    The idea of building one’s own supercar to compete with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren would generally be considered ludicrous, what with the monumental strides these companies have made in automotive technology and performance over the past decades. How could one man’s vision compete with such established sporting pedigree and record-setting engineering? From…

  • 1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Open Tourer

    1928 Mercedes-Benz 36/220 S-Type Open Tourer

    This extraordinary S-type has been preserved within its very first family ownership for no fewer than the past 84 years. The original owner was a former military captain who had the rare distinction for a British Army officer of having served throughout (and survived) World War I. He ordered the S-type on February 28, 1928,…

  • 1909 Stanley Model R Roadster

    1909 Stanley Model R Roadster

    Whoever called this car a Stanley Steamer wasn’t a friend of the Stanley brothers, as they hated that designation. It was a Stanley Steam Car, although Stanley Steamer has become a part of the American language. The brothers were identical twins who went by their initials, F.E. and F.O. They set about building what was,…

  • 1930–31 Maserati Tipo 26 Sport Road Racer

    1930–31 Maserati Tipo 26 Sport Road Racer

    This magical Maserati was a direct competitor of the smaller-engined, less-uncompromisingly-race-bred Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. It should be considered absolutely within the same breath as one of the most illustrious of Italian-made thoroughbred road-racing cars. This extraordinarily well-presented survivor from Maserati’s early history is offered here direct from 57 years in its current ownership, and…

  • 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Spyder

    1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Spyder

    There had been open-top Ferrari road cars before the advent of the 250 Series, but it was, chiefly, Pininfarina’s offerings on the latter chassis that established the convertible as a fixture of the Ferrari range. After the experimentation and variety that characterized the coachwork of the 250 Series cars, the arrival of the 275 in…

  • 1959 MGA Twin-Cam Roadster

    1959 MGA Twin-Cam Roadster

    Conceived as a replacement for the traditional T-Series MGs and introduced in 1955, the MGA combined a rigid chassis with the Austin-designed, 1,489-cc B-Series engine that had first appeared in the ZA Magnette. Running gear was based on the TF, with independent coil-sprung wishbone front suspension and a live rear axle. Clad in a curvaceous…

  • 2008 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4

    2008 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4

    • 1,001 hp, 7,993-cc quad-turbocharged W16 engine • 7-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox • Haldex four-wheel drive • Electrically adjustable independent suspension • 4-wheel carbon-ceramic disc brakes • Top speed of 253 mph • Number 100 of 300 built • One owner from new and less than 700 km from new • Offered from the Zegwaard…

  • Let’s Get On With the Next 25

    Let’s Get On With the Next 25

    I remember clearly when I decided to launch the Alfa Romeo Market Letter. It was 1988, and the market was beginning to heat up. I had recently left my day job as a manager of Ron Tonkin’s Gran Turismo in Portland, OR, where I sold Ferraris, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and Lotuses. I devoured the various…

  • Alfa Romeo’s Underrated Grand Tourer

    Alfa Romeo’s Underrated Grand Tourer

    This was supposed to be an Affordable Classic piece about the entire Alfa Romeo 2600 range. It has become a piece about only one of the five models of the Alfa 2600 — the Sprint. Why? I don’t want SCM World Headquarters to be bombarded with emails, letters and tweets complaining about the definition of…

  • 1972 Chevrolet Corvette LT-1 A/c Test Mule

    1972 Chevrolet Corvette LT-1 A/c Test Mule

    • Zora Arkus-Duntov’s 1972 test car for the installation of air conditioning on an LT-1 • Bloomington Gold Special Collection • NCRS National Second Flight Award • 53,557 original miles • LT-1 engine • 4-speed manual • War Bonnet Yellow with black interior • Appeared in the movie “Apollo 13” • Tank sticker and microfilm…