Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato
From the legendary pre-war 6C 1750, the combination of Zagato’s lightweight bodywork and Alfa Romeo’s sophisticated engines and superb chassis has led not only to competition successes but to the creation of some of the most stylish sports and GT cars to come from Italy as well. Among the rarest of this exclusive club are…
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GTOs and Cobras: Investments or Insanity?
Here at SCM, we like to maintain two simultaneous views of the collector world, with one seen through a long-range spotting scope, and the other viewed through close-range binoculars. For example, in the short-term viewfinder, the sale of a 250 GTO for $35m is a breathtaking escalation of the value of these most-watched Ferraris. Long…
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So You Want to Sell Your Car at Auction
Finding an auction company that meets your needs is one of the first crucial steps “Legal Files” recently wrote about the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster that German authorities seized on a claim that it had been stolen from Hans Friedrich Prym in 1945 (June 2012, p. 30). The current owners, who bought the car at the…
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High-End Ferraris Booming
We all know that the planet went into recession in 2007 — and fell off the proverbial economic cliff on September 15, 2008, when Lehman Brothers was thrown into bankruptcy. The Dow dropped 500 points on that day — and then even further. Banks and businesses failed, and the gloom set in. Many markets slowed…
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Slow to Speed, Fast to Rust
Italian sports cars quickly became successful after World War II — think Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia and Alfa Romeo — but Fiat’s entry-level two-seaters never totally captured the imagination or sales of enthusiasts. In the 1960s, Bertone and Pininfarina slowly emerged as the top Italian styling houses, and they proved the Italians were particularly good at…
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1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake
CSX2093 is one of only eight cars modified with the Shelby-developed Dragonsnake package. Owned by Jim Costilow and piloted by drag racer Bruce Larson, later of USA-1 Funny Car fame, the Dragonsnake dominated the NHRA’s A/SP, AA/SP, B/SP and C/SP classes in 1964. It set records in the 1965 season and won the NHRA Springnationals,…
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1965 Amphicar 770 Convertible
It’s a car. It’s a boat. Actually, it’s both. Developed in West Germany, the Amphicar was aimed squarely at America’s leisure market and debuted at the 1961 New York Auto Show. As the culmination of a 15-year, $25 million development program, the Amphicar was the creation of amphibious-vehicle pioneer Hans Trippel. A mid-rear-mounted Triumph Herald…
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1973 Ferrari 246 GTS Dino Spyder
Enzo Ferrari’s son Alfredo, also known as “Dino,” was a proponent of small-displacement, 6-cylinder technology. After earning his engineering degree, he began development of a V6 racing engine. After Alfredo’s tragic death, Enzo directed the legendary engineer Vittorio Jano to finish Dino’s work to honor his son’s memory. A series of successful engines was developed…
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1930 Bugatti Type 46 Superprofile Coupe
Of all Bugatti models, one of the most elegant, imposing and luxurious was the Type 46, introduced in late 1929. Approximately 450 examples were produced until 1933. The steel ladder-type chassis of the Type 46 featured a long 138-inch wheelbase and was powered by an equally impressive, long-stroke 5.4-liter inline eight engine featuring a single…
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1960 Triumph TR3A Roadster
A solid original New Mexico car with a recent body-off restoration, this Triumph has the factory rear seat. Factory-quality patch panels were used where needed. Priority was placed on originality and drivability. The chrome has been replated, and the interior was completely re-covered with leather seat trim. The full engine rebuild was performed with 87…