Columns
-
1960 Volkswagen Double-Cab Pickup
No such critter like this was available new from Volkswagen—no matter how many option boxes were checked off Introduced in 1950, the Volkswagen Type 2 effectively doubled the product line of the thriving German car company. Utilizing the same rear-engine air-cooled format as the overwhelmingly successful Beetle, the various Type 2 models featured new dimensions…
-
1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico Coupe
Its impeccable provenance following La Carrera and its impressive ownership chain makes it a plum piece for a collector who appreciates quality over flash This Ferrari, 0224AT, has had a busy and well-documented life. Assembled in September 1952, it was test-driven just one month later. Official photos were taken, with temporary Italian license plates BO…
-
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Prototype
A car, especially at auction, has to have that “wow” factor to excite bidders, and this one really did The Miura presented here is, quite simply, unlike any other. Issued production number 576, this Lamborghini represents the end result of a project undertaken by the factory’s chief development engineer and test driver, Bob Wallace, to…
-
1955 Austin-Healey 100S
These cars were almost lost in the limelight of the Jaguars, Aston-Martins, Mercedes-Benzes, and Ferraris that raced in the same grids Not long after the stunning Austin-Healey 100 debuted, Donald Healey began planning a high-performance version of his well-received sports car. Knowing that a competitive racing variant would boost the image of the various production…
-
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible
Without side rails there was no lateral-impact protection, but safety was not a major concern in the 1950s In 1953, General Motors wowed the automotive world with the introduction of a 50th Anniversary Buick, the Skylark, as well as the Oldsmobile Fiesta, the Cadillac Eldorado and a fiberglass sports car called the Corvette. All four…
-
The Safety Car that Didn’t Sell
By 1973, things looked very bad indeed for the types of cars that most of us care about. Fuel shortages, insurance rates, nutty safety and bumper regulations—plus a hearty helping of general gloom and malaise—all but killed performance cars. Subaru importer Malcolm Bricklin thought he could exploit a niche for a sports car that nearly…
-
When is Fast too Fast?
This month’s column focuses on three related points. First, I do a lot of expert-witness work, so I’m consulted on many horrifically wrecked Ferraris, which is very sobering. I also get emails from Ferrari Internet chat groups monitoring the relatively new trend of punitive traffic fines in Europe and Canada. Finally, because I drive most…
-
1933 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix
The late Fitzroy John Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan, is remembered with tremendous affection within the vintage racing world. Following a successful Chairmanship, Lord Raglan was only the third person to become Patron of the U.K.’s Bugatti Owners’ Club, in succession to Ettore Bugatti himself and the illustrious motor racing peer, Earl Howe. Indeed, here we…
-
Special Tax-Planning Window for Car Collectors
2010 was a difficult year for tax planning. The federal estate and generation-skipping taxes were repealed, but the gift tax exemption was stuck at $1m to keep people from taking too much advantage. Plus, there was talk all year long about a retroactive reimposition of both taxes. We saw an epic battle over the continuation…
-
1957 BMW Isetta 300 Convertible
This car has undergone a complete nut-and-bolt restoration. Powered by a 298-cc 1-cylinder, 4-stroke motor with 13 horsepower. The car has a 4-speed manual transmission with reverse, rack and pinion steering, coil springs in the front and leaf springs in the rear. Has a 12-volt electrical system and weighs approximately 780 pounds with a top…