Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
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BMWs at Buttonwillow
I’ve been to a variety of driving schools, with instruction ranging from cursory to custodial. When the opportunity came for my daughter Alex and me to attend a two-day BMW Car Club of America high-performance driving school in Southern California, I thought I knew what to expect. I’d be in the advanced class (of course…
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From Carlisle to Carousel
The collector car summer goes out with a roar. For me, it was a blur of events that included Fall Auburn, the Kirkland Concours, Funfest, Fall Carlisle and a visit to the Milhous Collection. My airline status for next year is assured; I’ll always be the one who gets asked first whether he wants…
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1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
The Mercedes-Benz 540K was one of the most prestigious and most beautiful automobiles of the interwar years. Its combination of power, light weight and sheer beauty made it the master of the road, and it was a testimonial to the astonishing capabilities of the German automotive engineers of the day. It was also breathtakingly expensive,…
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1931 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Coupe
The Duesenberg presented here, one of six Model Js that Capt. George Whittell Jr. purchased new, is arguably the finest example of the coachbuilt American automobile. Penned by legendary designer Franklin Hershey and executed by Murphy, the coachwork is a study in elegance and individualization, distinguished by Whittell’s inimitable motifs. At its foundation is Duesenberg’s…
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1931 Miller Bowes Seal Fast Special
The Bowes Seal Fast Special was first piloted at Indy by Louis Schneider in 1930, with Clyde Terry as riding mechanic. The car qualified 4th at a speed of 106 mph and finished 3rd on the lead lap (finished 200 laps). It ran with a Miller 8 122-ci engine. The car is restored to its…
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1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype
Chassis number: 0666 TR The development of the Ferrari 250 TR began in early 1957 with the car presented here, 0666 TR, which has the distinction of serving as the first prototype for the 250 Testa Rossa series. 0666 TR made its debut at the Nürburgring 1,000 Km, coming 6th in qualifying and 10th in…
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1925 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model Supersports
W.O. Bentley proudly showed the new 3 Litre car bearing his name on Stand 126 at the 1919 Olympia Motor Exhibition, the prototype engine having fired up for the first time just a few weeks earlier. In only mildly developed form, this was the model that was to become a legend in motor racing history…
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Two 1953 Siata 208S Sales in Monterey
RM Lot 255 Chassis number: BS 523 Engine number: BS 070 Gooding Lot 121Chassis number: BS 514Engine number: BS 071 Siata 208S BS 523/RM Auctions Siata 208S Spyder BS 523 was sold new in Los Angeles by Ernie McAfee. Circa 1956, it was acquired from McAfee by the young acting sensation Steve McQueen, who…
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Monterey Millions
This issue offers the most complete and incisive coverage of the Monterey weekend, with 75 pages of comments and analyses. More than 220 collector cars are discussed in detail. Million-dollar cars sold like there was no tomorrow, with no fewer than 31 going to new homes. In short, Monterey 2011 was a particularly good…
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Did You See That ’58 Aston Martin DB Mark III?
Is there such a thing as an affordable classic or a good deal during Monterey auction week? Watching collectors and enthusiasts flock to the numerous auctions searching for a special, once-in-a-lifetime deal is like watching a professional goat rodeo. If you are a chaos junkie, this is for you, but making sense of this madness…