Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 The federal estate and generation-skipping taxes were repealed, but the gift tax exemption was stuck at $1m to keep people from taking too much advantage.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…
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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…
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1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT Berlinetta
Ferrari had resolved to create a younger brand using the support of Fiat, the innovative defining style of Pininfarina, and a new light alloy engine used in a rear mid-engine configuration. The resulting Dino was described by the Commendatore as “almost a Ferrari.” That slap denied it the name which posterity restored to it. The…
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1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ Prototipo Berlinetta
In response to Alfa Romeo’s request for a TZ successor, Autodelta’s co-founder Ludovico Chizzola built this prototype for Alfa Romeo to opt for its own design—the TZ2—so the car remained a one-off. After completion, this unique Alfa Romeo remained the Chizzola family’s property until it was bought by the current vendor at Bonhams’ Nürburgring Sale…
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1959 Austin-Healey 100-6 Jamaican
In light of its popularity, and taking into consideration the potential of its rigid and low-frame chassis, the 4-cylinder Austin-Healey gave way in 1956 to the first 6-cylinder version, the 100-6, which boasted a BMC C-Series engine with a cubic capacity of close to 2.7 liters. The success of the Austin-Healeys across the Atlantic was…
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1969 Chevrolet Camaro L89 Pace Car Convertible
This extremely rare 1969 Camaro is documented as one of only twelve Pace Car convertibles equipped with the rare L89 aluminum-head 396/375 horsepower engine. Its complete matching-numbers drivetrain that includes a 400 Turbo-Hydramatic and 3.07 rear axle ratio indicate that it is likely one of seven examples sent to the 1969 Indianapolis 500 for back-up…