Thunderbolts were designed for high-profile Factory Experimental and Super Stock classes; Galaxie Lightweights targeted regional Stock-class competition {vsig}2009-5_2319{/vsig} In March 1963, General Motors dropped a bombshell by banning factory support of auto racing. Ironically, just one month later, Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca issued a press release that read, in […]
Columns
1969 Matra MS650 Barquette
It was a glorious combination of beauty, speed, sound, and comfort, a proper object of Gallic pride, and almost (but not quite) the equal of Porsche’s 908 {vsig}2009-5_2325{/vsig} Only three Matra 650s were built. After a successful racing career, one is kept in the Matra museum at Romorantin, while the […]
1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Coupe
Launched at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari 365 GTC/4 ostensibly replaced the 365 GT 2+2. Technically a four-passenger car, its eight-inch-shorter wheelbase and lower, sloping roofline made the tiny rear seats token at best. Ferrari compensated by having the rear seatbacks flip down to make a storage tray. […]
1939 Jaguar SS 100 3½-Liter Roadster
Any patina has been lost in a slightly over-shiny restoration and repaint, though it does have a big history file and is eligible for many prestige events {vsig}2009-5_2320{/vsig} Launched for 1936, the SS 100 was the first real high-performance model produced by SS Cars Limited, and used a new Weslake-developed […]
1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe
It may not have been quite the “discovery” that the press suggested, but it was eagerly awaited {vsig}2009-5_2321{/vsig} Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon succeeded to the peerage in 1929 on the death of his father, becoming the Fifth Earl Howe. At that time he resigned his seat in the […]
How to Avoid Sales Tax, Part II
A better alternative for Californians may be the use of a Montana business entity, because Montana would allow a legal, tax-free registration of the car The March 2009 “Legal Files” regarding sales tax triggered two helpful responses from attorneys, which suggested the need for a follow-up on this subject of […]
When 25 Miles Doesn’t Matter
In late January, the owner-principal of an authorized Ferrari dealership emailed an unusual question: “Do you think there is a retail price difference between an Enzo with 990 miles and one with 1,015 miles? We have a service customer with an Enzo who is concerned our road testing after the […]
1969-71 Jaguar E-type Series II
Series II E-types aren’t quite the stylistic betrayal we’ve been led to believe. And they are an affordable way into the Jaguar mystique If the Series I E-type is the prom queen, the Marcia Brady of E-types, then the Series II is Jan Brady-less glamorous and forever living in […]
The New Market
Since the end of the Scottsdale auctions, the flow of emails, letters, and phone calls has been relentless. Half are shrill diatribes, demanding that SCM support the market. Any description of prices as falling, or buyers being cautious, is viewed as sabotaging the market. The second half contends that SCM […]
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
In many ways, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster was an improvement over its Gullwing predecessors. The multi-tube chassis was redesigned with lower sills and conventionally hinged doors for easier entry and exit. Roll-up windows overcame one of the Gullwing’s greatest drawbacks-inadequate interior ventilation-and the seats were given a three-position backrest rake […]