Columns
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1963 Shelby Cobra 289 “Le Mans” Roadster
In April 1963, Shelby prepared two cars for Le Mans that summer. Features included Dunlop magnesium wheels with larger fender flares, FIA hood scoops and a 37-gallon fuel tank. The engines, stated to be “moderate tune,” had four Weber downdraught carburetors. One team car entered by AC Cars, managed by Stirling Moss and driven by…
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1960 Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage”
With the introduction and sales success of the road-going 3500GT, however, the company’s health improved drastically, prompting a renewed interest in creating a sports car that could be raced, not by the factory, but by privateers. Credit for the resulting Tipo 60/61 goes to engineer extraordinaire Giulio Alfieri, who, during 1958, created this stunning sports…
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
The 250 GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta (SWB) is a great dual-purpose gran turismo and the logical evolution of the long-wheelbase Berlinetta, popularly known as the “TdF” because of its four consecutive wins in the Tour de France from 1956 to 1959. The SWB was even more successful than its predecessor, posting class wins at Le Mans…
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1950 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Coupe
This superb DB2 was sold new to William “Bill” Spear, wealthy amateur American racer and a close friend of Briggs Cunningham, the famed American gentleman racer and sports car builder. In fact, the two of them each ordered a new DB2 in November 1950. LML/50/19 is the 19th car built, an original right-hand drive example…
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1954 Lancia Aurelia B20 Series 4
This rare Nardi converted and meticulously restored Lancia Aurelia B20GT Series IV was imported into the Netherlands from Nice (France) approximately 20 years ago. Its last known owner in France was Mr. Jean Pierre Cornu, who acquired the car in the early 1970s. The present owner, a well known collector of thoroughbred Italian sports and…
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Who Gets the Car – or Boat?
Holding onto the certificate of title until you get paid is no legal protection. Once the buyer pays the broker, that certificate of title is worthless The Oregon Court of Appeals recently decided a case of interest to car collectors. The case involved a 29-foot Sea Ray boat, but the legal principles apply equally to…
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Ann Landers on Ferraris
Thanks to well over 17 years of monthly columns for Sports Car Market, I’ve slowly become the Ann Landers or “Dear Abby” of the Ferrari world, and with an average of 200 emails a day, there is never a lack of questions. This month’s “reply” started with the following email, “I’m a first-time Ferrari buyer.…
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1950-1967 Volkswagen Microbus
During the 1950s, the people charged with the task of selling imported cars were often more in tune with what the market wanted than the manufacturers. Witness the string of successes that U.S.-based BMW and Porsche importer Max Hoffman had with the Porsche Speedster, BMW 2002 and Bavaria. In the case of the VW Microbus,…
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Happy Days are Here Again
On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11. A direct consequence of that was the collapse of the collector car market. For instance, Daytonas, the poster children of the Ferrari market, fell almost overnight from their August 2008 heights in Monterey of $350k, to a more earthly $225k. Alfa TZ-1s stopped changing hands…
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1956 Mercedes-Benz 300c Station Wagon by Binz
In 1956, Mrs. Caroline Foulke enjoyed a tri-city life with homes in Paris, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, and that year, she walked into the New York City Mercedes-Benz dealership with a most unusual request-a new station wagon. While this is a commonplace order today, no such car was available in the Mercedes-Benz lineup…