Columns
-
1999 Shelby Series 1 Roadster Prototype
The Shelby Series 1 was a high-performance roadster manufactured by Shelby American from 1996 to 2002. Only 249 Shelby Series 1s were built, and this was the first running car, as well as the “pre-production” #1 Series 1, which was featured on the cover of Motor Trend. With a carbon fiber body, sophisticated chassis, and…
-
1979 Williams FW07 Formula One
Williams F1, one of the world’s leading Formula One motor racing teams, was founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head. One of the few independent F1 teams, it has won 16 FIA F1 World Championships and seven Driver’s Championships. The FW07 was a groundbreaking car regarded by many as the most innovative of…
-
1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast Coupe
At the 1964 Geneva Auto Salon, Ferrari debuted the latest evolution of its traditional, top-of-the-range grand touring car-the 500 Superfast. The Superfast was designed to criss-cross continents with great speed, comfort, and style-a deluxe GT with the soul and character of the firm’s racing cars. The Pininfarina design was an enhancement of the earlier 400…
-
1961 Lotus Elite Series II Coupe
With the Lotus 14 of 1959-better known as the Elite-Colin Chapman demonstrated that his skills as a racing car designer and constructor could just as easily be applied to production road cars. The Elite was, nevertheless, conceived with competition in mind, as Chapman had his sights set on class wins at Le Mans and the…
-
1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Berlinetta Aerodinamica
The Berlinetta Aerodinamica was the ultimate evolution of Carrozzeria Touring’s technical and aesthetic achievements prior to WWII. Conceived for the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1939, the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Berlinetta Aerodinamica was the refined successor to the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Le Mans Berlinetta. It is the pinnacle of pre-war…
-
A Car Guy Judge with a Sense of Humor
The judge started his opinion by pointing out that his “analysis will be swifter than Richard Petty’s race-clinching pit stop at the 1981 Daytona 500” Here is an unlikely case of Car Guy v. Car Guy, brought, it just so happens, before a car guy judge. It’s the story of a race car owner and…
-
On a Clear Day, You Can See DeLorean
Wealthy Type-A car guys can’t seem to resist starting their own companies (named, of course, after themselves). But for every Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, there’s a Bricklin, Tucker, and. DeLorean. John Z. DeLorean, at least, seemed to have the automotive chops to make his company a long-term survivor. He was a thoroughly unconventional GM executive,…
-
1957 283/250 Fuelie Convertible
Only three years after its introduction, for 1956 Chevrolet introduced a restyled Corvette that was a significant departure from earlier models. Fast, sleek and extremely clean in appearance, the new body style was more than just a work of art – the now-iconic design lent America’s sports car a much more sporting identity. As a…
-
1963 327/300 4-Speed “Harley Earl” Convertible
A mainstay of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection, this Harley J. Earl Corvette is a one-of-a-kind factory special with a singularly historic pedigree. General Motors commissioned the custom-built 1963 Sting Ray under Shop Order 10323 as a gift for the legendary GM designer, who subsequently used it as his personal car. It features the base…
-
1,650 Horsepower, L88 Style
(Three L88s crossed the block recently, and we asked CM analyst Mark Rudnick to compare and contrast them. – CM.)