Columns
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Classiche Lite
From the beginning of the Ferrari Classiche Program in 2003, there has been no lack of enthusiasts who dismissed it for its rigid limitations. The raison d’etre of the FCP has been to “certify the authenticity” or originality of Ferraris, but not necessarily to certify that a Ferrari is “genuine.” As an example of this…
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1955-57 Ford Thunderbird
The immediate post-war era saw sports cars enter the American consciousness for the first time since the days of the Mercer Raceabout and the Stutz Bearcat. By the early 1950s-in addition to foreigners like MG, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Ferrari-Ford had to stomach American independents and upstarts dabbling in sports cars, most notably tiny manufacturers…
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The Market Walks Tall
Two years ago, the art market had cratered, with both Sotheby’s and Christie’s suffering huge year-over-year declines in their annual New York sales. But on February 3, the market spoke with an authoritative voice, as “Walking Man I,” a life-size bronze sculpture by Alberto Giacometti, was sold by Sotheby’s for $104.3m, a world record for…
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1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet B
Introduced at Frankfurt in 1951, the Mercedes-Benz 220 series was available in sedan, coupe, and cabriolet variants. It was in production through August 1955, with only 997 cabriolet Bs built. According to a letter sent by a previous owner to the vendor, this lovely example was owned from 1993 to 1998 by a gentleman in…
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1954 Mercury XM-800 Dream Car
In the 1950s, concept cars-often referred to as Dream Machines-were built to test new ideas. For 1954, Ford Motor Company fielded two new entries in the show circuit: a sporty little two-seater called the Thunderbird and a full-size two-door hard top produced under the Mercury banner and called the XM-800. Ford’s head of design, George…
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1959 Jaguar Lister Costin Sports Racer
In 1957, Brian Lister built his first Jaguar-powered sports racer, with which he achieved outstanding racing victories with the brilliant one-armed driver Archie Scott Brown. During this time, Lister’s sponsor, British Petroleum, was seeking a team of large-displacement sports racing cars to rival Aston Martin and Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars, both of whom were sponsored by…
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2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta
Displayed for the first time at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, Ferrari’s new 550 Barchetta followed in a long line of exclusive, open-top, front-engine V12s. The Barchetta was built to celebrate Pininfarina’s 70th anniversary and its long relationship with the marque. The renowned coachbuilder styled the car as a truly special Ferrari. A more stimulating…
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1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Merlin Special
Chassis 64GX left Crewe as a standard Phantom II saloon, but in the late 1970s, Rolls-Royce collector Nicholas Harley of London decided to create a showcase of British engineering might. The restoration that ensued spanned approximately seven years, during which time the Phantom II frame was lengthened, reinforced and fitted with this lovely Gurney Nutting-inspired…
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1925 Bugatti Brescia Type 22 Roadster
This car has become one of the most celebrated of all Bugattis, having lain submerged beneath the waters of Lake Maggiore in Switzerland for more than 70 years. Its whereabouts had been known to the local dive club for years, but in February 2008 a tragedy occurred which led to its retrieval. Club member Damiano…
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Who Pays at Russo and Steele?
If the winds were unforeseeable, they would be considered an act of God, and neither the auction nor tent company would be liable for damages Who would have thought that the wind could blow so hard? That turns out to be the multi-million-dollar question in Scottsdale. The big story from this year’s Arizona auctions was…