Six months ago we received one or two calls or emails a day from people who wanted us to help them to market and sell their Ferraris. Today we receive half a dozen calls or emails every day, and the number is growing. With each call I laboriously explain that […]
Columns
Bugeye Sprite: 50 and Counting
Healey 100 designer Gerry Coker came up with “a working man’s Ferrari,” which could be kept in a bike shed, and used standard parts from BMC sedans {vsig}2008-12_2258{/vsig} Question: What collectible automobile copied the chassis design of the Jaguar D-type, was introduced at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, took first, […]
What Goes Up, Must Come Down.
On the way up, every buy is a good buy, because mistakes are papered over as the market rises. On the way down, every buy is a bad buy The only constant in the market is change. While our vintage Porsche market has enjoyed an upward curve for the past […]
A Ferrari for Everyman (or Woman)
The Lamborghini Countach may have had the dorm room poster market, but the 308 got screen time with “Magnum, P.I.” {vsig}2008-12_2255{/vsig} The great automotive die-off of the 1970s claimed muscle cars, full-sized American convertibles, and traditional British sports cars. Italian exotics came perilously close to being on that list. In […]
Gazing Into the Crystal Piston
The continued buoyancy of the market at the top end is proof that America has the largest number of wealthy people of any nation in the world The Monterey vintage week takes up about four months of every year. There are two months of preparation for it, which at SCM […]
The Tao of Steve’s Turbo Carrera
Stories abound that McQueen did everything he could to use the car as it was intended, and in that way, I imagine he had great fun with it {vsig}2008-11_2250{/vsig} In 1976, Porsche unveiled what was to be the first production 911 Turbo, known internally as a 930 and externally as […]
1948 Tucker 48 Torpedo Sedan
This price can be explained by the “ABC” factor-Aging Billionaire Collector. Such buyers can’t wait another 20 years, so they pay whatever it costs {vsig}2008-11_2243{/vsig} Preston Tucker’s promise of “the first completely new car in 50 years” struck a chord in the hearts of the public in 1948 and again […]
1960 Jaguar E2A Le Mans Sports Racer
It was left in a corner to be junked, but Guy Griffiths, the father of vintage racing everywhere, talked the factory into selling it to him {vsig}2008-11_2254{/vsig} By 1960, Jaguar had won the world’s most prestigious race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, five times-twice with its original competition-tailored […]
Back to the Future-and Step on It
The Challenger is a surprisingly solid car, far better than the class-leading Mustang. And yes, it will do a smokey burnout {vsig}2008-11_2244{/vsig} Chrysler’s latest entrant into the “retro-muscle” wars, the new Dodge Challenger, has been burning up Internet car chat forums and magazine covers since its introduction. It’s a car […]
1966 Bizzarrini Strada 5300 GT Coupe
The Strada had dramatic looks, a competition pedigree, and abundant power, and it was not finicky to run {vsig}2008-11_2247{/vsig} Giotto Bizzarrini was hired by Enzo Ferrari in 1957 for his test-driving and engineering skills. In the midst of developing the 250 GTO, however, Bizzarrini left the company in the infamous […]