The Elva-built McLarens, called M1A to distinguish them from the original McLaren prototype, were campaigned by some of the most famous and successful drivers and teams with a variety of powerplants. Their characteristics reflect the McLaren team’s emphasis on simple, straightforward design and rugged construction, traits which had been inculcated […]
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Triumphs of the Will
As Triumph TR prices lag behind Austin-Healeys, determined, well-advised collectors can find bargains {vsig}2008-10_2232{/vsig} The big news in British cars over the past ten years has been the rapid rise in prices for Austin-Healeys-from $25,000 to $75,000 for very nice cars, with a few magnificent ones bringing $100,000 plus. By […]
1996 Ferrari 456 GT Coupe
I’ve often told people trying to squeak into a Ferrari that if they can’t afford the best example, they really can’t afford an edgy one Not since the 412’s demise in 1989 had Ferrari offered a 2+2, and when the 456 GT debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1992, […]
1955 Jaguar XKD-type Sports Racer
This is the first production D-type, out of long and dedicated ownership, unspoiled and still in its original form {vsig}2008-10_2233{/vsig} XKD 509, the first “production” D off the line in 1955, has a long and interesting history. It was supplied new to New York distributor Chuck Hornburg, who sold it […]
The Spyder and the Fly.
Armed with a camera, they decided they could earn eternal YouTube fame by videotaping “Gibby” urinating on the Ferrari {vsig}2008-10_2238{/vsig} It was a nice day in Ontario, Canada, so a Ferrari owner decided to take a top-down drive in his 360 Spyder. During his motoring, he decided to make a […]
Laws of Diminishing Returns
I recently received an email regarding a 430 Scuderia that had hit a deer, with the damage described as “very lightly hit, the bumper is scratched and the hood is lightly dented.” Further emails stated that the owner, who was a passenger in his own car, felt the diminution in […]
Fast Times at Collector High
The market has doubled and in some cases doubled again, and when this happens, a readjustment is on the way You can see it in the classified ads: This is a wild time. I can remember issues of Hemmings that didn’t have a single 356 Speedster for sale, yet today, […]
The Unaffordable Classic
A dead DS that has settled to the bottom of the suspension travel is likely to become part of the fossil record at precisely the spot where it died {vsig}2008-10_2230{/vsig} The introduction of the Citroën DS19 at the Paris Motor Show in 1955 had all the drama of Klaatu’s flying […]
1962 Gulf Oil 327/360 FI Race Car
Grady Davis’s Gulf Oil Racing Team purchased this Corvette in 1962 from Yenko Chevrolet, and the car was campaigned by the “Flying Dentist,” Dr. Dick Thompson, in the 1962 SCCA A-Production Class. The Corvette was sold at the end of the 1962 season to Tony Denman, who successfully raced the […]
1965 396/425 Convertible
When the new-for-1963 Sting Ray was introduced, it is unlikely that its creators understood the impact it would make on the automotive world. Long considered a modern classic, the Sting Ray was an unqualified success, outselling the 1962 models by 48%. Meanwhile, a second shift was added at the St. […]