Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
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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…
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250 GTO Sets Ferrari Record at $26m
After the doom-and-gloom of late 2008 and a painful 2009, dealers and collectors at events like the Scottsdale auctions, Cavallino, and Rétromobile in Paris are abuzz with the news of record-setting, top-level trades. There’s a lot of very specific info contained in this column, and you might wonder where it all comes from. In fact,…
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Zoom Zoom: The Miata Turns 20
The Mazda Miata might hold the record for inverse relationships in the automotive world. It’s difficult to think of a car more significant in the sports car pantheon that enjoys less respect from the masses. Often derided as a “chick car” by the clueless and insecure, the Miata is the only reason the two-seat roadster…
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1955 265/195 Roadster
Though almost identical to its immediate predecessors in outward appearance, the 1955 Corvette was a significant milestone in the evolution of America’s sports car. This was the first year that Chevrolet’s vaunted 265-ci V8 engine was available. This year also marked the transition to a 12-volt electrical system, firmly transitioning the model into the modern…
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1966 427/425 L72 Convertible
This 1966 Corvette has been refinished in its correct Tuxedo Black color with black interior trim. It represents a complete, no-expense-spared, every-nut-and-bolt, frame-off restoration with a 427/425 engine, close-ratio 4-speed and Positraction rear axle. It has had an extensive chassis detail with proper shim marks and stencils, and is optioned with factory side exhausts, power…