Columns
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My Path to Pebble
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in love with the automobile. I find the sights, sounds, smells and sensations intoxicating. Long before I had the financial wherewithal to begin collecting cars, I was an enthusiast. I was born in 1960, and my earliest automotive “education” came from television, movies and the pages…
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Best Man for the Job
“Legal Files” has written twice about the legal battle involving Porsche Carrera RSR prototype chassis number 9113600686, commonly known as “R7” (September and November 2023). We last reported that the litigation was settled with the Kenny Schachter car being declared the real R7. The car was then on the docket at Bonham Cars’ Goodwood Revival…
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Gone in 60 Minutes
After five years and just 2,000 kilometers, our 1971 Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato is gone. In a happy moment for all, it went back to SCMer and longtime Alfa enthusiast Gordy Hyde. I bought it from him five years ago for $60,000. I spent these years and over $20,000 attempting to get a vacuum-operated hand…
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1929 Packard Series 645 Deluxe Eight Sport Phaeton
Always built to the highest standards, the Packard was unquestionably one of the finest American cars of the pre-war era. The Packard’s innovative engineering and superior build quality were soon attracting the attention of wealthy clients, with William D. Rockefeller purchasing two at the New York Automobile Show in November 1900. “Ask The Man Who…
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1936 Lagonda LG45 4½-Litre Rapide-Style Sports Tourer
A 1937 model built late in 1936, this outstandingly attractive rebodied Lagonda is modeled after the definitive LG45R Rapide of the mid-1930s. It is one of a batch of six original LG45s converted to Rapide specification — in this case including the correct T9 gearbox — during the 1980s by the co-operative venture known as The…
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1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R
This 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R is said to have remained under long-term ownership in Japan before being imported to the U.S. in 2018, at which time it was acquired by the seller. Finished in silver over black vinyl upholstery, the car is powered by a 2.0-liter S20 inline-6 that features dual overhead camshafts, 24 valves…
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1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Of all the machines to emerge from Maranello over the years, few are as closely linked to the personal story of Enzo Ferrari — or played a greater contribution to the ongoing success of his eponymous marque — as the Dino 246 GT. Ferrari’s efforts to develop a V6-configured engine were driven by Enzo’s son,…
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1978 Volkswagen Golf GTI
By the end of the production cycle of the air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle, the 1930s-designed car had achieved cult status, but on a practical level it was dated. Compared to modern alternatives from rival manufacturers, the Beetle was limited by its rear-engine platform, as the front-wheel-drive, front-engine setup became de rigueur in the 1970s. While the industry shift…
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2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS
Following discontinuation of the fourth-generation Dodge Viper in 2010, the Mopar fan favorite returned to mark a new chapter in 2013. Dodge whet the appetite of enthusiasts once again with the introduction of a fifth-generation car — this time carrying a new name. The SRT Viper broadened the rear-wheel-drive halo car’s rough-cut appeal. Available in…
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1951 Alta Formula Two
This remarkable “time machine” Formula Two racing car is offered here for the first time after no fewer than 49 years in its current ownership. Furthermore, this long ownership period has seen the car raced once only — back in 1975 — after which it was set aside pending more-thorough preparation, which its still-enthusiastic owner…