General Motors captured the spotlight at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction from January 11–18, 2009, when it released 252 cars from its Heritage Fleet for no-reserve sale. (The Heritage Fleet must be differentiated from GM’s Heritage Collection; the former are surplus or less important cars, the latter are the milestone cars […]
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1998 Callaway C12 Coupe
Callaway has built a firm reputation for producing some of the most sophisticated and advanced Corvette-based automobiles ever to hit the road. Callaway’s C12, introduced in 1998, continued this legacy. Designed, developed, and constructed with the assistance of German engineering and development company IVM, the C12 was created from the […]
Global Economics and Local Tomfoolery
The headlines have been relentless. “Dow plunges another 600 points.” “Consumer confidence slips again.” “Banks in every country facing liquidation.” Those of us who have been around the collector car market for a while can’t help but think of the crash of 1987, which started the flow of funds into […]
1945 NSU Kettenkrad
Considerable care is necessary on steep slopes. The driver is flanked by the tracks and sits ahead of the engine; he’s not likely to escape if the vehicle flips {vsig}2008-12_2262{/vsig} The Kettenkrad was typical of vehicles designed and manufactured for the German Wehrmacht during WWII-innovative, well made, and generally superior […]
1937 Oldsmobile L37 Convertible Sedan
This is the only Oldsmobile to have been recognized by the Classic Car Club of America as a Full Classic {vsig}2008-12_2256{/vsig} There was a time when neither Ford nor Chevrolet were America’s leading automobile producers. You have to go back to the dawn of the auto industry, but from […]
1964 Porsche 904 GTS Coupe
If you want to do any serious competition, you’ll need a 2-liter, 4-cam four, and that’s a $100,000 project {vsig}2008-12_2265{/vsig} Having axed its expensive Formula One program at the end of 1962, Porsche turned once more to sports car racing as a means of improving and marketing its road cars. […]
Restoration 101
I’ve seen $2,500 air filters, a $35,000 exhaust, $5,000 plug wires, $10,000 batteries, and $50,000 original tires {vsig}2008-12_2257{/vsig} It’s a common misconception that domestic cars are cheap and easy to restore. Unfortunately, many people have found out too late that this is not true. Let’s face facts: Most restorations are […]
1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III SWB
One early owner reported mile after mile in the 135 mph-150 mph range through Canada and Nevada, during cross-country drives to California {vsig}2008-12_2261{/vsig} It can be argued that the 410 Superamerica Series III was the high point of the entire line of luxury high-performance Ferraris. In his privately published book, […]
1945 Mk XVI Supermarine Spitfire
A Battle of Britain Spitfire Mk I or Mk II would sell for two or three times this sum, and if it had a confirmed combat record, the price could be much higher {vsig}2008-12_2259{/vsig} The old engineering adage, “If it looks right, it most probably is right,” describes the Spitfire […]
1965 Alfa Romeo TZ-1 Berlinetta
The contentious world of Alfa historians and experts had a moment of rare consensus on this TZ, and no one questioned its parentage {vsig}2008-12_2260{/vsig} Though immensely successful as a competition car, Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta Sprint Zagato had been based on the road-going Giulietta Spider platform, a compromise that suited clients […]