This 911 wasn’t one of the good ones. It was purchased, along with a 1966 912 donor car-and a speedboat-for $1,000 {vsig}2007-12_2106{/vsig} Sometimes precious things have rather inauspicious beginnings. As you admire Porsches at various events, never forget that they can represent much more than just someone “writing the check.” […]
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2CV: The Legend of the “Tin Snail”
Prior to WWII, the mostly rural population of France did not have a cheap and utilitarian vehicle that would allow them to embrace the automobile the way Americans had with the Model T. The 2CV was conceived as the car that would mechanize the French peasant class. Like the Volkswagen […]
1968 Porsche 911S Coupe
Cost-no-object restorations rarely make sense on production cars, even exciting ones in hot markets, like an early 911S {vsig}2007-11_2094{/vsig} Within two years of the original 911’s launch, Porsche introduced a new model that would satisfy even the most demanding drivers. The new S offered the same vault-like body and chassis, […]
1903 Cadillac Runabout Rear-Entrance Tonneau
Founded by Henry Leland and Robert Faulconer, the Cadillac Automobile Company of Detroit completed its first car in October 1902. The firm’s superior manufacturing technology-precise gear cutting was Leland and Faulconer’s specialty-soon established it as the foremost builder of quality cars in the United States. The company was formed using […]
1952 Allard Cadillac JR “Le Mans” Roadster
If hot rods had been invented in England, Sidney Allard would have been their originator. The first postwar production models of the Allard Motor Company featured American Ford flathead V8s, more often than not fitted with Sidney’s own alloy speed parts such as intake manifolds and cylinder heads. By the […]
Muscle in Monterey
The consensus among buyers is that they want the best, and “almost” cars are having a tough time finding homes {vsig}2007-11_2085{/vsig} Gloom and doom predictions can end up as self-fulfilling prophecies if the panic spreads. A case in point is the highly publicized muscle car market “crash” going on now. […]
1963 Ferrari 250 GTL “Lusso” Berlinetta
Late in 1962, at the Paris Show, Ferrari introduced the Lusso Berlinetta, the last of the 250 series. The Lusso combined features of the 250 SWB and the 250 GTO in a beautiful, luxurious steel body by Scaglietti, and was one of Pininfarina’s most successful designs. The design incorporated aerodynamic […]
1931 Bentley 4½ Liter Supercharged Boattail
It never won a major race and proved almost sale-proof, but the macho Blower Bentley is Britain’s ultimate vintage sports car {vsig}2007-11_2091{/vsig} Though only 50 production Blower Bentleys were built, experts estimate that 43 still exist. Of that number, few if any are as untouched as this car. Indeed, […]
1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Zagato Spyder
With the body bare, the originality of the car could be confirmed, down to markings inside panels left by craftsmen who created it in 1931 {vsig}2007-11_2092{/vsig} Alfa Romeo and Zagato are two of the most charismatic names in Italian automotive history. Alfa Romeo built thousands of cars with bodies by […]
Why Market-Driven Beauty is Only Skin Deep
Buckle your seatbelts and tighten your shoulder harnesses. Based on the results from Monterey, the collector car market is in the midst of a wild and woolly ride, with little way of predicting the crests and valleys in the year ahead. There are a few things we can all agree […]