Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
-
When 25 Miles Doesn’t Matter
In late January, the owner-principal of an authorized Ferrari dealership emailed an unusual question: “Do you think there is a retail price difference between an Enzo with 990 miles and one with 1,015 miles? We have a service customer with an Enzo who is concerned our road testing after the service put it over 1,000.…
-
1969-71 Jaguar E-type Series II
Series II E-types aren’t quite the stylistic betrayal we’ve been led to believe. And they are an affordable way into the Jaguar mystique If the Series I E-type is the prom queen, the Marcia Brady of E-types, then the Series II is Jan Brady-less glamorous and forever living in the shadow of her older…
-
The New Market
Since the end of the Scottsdale auctions, the flow of emails, letters, and phone calls has been relentless. Half are shrill diatribes, demanding that SCM support the market. Any description of prices as falling, or buyers being cautious, is viewed as sabotaging the market. The second half contends that SCM is soft-pedaling the truth and…
-
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
In many ways, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster was an improvement over its Gullwing predecessors. The multi-tube chassis was redesigned with lower sills and conventionally hinged doors for easier entry and exit. Roll-up windows overcame one of the Gullwing’s greatest drawbacks-inadequate interior ventilation-and the seats were given a three-position backrest rake adjustment. Beyond providing more accessible…
-
1954 Dodge Firearrow III Concept
Chysler’s financial crises of the early 1950s couldn’t stop the string of Virgil Exner’s Ghia concept cars {vsig}2009-4_2307{/vsig} In 1953, Dodge unveiled its first concept car, the Firearrow, a sleek out-of-this-world roadster that provided a glimpse of what everyone’s new automobile would look like in just a few years. While this stylish open-top car looked…
-
1946 Steyr-Allard Hillclimb Car
It’s shiny and extreme, weird, overdone, and in-your-face in a manner that puts a grin on you just walking around it {vsig}2009-4_2315{/vsig} Sydney Allard’s famous one-off hillclimb car, the 1947 Steyr-Allard, is the best known of all his vehicles. Allard competed in the British Hillclimb Championship with this car for five years, finishing 3rd in…
-
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car Convertible
Authentic, “no excuses” cars hold their value even in a down market, and this result bore that out, with fierce bidding from the outset {vsig}2009-4_2308{/vsig} This rare 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS NASCAR Pace Car finished in Dover White with Deluxe Blue Comfort Weave interior features its original matching-numbers 396-ci big-block backed by a Muncie 4-speed.…
-
2003 Ferrari Enzo
Its design is pure haute couture, a cutting edge style that dances on the line between art and automobile {vsig}2009-4_2312{/vsig} In 1998, only a few years after the introduction of the groundbreaking F50, Ferrari began planning its newest limited-production supercar. The criteria for this car was similar to those which spawned the previous Ferrari…
-
1932 Daimler 40/50 Double Six Sport Saloon
The long hood is a bit like a padded medieval codpiece {vsig}2009-4_2310{/vsig} This 1932 Daimler Double Six 40/50 Sport Saloon is, without question, one of the most imposing automobiles ever constructed by the legendary British marque-or any maker of exclusive luxury vehicles. While only 26 Double Sixes were built over a decade, the vast majority…
-
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 S
The Lamborghini Miura is where it all started-the first production automobile to earn the “supercar” tag. Prior to the Miura’s arrival in 1967, many sports cars offered high levels of performance and handling. But the Miura was the first built around the criteria that define our modern concept of the supercar: massive speed, jaw-dropping design…