“Prime Motoring Fool” Bob Sutherland took a savage pleasure in driving anything, but said his 340 Mexico was just too awful {vsig}2008-9_2223{/vsig} Intended primarily as a competition car for wealthy privateers, the 340 was directed specifically at a new and increasingly profitable market-the United States. Aptly named “America,” the 340 […]
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1961 Morgan Plus 4
If the buyer plans sedate ice-cream runs with grandkids in the back, four seats might have an advantage In 1936, the Morgan 4/4 debuted as the company’s first four-wheeled car. The designation 4/4 stood for four cylinders and four wheels. The vehicles that Morgan had produced prior to the 4/4 […]
1952 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Villa d’Este Cabriolet
Hand-built and extremely rare, it’s the last example of the kind of cars that made the company’s reputation between the wars {vsig}2008-9_2222{/vsig} In 1935, Alfa Romeo introduced a new model, the 6C 2300B. Once again, the work of the great Vittorio Jano was to take Alfa Romeo in a new […]
Buy or Sell in Haste, Repent at Leisure
In the spirit of the 20th anniversary of SCM, “Legal Files” has compiled a list of the top 20 traps that sellers and buyers of collector cars can fall into. I’ll split the list in half, with ten each for sellers and buyers. The Sellers’ Top 10 When you’re the […]
20 Ferraris You Shouldn’t Resist
I’ve known Keith Martin for more than 20 years and have been involved with SCM nearly from the start. In the earliest days, 1989-90, he was buying and selling Alfa Romeos like there was no tomorrow (read: like there was no 1991). I’ve watched with interest as he has gone […]
Just What the Doctor Ordered
With inheritance check in hand, I made a list of my favorite 20 British sports cars. It took only 20 minutes. {vsig}2008-9_2220{/vsig} What a coincidence. I’ve just been left a great deal of money and been informed I must pick the top 20 British cars I’ve admired in my years […]
Porsches You Have To Drive
When the slogan says there is no substitute, it means there is no substitute outside the family {vsig}2008-9_2225{/vsig} You can’t understand the Porsche gestalt without driving the cars. Looking at pictures and reading stories is a great way to prepare yourself, but true enlightenment only comes to those who drink […]
A Beetle in a Lovely Italian Suit
The real bug with any Karmann-Ghia is rust. It’s claimed nearly all of the early cars, and it can appear anywhere on the body {vsig}2008-9_2217{/vsig} By the mid-1950s, it appeared certain that the West German economic miracle would be sustained. Luxury models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz began to reappear. Even […]
Do You Know the Way to Monterey?
The Insider’s Seminar is the one time each year that SCMers can come together to discuss the state of the market and the trends to come More than 20 years have passed since my first vintage-car-themed Monterey visit. The tale below is now an oft-heard one, repeated by nearly Monterey […]
1944 Volkswagen Schwimmwagen
Schwimmwagen owners seem to be an enthusiastic crowd, often seen in the company of drastically less hip Amphicars Porsche’s Type 60 (the Volkswagen prototype), with its strong backbone chassis and air-cooled engine, had been recognized as an ideal basis for the German army’s proposed Kübelwagen (“bucket car”)-a lightweight, open utility […]