The Pantera was legendary for either killing famous owners or inciting them to violence-Elvis pumped a .38 caliber slug into his {vsig}2008-8_2204{/vsig} By the late 1960s, Ford seemed to be concentrating more on holding grudges than building cars. Still smarting from its failure to acquire Ferrari, Ford grabbed a weak […]
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Cobras, Cobras Everywhere
“My brother and I just wanted to have a car that would always be the fastest at a stoplight drag race, and it has been” Driving a 427 Cobra with sidepipes and an open exhaust is a ticket to be the badboy you always dreamed of being in high school. […]
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupe
Stuttgart’s choice of pre-WWII, 540K designer Hermann Ahrens masked brilliant new engineering with an image of the past {vsig}2008-7_2198{/vsig} More expensive than the 300SL sports car and almost double the price of a contemporary Cadillac, the Mercedes-Benz 300S was one of the world’s most exclusive automobiles. Elegantly styled in the […]
1963 Dual-Ghia L6.4 Coupe
If the Chrysler-powered Facel-Vega is a French Imperial, consider the L6.4 a Mopar Maserati {vsig}2008-7_2193{/vsig} The brainchild of Eugene Casaroll, the Italian-American hybrid known as the Dual-Ghia was largely based on the Ghia-designed Chrysler Firearrow, a concept car for which he acquired the production rights. Luxurious and extravagant, it had […]
1972 Ford Escort RS1600 Rally
A Kenyan safari guide tells of this car landing so nose down that everyone thought it was going to go end over end This 1972 Ford Escort RS1600 Mk I comes to auction directly from the finish line of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic rally, where it was […]
Fangs for the Memories
The Shelby influence is very much evident on the Viper, and he is considered one of the car’s “four fathers” {vsig}2008-7_2194{/vsig} The discontinuation of several Chrysler models to help stop the corporation’s financial bleeding is no secret. Rumors abound about Dodge’s Viper being on this list, and numerous Dodge “insiders” […]
1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series II
There was a time when 330 2+2s were the entry-level Ferrari. Now they are too expensive to be donor cars or parts cars {vsig}2008-7_2197{/vsig} Reporters anxiously awaited the unveiling of the new Formula One car at the annual Ferrari press conference in 1964, but Enzo had a surprise up his […]
1959 Jaguar XK 150 S Roadster
Jaguar people may argue, but I believe the 150’s appeal lies in the “creature comforts” our traveling companions often demand {vsig}2008-7_2195{/vsig} Jaguar’s series of XK sports cars established the company’s reputation as a manufacturer of good-looking, fast automobiles sold at a reasonable price. The 1949 launch of the XK […]
1958 Lancia Aurelia B20GT
The historic competition record of these cars cannot be overlooked; they are eligible and welcome just about everywhere Despite the fact the Lancia nameplate continues to exist over one hundred years after it was established in Italy, this builder of fast, refined automobiles is relatively unknown outside sporting circles. […]
In VIN Veritas
As he figures out the GT350 is rebodied, the shop owner is overheard by a CHP officer, who begins an inquiry {vsig}2008-7_2200{/vsig} What do you do with your authentic, vintage Shelby GT350 when it’s so rusty it’s beyond repair? Some Shelby owners think the answer is pretty simple-just rebody it. […]