I truly believe there is no price guide for something that has few peers with regard to originality The car offered here is a DB4 Series III Aston Martin, which differs from the previous two series due to a better oil cooling system, including a bigger sump. The car condition […]
Columns
1951 Bugatti Type 101 Guilloré Coupe
There are quite a few Delahaye 135M chassis with this body, which makes the car seem like a guest at the Ascot Races wearing a rented tux {vsig}2008-5_2171{/vsig} Ettore Bugatti never recovered from the tragic death of his 29-year-old son Jean, shortly before WWII in 1939. Neither did his company. […]
When “As Is” Isn’t Enough
Just inside the statute of limitations, James was served with a lawsuit claiming fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of warranty Here’s another true story. We’ve given the subjects fake names, but the story is otherwise accurate. Let’s call our dealer this month James. He had been doing quite well selling collector […]
What Emerging Markets?
The flow of Ferraris to the U.S. began in October 1948 with Tommy Lee’s purchase of 166 MM Barchetta s/n 0002M at the Turin Auto Show, quickly followed by Briggs Cunningham’s purchase of 166 Spyder Corsa s/n 016 that November. For the next 60 years, Ferraris have gone back and […]
The Mystery of Morgan Prices
Big Healeys that cost $25,000 in 2000 are selling for $50,000 today; even pristine MG As, TR4s and TR6s cost more than Morgans {vsig}2008-5_2169{/vsig} In January 2000, a “good, clean example” of a 1966 Morgan Plus 4 sold for $26,620, and the SCM commentator remarked “Sold for quite good money. […]
Ten Rules for Porsche Flippers
Never fix anything. A true flippopath will risk his newly acquired bounty and even his life to make a flip Last month, this column offered ten rules for Porsche collectors, people who are much better at buying than at selling, and who plan to keep their cars forever. Or at […]
Too Late the Fiero.
The transformation was astonishing. The 1988 car had performance, braking, and handling to go with the good looks {vsig}2008-5_2166{/vsig} The manner in which the Pontiac Fiero was sold to the unimaginative Roger B. Smith-era GM management (now thankfully long gone)-a generation of inbred, know-nothing dullards, who nearly killed GM-speaks volumes […]
The End of No Reserve
At times, being at the epicenter of a collector car weekend is like sitting in a command bunker. In Scottsdale, SCM’s boots-on-the-ground team included nearly 20 market analysts, staff, and support crew. During the weekend, they fanned out to all the events, notebooks and cameras in hand, and began submitting […]
1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Convertible
The M121 4-cylinder engine produced a modest 105 hp and it desperately needed another 50-even 30 would have done the trick Available from May 1955, the 190SL convertible shared styling cues with its grander brother, the 300SL. It was a sports tourer, robustly built and designed for customers who preferred […]
1941 Chrysler Town & Country Barrel Back Estate Wagon
Built for a limited time, the Town & Country remains arguably the rarest, most desirable pre-war Woody produced {vsig}2008-4_2154{/vsig} Conceived in 1939, the Town & Country Estate wagon represented Chrysler’s desire to create an entirely new car that was both luxurious and dramatic. It had to be elegant enough […]