Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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Old Goat, New Guy
Even among collectors, it is perhaps unusual to own the exact same car twice, with 40 long years separating the two experiences. I first bought this Pontiac GTO in 1981, after discovering it with a scattered clutch in a Sierra Nevada meadow. After torturing it for a summer, I sold it on, only to rediscover…
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Love the One You Have
Erratic. Nonsensical. Devoid of any appearance of logic. That’s how my friends have described my approach to collecting over the past few years. But thanks to a recent temptation, my unfocused and somewhat frantic searching may be nearing an end. An adequately powered sports car that handles well on skinny tires and weighs around 2,500…
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1967 Ford GT40
The early history of this roadgoing GT40 is particularly fascinating, outlined in extensive detail by marque specialist Ronnie Spain, whose report remains on file for this car and is available for review by interested potential bidders. It begins on February 16, 1967, one week before its scheduled delivery date, and its assignment by Ford to…
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1904 Napier L48 “Samson”
This “Edwardian Giant” is offered from the collection of its fifth owner in 120 years, Australian businessman Peter Briggs. The discovery of this engine in the 1950s, fit to a complete body in the 1980s, heralded the definitive rebirth into the motoring world of the L48 and its singular legacy. Any new owner must keep…
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1935 Voisin C28 Clairière Berline
Among French automakers of the Art Deco era, Avions Voisin was unique. With a background in architecture, industrial design, engineering, and a successful career in aviation, Gabriel Voisin reached the height of his automotive career in the 1930s. Each Voisin automobile was designed as a whole in response to the number of passengers and their…
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1953 Ferrari 250 Europa
From its 1947 inception, Ferrari overwhelmingly relied on a Gioacchino Colombo-designed V12 that was successively developed from its original 1.5-liter displacement to 1.9-, 2.3-, 2.6- and 2.7-liter configurations. In early 1952, the engine was further enlarged with a single-cylinder volume approaching 250 cubic centimeters, and the resulting 2,953-cubic-centimeter engine became the first edition of the…
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1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60HP “Roi Des Belges”
In 1890, after parting ways with Deutz AG, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach established Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) in Cannstatt, Germany. DMG revolutionized the design and manufacture of internal combustion engines, inventing the world’s first four-stroke petrol engine and float-feed carburetor. Despite groundbreaking developments, Daimler and Maybach initially attracted little interest for their products in…
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1998 RUF Turbo R
Introduced by RUF in 1998, the Turbo R filled the hole in the company’s lineup after it discontinued the CTR2 supercar. Like its predecessor, the Turbo R is based on the Turbo version of the 993-generation Porsche 911. Available between 1998 and 2002, these special hand-built automobiles are powered by an exclusive, RUF-developed variant of…
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1966 Porsche 906
Although it was a successor to Porsche’s winning 904 GTS race car, the 906 Carrera 6 featured a nearly comprehensive redesign, with development closely supervised by Ferdinand Piëch himself in the factory experimental department. Summarized in a nutshell, the 904 was the ultimate racing variant of the 4-cylinder 356 model, while the 906 was the…
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Nothing Vanilla About It
1976 Datsun 280Z “Alpha 1 GTO” S/N HLS30303255. 82k miles. “Used in 2001 film ‘Vanilla Sky,’ 350-ci Chevrolet V8, Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, MSD Atomic EFI, 3-speed automatic transmission, Alpha 1 GTO fiberglass body, dark blue paint, black vinyl upholstery, wood-rimmed steering wheel, sliding side windows, rear hatch, 15-inch wire wheels, BC coil-overs.” Condition: 2-.…