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1969 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air III
If missing the original Ram Air hood and Ram Air air cleaner parts, you are looking at spending $10,000-$15,000 if you can find the right originals In March of 1969, Pontiac released a little publicized option package, the Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package. Only two ads were published, one in Road and Track and…
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1968 Howmet Turbine
Much of the experimental engine is missing. Only ten were built, to win a government contract, so replacement parts are on intergalactic backorder Throughout the past century of automotive progress, the turbine engine was perceived as a possible alternative to the internal combustion engine. The two most famous American turbine programs are the Chrysler Turbine…
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1963 Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso ‘Competizione’
Why Blouin chose to race a Lusso is a mystery, as by 1965 the era of the front-engine competition car was coming to an end The Lusso is regarded as the most beautiful of all Pininfarina’s creations on the 250 GT chassis. It is a true Granturismo, combining high performance with contemporary levels of elegance.…
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1967 Austin-Healey 3000
Two years ago, $60,000 would have been a good price for this concours-winning BJ8. By waiting, the seller’s return increased by more than 50% The new Austin-Healey went into production in 1953 and was immediately popular in the U.S. The cars were well-styled, inexpensive, rugged and above all easy to drive, for both the sports…
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M3A1 Stuart Light Tank
British troops called the gasoline-powered American tanks ‘Ronsons.’ Like the cigarette lighter slogan of the day, they ‘lit the first time when struck’ The catalog description for the M3 Stuart light tank was sparse but pithy. Manufacturer: American Car & Foundry Co., U.S.A. Crew: Four. Engine: Continental W-670-9A; 7-cyl. engine. Length: 450cm. Width: 246cm. Height:…
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1976-81 Triumph TR7
It had the misfortune of being built in British Leyland’s Liverpool plant, better known for producing continuous labor strife than automobiles The Triumph TR7 was perhaps the ultimate product of the 1970s, a period referred to as “the decade that quality control forgot.” Abysmal production quality, labor strife, bad management and controversial styling all conspired…
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1911 Mercedes 37/90 Skiff
I had a customer interested in this car at $2m in the late ’90s before the full story emerged In the early 1900s, Mercedes styling ran the gamut from conservative limousines and landaulets to dashing phaetons and open two-seaters. None, however, approached the style of this one-of-a-kind 1911 Mercedes 37/90 skiff, one of the most…
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1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible
This extravagant one-year-only styling has come to represent the risk-taking, change-making zeitgeist of the late ’50s and early ’60s {vsig}2006-8_1948{/vsig} The Chevrolet Impala was introduced in 1958 as a sporty trim package for Bel Air coupes and convertibles. Unique to the model were its six taillights, a classic styling cue that became its trademark. Named…
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1963 Cobra 289 Le Mans
The engine and transmission Shelby dropped into the car were as exotic as corn dogs at a state fair Carroll Shelby’s concept was simple enough. Take the attractive, lightweight, well-proven Ace roadster built by AC Cars and turn it into a world-beating production racer by the simple expedient of replacing its aging six-cylinder engines with…
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1979 Ferrari 308 GTB
A 308 was not about leaping tall buildings, but was about balance and quality, its virtue being a lack of flaws This 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB is finished in blue lacquer with red and black trimmed interior. The car is in excellent mechanical condition, and in the last two years, the engine and gearbox have…