Columns


  • 1963 Triumph TR4

    It sold for $97,200 because someone decided that it was worth it to him or her. That’s it. Period. End of story This Triumph TR4 is a two-year, frame-off restoration. Everything on this vehicle is new or rebuilt, including the engine, transmission and overdrive, rear axle, front and rear suspension, brakes, and new electrical components…

  • 1988 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Coupe

    The teenagers who had Farrah Fawcett posters have grown up and (loud groan) have started to collect 1980s cars   The sensation of the 1971 Geneva Salon, the Countach was styled, like its predecessor, by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini. Lamborghini’s four-cam V12 was retained, though this time installed longitudinally. To achieve optimum weight distribution, designer Paolo…

  • A Steering Wheel as the Circle of Life

    “How did you get started with cars?” is a question I’m often asked.While I have been fortunate to have a variety of careers and occupational passions, cars and machinery came first.My earliest memories of the mysteries of the internal combustion engine revolve around my grandfather, Thomas Lester McDowell, who, along with my grandmother, Dorel Evelyn,…

  • 1962-67 Triumph Spitfire MK I & MK II

    When pushed, the back wheels on early cars go through wild camber changes and tuck under, resulting in an unscheduled trip into the weeds Triumph’s diminutive Spitfire sports car was named for the Battle of Britain-winning fighter plane the Supermarine Spitfire and showed up in the nick of time for another life-and-death struggle. By the…

  • 1958 Porsche 356A 1600 S Speedster

    In the current market, beauty and condition matter as much as originality Introduced to the United States in September 1954, the Speedster found a receptive audience as the lowest-priced Porsche. In the USA, there was some confusion caused by the fact that when constructing the newest Porsche, the designers left out many components standard on…

  • Billy Carter’s 1977 Chevy Pickup

    “I’m a real Southern boy. I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer” My mother went into the Peace Corps when she was sixty-eight. My one sister is a motorcycle freak, my other sister is a Holy Roller evangelist, and my brother is running for President. I’m the only sane one in…

  • 1965 Shelby GT350 R

    Race cars have always been weapons for a battle, complex mechanisms that allowed talented humans to compete for pleasure and glory It is impossible to define a Shelby GT350 R any better than the Shelby American Automobile Club’s 1997 Registry does. “The competition model was the car the GT350 started out to be. Unlike any…

  • 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast

    Celebrity owners include Aga Kahn, the actor Peter Sellers, and the Shah of Iran, who bought two {vsig}2006-7_1943{/vsig} The 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast presented here has undergone an exemplary restoration. The motor was rebuilt in Germany at Berlinetta Motors. It is equipped with stainless steel exhaust. The original leather interior is still of good quality.…

  • 1947 Bentley Mk VI Franay Drophead Coupe

    It bears no resemblance to a standard steel Mark VI, and may be the most valuable Bentley in existence This elegant 1947 Bentley Mk VI Franay Drophead Coupe, with its outrageous coachwork and curlicue trim, really belongs with Figoni et Falaschi and Saoutchik offerings at Sunday afternoon shows in the Bois de Boulogne before WWII.Considering…

  • 1977 Lamborghini Urraco

    Positioning a V8 against the 6-cylinders of Ferrari, Porsche, and Maserati must have seemed like a good idea at the time {vsig}2006-7_1942{/vsig} The note from the previous owner that accompanied this 1977 Lamborghini Urraco to auction was brief and to the point. “There were only 520 P250s built. This is a one-owner Lamborghini bought by…