Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…