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1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Coupe
Subdued styling kept values among the lowest of V12 Ferraris; they wereentry-level cars priced about the same as a 250 GTE or a 250 PF coupe {vsig}2005-10_1887{/vsig} At the 1956 Geneva Motor Show, Pinin Farina unveiled a prototype built on a 250 Europa GT chassis. The new body made the car look longer than the…
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1956 Jaguar XK 140 “MC” Roadster
During the Second World War, William Lyons and his colleagues conceived a new car design that featured the world’s first high volume twin-cam engine, called the XK series. A short wheelbase chassis and a two-seat sports roadster body were married to this new engine and the result was nothing less than sensational-sleek, beautiful, and strikingly…
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1969 Lancia Fulvia HF Fanalone
Most references politely say that Fanalone means “large lights,” but Italian friends have told me that it’s actually slang for “big breasts” During the 1960s, the wonderfully nimble, front-wheel-drive Lancia Fulvia reigned consistently among the highest echelon of international rally contenders. Campaigned by the Lancia factory team in 1966, they achieved second place finishes in…
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Shredding Rubber and Shedding Parts
I took the SCM 1963 Corvette split-window out for a spin last week, a shake-down for this year’s running of the Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally.I stopped to pick up my good friend Steve Sargent, who, although not a full-bore car guy, does drive a four-cylinder BMW Z3 convertible in addition to the practical Volvo…
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1970-1977 Mercury Capri
With the exception of a few fake side vents and one character line too many, the Capri was handsome and looked the part of a 2/3-scale pony car “The Sexy European” was how FoMoCo billed the Capri for its U.S. launch in 1970, as if it was peddling Sophia Loren at Lincoln-Mercury dealers rather than…
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1959 BMW 507 Roadster
Someone called it Germany’s answer to the Thunderbird-and trust me, this was not a compliment Unveiled to gasps of delight at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1955, the remarkably beautiful styling of the two-seater 507 came from the drawing board of German Count Albrecht Goertz, influenced not a little by U.S. BMW importer Max Hoffman.…
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1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro
I remember when I sold one for a record price of $30,000. I’m sure someone called the buyer a lunatic for paying so much Don Yenko was the major Chevrolet performance dealer for many years, and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the 427 Camaro. He converted numerous cars to 427-cid engines before planning…
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1967 Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA Corsa
I couldn’t keep away from the white GTA on the showroom floor, admiring it like it was a Playboy centerfold {vsig}2005-9_1876{/vsig} This striking Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA is documented as the car in which future Ferrari and Alfa Romeo T33 sports-prototype star Andrea de Adamich won the 1967 European Touring Car Challenge Championship. Records show…
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Alfa Romeos: 1956 Giulietta Berlina, 1966 2600 Sprint Zagato, 1971 GTV, 1991 164S
Four different Alfas grace this month’s profile section as Alfas are highlighted marque this year in Monterey. {vsig}2005-9_1870{/vsig} 1956 Giulietta BerlinaChassis number: AR148801774This is an original early 1956 Alfa Romeo 750C 4-door Berlina with a column-shifted four-speed shifter and its original, numbers-matching engine. This car is quite complete, however it is missing a hubcap and…
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1964 Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso
This car’s association with Rob Walker is probably more hype than provenance, but for me it’s enough to want it in my garage {vsig}2005-9_1874{/vsig} When the new 250 Gran Tursimo was launched at the 1954 Paris Salon it was described as the first standard series production Ferrari. Pininfarina subsequently developed several different bodywork styles for…