Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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1980 Triumph Spitfire 1500
They were cited by motoring journalists as an example of the thrills to be found in driving slow cars quickly {vsig}2006-5_1928{/vsig} The Triumph Spitfire 1500, according to the original brochure, is a true sports car whose classic lines express “the harmony of power and grace which is the car’s hallmark.” The brochure boasted that the…
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1974 Gaz-13 Chaika Limousine
I suspect this car falls into the same class of collectible as hearses-you can’t get away from the Dark Side {vsig}2006-5_1929{/vsig} This Russian Gaz-13 “Chaika” limousine is number 2,511 of only 3,719 built between 1959 and 1981. The Chaika-which means Gull-was favored by Kremlin officials, Soviet heads of state, and senior KGB officers. To…
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Another Soft Adventure
The two emotions dominating the market today are exuberance-especially from new collectors-and wariness, from those who have seen this all before.I’ve just finished participating in the three-day, Miles Collier-hosted symposium, Connoisseurship 2006. This was my third time attending, and the second time I have been privileged to be a member of the faculty.In addition to…
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1967-69 MGC
The MGC was the first in a string of half-baked ideas that turned the British motor industry into a historic-preservation trust Few cars have taken more of a beating right out of the box than the MGC. Already incensed by BMC’s premeditated murder of the Austin-Healey 3000 in favor of the C, journalists were out…
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1938 M-B 540K Sindelfingen Cabriolet “A”
Together with its predecessor the 500K, the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 540K was arguably the most noteworthy production model offered by the Stuttgart firm during the 1930s. A development of the 500K, whose independently suspended chassis it shared, the 540K was powered by a 5.4-liter supercharged straight-eight engine. It featured the company’s Roots-type supercharger system, in which…
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1953 General Motors “Parade of Progress” Tour Bus
One of twelve built by General Motors, this self-contained display and transport vehicle was created in 1940 by the GM design staff under Harley Earl’s direction. The Futurliner has opening sides, interior and exterior floodlights, a retractable stage, distinctive center cockpit driving position and dual-wheel front and rear axles. The buses were used in the…
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“Goodall Special Sports”
According to information supplied by the vendor, this intriguing two-seater special is believed to have been constructed in 1926 by one Cleland C. Castleman. Built around an inverted ladder frame (hence the ground-hugging stance), it’s equipped with a beam front axle, “live” rear end, leaf springs, and Andre-Hartford-style friction dampers. Clothed in a mixture of…
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2004 612 Scaglietti
Despite controversial styling, the 612’s performance is Formula One: It reaches 60 mph in just over four seconds and tops out at 199 mph {vsig}2006-4_1473{/vsig} In naming its new four-seater Granturismo after Carrozzeria Scaglietti, Ferrari acknowledged the immense contribution made by its collaborator in the past 50 years. Founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 and…
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1965 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe “James Bond”
James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, which roared into the public consciousness in the 1964 movie “Goldfinger,” has a fair claim on being “The Most Famous Car in the World,” as Dave Worrall’s 1993 book asserts. That Silver Birch DB5 embodied the virtues of the character first launched in Ian Fleming’s spy novels in 1953: stunning…
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1966 Lamborghini 400 GT Monza
In 1970, after just 7,136 km, this unique V12 Granturismo was bricked up in a garage on a busy street {vsig}2006-4_1924{/vsig} Lamborghini’s first model-the 350 GT-wowed the motoring press and public at its 1964 launch. Not content to rest on their laurels, Lamborghini’s engineers were already at work on the 400 GT, which was in…