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1972 Maserati Boomerang Concept
Credit or blame it, this car inspired years of “folded paper” design {vsig}2005-5_1838{/vsig} The Maserati Boomerang was first displayed as a non-functional model at the Turin Motor Show in 1971. By the Geneva Salon of March 1972, it had been transformed into a fully operational vehicle, fitted with the race-bred, 4.7-liter Maserati V8, developing no…
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Of Miatas and Mini-Cars
The 1974 Mustang II, by nearly any standard, was a pathetic shadow of the original. It was also a terrific sales success, its 384,000 units sold far outstripping the 134,267 of the 1973, final-year, “Big Mustang.”The reason Mustang IIs flew out of the showroom was simple. Gas prices zoomed as a result of the 1973…
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1983-87 TVR 280i
Mine had a habit of popping its pop-up headlights when going over bumps TVR was founded by Trevor Wilkinson in the late 1940s, and has since endured more receiverships, changes in ownership, and near-liquidations than probably any other car company-Lamborghini included. Yet no matter how close to financial ruin the Blackpool, England, firm has veered,…
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1990 BMW Z1
The Z1’s clean lines are less contrived than the Bubba-built Z3’s cow-catcher face-and we won’t even mention the Z4 {vsig}2005-4_1834{/vsig} BMW’s sensational Z1 sports car was essentially a concept car that went into production. The Z1 was special indeed, a front-mid-engined sports car with rear-wheel drive and excellent handling. Its straight-six, 2.5-liter, 170-hp engine gave…
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1954 Oldsmobile F-88 Concept
GM’s Motorama displays ignited millions of automotive passions, and the heat can still be felt in 2005 {vsig}2005-4_1830{/vsig} Throughout the 1950s, the grandest expressions of General Motors’ visions of the automobile’s future routinely went on display at the corporation’s Motorama shows. But once out of the spotlight, GM’s “dream cars” were supposed to be destroyed.…
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1961 Chaparral 1
There’s something romantic about cars that signify the end of an era, the last and greatest of their kind, yet doomed by the coming revolution {vsig}2005-4_1835{/vsig} The year was 1961. Jim Hall was an ambitious young man from Midland, TX, who had done well in oil and was determined to do even better in pro…
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1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B
Any time a dolled-up 6C 2300 with a short chassis sells for less then 200 grand, something stinks-and it’s usually the car Carrozzeria Touring of Milan developed and patented Superleggera body construction, working with light alloys and sparingly dimensioned components to lay up aluminum panels over a cage-like steel frame. The earliest of these bodies…
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1966 Ferrari 275 GTB
Perhaps no car better epitomizes classic Ferrari design than the 275 GTB. Penetrative nose, long bonnet, low cabin and a short, neat tail are the ingredients that make for a masterpiece of sports car design. The 275 GTB drew inspiration from the preceding 250 GTO, and along with its timeless appearance introduced a number of…
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1958 Bentley S1 Continental
Continentals were lightened versions of the standard steel-bodied cars, built for high-speed cruising {vsig}2005-4_1831{/vsig} The post-war heyday of Bentley was with the Continental models, from their introduction in 1952. The combination of sporting performance and a beautifully clothed chassis made for the ultimate in long distance luxury touring. The name itself became synonymous with elegance.With…
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1992 Lancia Hyena
Integrales of any sort are incredible performance machines, massively capable in almost all conditions, sort of the Subaru WRX of their day {vsig}2005-4_1832{/vsig} This Lancia Hyena was purchased new by the present owner from Walkers Garage, official Lancia factory-appointed Integrale specialists for the U.K., who sourced the car from Zagato. Its owner wanted a car…