Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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1986 Ferrari Testarossa Spyder
Following a number of conversion attempts by various independent shops, Ferrari’s rationale for not building an open TR became obvious: Chopping the roof created serious spatial and structural challenges The Testarossa was designed by Ferrari specifically for the U.S. market’s strict safety and emissions rules. Its signature elements were a twelve-cylinder engine, arrayed in Boxer…
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1958 Morgan Plus 4 Drophead Coupe
Dropheads were a rare sight new and even scarcer today, with exceedingly handsome styling in the vintage English idiom {vsig}2004-5_1235{/vsig} The Morgan Motor Company, the oldest independent automobile company on the planet, crafts its unique sports cars in a turn of the century factory in Malvern Link, Worcestershire, England. To this day, Morgans are still…
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1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupe
The catalog offered a believable explanation that the factory records are “mistaken,” and that the car was indeed an Atalante from day one The Type 57 Bugatti was introduced in March 1934, and variants of this touring model formed virtually the entire output from the Molsheim factory until war intervened in September 1939-by which time…
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Reality TV, Barrett-Jackson Style
I like auctions as much as the next guy. In fact, I probably like them a little more than that-a good thing given my day job. But even for me, an hour or so at a time is about all I can take of the cacophonous babble emanating from most auction podiums.But I put in…
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1956-1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk
Though not rare, you’re far less likely to see a Golden Hawk on the road than a Thunderbird or Corvette, making the Studebaker a good choice for those collectors who aspire to be both unique and on a budget Studebaker’s Golden Hawk was the product of an era when sports cars were unfamiliar to most…
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1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Cabriolet
Pagoda SL values have been appreciating, and top examples continue to stretch the upper limit of the price envelope The last of a popular and extremely successful line that began with the 230SL of 1963, the Mercedes-Benz 280SL was introduced in 1967. Its overhead-camshaft, six-cylinder engine was entirely new, with horsepower of the fuel-injected unit…
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1933 Cadillac V16 Convertible Victoria
As the Depression raged, the market for these cars turned as dry as the Oklahoma dustbowl {vsig}2004-4_1244{/vsig} Cadillac’s introduction of the magnificent V16 in 1930 sent the competition reeling. While others were working on new V12s, Cadillac leapt right past them. Then in 1931, while they were still struggling to respond, Cadillac introduced its own…
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1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
Its recent vintage-racing provenance has completely eclipsed whatever original period history the car might have had {vsig}2004-4_1245{/vsig} By the mid-1960s, Corvettes powered by the immortal 327-c.i. Chevrolet V8 were regular national winners in the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Production class. This storied 1966 coupe had just such an early history, as Texan Dan Hines…
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1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale (2004)
The Bertone-penned Sprint Speciale version of the Giulietta first appeared in the Alfa Romeo catalogue in 1957. With super-streamlined bodywork, it was reckoned to be absolutely sensational looking, bearing a marked resemblance to some of the legendary Italian marque’s earlier competition designs, particularly the Disco Volante sports-racer and the still futuristic Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica show…
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
Ferrari’s 250 GT reached a level of true dual-purpose perfection with the Short Wheelbase Berlinetta. It coalesced three parallel and mutually supporting paths of Ferrari development. Ferrari’s continuing focus upon both Grand Prix and endurance sports car racing emphasized power and reliability. Production of high quality gran tursimo automobiles delivered comfort and exclusivity to demanding…