Columns


  • 1991-93 Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 Convertible

    The Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider, introduced in 1966, continued in production until Alfa withdrew from the US market after 1994. A 28-year run for one model is a notable accomplishment, similar to the Model T and VW Beetle. The original Duetto (a name which Alfa only officially used for the 1967 models) drew mixed reviews.…

  • 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9

    Fast, well engineered and luxuriously equipped in the finest Mercedes-Benz tradition, the 450SEL 6.9 was rated by Road & Track magazine as “the fastest, best sedan in the world.” This left-hand drive example was the property of Sir Bernard Ashley, Chairman of Laura Ashley department stores. Bought new in France, where Sir Bernard lived at…

  • 1965 Corvette “Fuelie” Convertible

    In 1965 the nine-year reign of the “fuelie” Corvette came to an end. Only 771 cars with the L84 option were built in 1965, making it the lowest production year. It was the only year you could buy a fuel-injected, disc-braked Corvette. This 1965 Glen Green model has traveled only 1,577 miles since new and…

  • 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider

    After World War II Alfa Romeo could no longer afford to produce purely the bespoke motor cars that had made the marque famous on both road and track. It was not until 1954 that Alfa found its savior in the Giulietta Sprint, Nuccio Bertone being commissioned to design this small coupe just weeks before its…

  • 1961 Lotus Elite S2 Coupe

    This “barn discovery” Lotus Elite was first registered on December 14, 1961, according to the duplicate green logbook in its history file. It was owned by Mr. Peter John Gillett of Cobham in 1971 before it was sold to the last owner, Mr. Che Keng Saw, in August 1972. The Lotus was extricated from a…

  • 1994 Bugatti EB110 GT

    Bugatti Automobili S.p.A., in marketing the sensational new EB110, succinctly defined the new project as “the revival of the spirit of Modernism, which characterized the life and work of Ettore Bugatti (1881-1947).” In May 1992 Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. recorded that at the Nardo Test Track in Southern Italy, the Bugatti EB110 GT underwent official acceleration…

  • Our Own Fakey-Doo

    This is all Martin Swig’s fault. The iconoclastic, San Francisco-based collector and enthusiast has been trying to lay us away in a Ford for some time. Not just any Ford, mind you, but a 1954 Mainline Six Business Coupe. “It’s the model Piero Taruffi drove in the ’54 Carrera,” Swig related. “It was sponsored by…

  • 1967-69 MGC Roadster

    The introduction of the MGC is a tribute to how royally confused British Motor Holdings had become by the mid-’60s. The Austin-Healey, introduced in 1952, was getting long in the tooth by 1964, even with its new convertible top and roll-up side windows. Marketing managers also recognized that there was a slot in the market…

  • 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Convertible

    This Mercedes-Benz offers classic style motoring with modern reliability and convenience. Furthermore, the 3.5-liter version of the 280SE coupe and convertible has the cachet of being one of the rarest Mercedes-Benz models of the past 30 years, with a production run of just 4,502. Like many desirable cars, the 280SE 3.5 was created at a…

  • 1967 Nickey Camaro 427 RS/SS

    Today, the words “tuner car” conjures up images of an AMG or Renntech-equipped Mercedes. Or perhaps a Stillen-equipped SUV or a McLaren Mustang. But long before these high-impact, sophisticated cruisers existed, a group of dealer-based “tuners” were turning out supercars of a different sort. Baldwin-Motion, Dana, Nickey and Yenko were all Chevrolet dealers who sold…