Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
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1970 Fiat Dino 2400 Spider
With a gentle clatter from the fuel pump and distant whir from the starter motor, the orchestral 2.4-liter six pot erupts into life. With a low bass burble below 400 rpm, the big triple twin-choke Webers fluff a little at low revs. Above 5,000, the whine of the cams, thrash of the chains and sucking…
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Computers, Chickens & Bedsprings
The streets of X’ian, China are a maelstrom of transportation contraptions, from hand-drawn oxcarts laden with unopened, boxed color televisions to brand-new Mercedes S-class sedans. While the Chinese may suffer from a lack of political freedom, in terms of motorized conveyances, they are Joan Claybrooke’s worst nightmare. The rule of thumb seems to be, if…
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1972-76 Jensen-Healey
Born out of desperation and existing in chaos, it is surprising that the Jensen-Healey and Jensen GT came into being at all. That today, thirty years later, they can be inexpensive and thoroughly enjoyable cars to own and drive is nothing short of amazing. And yet they are. If the original Lotus engine is in…
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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Rebuilding after World War II, Daimler-Benz was back on line by 1948, producing the basic 170 and 220 series sedans. In 1951 a more technically advanced 300 series was introduced which represented Mercedes-Benz’s return to the luxury market. The 300 featured all-independent suspension, a four-speed manual gearbox and a three-liter in-line six. With the company…
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1929 Stutz Model M Supercharged Coupe
Stutz’s illustrious history on racetrack and road has become legendary among automotive enthusiasts. By entering a new and untried car in the first Indianapolis 500 race, brilliant engineer Harry C. Stutz, the car’s creator, immediately gained fame for the powerful new marque by placing it eleventh in the contest. For many years afterward, the Stutz…
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1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTC
With a total production run of 1,000 units between 1965, when it was launched at the Geneva Salon, and 1966, the Giulia GTC Alfa was an exclusive 2+2 convertible derivative of the Bertone Giulia Sprint GT coupe. Visiting the new Arese plant when the Giulia GTC was introduced, the British magazine Autocar commented that “despite…
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1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta
Bodied by Pininfarina in classic Berlinetta style with oval egg-crate grille, brake cooling scoops over the rear wheel arches, hood tie-downs and sliding lightweight plexiglass windows, the powerful, compact and lightweight 250 MMs were ideal competitors for both long-distance races and shorter hillclimb events. In typical Ferrari fashion, the engines had been tuned to give…
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1955 Triumph TR2
In the early 1950s, Jaguar and MG defined the postwar sports car market. The TR2 was Triumph’s attempt to share in the spoils of that market against competitors like the Austin-Healey 100, a slightly faster car that was aggressively courting performance enthusiasts. There never was a Triumph TR1. The TR2 was developed from the prototype…
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1923 Bugatti Type 32 Tank Replica
Vittore Bugatti first entered the Grand Prix arena in 1922 following numerous successes over the previous two years with his 1½-liter 16-valve racing voiturettes. From 1922 to 1925 the regulations imposed a maximum engine capacity of two liters so Bugatti designed a purpose-built straight-eight racing engine which made its debut in a three-car team fitted…
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The Rites of Winter
As the Pacific Northwest settles into winter and the temperatures drop below freezing each night, we dress our cars in their winter clothes just as we make sure our heavy coats and gloves are hung by the door. Cindy’s ’83 Mercedes-Benz 123-body 300 Turbodiesel, which lives outdoors, suckles nightly on an orange extension cord attached…