Columns
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1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special
mericans in the ’50s were fascinated by the future. Newspapers and magazines were full of stories about futuristic technology-rocket ships, jet airplanes, and even television. Car companies were quick to capitalize on the trend, offering a dizzying variety of fantastic show cars. They were shipped from one city to another, and people would line up…
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1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1 Zagato
This particular Tubolare Zagato was supplied new to Ian Walker and Alan Day of London for use in their joint Walker-Day Racing operation through 1965. Ian Walker himself was a veteran former Lotus owner-driver, then entrant, whose Formula Junior and sports-racing Lotuses and particularly his GT racing “Gold Bug” Elans had achieved great success through…
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Replica
The introduction of the 250 GT in 1954 is seen by many as the company’s first serious attempt at making a rational production car and it started a line of some of the most successful GT cars ever built. Of all the 250 derivatives, the “Tour de France” long-wheelbase berlinetta is one of the most…
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1958 MGA Twin-Cam
For the debut of its new MGA in 1955, MG wisely chose that year’s LeMans 24-hour race; after a succession of open-wheeled models, there were fears of an adverse reaction to such a streamlined car and it was felt that by showing the MGA in competition first the aerodynamic shape would be accepted as a…
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1967 Lamborghini Islero 400 2+2
Occasionally a product is designed in such a subtle fashion that the general public is unaware that they are beholding a classic. The Lamborghini Islero is such a car. The Islero was publicly offered shortly before Lamborghini presented the stunning 2+2 Espada with Bertone coachwork, and all it did was attract a few ho-hums from…
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A $45 Million Fireworks Display
Monterey this year was a three-day auction-block fireworks show, with 228 of 286 cars that crossed the block selling for a 79% rate and a sales total of just over $45 million. We’ll have a complete report in next month’s issue, but our first reaction is that while the overall sales rate was strong, a…
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1990-93 Mazda Miata
During its introduction in 1989, the Mazda Miata was said to be a replacement for ’60s British sports cars. With its front-engine, rear-drive configuration, tiny 6-cubic-foot trunk, and reputation for great handling, it recalled British two-seaters like the MGB and Triumph TR-4 that were popular in the ’60s. Although similar in concept, the Miata differs…
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1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC
The Mercedes-Benz 450SLC is unusual in that a version was made as a homologation special to compete in the marathon rallies which were popular from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. Unlike modern rallies, where the leading cars are redesigned and rebuilt to Formula One standards, these marathons imposed strict regulations on the entrants…
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1986 Callaway Twin-Turbo Corvette Coupe
This car is one of 50 Malcolm Konner Special Edition Corvettes built by Chevrolet in honor of Malcolm Konner’s retirement from his New Jersey Chevrolet dealership. In 1985, Chevrolet sought a high-performance option to bridge the gap caused by delays in introducing the all-aluminum twin-cam ZR1 engine. Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan had tried one…
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1972 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Jr Autodelta Coupe
For nearly 40 years, many of the world’s outstanding classic sports car designs have flowed from the drawing board of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design. One of the most fluent, indeed a true post-war classic, was the Alfa Romeo GTV (Gran Turismo Veloce) Coupe of 1967, which he designed during his rime at Bertone. Evolved…