The year after production of the legendary 911 had commenced in 1964, Porsche introduced the similarly bodied 912 as an entry-level model to the prestigious German marque. As such, it shared its monocoque steel chassis with that of the 911, together with independent front torsion bar and trailing arm rear […]
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Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Chevrolet enlisted the help of Lotus Engineering to create a new engine for the Corvette. Together they developed a design with an aluminum block, dual overhead camshafts, and 4 valves per cylinder. In 1990, it emerged as the 375-horsepower LT5 engine. But there was more than an engine. The Corvette […]
1965-1966 Alfa Romeo TZ2 Berlinetta Corsa
{vsig}1998-11_1583{/vsig} The jewel-like Alfa Romeo TZ2 model is in effect “The Baby GTO,” simply one of the most charismatic smaller-capacity Gran Turismo car designs of all time. Furthermore, the car pictured here has hardly been seen in public since the late 1960s, and it retains all the distinctive TZ2 componentry […]
1976 Ferrari 308 GTB Fiberglass
{vsig}1998-11_1586{/vsig} In October 1973 a new car was announced in Italy, launched by a company which was also new. That car was the Dino 308 GT4, but in spite of not being badged as such, it was clear to everyone it was a Ferrari through and through. Enzo Ferrari still […]
1960 Triumph TR3A
In 1957, Triumph introduced the TR3A line. The new TR3A was seen as an improved version of its predecessor, the TR3, in both design and engineering. The sporty new “3A” had formidable speed potential, topping out at over 105 mph. It featured a considerably larger grille complete with its own […]
1975 Maserati Merak SS
In the creative environment that coincided with the beginning of the 1970s, Maserati began work on the design of a car with high-performance sporting characteristics capable of dominating the hard-fought 3-liter class of the market. In order to avoid risks, the layout of the Merak, the name of a star […]
From the Speedway to Syracuse
Our circuitous, car-filled week started with a trip to the Autofair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, where I was co-host of a Speedvision special, “Muscle Car Mania,” to be broadcast Thanksgiving weekend. The swap meet and car show occupied the entire infield of the Speedway, and presented […]
1970-71 Porsche 917K
{vsig}1998-10_1813{/vsig} This Porsche 917K coupe is one of the most historic available survivors of this titanic breed. Most significantly, it is one of only five World Championship-level race-winning 917s outside factory ownership.In 1971, entered by the Martini-Porsche team and co-driven by Vic Elford and Gerard Larrousse, it won America’s most […]
1963 Ford Thunderbird Sport Roadster
When Thunderbird designer Frank Hershey set out to design a sports car with “banker appeal,” he unknowingly created a legendary automobile that was so popular in its first year, it outsold the Chevrolet Corvette four to one. When Hershey left Ford for General Motors in 1960, the Thunderbird had sold […]
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint Series II
Its factory devastated by wartime bombing, Alfa Romeo did not resume car production until 1947, the pre-war 2500C standing the Milan marque in good stead until 1952. The firm’s first all-new offering of the post-war period arrived in 1950. Designed by Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga, the 1900 was the first […]