Topolino means “Little Mouse” and is used in Italy to name Disney’s most famous rodent. What is not always appreciated, however, is how rare it is for a car to receive a universal and warm nickname. There is the Topolino, the Beetle and, er, um, that’s about it unless you […]
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1939 BMW 327/28
Until 1928 BMW’s main line of business was aero engines and it did not make cars until it bought the Dixi company which made Austin Sevens under license. Although BMW was late on the scene, it established a towering reputation in a very few years. A six cylinder engine was […]
1974 Jensen Interceptor Mk III Convertible
More than any of its previous models, the 1960s Interceptor firmly established Jensen as a producer of stylish, high-performance and hand-built cars. Launched at the 1966 London Motor Show, the Interceptor proved a star attraction. Beneath its attractive Vignale designed coupe coachwork, the substantial parallel tube chassis featured independent wishbone/coil […]
1971 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Series 2
It was in 1965 that Lancia launched the Fulvia coupe. Designed in-house, it was powered by a twin-cam V4 engine of 1,216 cc producing 80 bhp, while the four-speed gearbox had a floor change. The 1.2 HF – for High Fidelity – followed with less trim and 88 bhp, and […]
1983 Audi Quattro A2 Works Rally Car
Having made a stunning rally debut in October 1980 by running their as-yet unhomologated Quattro as a “course car” in the Algarve Rally, when Hannu Mikkola set fastest time on 24 out of 30 stages, Audi quickly came to dominate the rallying scene with their four-wheel driven flyer. And when […]
1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale
The economic depression that followed World War II decreed that Alfa Romeo could no longer afford to produce purely the bespoke motorcars that had made the marque famous on both road and track. Mass produced models were needed and the first fruits in this direction were the 1900 Berlinetta and […]
1961 Ferrari 250 GT Competition SEFC SWB
The first Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta with a 240cm wheelbase, later nicknamed SWB (for short wheelbase), was shown at the Paris Motor Show held in October 1959. It was still very much a prototype but the complete finished car was ready for the Turin and Geneva Shows held a few […]
Jaguar XK 140 Roadster
The XK140 was introduced in October 1954 at the London Motor Show as the successor to the XK120. The XK140 was easily distinguishable from its predecessor because of its Mk 7 type front and rear bumpers, the traditional radiator grill but with fewer slats and a chrome strip which ran […]
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 […]
1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
The name of Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with the heritage of the motorcar, and the company has over the decades produced some of the finest examples of sporting machinery. Early forays into the competition world led to the production of some of the fastest touring cars of their day and an […]