Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Columns
-
1993 Mercedes-Benz 300CE 3.4 AMG Cabriolet
Finished in Almandine Red Metallic with black/Anthracite leather interior and black fabric top, this car has covered a little over 107,000 kilometers from new. It clearly has always been maintained and cherished by passionately enthusiastic owners. Featured in Het Automobiel motoring magazine, the car comes with a truly massive history file containing, among other documents, a detailed,…
-
1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 Rally Car
This 1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 was built to compete in the 1999-2000 World Rally Championship with the late Richard Burns. Acquired in 2018 by its current owner, whose childhood dream was to own one of the most important rally cars of its era, “T15 SRT” was in need of a complete restoration after years of…
-
1906 Thomas Flyer 50HP 7-Passenger Tourer
One of the most recognizable automobiles of this era and arguably the most important of all the pioneering brands, the Thomas was the car that conquered the globe and put the American industry on the map. For the 1906 season, all Thomas cars were built on a 118-inch wheelbase and powered by 4-cylinder, 50-horsepower engines.…
-
An Evolution in the JDM Market
1998 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution S/N V554402793. 93k kilometers (58k miles). “3.5-liter V6, rated at 276 horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque, 5-speed automatic transmission and 2-speed transfer case, locking center differential, skid plates, Evolution-specific body kit, trailer hitch, Recaro front sport seats, information display on the dashboard, and air conditioning. Modifications reported by the selling…
-
Learn and Yearn
When I first started hunting cars in the ’70s, my routine was simple: I would scan the daily classifieds in my hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s where I found my 1959 ID 19 for $400. It was listed under the “Citroën” heading. Yes, such a category in the classifieds actually existed back then.…
-
Lawsuit Bankrupts Restoration Shop
My father was normally calm and laid back. It seemed nothing rattled him. But if my siblings and I pushed him too far, watch out! Apparently, Bill Oesterle has a similar temperament. Oesterle, one of the co-founders of Angie’s List, is a longtime car collector. At his apex, he had over 250 cars in his…
-
Unconsciously Bought
I bought a new addition for my automobile collection from RM Sotheby’s at its recent Amelia Island sale. Parked in a corner of the viewing tents was a dark blue 1934 Tatra 77 that, through some combination of pheromones and kismet, I knew was going home with me. I have written about the process of making…
-
Secret Weapon
There’s a certain kind of person who’s drawn to Volvo station wagons. Typically, that person is a driving enthusiast who loves the practical applications of a wagon, affording all the cargo capacity of an SUV along with the performance and handling of a passenger car. The “long roof” cognoscenti smile and nod knowingly, hoping that…
-
1932 Chrysler Imperial Series CG Custom Eight Roadster
Seldom is an automobile more closely linked with its original owner than this 1931 Chrysler and Dr. William F. Whelan. A respected Philadelphia ears, nose, and throat doctor, he served for years both in private practice and as an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School before his retirement in 1963. His success…
-
1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
The original Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was the first Ford to wear the Cosworth badge and was presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985. Launched for sale in July 1986, and based on the 3-door Sierra body shell, it was designed by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) and was powered…