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2017 Lagonda Taraf
The Taraf was designed by Marek Reichman, who had penned such brilliant contemporary designs as the One-77, Rapide, DBS and Vulcan, and was developed by the bespoke Q by Aston Martin division. Though sharing the same Vertical/Horizontal (VH) platform as the Rapide and DBS, the Taraf’s wheelbase has been extended and the roof has been…
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1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super
Developed for the FIA European Touring Car Challenge in 1963, the Giulia TI Super Berlina is considered by many to be Alfa Romeo’s first homologation special. Based on the Tipo 105 Series Giulia TI, the Super was built for just two model years. Improvements over the standard model included select aluminum panels, cast-magnesium wheels, Zagato-style…
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1993 Ferrari 348 Serie Speciale tb
Styled by a design team led by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti, and created under the direction of Enzo Ferrari in what became one of his final acts, the Ferrari 348 made its debut in 1989 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Three years into production, Ferrari introduced the hardcore 348 Serie Speciale, limited to just 100 examples…
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1993 Porsche 968 Turbo RS
Built by Porsche’s Motorsport Department during a period when necessity sharpened intent at Weissach, this is the final example of just three 968 Turbo RS cars created, the only one finished in black, and the only front-engine Porsche RS model of any kind. Retaining its charming original period livery, competition specification and a well-documented history,…
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The Dance of Perfection
I was just settling into my favorite of the 3,000 seats in Portland’s Keller Auditorium. I prefer row N, seat 8, as I am close enough to see the facial expressions of the performers yet far enough back to take in overall staging of the ballet. It was Oregon Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Sleeping Beauty”…
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Judgment Day for Collector Car Fraud?
“Legal Files” recently reported on the fraud claims brought against well-known Porsche restoration shop CPR Classic of Fallbrook, CA (December 2024, “No Resuscitation for CPR Classic,” p. 54). Numerous customers complained that they were defrauded when the shop took their money without delivering the purchased car, sold cars on consignment without paying the seller, and…
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Tear Up Your Ferrari Price Guides
My friend Phil Bachman was a Ferrari collector. His son Philip wrote a book on the collection, Full-Scale Passion: The Bachman Collection, which opens with a quote from his father: “Some people collect model cars, like 1:18- or 1:43-scale models. I collect the full-scale ones.” The quote is uncharacteristically boastful for the rather modest man.…
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Pocket Exotic
When the Alfa Romeo 4C arrived in the U.S. for 2015, the brand skipped the soft reentry. Instead of a sensible sport sedan (which would come later), it brought a mid-engine coupe with manual steering and minimal sound deadening. It was a bold, slightly defiant move — and one that immediately set the 4C apart.…
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1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe
This 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window coupe body shell includes the roof structure, firewall, doors, floors and partial interior components. The front bodywork and much of the rear bodywork are missing. The seller tells us that it had been sitting outside before their acquisition and that the frame was discarded due to damage. This C2 Split-Window…
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1912 Bedelia BD2 10CV
It is said that Bedelia cars originated when two impecunious students, Robert Bourbeau and Henri Devaux, crashed a motorcycle and could not afford to replace it. Instead, they built the remains into a two-seat tandem car, with steering operated from the rear seat and a belt drive running from the front-mounted engine to the rear…