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The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship?
Just in case you’re one of the few SCMers who haven’t heard about it, RM Sotheby’s set a new world record for the highest automobile sales price ever achieved. On May 5, it auctioned a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that was part of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection, selling it for €135,000,000 ($142,668,000). This sale…
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Movin’ On Up
1983 Datsun 280ZX Lot 71890, s/n JN1HZ04S8DX576102. 8k miles. “Fuel-injected 2.8-liter L28E inline-6, 5-speed manual transmission, French Beige Metallic paint, red velour upholstery, removable glass roof panels, 14-inch alloy wheels, power windows and mirrors, A/C, window sticker.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT $58,800. Bring A Trailer, 4/29/22. High prices for earlier 240Z models are now trickling…
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The Original Jaguar
This is all Miles Collier’s fault. I attended one of his early symposiums on collecting. I was the guest of noted collector and Lamborghini expert Simon Kidston. During the seminar, I was first introduced to the notion that we were not owners, but just the current caretakers of our cars. They had a past that…
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Fact or Fiction?
In my just-released book The Archaeological Automobile, I write that all restoration is fictional. What I mean is that despite the most careful effort and the most meticulous research, the resultant job will be no more than an approximation of the automobile’s lost reality. “But surely not!” I hear hundreds of SCMers cry out. “My…
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A Rising Sun Also Sets
Mazda’s FD3S third-generation RX-7 is hot in so many ways. First, it’s in demand. You can count on one hand the number of these cars that have sold for less than $30k on Bring a Trailer since 2020 — with the best reaching $80k. So, as affordable classics go, the FD comes with a pretty…
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1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Rally Racer
The 911 rally car offered here is unique among historic Porsches insofar as it has covered more competitive kilometers — equivalent to circumnavigating the world three times — than any other product from the celebrated Stuttgart factory. It was built specifically for the 1977 London–Sydney Marathon and crewed in that event by Polish rally ace…
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1993 Toyota Supra Turbo
Well-maintained, low-mileage Mk IV Supra Premier Edition with desirable 6-speed manual transmission First year for the fourth generation of this legendary Japanese sports car Said to be in unmodified condition Showing less than 19,000 miles on the odometer at cataloging time Finished in factory color scheme of Renaissance Red over Ivory leather Powered by a…
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1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6
This 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo is one of approximately 1,500 Turbo 3.6 models produced for the 1993/1994 model year and was first registered in Ohio. It was subsequently registered in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon and Arizona, where it was acquired by the seller in 2022. The car is finished in Guards Red over tan…
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1984 Ferrari 512 BBi
This stunning 1984 512 BBi is finished in the highly attractive all-Rosso Corsa over beige leather. It was originally sold by French Ferrari distributor Charles Pozzi SA to a client in Fayette, AL. He retained this BBi for at least 15 years and thankfully saved the importation and federalization paperwork. When acquired by a previous…
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1963 Maserati Sebring
Built on the short-wheelbase but otherwise similar chassis of the Vignale-bodied 3500 GT Spyder, the Sebring 2+2 coupé arrived in 1962, named in honor of the Bolognese manufacturer’s 1957 victory at the eponymous American endurance race. By now a 5-speed gearbox, four-wheel disc brakes and fuel injection were standard equipment, while automatic transmission, air conditioning…