Columns
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1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Never stripped down, never restored, still with its original paintwork, this Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, equipped with rare period options including its NSL engine and naturally matching numbers, and which spent 53 years with its second owner, is offered in absolutely original condition after 34,000 km. It is sold with one of the original fitted suitcases…
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1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
The story of Lancia’s most celebrated post-war sports car begins at the 1970 Torino Motor Show, where Carrozzeria Bertone stunned audiences with the radical Stratos Zero concept. Its dramatic wedge profile, futuristic front-hinged canopy and mid-mounted Fulvia engine were unlike anything then on the road. The striking prototype immediately caught the attention of Lancia director…
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2003 Ferrari 550 GTC
As Ferrari prioritized its Formula 1 and prototype sports car programs at the turn of the millennium, it was left to privateers to evolve the 550 Maranello road car into a bona fide racer. Most notably, the resulting 550 GTs built by Prodrive would secure class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American…
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A Weighty Decision
I recently got an email from the new owner of our former 2000 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. He reports that after several thousand miles he has had no mechanical issues and had to replace only a few consumables such as belts and pulleys. That was always a great car, and I began to wonder why I sold…
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Car-Nappers Dupe Shippers
The November 2025 “Legal Files” about car transporters getting hacked seems to have been just the tip of the iceberg. We received many responses to the article, but the best came from “Chuck,” who had an interesting experience after selling his GT3-class race car on Bring a Trailer. Chuck sold the car, received the money…
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Considerations on Collecting
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a “collection” as “an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby.” Historically, most collectors fit into that last category, accumulating automobiles that interest them as a leisure pursuit. More recently, there has been a growing number of people buying special cars as a financial investment. Although…
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Le Sport Sedan
After years of peddling a variety of stodgy semi-luxury sedans on our shores, would a sleek, rev-happy 4-door with impeccable chassis tuning be enough to reverse nearly a decade of slipping sales? Peugeot sure hoped so — which is why it sent its 405 Mi16 to America in late 1988. Modern makeover The 405 was…
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1952 Muntz Jet
Earl “Madman” Muntz was, in every sense, one of the great characters of early post-war America. His fortunes — there was more than one — were made in used cars, and subsequently in manufacturing and selling televisions; reportedly “TV” was first coined when Muntz abbreviated the name for skywriting. Muntz’s Jet was created when the…
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2003 Ferrari Enzo
This 2003 Ferrari Enzo is the very definition of exclusivity in a bespoke Ferrari, a one-of-one creation ordered new by Phil Bachman and customized through the factory to Phil and his wife, Martha’s, exacting specifications. Of the 400 examples produced from 2002 through 2004, this Enzo, S/N 135262, is one of 127 built for the…
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2009 Nissan GT-R
The Nissan Skyline GT-R is, quite possibly, the most famous Japanese sports car ever created. Known the world over for its myriad appearances in popular media and atop motorsport podiums, the GT-R’s massive mystique is founded in its monstrous performance capabilities. From humble beginnings as a modestly powered “economy” platform of the late 1950s, each…