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America’s Bargain
Rip Van Winkle wasn’t a car guy, but if he had been, his longform napping would’ve put him in good stead as a collector. By most reckoning, new cars depreciate for the first decade or two of life, then after they’ve bottomed out for a while, they start to climb in value — assuming, of…
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1959 Cooper-Climax Monaco T49 Mk I
Successor to Cooper’s center-seat “Bobtail,” the Cooper Monaco T49 was named for the win at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix by famed British privateer Rob Walker’s Cooper-Climax Formula 1 car. The Monaco was Cooper’s first production rear-mid-engined sports-racing model, designed expressly to meet FIA requirements of two seats, two doors and a windshield, with a…
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1996 Mercedes-Benz SL70 AMG
At a time when the price of a standard Mercedes-Benz SL600 was just 5% less than a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, it is unsurprising that the SL70 always was an extremely rare car; the engine upgrade alone cost roughly the equivalent of $60,000. Nevertheless, the reward was staggering: a hand-built 7.1-liter AMG-tuned version of the exquisite…
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1956 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Cabriolet
The elegant 300Sc cabriolet presented here was dispatched to the New York Mercedes-Benz distributorship in early 1956 and, according to a copy of its factory build record, was finished in dark brown with a beige leather interior. While little has been documented about its earlier years, in about 2001, the car was discovered in Ohio…
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1952 Ferrari 225 S Berlinetta by Vignale
The 225 S was envisioned as a fiercely performing model with competition capabilities. These were race cars and were thus assigned even-numbered chassis numbers. They were also fitted with more competition-appropriate right-hand drive and triple Weber carburetors. Campaigned extensively in Europe during 1952, and later in SCCA events, the 225 S was piloted by some…
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1956 Maserati A6G54 Spyder
Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1954, the A6G54 represented the ultimate evolution of Maserati’s first post-war sports car. Developed from the highly successful A6GCS racing cars and the earlier single-cam A6G2000 road car, the A6G54 was an exclusive gran turismo; its fine engineering and exquisite attention to detail embodied the very best qualities…
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1962 Lotus Elite Series II
The important origin of the Lotus street car Desirable Series II model with ZF close-ratio gearbox Coventry Climax FWE engine with twin Weber carburetors Cosmetically restored; engine rebuilt for former owner by Tony Mantle
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1955 Hudson Italia
Always one for creative thinking, Hudson designer Frank Spring thought he had just the right idea to improve sales of the small Jet. Spring worked with Italian coachbuilder Touring to design the Super Jet, a prototype that looked like nothing else on American roads in 1953, with its wraparound windshield, doors cut into the roof,…
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Risky Business
Some shy away from doors that open to unknown places. I have always been drawn to them. I don’t recall what caused my instant and all-consuming obsession to own a 928, this most-unloved of exotic Porsches. But once I got onto the roller coaster and the safety bar clicked down, there was no getting off.…
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Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi 3000GT, Datsun 240Z
1986 Toyota Corolla SR5 #37232. S/N JT2AE86C8G0227932. 229k miles. “1.6-liter inline 4, 5-speed manual transmission, red over gray cloth, Nardi steering wheel, aftermarket stereo, Konig wheels, Weber carburetor, window sticker. Additional customization could be enhanced with vinyl stickers Melbourne enthusiasts frequently use for classic builds.” Condition: 2-. SOLD AT $10,695. Bring a Trailer, 10/2/2020. Brian’s…