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1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S
The quintessential dream car of its era, the Lamborghini Countach defined an entire generation of automotive enthusiasm and forever recast what a supercar could and should be. It fully embraced the radical thinking and spirit of revolution that defined its forebearer, the inimitable Miura, but rejected the familiar sculpted and curvaceous styling in favor of…
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1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS
Completed on February 27, 1964, this Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, chassis 904028, was delivered to German racer Gerhard Koch. Koch, a seasoned driver with a win over Jim Clark at Zandvoort and class wins at the Targa Florio and Nürburgring, excelled with the car, winning the Rheinland-Pfalz Trophy at the Nürburgring and placing 2nd overall…
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Cars vs. Cash
We live in changing times. Which makes the passing of classic cars from one generation to the next a complicated issue. One of my children wants my Lotus Elise; the other, the narrow-body Porsche 911S. As a 1975 model, the 911 is already a classic, while the 19-year-old Elise is well on its way. Neither…
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Your Own Garage Mahal
We’ve all learned that car collections quickly become storage problems. It is easy to fall into the spiral of having bought so many cars that more space is needed. So a new garage is constructed, but that leads to buying more cars, which makes it necessary to build an even bigger garage. And on and…
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Sleuthing the Paper Trail
I recently took a drive with a friend who works as a mechanic at a high-end shop in Southern California. He told me a cautionary tale about a customer who bought an older Ferrari with a sheaf of maintenance receipts, including a recent major service at another specialist in the area. The customer brought the car…
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Three-Letter Thrill Ride
Unlike many of its early-2000s counterparts, Ford’s Focus SVT had something truly special going for it. It wasn’t the most powerful car in the sport compact world, and it certainly wasn’t the most aggressive-looking. But it may have had the most passionate development team behind it, ensuring that it filled the driver-centric niche for which…
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1959 Edsel Corsair Convertible
Originally shipped from the Louisville, KY, assembly plant directly to Moscow, Soviet Union, this particular Edsel was displayed at the American National Exhibition, which opened on July 25, 1959. The exhibition was part of a cultural exchange meant to foster understanding between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after a similar event was held in…
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1972 Ligier JS2
Today Ligier is best remembered for its 20 years representing France in Formula 1 (1976–96). Before then, the company founded by former rugby player-turned-motor-manufacturer Guy Ligier built roadgoing sports cars, principally the JS2. First seen in production form at the 1971 Paris Salon, Ligier’s lightweight coupe was powered by the Maserati-developed 2.7-liter (later 3.0-liter) four-cam…
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1967 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ
In the late 1950s, Alfa Romeo topped its range with a luxury sedan, the Berlina 2000, available in coupe and convertible versions. In 1962, to elevate the performance to match the desired prestige, these cars received a 2600 inline 6-cylinder engine, the last one produced by the brand. In addition to the factory body styles,…
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1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale
Produced in 1985, this Lancia Delta S4 Stradale, chassis 0017, engine 0059 and Savio number 3032, was sold new in London by Coombs of Guildford on August 4, 1987, to one Paul Dawson. Priced at £44,442 ($70,048), as confirmed by the original invoice from the file, the Delta was painted Nero Metallizzato with Alcantara Verde…