Columns

A Prelude to Collectibility

1987 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si S/N JHMBA3146HC005396. 4,200 miles. “2.0-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual transaxle, Phoenix Red paint, black cloth upholstery, 13-inch alloy wheels, power-operated sunroof, rear spoiler, A/C, cruise control, AM/FM cassette stereo with graphic equalizer, window sticker.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT $82,950. Bring a Trailer, 7/26/23. If there was […]

Don’t Call it “Cute”

The new Mini entered the market in the 2002, now under BMW ownership, and was immediately successful. This was an era of retro-fabulous versions of European classics. Volkswagen’s New Beetle had turned up a few years prior, and Fiat gave its venerable 500 the same treatment just a few years […]

Porsche R7 Litigation Resolved

In the September 2023 issue, “Legal Files” reported about the litigation involving two cars, each claiming to be the 1973 Porsche Carrera 911 RSR prototype chassis number 9113600686, commonly known as “R7.” Jacob Shalit filed suit against Kenny Schachter, seeking to establish that his car was the real R7. The […]

That Monterey Magic

My relationship with the Monterey Peninsula started in the late 1960s. I was a wrench (that was before the term “technician” came into vogue) on Hilary Luginbuhl’s SCCA F-production Alfa Romeo Giulietta race car, aka Rubber Chicken Racing. There was fierce competition in our class against the factory-backed cars, the […]

1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout

The Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout offered here, chassis 1967, hails from the final year of T-head production, 1914. This car features many subtle improvements that were implemented since the model’s introduction, most notably the desirable 4-speed gearbox that was unveiled in 1913. The car’s history is known since the mid-1930s, […]

1957 Jaguar XKSS

Jaguar had withdrawn from racing following the 1956 season and was left with a number of D-types remaining unsold in their factory stock. An idea was had that the cars could be converted to roadgoing specification and sold into the American market. The conversion, as it were, involved removing the […]

1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet

Factory records on file for chassis 14018 list a delivery date of December 30, 1936, with coachwork specified by Saoutchik. Jacques Saoutchik is best known for flamboyant designs often accessorized with ornate trim. In contrast, this masterfully penned cabriolet demonstrates a great degree of restraint on the part of the […]

1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso

The Ferrari 250 GT/L berlinetta Lusso is undoubtedly one of the most appealing grand-touring models ever built, combining the 250 GT’s developmental apogee with one of Scaglietti’s most acclaimed coachwork creations. Introduced at the 1962 Paris Salon as a replacement for the discontinued 250 GT PF coupe, the Lusso featured […]

1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 2+2 Coupe

The car on offer here was an individual commission spanning over multiple years and costing the Dutch businessman behind the commission, whose name remained a closely guarded secret, a total of 400,000 guilders. The story of this unique 300SEL 6.3 began when a Dutch lithograph company owner, impressed by Mercedes-Benz’s […]

1995 Honda NSX Type R

Just 483 examples of the laser-focused, right-hand-drive NSX Type R are understood to have been built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, distinguishable by their unique 10-digit chassis-number sequence. Chassis number NA11300280 is one such example, finished in the only available color of Championship White complemented by matching 16-inch front […]