The Volvo P1800 has always been a bit of an odd duck in the sports car world. With its chrome-tipped rear wings and high belt-line, its looks were futuristic when introduced. By the 1970s they were dated, but now, 30 years later, they are pleasingly classic. Over the lifespan of […]

If striking design and technical sophistication were the prime factors in determining a car’s collectibility, the Subaru SVX (1992-97) would certainly make the grade.Introduced in 1991 as a Giugiaro-designed show car, it wowed the public and the motoring press with its trend-setting Italian design. The SVX was both praised and […]

In the mid-’50s, as the costs of Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, and MGs began to increase with each new model year, Donald Healey saw a niche opening up for a car that would be fun to drive, inexpensive to own, and “small enough to store in a chap’s motorcycle shed.” From that […]

In its day, the Citroën SM was a deserving member of the supercar ranks. Capable of 0 to 60 in 8.6 seconds, and with a top speed of 140 mph, the Citroën SM offered a unique blend of Gallic insouciance and Italian con brio. When introduced to the US in […]

In 1979 Mazda jumped into the two-seat sports car market with the basic, no-frills, rotary-powered RX-7. The car was an instant winner, and Road & Track referred to it as “a major breakthrough for the enthusiast.” Its primary competition, the once lean and mean Datsun 240Z of the early ’70s, […]

After the success of the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1960s, VW resurrected the idea of an on- and off-road car, and called it the Type 181 “Thing.” Inspired by the WWII Type 82 Kübelwagen, the Thing was updated with the Beetle baseline engine and running gear, but with the beefier […]

At the Monterey auctions this year, roadster-bodied Series I Jaguar E-types that were brilliantly restored were selling for $75,000 to $100,000. Yet at the same auction, a Series I E-type coupe in similar condition sold for less than $30,000. For the motoring enthusiast, as opposed to the investor, this anomaly […]

In theory, the marriage of a Ferrari drive-train with an inexpensive Fiat body should have resulted in an affordable sports car with sparkling performance. Over the years, though, the initial promise of the Fiat Dino has simply not been kept. The Ferrari engine has proven expensive to maintain and the […]

The dual-purpose road/race car that could be built from a kit of parts pretty much characterizes the early efforts by Colin Chapman and Lotus. The concept came more clearly into focus with the Six, but after more than 100 cars, the swing-axle front suspension became antiquated and the bodywork expensive […]