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The failed merger in 1963 between Ford and Ferrari and the subsequent return to competition motorsport at the highest level by the American company is motoring lore. After their rejection by Ferrari, Lee Iacocca and Leo Bebee formed Ford Advanced Vehicles and went shopping for a Le Mans winner. Following their visit to Eric Broadley’s…

Other than the 1800/2000 roadsters, the TR2 was the first, true postwar Triumph sports car. It was superceded in 1955 by the TR3, which was simply an evolution of the TR2, with the most important additions being a horsepower increase to 90 bhp, a new grille, and front disc brakes-a first for an affordable sports…

Based on the Silver Shadow II, the Silver Spur was announced in late 1980. The engine remained Rolls-Royce’s venerable 6750cc V8, though the rear suspension and styling were altered. Along with rectangular headlights-a first for Rolls-Royce-and a slightly wider grille, the greenhouse was enlarged, the rear bench was replaced by two individual seats, folding picnic…

Jaguar’s magnificent legend was enhanced at Le Mans during the 1950s, where their initial C-type specialized roadsters first won the 24 Hour race in both 1951 and 1953. For 1954 a far more sophisticated sports racing car was developed, which became known as the “D-type.” Entered at Le Mans as factory team cars in 1954,…

By the late 1960s the MGB, now with a 1.8-liter engine, had been in production for five years and was firmly established in the hearts of enthusiasts around the world. Its performance, however, was outpaced by sports models and-on occasion-tuned sedans from other factories. The engineers at MG’s Abingdon works knew there was plenty of…

The Morgan Plus 4 Super Sports model was introduced late in 1961, offering arguably the best price-for-performance value available at that time. Its lightweight aluminum body provided crisp handling in a design reminiscent of the great fully fendered sports cars of the 1930s. Between 1961 and 1968 only 104 Triumph TR4A-engined aluminum-bodied Super Sports were…

The DB5 convertible may be rightly regarded as the perfected Aston Martin-the product of deliberate and steady improvement in performance, reliability, comfort and appearance to a plane unequalled by its Continental rivals. The DB5 flowed smoothly from the DB4, gaining a small measure of displacement (from 3.7 to 4.0 liters) and power (from 240 to…

An excellent example of a successful Anglo-American hybrid, the J2 Allard offered incredible performance for the period at a moderate cost. As a result, they were very popular in US and European racing and their list of competition successes is most impressive, including first-place finishes at Sebring, Bridgehampton and other race courses throughout America. During…

Considered as the original Austin-Healey, the 100 BN1s and BN2s were built from 1953 to 1956. Equipped with a four-cylinder engine, the 100 BN1 series cars featured a production run exceeding 10,000 units, while only about 4,500 of the later BN2 series cars were produced. Most enthusiasts do not differentiate the two series substantially, as…