Etceterini

M3A1 Stuart Light Tank

British troops called the gasoline-powered American tanks ‘Ronsons.’ Like the cigarette lighter slogan of the day, they ‘lit the first time when struck’ The catalog description for the M3 Stuart light tank was sparse but pithy. Manufacturer: American Car & Foundry Co., U.S.A. Crew: Four. Engine: Continental W-670-9A; 7-cyl. engine. […]

1988 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Coupe

The teenagers who had Farrah Fawcett posters have grown up and (loud groan) have started to collect 1980s cars   The sensation of the 1971 Geneva Salon, the Countach was styled, like its predecessor, by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini. Lamborghini’s four-cam V12 was retained, though this time installed longitudinally. To achieve […]

1977 Lamborghini Urraco

Positioning a V8 against the 6-cylinders of Ferrari, Porsche, and Maserati must have seemed like a good idea at the time {vsig}2006-7_1942{/vsig} The note from the previous owner that accompanied this 1977 Lamborghini Urraco to auction was brief and to the point. “There were only 520 P250s built. This is […]

1973 Citroën DS23 IE Cabriolet

Citroën wouldn’t sell Chapron any separate chassis, so he was reduced to buying complete cars and dismantling them   {vsig}2006-6_1937{/vsig} The Citroёn DS19 was launched on an unsuspecting world in 1955 and continued to be France’s car of choice well into the 1970s. There were many interpretations of the theme, […]

1974 Gaz-13 Chaika Limousine

I suspect this car falls into the same class of collectible as hearses-you can’t get away from the Dark Side   {vsig}2006-5_1929{/vsig} This Russian Gaz-13 “Chaika” limousine is number 2,511 of only 3,719 built between 1959 and 1981. The Chaika-which means Gull-was favored by Kremlin officials, Soviet heads of state, […]

1966 Lamborghini 400 GT Monza

In 1970, after just 7,136 km, this unique V12 Granturismo was bricked up in a garage on a busy street {vsig}2006-4_1924{/vsig} Lamborghini’s first model-the 350 GT-wowed the motoring press and public at its 1964 launch. Not content to rest on their laurels, Lamborghini’s engineers were already at work on the […]

1901 Panhard et Levassor Rear-Entrance Tonneau

The first Panhard rolled out in 1891, and in 1892 this pioneer firm created the mechanical layout nearly all other successful manufacturers would follow: front engine, midships transmission, and driven rear wheels. Called “La Systeme Panhard,” it was the beginning of many innovations this company would bring to automotive development, […]

1969 Monteverdi 375 S

I had always wanted one, perhaps because, like me, the car was Swiss-born, but with an American heart {vsig}2006-2_1912{/vsig} With its beautiful, squatted-back, ready-to-pounce body styling, the Monteverdi 375 S was designed to be the definitive combination of luxury and power. The steel-bodied car was both strong and smooth. With […]

1963 Fiat 750/850 Abarth Berlina

Lack of records makes it very difficult to tell a factory Abarth from one built by Uncle Giorgio’s Garage (Note: In the auction catalog, there was an addendum that declared that this particular car was in fact a Fiat 750 rather than an 850. As its model year was appropriate […]

1962 Maserati 3500 GT

Like all bottom feeders and wanna-bees, I hoped to steal this unrestored car {vsig}2005-11_1893{/vsig} As the first volume-built production Maseratis, marketed from 1957 to 1964, these extremely handsome Grand Touring coupes became the company’s financial saviors during a particularly difficult period. Like Ferrari, Maserati tended to focus on its racing […]