Etceterini

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 375 hp and 280 lb-ft…

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 for an 850, we can…

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 cars rather than road cars…

Most references politely say that Fanalone means “large lights,” but Italian friends have told me that it’s actually slang for “big breasts” During the 1960s, the wonderfully nimble, front-wheel-drive Lancia Fulvia reigned consistently among the highest echelon of international rally contenders. Campaigned by the Lancia factory team in 1966, they achieved second place finishes in…

The expense of restoring these cars can be surprisingly high even if you get the local basket-weaving class to refurbish your seats for free {vsig}2005-9_1873{/vsig} Few cars that Fiat produced had the “cuteness” of the Jolly. With coachwork by Ghia, the Fiat Jolly 500 was introduced in 1957, and had no real practical use, except…

No regular OSCA MT4 had made anything like this at auction recently-and probably not even at the peak of the sports car madness in 1989 {vsig}2005-7_1851{/vsig} Chassis 1153 is undoubtedly one of the most original surviving OSCAs in the world today. Only the patina of age would distinguish it from a new car. The chassis…

Even if the Lamborghini V8s are stuck playing character actor roles to the V12 stars, the Jalpa stands as a better car than you might realize Introduced in 1981 with production starting in 1982, the Jalpa was one of three Lamborghini production models imported to the United States at the time. Alongside the Countach and…

Credit or blame it, this car inspired years of “folded paper” design {vsig}2005-5_1838{/vsig} The Maserati Boomerang was first displayed as a non-functional model at the Turin Motor Show in 1971. By the Geneva Salon of March 1972, it had been transformed into a fully operational vehicle, fitted with the race-bred, 4.7-liter Maserati V8, developing no…

Integrales of any sort are incredible performance machines, massively capable in almost all conditions, sort of the Subaru WRX of their day {vsig}2005-4_1832{/vsig} This Lancia Hyena was purchased new by the present owner from Walkers Garage, official Lancia factory-appointed Integrale specialists for the U.K., who sourced the car from Zagato. Its owner wanted a car…

Is a Fiat Dino a Ferrari? This question is sure to heat up the conversation the next time you’re kicking tires at an auction {vsig}2005-3_1825{/vsig} In the present ownership for the past seven years, this Fiat Dino Spider benefits from partial restoration at the hands of recognized specialists Garage Auto Gamma, of Lausanne, Switzerland. Completed…