Etceterini

The DMC-12’s greatest and most enduring claim to fame was its starring role opposite Michael J. Fox in Robert Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future”, the box office hit of 1985 {vsig}2005-2_1818{/vsig} As described by the seller, who just happened to be me, on eBay Motors: Never before offered for public sale. I am the second…

These lightweight, small-displacement sports cars provide a true pre-war motoring experience at a fraction of the cost of their more expensive French cousin from Molsheim {vsig}2005-1_1807{/vsig} Of all the small sports-racing cars that proliferated in France after World War One, the Amilcar was the most famous and most successful. Built at St. Denis from 1921…

The little jewels from Bologna won everywhere-from the small regional Italian events to major international venues like the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Le Mans and Sebring {vsig}2004-12_1538{/vsig} A tiny bantam of a racing car, the OSCA Mt4 was ahead of its time, winning overall at Sebring in 1954 with Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd behind…

At the sub-$40,000 price, this car is cheap sculpture, a conversation piece in the garage, something fun for the kids so they can play “let’s pretend we’re Valentino Balboni” {vsig}2004-11_1452{/vsig} Offered for sale direct from the museum to which it was donated in 1999, this Lamborghini LP400 Countach is somewhat of a sad and confusing…

Cisitalias are one of those odd exceptions to the “top goes down, price goes up” rule, and in this case the coupe is actually the preferred model {vsig}2004-10_1440{/vsig} A talented “gentleman driver” and owner of the sports equipment concern Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia-or Cisitalia, as it was known-Piero Dusio recognized that post-war Italy would have…

The Aurelia B24 feels much more modern on the road than many contemporaries, including the Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider or Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk III {vsig}2004-9_1207{/vsig} A race-developed V6 engine, superlative handling and sensational Pinin Farina styling: These are the ingredients of a sports car classic and the Lancia Aurelia B24 has them all.…

Why, with all its aesthetic beauty, adequate performance, and driveability, does the Ghibli continue to sell for just a quarter the price of a Ferrari Daytona? {vsig}2004-8_1214{/vsig} Giorgio Giugiaro penned the striking lines for Maserati’s Ghibli, which debuted at the Turin Auto Show in 1966. Sporting a quad-cam V8 making 335 hp, the car was…

Abarth was a master of self-promotion, he knew how to hire talented young people whose work he would later appropriate, and he knew how to make a quick buck. {vsig}2004-7_1221{/vsig} Born in Austria in 1908, Karl Abarth was a European motorcycle champion in the 1930s who fled to Italy during World War II. His firm,…

Unlike many of the first mid-engine cars that were compromised with small interiors, tiny trunks, and delicate construction, the Bora is a refined car that offers comfort with no sacrifice in performance. {vsig}2004-6_1229{/vsig} Maserati introduced the Bora in 1971, the successor to the front-engined Ghibli. A mid-engined car in the fashion of Ferrari’s Boxer, the…

The catalog offered a believable explanation that the factory records are “mistaken,” and that the car was indeed an Atalante from day one The Type 57 Bugatti was introduced in March 1934, and variants of this touring model formed virtually the entire output from the Molsheim factory until war intervened in September 1939-by which time…