It was a glorious combination of beauty, speed, sound, and comfort, a proper object of Gallic pride, and almost (but not quite) the equal of Porsche’s 908 {vsig}2009-5_2325{/vsig} Only three Matra 650s were built. After a successful racing career, one is kept in the Matra museum at Romorantin, while the […]
Profiles
1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Coupe
Launched at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari 365 GTC/4 ostensibly replaced the 365 GT 2+2. Technically a four-passenger car, its eight-inch-shorter wheelbase and lower, sloping roofline made the tiny rear seats token at best. Ferrari compensated by having the rear seatbacks flip down to make a storage tray. […]
1939 Jaguar SS 100 3½-Liter Roadster
Any patina has been lost in a slightly over-shiny restoration and repaint, though it does have a big history file and is eligible for many prestige events {vsig}2009-5_2320{/vsig} Launched for 1936, the SS 100 was the first real high-performance model produced by SS Cars Limited, and used a new Weslake-developed […]
1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe
It may not have been quite the “discovery” that the press suggested, but it was eagerly awaited {vsig}2009-5_2321{/vsig} Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon succeeded to the peerage in 1929 on the death of his father, becoming the Fifth Earl Howe. At that time he resigned his seat in the […]
1969-71 Jaguar E-type Series II
Series II E-types aren’t quite the stylistic betrayal we’ve been led to believe. And they are an affordable way into the Jaguar mystique If the Series I E-type is the prom queen, the Marcia Brady of E-types, then the Series II is Jan Brady-less glamorous and forever living in […]
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
In many ways, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster was an improvement over its Gullwing predecessors. The multi-tube chassis was redesigned with lower sills and conventionally hinged doors for easier entry and exit. Roll-up windows overcame one of the Gullwing’s greatest drawbacks-inadequate interior ventilation-and the seats were given a three-position backrest rake […]
1954 Dodge Firearrow III Concept
Chysler’s financial crises of the early 1950s couldn’t stop the string of Virgil Exner’s Ghia concept cars {vsig}2009-4_2307{/vsig} In 1953, Dodge unveiled its first concept car, the Firearrow, a sleek out-of-this-world roadster that provided a glimpse of what everyone’s new automobile would look like in just a few years. While […]
1946 Steyr-Allard Hillclimb Car
It’s shiny and extreme, weird, overdone, and in-your-face in a manner that puts a grin on you just walking around it {vsig}2009-4_2315{/vsig} Sydney Allard’s famous one-off hillclimb car, the 1947 Steyr-Allard, is the best known of all his vehicles. Allard competed in the British Hillclimb Championship with this car for […]
2003 Ferrari Enzo
Its design is pure haute couture, a cutting edge style that dances on the line between art and automobile {vsig}2009-4_2312{/vsig} In 1998, only a few years after the introduction of the groundbreaking F50, Ferrari began planning its newest limited-production supercar. The criteria for this car was similar to those […]
1932 Daimler 40/50 Double Six Sport Saloon
The long hood is a bit like a padded medieval codpiece {vsig}2009-4_2310{/vsig} This 1932 Daimler Double Six 40/50 Sport Saloon is, without question, one of the most imposing automobiles ever constructed by the legendary British marque-or any maker of exclusive luxury vehicles. While only 26 Double Sixes were built over […]