Most pretty British sports cars of the 1960s and ’70s have appreciated beyond the means of entry-level collectors {vsig}2008-2_2131{/vsig} The original Lotus Elan was introduced in 1962 as a roadster, although an optional hard top was offered in 1963 and a coupe version in 1965. It was the first Lotus […]
Profiles
1967 Iso Grifo Coupe
This Grifo may not seem expensive for long. Euro-Americans are the ultimate street rod, and already great performance can easily be improved {vsig}2008-2_2132{/vsig} Renzo Rivolta started building Isothermos refrigerators before World War II. Following the war, Rivolta recognized another Italian need, transportation, and named his new car company Iso Rivolta. […]
“Eldosaurus” Has Evolved into White Elephant
Cadillac had a tough task in replacing its first front-wheel-drive Eldorado, the Bill Mitchell-designed model of 1967-70. Although gigantic, this first-gen front-driver was, like its stablemate the Oldsmobile Toronado, quite beautiful. Its successor, built from 1971 to 1978, was simply large. But the second-gen did have one advantage over its […]
1991 BMW Z1
BMW reckoned owners could swap body panels in hours for a color change, though people who have tried it say to allow two days {vsig}2008-1_2120{/vsig} Like its predecessor the 507, which bristled with trick technology but ultimately failed to go as well as it looked, the Z1 is a bit […]
1911 Oldsmobile Limited 7-passenger Touring
Without evidence of time, what does a real object offer the collector that a perfect replica does not as well? {vsig}2008-1_2114{/vsig} Oldsmobile made its name with the tiny single-cylinder “curve dash” buckboard in the early years of the 20th century, but went on to produce one of the most significant […]
1948 Veritas BMW Rennsport
This is a front-running, potentially winning car at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Now the price all starts to make sense {vsig}2008-1_2123{/vsig} Veritas was formed in 1946 by BMW engineers Ernst Loof and Lorenz Dietrich to build BMW-engined sports cars. Because steel was virtually unavailable in post-war Germany, the bodies […]
1982 Ferrari 512 BBi
For maximum value, buy a carbureted 512, but note that buying a Boxer without paperwork is like playing Russian Roulette with all chambers loaded Introduced at the 1981 Frankfurt Show, the 512 BBi was the last derivation of the 1973 365 Berlinetta Boxers. Almost identical to its 512 BB predecessor, […]
1934 Lagonda 4½-Liter M45 Tourer
The body on this car is “reputedly new old stock from the factory” and mounted in the early 1950s. It’s handsome and correct, but still a rebody {vsig}2008-1_2117{/vsig} If the best British workmanship and the finest materials appeal to you, and if character, sweet running, and a maximum speed. […]
Morgan Brings a Sword to a Knife Fight
The Plus 8 offers something in the Allard J2 vein, with way too much power for its antediluvian chassis, but with a dash of British style {vsig}2008-1_2113{/vsig} If Scotchman William “Braveheart” Wallace had been alive in the late 20th century, he probably couldn’t have resisted the broadsword of sports cars, […]
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
Upping the ante in the 1930s horsepower race, Mercedes-Benz designers introduced the 8-cylinder 500K (for Kompressor, or supercharger) model in 1934. The supercharger boosted power from 100 hp to 160 hp, and the external exhausts set the style that would carry the company through the rest of the decade. Two […]