Profiles
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1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sport Cabriolet
Restoring a 540K is not for the faint of heart. The chrome bill alone on these cars can run close to $50,000 Mercedes-Benz introduced the 500K in 1934. The “K” designation stood for Kompressor, German for supercharger. With power increasing from 100 hp to 160 hp when the supercharger engaged, the cars were among the…
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1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B Convertible Coupe
If you own one of these old chariots and you’ve been thinking about parting with it, this would be a good time to act Before entering the automotive business in 1901, the George N. Pierce Company of Buffalo, NY, had been engaged in making such diverse products as birdcages and bicycles. Pierce’s first cars were…
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1980 Alfa Romeo 179C Formula One
Alfa Romeo’s F1 program was classically Italian, i.e. lots of people, huge egos and ambitions, chaotic organization and neither enough money nor development {vsig}2003-12_1275{/vsig} Alfa Romeo had dipped a toe into the waters of Formula One in 1971 when it supplied a V8 engine for Andrea de Adamich’s works March. Then in 1976, Alfa supplied…
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1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder
This unique GTS/4 Daytona Spyder is that most mythical of beasts, a genuine one-owner-from-new Daytona Spyder. We know of just one other, a North American-specification model resident in the U.S. Ferrari sold just 121 Daytona Spyders. Left-hand drive chassis number 15845-the car offered here-is one of just 25 built to European specification (seven of which…
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1956 Maserati A6G2000 Zagato Coupe
Maserati decided to build a slightly de-tuned version of the A6GCS and go for the Holy Grail of specialty manufacturers, the dual-purpose sports car This beautiful 2-liter Berlinetta was one of a handful of Maserati’s sports-racing A6G series to be clothed by that master of ultra-light bodywork, Zagato. Allemano, Frua, and Vignale all built bodies…
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1961-71 Austin/Morris Mini Cooper
A wolf in sheep’s clothing and a giant-killer on the track, the Cooper’s most famous racing victory came in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rallye The story of the original BMC Mini is long and complicated, and there were countless versions produced during the car’s 40-year run. But Sir Alec Issigonis’ innovative design, which combined a…
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1965 Porsche 356C Coupe
Fair money for a car that can’t be restored economically in today’s market Porsche is famous for the careful development of its machines, so it is no surprise that the 1965 356C, the last of the 356 series, is a highly sophisticated automobile. By this time, any shortcomings in the design and execution of the…
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1955 Oldsmobile Stafire Convertible
Less-well-equipped ’55 Chevys sell for more, and don’t provide nearly the visual excitement or driving pleasure Oldsmobile’s revolutionary Rocket engine debuted in 1949 and immediately became the favorite of racers. Designed from inception to take advantage of “Boss” Kettering’s research into high compression ratios, it evolved steadily with the availability of high-octane gasoline and…
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1956 Ferrari 860 Monza
It gives ferocious yank, particularly through rock-hard vintage rubber {vsig}2003-11_1284{/vsig} The 860 Monza is one of the baddest, loudest, prettiest Ferraris ever built. While it keeps company with other legendary Ferraris including cars like the Testa Rossas, Monzas and 625 LMs, the 860 Monza really stands apart. It was big, it was hairy and it…
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1970 Ferrari 365 2+2
Back when they were under $10k, we didn’t concern ourselves about cosmetic stuff This “family Ferrari” was repainted in its original silver-blue from bare metal in 1997. There is new black leather on front seats, the brake system has been overhauled, and new rear self-leveling shocks fitted. A new clutch has been installed, along with…