In 1936, a Paris dentist, Dr. Paulin, with help from a Peugeot dealer, Emile Darl’Mat, conceived and built a sports car based on the Peugeot 302. Named the Peugeot 302 DS (for Darl’Mat Sport), it was offered in three body styles: coupe, cabriolet and roadster. In 1937, three or four […]
Profiles
1957-68 Lotus Seven S1 and S2
The dual-purpose road/race car that could be built from a kit of parts pretty much characterizes the early efforts by Colin Chapman and Lotus. The concept came more clearly into focus with the Six, but after more than 100 cars, the swing-axle front suspension became antiquated and the bodywork expensive […]
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster
In 1933 the first of a new generation of Mercedes-Benz cars were issued from the Untertürkheim factory, incorporating advanced features for the time. The Mercedes-Benz 380 offered a fully independent suspension chassis with coil springs, unprecedented for the time. Front suspension was by dual A-arms, at the rear swing axles […]
1932 Ford Hot Rod Roadster — “Golden Rod”
In the days following WWII, man’s “need for speed” manifested itself in many different ways. If your name was Kimberly or Cunningham, you wrote a $10,000 check for a red European sports car. This wonderful obsession for performance had nothing to do with family fortunes, however, and was just as […]
1982 Ferrari 308 GTS QV “Prototipo”
This is the first 308 to have a four-valve engine installed, a prototype built by the factory in 1981. Emmanuel Joffret described the car and its dark and mysterious life in the magazine Auto Hebdo, which specializes in Ferraris. Supposedly, this prototype was stolen from the factory in Maranello during […]
1957 MGA 1500 Roadster
A successful outing for three EX182 pre-production prototypes at the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1955 provided perfect pre-launch publicity for MG’s new sports car. Conceived as a replacement for the traditional T-Series MGs and launched in 1955, the MGA combined a rigid chassis with the Austin-designed, 1489-cc engine […]
1960 Maserati Tipo 60
This astonishing machine has remained complete and original in its condition as last raced in 1964, and has been in single ownership since purchased by the vendor in 1966. It is a time-warp example of the rare Type 60, being the first full production car after the construction of the […]
1984-89 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe
The 1984-89 Carrera, as the final iteration of the original “widebody” normally-aspirated 911, is a good choice for someone looking for an affordable sports car coupled with a high degree of refinement, reliability and sparkling performance.Comparisons to the 1978-83 911SC are natural, as they share nearly identical bodies and interiors. […]
1958 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster
Although it tended to be overshadowed by the larger 300SL, the 190SL was a high- quality sports tourer noted for its refinement and elegance. When introduced in February 1954, it was thought to be a little slow, but by 1958 the engine output had been raised to 105 bhp, commendable […]
1959 Kellison J-4R Coupe
Jim Kellison was a fighter pilot during the Korean War who went on to study aircraft engineering at UCLA. In 1954, he founded his own company, Kellison Engineering, and began building professionally-engineered sports cars with fiberglass bodies. A Kellison J-4 Grand Turismo coupe cost $6,700 in 1959. To put that […]