Profiles


  • 1974-90 Fiat X1/9

    The least expensive car listed in SCM’s Price Guide is the Fiat X1/9. The scrap value of its aluminum bumpers alone might be almost equal to the price of the whole car.Introduced in 1974, its Bertone styling was revolutionary at the time. Nowadays, however, people often mistake its straight lines, which taper to a point…

  • 1986 Porsche 928 Factory Custom 4-door Sedan

    By the early 1970s, Porsche management decided that the 911 model would eventually have to be replaced by a more modern design. The new model would feature a water-cooled V8 front-mounted engine with its transmission and differential combined in a rearmounted transaxle for excellent weight distribution. The chassis featured all independent suspension and four-wheel disc…

  • 1967 Shelby GT350 Competition Fastback

    Highly original, genuine Shelby American Mustangs such as Carroll Shelby’s 1967 competition car, production number “20” shown here, very rarely emerge onto the US market. Individual records indicate that only 26 such cars were produced by Shelby American for the 1967 season and that the 20th car’s rarity is heightened by the fact that, among…

  • 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur Sedan

    Based on the Silver Shadow II, the Silver Spur was announced in late 1980. The engine remained Rolls-Royce’s venerable 6750cc V8, though the rear suspension and styling were altered. Along with rectangular headlights-a first for Rolls-Royce-and a slightly wider grille, the greenhouse was enlarged, the rear bench was replaced by two individual seats, folding picnic…

  • 1962 Fiat Jolly

    Launched at the 25th Geneva Salon in March 1955, the Fiat 600 was designed by Dante Giacosa. This successor to the Fiat 500 “Topolino” (“Mickey Mouse”) mini-car was hailed as “an intriguing car with a future…[showing] how a rearrangement of the basic components can often result in a considerable saving of space.” With a water-cooled,…

  • 1964-67 Sunbeam Tiger (Mk I/II)

    Call it the poor man’s Cobra; you wouldn’t be challenged in many quarters. It had an English body and chassis, and was originally produced to have a relatively anemic four-cylinder engine. The hybrid was powered first by a 260-c.i. Ford V8 and then for a short time by the Ford 289. And the original prototype…

  • 1961 Porsche 356B S90 Coupe

    Although Porsche did not make a serious works effort in international rallying until the arrival of the 911, the 356 in private hands proved very competitive, being strongly constructed, light in weight and adequately powerful, especially in four-cam form. Early successes included private entrants Helmut Polensky and Walter Schuler’s victory in the 1952 Liege-Rome-Liege Rally…

  • 1920 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria

    The model J Duesenberg has long been regarded as the most outstanding example of design and engineering of the classic era. Introduced in 1929, trading was halted on the New York stock exchange for the announcement. At $8,500 for the chassis alone, it was by far the most expensive car in America. With coachwork, the…

  • 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Berlinetta

    Ferrari’s highly successful 250 series was superseded in 1964 by the 275. In Ferrari nomenclature of the period, a model’s designation reflected the cubic capacity of an individual cylinder. The newcomer displaced 3.3 liters-up from its predecessor’s 3 liters-and was thus called the 275. The V12 engine remained the familiar Colombo type in standard form…

  • 1956 Jaguar D-type Roadster

    Jaguar’s magnificent legend was enhanced at Le Mans during the 1950s, where their initial C-type specialized roadsters first won the 24 Hour race in both 1951 and 1953. For 1954 a far more sophisticated sports racing car was developed, which became known as the “D-type.” Entered at Le Mans as factory team cars in 1954,…