Profiles
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1967-72 Fiat Dino Spider
In theory, the marriage of a Ferrari drive-train with an inexpensive Fiat body should have resulted in an affordable sports car with sparkling performance. Over the years, though, the initial promise of the Fiat Dino has simply not been kept. The Ferrari engine has proven expensive to maintain and the Fiat bodies have disintegrated.By now,…
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1986 Porsche 928S Coupe
When introduced in 1978, marque enthusiasts didn’t know what to think of the 928. Like the four-cylinder 924 offered the prior year, the new car was front-engined with a water-cooled power plant. This, then, was the future for Porsche, as the company appeared to have plans to phase out the 911, which even then had…
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1952 Muntz Road Jet
Earl “Madman” Muntz is the type of all-American character that we would have to create had he not already existed. In a career that lasted more than six decades, Madman Muntz made and lost many fortunes, in a bewildering variety of businesses. A few highlights of Muntz’s entrepreneurial endeavors include numerous used car operations, both…
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1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Coupe
From the stable of arch enthusiast and consummate perfectionist, the late Aldo Cudone, this fearsome Daytona was prepared to competition specification in 1981 for Signor Cudone in the workshops of Giuliano Michelotto, the factory-appointed tuner responsible for the 308 Group 4, F40 LM, 333SP and many other Ferrari racing cars. This work was carried out…
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1993 Jaguar XJ220
It didn’t matter that it boasted 542 hp or had a top speed of 217 mph. For $625,000, many buyers felt doubled-crossed {vsig}2005-12_1899{/vsig} This magnificent-looking and supremely well-specified Jaguar XJ 220 coupe is offered here in pristine condition and at a level offering a considerable savings over the list price at launch. The words “supercar”…
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1952 Peugeot 203 Darl’ Mat Sedan
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 lightweight alloy roadsters were produced…
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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 to fabricate.Compared to the Lotus…
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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 were used, giving ride and…
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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 keenly felt by the garage…
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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 1981. A year after the…