Profiles
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1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk I Roadster
Inspired by Carroll Shelby’s success in shoehorning a Ford V8 into the AC Ace to create the Cobra, Rootes asked Shelby to perform the same trick with its Sunbeam Alpine sports car. Ford’s 260 cubic-inch (4.2-liter) unit was chosen, similar to that used in the Cobra and more than capable of powering a car that…
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1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
Arguably the most beautiful product ever to carry the Maranello marque’s prancing horse emblem, the 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1962. Styled by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the Lusso (luxury) combined racetrack looks with new high standards of passenger comfort. Beautifully proportioned, the new 250 GT blended a…
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1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV
The Aston Martin DB4 was introduced at the 1958 London Motor Show to great acclaim. Its beautiful yet understated coachwork was by the famed styling house Touring of Milan. Touring utilized the Superleggera process in which aluminum panels were attached to a steel tube frame, the overall effect being that the body was light, yet…
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1971 Intermeccanica Italia Roadster
As Classic & Sports Car said in 1993: “The Italia may be one of the most gorgeously-styled cars ever made, but you may never have heard of it. The Italia is one of life’s great mysteries; it’s an especially beautiful car. It also looks curiously familiar… a touch of the Nembo Ferrari, or a NART…
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1967 Camaro RS/SS Convertible
In April 1964, Ford introduced the Mustang and started the pony car era. It set sales records that have yet to be broken and caught the powers-that-be at General Motors completely off guard, as they had nothing in their line-up that could compete.A contingent within Chevrolet wanted to counter with a modified Chevy II but…
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1960 BMW Isetta 300
The two things you probably know about Isetta bubble cars is that they have three wheels, and if you park too close to the garage end wall you’ll get trapped because the single door is at the front and there’s no reverse gear. Well, you’re wrong on both counts. Only some of the British-made cars…
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1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe
The ACD Newsletter recently ran an article entitled “Cord Shifting for Dummies” with emphasis on gear-changing techniques {vsig}2006-1_1904{/vsig} E. L. Cord was a master salesman who acquired Auburn in 1928 after saving it from bankruptcy by unloading about 700 sedans languishing on the lot. He spiffed up the orphans with bright paint schemes and applied…
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1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe
In 1929 Errett Lobban Cord, expanding his automotive empire, introduced a front-wheel drive automobile that he named after himself. The Cord L29 offered a distinctive, sporting appearance and great performance for its price. Unfortunately, when the stock market crashed shortly after the car’s introduction, so did the market for the L29. The Cord’s distinctive styling…
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1957 Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series I
Porfirio Rubirosa was an accomplished competition driver, finishing second at Sebring with the Lancia factory team in 1954 and first in class (500 Mondial Spyder) in the Governor’s Cup race in Nassau in 1955. He also scored a class win at Sebring in 1956 with Jim Pauley in his 500 Mondial. The quintessential playboy as…
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1952 Allard J2X
If hot rods had been invented in England, Sidney Herbert Allard would have been their originator. In 1936 he built a successful trials machine from Ford and Bugatti parts. His 1949 National British Hill Climb Championship came in a loud and fearsome special with four rear wheels powered by a war-surplus V8 Steyr tank engine.…