Profiles
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1976 Lancia Stratos
The Lancia Stratos represents a high point in Lancia sporting history and showed the world a new definition of the ultimate rally car. Yet its birth was merely a matter of coincidence. At the 1970 Turin motor show, Bertone displayed a futuristic design study, a fabulous creation of Marcello Gandini. The Italian coachbuilder had built…
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BMW 2002
Light steering, reasonable acceleration and braking, a delightful gearbox and above-average build quality have led the BMW 2002 to cult car status. With its cohorts, the Austin Mini-Cooper and the Lotus Cortina, these classic cars reinvented the simple box as automotive performance art. In BMW’s case, the 2002 probably saved this now Bavarian powerhouse from…
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1956 Porsche 356A Speedster
The first car to carry Ferdinand Porsche’s name was the 356. With aluminum fastback coachwork, pressed-steel chassis and the engine behind the rear axle, manufacture began late in 1948 and the 356 made its debut at the 1949 Geneva Show. Its power came from a 40 bhp, 1086cc engine mated to a four-speed gearbox, with…
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1933 Cadillac V12 Sport Phaeton
Although the US was engulfed in the Great Depression in 1930-1931, Cadillac brought out an absolutely splendid line of cars. One of them, unveiled at the National Automobile Show in January 1930 was the world’s first production V16 automobile. The Cadillac V16 and V12 engines were designed by the long-time head of the engineering division,…
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1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Ghia Coupe
Even without the connection to President Juan Peron, this would still be an important car as it is one of the rare 212s with Ghia coachwork. This car was exhibited at the 1952 Turin Show with a right-hand drive Ghia Cabriolet body. On July 16th it was sold to a Milan publishing house. Just three…
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1921 Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang
Count Louis Zborowski was a Polish nobleman and sportsman who lived in England during the first quarter of the twentieth century. His most lasting automotive legacy was four aero-engined high-performance hybrids, called “Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bangs.” The cars were constructed with the help of Captain Clive Gallop, later to become one of the famed “Bentley Boys.” Tragically, Zborowski…
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1984 Lamborghini Countach
The sensation of the 1971 Geneva Salon, the Countach was styled by Marcello Gandini. Lamborghini’s four-cam V12 was retained, though this time installed longitudinally. To achieve optimum weight distribution, designer Paolo Stanzini placed the five-speed gearbox ahead of the engine between the seats, and the differential, driven by a shaft passing through the sump, at…
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Jaguar XJ-S V12 Convertible
When does a car cross the line from used car to classic? If you can figure that out, you may be able to buy that older car you’ve always admired at the absolute bottom of the market, after it has ceased depreciating and before it has started to accrue a collector’s premium. We think the…
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1973 Porsche Carrera RS
The Carrera ‘RS’ was the first phase in Porsche’s production car racing program, started in 1972. The ‘RS’ was based on the 911S, and one of the first concerns was to save weight. This was accomplished mainly by removing the rear seats, by making the body of thinner steel and by using fiberglass bumpers. Another…
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1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible
It is ironic that Packard should fail just as the company introduced what may be the most innovative and well-designed product line in the history of the company. The blame lay not with the product, but rather a series of management misadventures, including the ill-fated merger with Studebaker.The Caribbean featured a new, high output OHV…