Profiles
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1951 Simca 8 Super Sport
Simca first appeared in 1934, making Fiat cars under license in their factory at Nanterre which had previously produced the Donnet cars. For many years the fortunes of Simca were closely linked to those of the tuning wizard Amédée Gordini and many competition successes were achieved including class wins in the 1949-50 Alpine and Monte…
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Datsun Sports Roadsters
(1500, 1600, & 2000) The first reaction of many sports car enthusiasts when they saw the Datsun 1600 roadster in 1965 was that the Japanese had created a rather crude imitation of the already-dated MGB. They were wrong on three counts. The Datsun 1600 and its later companion, the Datsun 2000, were not copies…
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1981 BMW M1
n the mid-1970s, a production-based formula (which would result in the dominant Porsche 935) was instituted by the FIA in Europe for Group 5 (Grand Touring) racing. BMW proposed to build a flagship car which would compete in this series and join the ranks of the World’s “supercars.” The M1 was the result. Contracted out…
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1957 Ford Thunderbird F-Series
In 1955, Ford responded to the Chevy Corvette with the introduction of the Thunderbird. Ford knew that its more luxurious two-seater V8 was going to attract a wider audience than Corvette’s spartan racing/performance-oriented approach to the market. The Thunderbird design incorporated Ford features found on other models to creat Ford cars as well. The universal…
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250 Ferrari GTE
Launched in 1954, the 250 T featured a lighter and more compact Colombo-designed 3-liter V12 in place of its Europa predecessor’s Lampredi unit. The 250GT chassis followed Ferrari’s established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, however, the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the transverse-leaf type. A…
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1955 Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-Type
High-performance automobile manufacturers eager for reputation directed the attention of their most gifted engineers towards the Le Mans GP d’Endurance 24-hours races in the 1950s. Well- organized, often richly-endowed factory teams battled for supremacy in a series of epic battles. Jaguar’s magnificent legend was built and established at Le Mans where their initial C-type specialized…
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1972 Maserati Ghibli Coupe
By the time the Maserati Ghibli left the factory in Modena, the company had been successfully building luxury supercars for more than a decade. At the heart of their designs were two outstanding engines: the 3,500cc six and the 4,719cc V8, both of which had twin overhead camshafts and provided enough power to sweep the…
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1970-73 Porsche 911S
The E-type and the 911 share the distinction as two of the most recognizable sports car shapes of all time. Both cars conceptually leapt ahead of the competition when introduced and both had teething troubles in their infancy. But after eight years of production, the E-type had lost its edge and had become somewhat dated,…
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1973 Porsche 914-4
A completely different Porsche emerged for the 1970 model year to replace the rather short-lived 912. This one carried either the 1679cc Volkswagen four-cylinder or the earlier 2.0-liter Porsche flat six with its 125-horsepower rating. The big difference was that the engines were mid-mounted. The 914 was born out of a joint venture between Porsche…
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1953 Cadillac Eldorado Custom
n 1953 the Cadillac Motor Car Company introduced the Eldorado line of cars. Original sales brochures described the car as “dramatically styled by Fleetwood to capture the heart of all America.” The standard equipment list read like a menu and it was far and away the most luxurious car America had mass produced in its…