Profiles
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1972 Maserati Boomerang Coupe
First seen as a concept car at the Turin Motor Show in 1971, the Maserati Boomerang was a typically adventurous work by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Boomerang borrowed its mechanical underpinnings and 4.7-liter V8 engine from the recently introduced Maserati Bora coupé, the Italian firm’s first mid-engined production car. With 310 hp on tap, the Boomerang…
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Volkswagen’s Hot Hatch Turns Collectible
By 1970, Volkswagen’s “People’s Car,” the venerable Type 1 Beetle, was long in the tooth. The company knew it was time for a successor — something cleaner than the stinky old air-cooled model, with a modern body design. The company got to work on a new project called the Type 17. The new car used…
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1972 BMW 3.0 CSL
The early 1970s were landmark years for BMW, for not only did the German manufacturer power Jean-Pierre Jarier to the European Formula 2 Championship, it also captured the European Touring Car Championship using one of the most iconic racing saloons of modern times: the 3.0 CSL, known popularly as the Batmobile. BMW had returned to…
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2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
The S7 Twin Turbo presented here stands out from the rest of S7 production for several reasons. Primarily, it was the first S7 to be fitted with the Competition Package upgrade, and according to Saleen, it is one of only two such cars to produce 1,000 horsepower via increased turbocharger boost and revised engine mapping.…
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1982 Porsche 956
The history of 956003, and the Porsche 956 program at large, can be tracked back to 1981. That year, the FIA began to roll out regulations for its new Group C category for sports car racing, designed to replace both Group 5 (closed touring prototypes like the 935) and Group 6 (open sports car prototypes…
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1927 Bentley 6½ Litre Le Mans Sports
As with all great W.O. Bentley-era cars, the legendary 6½ Litre owes its existence to the original 3-liter design. Racing success, including the 1924 and 1927 Le Mans wins, quickly drove sales, with buyers soon demanding ever-more luxurious and heavy custom coachwork, resulting in the more powerful 4½ Litre, which in modified form earned Bentley’s…
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1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 S Spider America
This B24 S Spider America had been ordered new by the West Coast Lancia distributor, the now-legendary Kjell Qvale, to be sold out of his San Francisco-based British Motor Car distributorship. Qvale is believed to have sold chassis 1138 to one of the top managers in his organization, Mr. Robert G. Gillespie. Smart businessmen, both…
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale Sharknose
In early 1962, Nuccio Bertone purchased a complete 250 GT SWB chassis from Maranello and laid out his vision for a spectacular new Ferrari that he would retain for his personal use. To execute the design, Nuccio turned to Giorgetto Giugiaro, a young stylist who had joined the coachbuilder in 1959. Though he would go…