Race

Alternate terms for these quirky cars are “full of personality,” “individualistic,” and various other ways you’d go about describing a blind date {vsig}2005-5_1841{/vsig} When the Lancia Flavia was first presented to the public at the Turin Motor Show of 1960, most people were amazed at its unconventional layout. Developed by the gifted engineer Antonio Fessia,…

There’s something romantic about cars that signify the end of an era, the last and greatest of their kind, yet doomed by the coming revolution {vsig}2005-4_1835{/vsig} The year was 1961. Jim Hall was an ambitious young man from Midland, TX, who had done well in oil and was determined to do even better in pro…

Your 16-year-old son would probably be happy lighting incense in front of it and inviting his friends over to worship {vsig}2005-3_1828{/vsig} Few cars in the history of the American automobile have captured the imagination of car enthusiasts like the Dodge Viper. What started as an outrageous concept car at the 1989 Detroit auto show led…

In the late ’60s there just wasn’t anything badder than a 427 Cobra, and the fact that they were rumored to kill an abnormally high percentage of people who dared to drive them only increased the reputation Although the 289 Cobra was well proven in competition by the mid-1960s, it was becoming clear that something…

If you can hustle one of these babies around the track, nobody will ever question your manhood {vsig}2005-1_1810{/vsig} The Can-Am Series for unlimited sports cars began in 1966, and a year later Bruce McLaren won his first championship, driving a car bearing his own name. Teammate Denny Hulme was second, and for the next four…

The U.S. MG distributors were hoping to put a gleam in the eye of the dentist from Columbus, who might imagine his car out there running with the Ferraris and Porsches {vsig}2004-12_1541{/vsig} Sebring in 1964 was one of the world’s top-tier endurance races, part of the FIA’s Challenge Mondiale and Prototypes Trophy, along with the…

Chevron B16s are just about the coolest, most beautiful, fastest little fantasy of a race car that you can get your hands on {vsig}2004-11_1475{/vsig} Only 23 Chevron B16s were built and today they are universally praised by their drivers for handling, performance, and-most elusive of all-an exceptionally graceful design. Indeed, the Chevron B16 is among…

Few race cars have made such a serious strike for female equality-Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom took an overall victory in the most difficult rally of the time in this Healey {vsig}2004-10_1447{/vsig} British Motor Corporation’s Austin-Healey marque introduced the new 3000 model in 1959 as an improved version of the 100-Six, with the well-proven, pushrod…

Of course, there is no experience like driving an F1 car: The sound, the incredible horsepower, the ridiculous braking ability, and the sheer competence of the chassis combine into sensory overload of the best sort {vsig}2004-9_1211{/vsig} When Jody Scheckter won the Formula 1 drivers’ championship in 1979, few enthusiasts, and even fewer among the management…

Front-engined Indy cars are the equivalent of those big, muscular farm boys from the ’50s with butch cuts, trucker’s tans, and aggressive smiles that sort of dare you to take them on {vsig}2004-8_1218{/vsig} After World War II, Frank Kurtis saw an opportunity and began to mass-produce midget racing cars of his own efficient and beautiful…