Mark R. Brinker is a Houston-based orthopedic surgeon, car collector and co-author of a multi-volume reference series on collectible Japanese cars, as well as co-authoring The Amazing Denzel Sports Car with James Perrin, co-authoring Vintage American Road Racing Cars 1950-1970 with Harold Pace, and writing Heroes of the Forest: The Complete History of the Pebble Beach Road Race.
He’s been on the Cars Yeah podcast, featured in the New York Times, and written for Sports Car Digest.
Books
Articles in Sports Car Market
Here are the latest articles from Mark:
1954 WD Denzel 1300 – Photos courtesy RM Sotheby’s An incorrect engine and older restoration contribute to a disappointing result Chassis number DK28 was one of the handful of WD Denzel 1300s supplied new by Auto Portuguesa. This example was registered on April 15, 1954, to first owner Mr. Joaquim Filipe Nogueira, with the license plate “FH-20-49.” Nogueira was a… Read more
1966 Bill Thomas Cheetah – This Bill Thomas Cheetah is believed to be the last example constructed and was commissioned without a drivetrain in November 1965 by Eddie King, who accepted delivery in April 1966 at King’s Sales and Service Inc. in Ohio. King registered the car for street use and retained ownership through 1968, when its second steward acquired… Read more
1952 Muntz Jet – Earl “Madman” Muntz was, in every sense, one of the great characters of early post-war America. His fortunes — there was more than one — were made in used cars, and subsequently in manufacturing and selling televisions; reportedly “TV” was first coined when Muntz abbreviated the name for skywriting. Muntz’s Jet was created when the… Read more
1959 “Super Shaker” Bonneville Streamliner – This legendary Harley-engined, streamliner top-speed machine was the brainchild of veteran hot-rodder, Bill Burke of San Gabriel, CA. It competed in the 1959 Bonneville Nationals, where Burke eclipsed a speed of 151.7 mph, a very respectable time for the era and considering the engine size. The car competed in the F/Streamliner class, where it achieved… Read more
1979 Nissan Fairlady Z – When Nissan replaced the celebrated S30 with the S130 series in 1978, many assumed the new, more-refined 280ZX would abandon its motorsport heritage. While factory efforts shifted toward the Violet, the Fairlady 280Z nevertheless carved out a serious competition record in IMSA racing and international rallying — helped by star drivers such as Paul Newman… Read more
1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO 400R – The inescapably cool “Godzilla” nickname so closely associated with modern-day Skylines is owed to the sheer dominance of the R32-generation model in Group A competition. For the R33 successor, Nissan opted to take on the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the GT-R would find itself comprehensively outgunned in 1995 by the arrival of… Read more
2024 Prodrive P25 – Serial number 1 of 25, offered directly from its first and only owner with just 121 miles from new. A modern interpretation of an icon by Prodrive — reimagined, redefined and re-created to deliver the ultimate competition car for the road. In 1997, Prodrive debuted the 2-door Subaru Impreza WRC “Group A” car and won… Read more
1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale – Produced in 1985, this Lancia Delta S4 Stradale, chassis 0017, engine 0059 and Savio number 3032, was sold new in London by Coombs of Guildford on August 4, 1987, to one Paul Dawson. Priced at £44,442 ($70,048), as confirmed by the original invoice from the file, the Delta was painted Nero Metallizzato with Alcantara Verde… Read more
1965 Honda S600 Convertible – This 1965 Honda S600 convertible is said to have been bought new from a Honda dealer in Toronto, Canada, by Pennsylvania-based Honda motorcycle dealers Ron and Mary Krause, who would later go on to become one of Honda’s first U.S. automobile dealers in 1972. The car changed hands several times in Pennsylvania before it was… Read more
My Path to Pebble – For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in love with the automobile. I find the sights, sounds, smells and sensations intoxicating. Long before I had the financial wherewithal to begin collecting cars, I was an enthusiast. I was born in 1960, and my earliest automotive “education” came from television, movies and the pages… Read more
1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R – This 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R is said to have remained under long-term ownership in Japan before being imported to the U.S. in 2018, at which time it was acquired by the seller. Finished in silver over black vinyl upholstery, the car is powered by a 2.0-liter S20 inline-6 that features dual overhead camshafts, 24 valves… Read more
1995 Honda NSX Type R – Just 483 examples of the laser-focused, right-hand-drive NSX Type R are understood to have been built exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, distinguishable by their unique 10-digit chassis-number sequence. Chassis number NA11300280 is one such example, finished in the only available color of Championship White complemented by matching 16-inch front and 17-inch rear seven-spoke Enkei… Read more
1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 Rally Car – This 1999 Subaru Impreza WRC99 was built to compete in the 1999-2000 World Rally Championship with the late Richard Burns. Acquired in 2018 by its current owner, whose childhood dream was to own one of the most important rally cars of its era, “T15 SRT” was in need of a complete restoration after years of… Read more
1993 Toyota Supra Turbo – Well-maintained, low-mileage Mk IV Supra Premier Edition with desirable 6-speed manual transmission First year for the fourth generation of this legendary Japanese sports car Said to be in unmodified condition Showing less than 19,000 miles on the odometer at cataloging time Finished in factory color scheme of Renaissance Red over Ivory leather Powered by a… Read more
2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition – The car presented here is a genuine Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition (CP9A / SNGF2) SCP car (one of 212), but it is also an official U.K.-market example. This means it was officially imported by Mitsubishi-affiliated Ralliart U.K., hence it would have been professionally SVA’d and is supplied with U.K. service books, a calibrated speedometer,… Read more
Rotary Power for the People – The oil crisis of the 1970s frowned heavily on Mazda’s gas-guzzling rotary engines. Under constant development since licensure from NSU in 1961, the enormously expensive rotary-engine program had placed Mazda on the brink of financial ruin. The future looked bleak when Mazda’s largest creditor, Sumitomo Bank, inserted its own corporate leadership in 1977. Then, a… Read more
2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package – Offered from the Fox Collection The legendary LFA’s most exclusive and desirable edition; one of 25 U.S.-delivery Nürburgring Package examples Features 562-hp, 4.8-liter V10 with 9,000 rpm redline, lightweight BBS wheels and numerous aerodynamic enhancements Rarely seen black over a black interior; driven fewer than 930 miles from new Accompanied by delivery documents, window sticker,… Read more
1967 Toyota 2000GT – The example offered here, finished in the desirable color of Solar Red, was one of three new 2000GTs supplied to Otto Linton, the legendary Watkins Glen driver. Officially recognized as one of the “Legends of the Glen,” Mr. Linton had recently acquired a Toyota dealership in Pennsylvania. He apparently considered this 2000GT one of his… Read more