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The introduction of the MGC is a tribute to how royally confused British Motor Holdings had become by the mid-’60s. The Austin-Healey, introduced in 1952, was getting long in the tooth by 1964, even with its new convertible top and roll-up side windows. Marketing managers also recognized that there was
In 1965 the nine-year reign of the “fuelie” Corvette came to an end. Only 771 cars with the L84 option were built in 1965, making it the lowest production year. It was the only year you could buy a fuel-injected, disc-braked Corvette. This 1965 Glen Green model has traveled only
Bugatti Automobili S.p.A., in marketing the sensational new EB110, succinctly defined the new project as “the revival of the spirit of Modernism, which characterized the life and work of Ettore Bugatti (1881-1947).” In May 1992 Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. recorded that at the Nardo Test Track in Southern Italy, the Bugatti
This “barn discovery” Lotus Elite was first registered on December 14, 1961, according to the duplicate green logbook in its history file. It was owned by Mr. Peter John Gillett of Cobham in 1971 before it was sold to the last owner, Mr. Che Keng Saw, in August 1972. The
Fast, well engineered and luxuriously equipped in the finest Mercedes-Benz tradition, the 450SEL 6.9 was rated by Road & Track magazine as “the fastest, best sedan in the world.” This left-hand drive example was the property of Sir Bernard Ashley, Chairman of Laura Ashley department stores. Bought new in France,
I have long argued that cars are machinery first, and art second. With the very rare exception of pure show cars, they were designed to be driven, not to be displayed for gawking passersby. It is only through the use of a car that its underlying magnificent strengths and disappointing
The Giulia Tubolare Zagato, or TZ, emerged victorious from its racing debut at Monza in November 1963, and from then on proved a competent competitor. Of the 112 TZs made, approximately two thirds survive. Chassis number 085 was completed on March 9, 1965, but was not officially sold to Autodelta
Renzo Rivolta made a considerable fortune following World War II. He also loved cars. In the early ’60s, he became a victim of the popular musing that begins with, “Let’s marry a sophisticated European chassis and coachwork with a cheap, reliable, and powerful American V8.”Giotto Bizzarini, father of the 250
The first Abbott two-door coupe to grace the R-type chassis made its debut at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show, alongside an equivalent drophead design. The chassis on which these and the fourteen subsequent cars built differed from standard, having a lowered radiator and steering column rake, and carrying a
The Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet occupied a unique niche in the luxuxy car market: a four-seat mid-engine Cabriolet with pedigree. The improved Mondial T received a 296-hp, 3405 cc V8 engine mounted longitudinally in the frame. Along with a new engine came a completely new five-speed transmission, electronically controlled variable suspension,
This Mercedes-Benz offers classic style motoring with modern reliability and convenience. Furthermore, the 3.5-liter version of the 280SE coupe and convertible has the cachet of being one of the rarest Mercedes-Benz models of the past 30 years, with a production run of just 4,502. Like many desirable cars, the 280SE
Today, the words “tuner car” conjures up images of an AMG or Renntech-equipped Mercedes. Or perhaps a Stillen-equipped SUV or a McLaren Mustang. But long before these high-impact, sophisticated cruisers existed, a group of dealer-based “tuners” were turning out supercars of a different sort. Baldwin-Motion, Dana, Nickey and Yenko were
The streets of X’ian, China are a maelstrom of transportation contraptions, from hand-drawn oxcarts laden with unopened, boxed color televisions to brand-new Mercedes S-class sedans. While the Chinese may suffer from a lack of political freedom, in terms of motorized conveyances, they are Joan Claybrooke’s worst nightmare. The rule of
A replacement for the 1900 line, the 102-series 2000 cars first appeared in 1958 and were unusual in so far as production of the Touring-bodied Spider version outstripped that of the four-door Berlina. A Bertone-bodied Sprint coupe followed in 1960. Nowadays referred to as the “Cast-Iron 2-liter,” the twin-cam 2000
Born out of desperation and existing in chaos, it is surprising that the Jensen-Healey and Jensen GT came into being at all. That today, thirty years later, they can be inexpensive and thoroughly enjoyable cars to own and drive is nothing short of amazing. And yet they are. If the
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