
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…

This 2003 Ferrari Enzo is the very definition of exclusivity in a bespoke Ferrari, a one-of-one creation ordered new by Phil Bachman and customized through the factory to Phil and his wife, Martha’s, exacting specifications. Of the 400 examples produced from 2002 through 2004, this Enzo, S/N 135262, is one of 127 built for the…

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is, quite possibly, the most famous Japanese sports car ever created. Known the world over for its myriad appearances in popular media and atop motorsport podiums, the GT-R’s massive mystique is founded in its monstrous performance capabilities. From humble beginnings as a modestly powered “economy” platform of the late 1950s, each…

A remarkably historic car, this A 442 competed in the 1975 endurance-racing season, raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 and was in the pits at Le Mans in 1978. It has been driven by the greatest racers of its time. Of the five Renault-Alpine A 442 and A 443 cars built with…

While the enlargement of the Thunderbird into a 4-passenger car proved excellent for sales, buyers continued to pester Ford for the return of a 2-passenger model. In response, for 1962, the third-generation “Bullet Bird” became available as a limited-production Sports Roadster. The “top-of-the-line” Ford featured a sleek fiberglass tonneau that fit over the rear seat,…

The Swallow Doretti was a brief-yet-intriguing British sports car, produced in 1954–55 by Swallow Coachbuilding, then under Tube Investments. Styled by Frank Rainbow, it featured a Reynolds 531 tubular steel chassis, aluminum body and Triumph TR2 running gear. Like many Swallows, this Doretti was sold new in California. Our subject car’s buyer was Harvey M.…

Only 38 examples of the 2900 were produced by Alfa Romeo, with fewer known to exist today. Some of the most desirable of these are the long-chassis Spiders — “long” being a relative term, as the wheelbase was only extended by 20 centimeters but provided the most luxurious platform for a 2-seater body. Built in…

Among the final production D-types to emerge from Coventry before the February 1957 factory fire, chassis XKD551 was dispatched on June 12, 1956, as a short-nose example — measuring approximately 19 cm shorter than the succeeding long-nose variants. The accompanying Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate documents state that the D-type was completed wearing body number…