A Battle of Britain Spitfire Mk I or Mk II would sell for two or three times this sum, and if it had a confirmed combat record, the price could be much higher {vsig}2008-12_2259{/vsig} The old engineering adage, “If it looks right, it most probably is right,” describes the Spitfire […]
Archives: Profiles
1965 Alfa Romeo TZ-1 Berlinetta
The contentious world of Alfa historians and experts had a moment of rare consensus on this TZ, and no one questioned its parentage {vsig}2008-12_2260{/vsig} Though immensely successful as a competition car, Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta Sprint Zagato had been based on the road-going Giulietta Spider platform, a compromise that suited clients […]
1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III SWB
One early owner reported mile after mile in the 135 mph-150 mph range through Canada and Nevada, during cross-country drives to California {vsig}2008-12_2261{/vsig} It can be argued that the 410 Superamerica Series III was the high point of the entire line of luxury high-performance Ferraris. In his privately published book, […]
1945 NSU Kettenkrad
Considerable care is necessary on steep slopes. The driver is flanked by the tracks and sits ahead of the engine; he’s not likely to escape if the vehicle flips {vsig}2008-12_2262{/vsig} The Kettenkrad was typical of vehicles designed and manufactured for the German Wehrmacht during WWII-innovative, well made, and generally superior […]
1964 Porsche 904 GTS Coupe
If you want to do any serious competition, you’ll need a 2-liter, 4-cam four, and that’s a $100,000 project {vsig}2008-12_2265{/vsig} Having axed its expensive Formula One program at the end of 1962, Porsche turned once more to sports car racing as a means of improving and marketing its road cars. […]
Credit-Card Specials in Monterey
The DB7 led directly to the current top-notch Astons, and it’s a huge amount of swagger and eyeball for $50,000 {vsig}2008-11_2242{/vsig} Finding an affordable classic in Monterey seems about as likely as grabbing the “early-bird special” at Alain Ducasse’s newest restaurant. This is after all Monterey, and for five days […]
1948 Tucker 48 Torpedo Sedan
This price can be explained by the “ABC” factor-Aging Billionaire Collector. Such buyers can’t wait another 20 years, so they pay whatever it costs {vsig}2008-11_2243{/vsig} Preston Tucker’s promise of “the first completely new car in 50 years” struck a chord in the hearts of the public in 1948 and again […]
1936 Lagonda LG45R Rapide
It always used to come to us in November, to be readied for the Mille Miglia, and it’s a gutsy car that hasn’t been tarted up for Pebble Beach {vsig}2008-11_2246{/vsig} Lagonda introduced the 4½-liter M45 at the 1933 London Motor Show. With its overhead-valve 6-cylinder Meadows engine, here was a […]
1939 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Aerocoupe
Three primary factors led to this impressive sales price; good unrestored condition, an exciting competition history, and immaculate provenance {vsig}2008-11_2248{/vsig} There were four Talbot-Lago T150C SSs made with Pourtout Aerocoupe bodies. Two are in private collections, and there are shadowy rumors of another in pieces, although no one has seen […]
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Spyder
More than a decade after its restoration, this is still a spectacular car, as the generous results of the Monterey auction indicate {vsig}2008-11_2249{/vsig} Ferrari chose the October 1968 Paris Salon to launch the Daytona. A year later, at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in September 1969, it showed a Spyder […]