Consistent serial production 250s begin with the Europa GT. Prior to this, one could find differences between sequential Ferraris of the same model Introduced to the public at the 1953 Paris Auto Salon alongside the 375 America, the 250 GT Europa was Ferrari’s first true Gran Turismo and the first […]
Archives: Profiles
1957 BMW 507 Roadster
Removing the issues of performance, reliability and dealer service-significant considerations in 1957-the 507’s charms rise to the surface {vsig}2008-2_2134{/vsig} In the early 1950s, BMW covered opposite ends of the automotive spectrum. On the one hand, R24 motorcycles and Isetta bubble cars provided inexpensive transportation for the average German citizen. On […]
1931 Reo Race Car
Blanco and this Reo scored podium finishes for 22 years-from 1931 to 1954-a monumental accomplishment {vsig}2008-2_2137{/vsig} Car collectors have known for a long time that some of the greatest barn finds have come out of Argentina, but not many realize why this is so. To understand, it is necessary to […]
Morgan Brings a Sword to a Knife Fight
The Plus 8 offers something in the Allard J2 vein, with way too much power for its antediluvian chassis, but with a dash of British style {vsig}2008-1_2113{/vsig} If Scotchman William “Braveheart” Wallace had been alive in the late 20th century, he probably couldn’t have resisted the broadsword of sports cars, […]
1911 Oldsmobile Limited 7-passenger Touring
Without evidence of time, what does a real object offer the collector that a perfect replica does not as well? {vsig}2008-1_2114{/vsig} Oldsmobile made its name with the tiny single-cylinder “curve dash” buckboard in the early years of the 20th century, but went on to produce one of the most significant […]
1934 Lagonda 4½-Liter M45 Tourer
The body on this car is “reputedly new old stock from the factory” and mounted in the early 1950s. It’s handsome and correct, but still a rebody {vsig}2008-1_2117{/vsig} If the best British workmanship and the finest materials appeal to you, and if character, sweet running, and a maximum speed. […]
1982 Ferrari 512 BBi
For maximum value, buy a carbureted 512, but note that buying a Boxer without paperwork is like playing Russian Roulette with all chambers loaded Introduced at the 1981 Frankfurt Show, the 512 BBi was the last derivation of the 1973 365 Berlinetta Boxers. Almost identical to its 512 BB predecessor, […]
1991 BMW Z1
BMW reckoned owners could swap body panels in hours for a color change, though people who have tried it say to allow two days {vsig}2008-1_2120{/vsig} Like its predecessor the 507, which bristled with trick technology but ultimately failed to go as well as it looked, the Z1 is a bit […]
1948 Veritas BMW Rennsport
This is a front-running, potentially winning car at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Now the price all starts to make sense {vsig}2008-1_2123{/vsig} Veritas was formed in 1946 by BMW engineers Ernst Loof and Lorenz Dietrich to build BMW-engined sports cars. Because steel was virtually unavailable in post-war Germany, the bodies […]
1957 283/283 Race Car
Although Chevrolet introduced the Corvette to great acclaim at the 1953 Motorama, few realized it would, in time, become America’s iconic sports car. The sporting transformation didn’t come until 1956, a year after Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov inserted a 265-ci V8 into the previously sluggish 6-cylinder-powered fiberglass two-seater. For […]