At the end of the day, Formula 5000 is still the ultimate bang for the buck in vintage racing One of the most attractive categories within historic motor racing is Formula 5000, catering to single-seater (near-Formula One) cars powered by production-based engines of up to 5 liters capacity. Formula 5000 […]
Archives: Profiles
1987 Chevrolet G20 “A-Team” Custom Van
Formerly part of the Barris Star Car Collection in Hollywood, California, this Chevrolet G20 van is believed to have been supplied unregistered directly to Universal Studios during the last year of production of “The A-Team” television show. An all-action adventure series first screened during the 1980s, the “A-Team” starred George […]
1964 Mini Cooper 1275S Works Rally
In 1956, the Suez Crisis caused the folks at Austin to invite Alec Issigonis (later Sir Alec) to design a new car to combat what they saw as looming fuel rationing. When he had finished, the engine was the only part of the car that was not completely new. The […]
1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
At the 1965 Paris Auto show, Ferrari introduced the 275 GTB, its first car with independent rear suspension. But however significant the 275 GTB was, most spectators were drawn to the dramatic Dino 206S Speciale show car, a mid-engined concept featuring a mock 2-liter V6 engine. The show car was […]
1926 Bugatti Type 39A Grand Prix
Without doubt, Ettore Bugatti found his feet as an internationally recognized manufacturer of high-performance motor cars in 1926. The Type 39A was his first supercharged racer that really worked and gave little if any teething trouble. The 1926-27 Grand Prix Formula demanded cars of no more than 1,500 cc, with […]
1960 Porsche 356B Super Roadster
When Porsche introduced the improved 356B in 1960, the Speedster was succeeded by the Roadster. This was a change in name, even though both cars, and the interim Convertible D in between, remained at the bottom of the Porsche price schedule. In addition to the new name, the 356B delivered […]
1953 Muntz Jet
In the annals of automotive history, there have been few hucksters, snake oil salesmen, and promoters as bizarre as Earl “Mad Man” Muntz. Muntz made and lost a fortune in the automobile business, first selling used cars to service men returning from WWII and later as a Kaiser-Frazer dealer in […]
1962 Lotus 25 F1
It is no overstatement to say that the Lotus 25 revolutionized Formula 1 car design. It was a complete break from conventional thinking, advanced even for Colin Chapman, and its significance must be one of the best-kept secrets in motor racing. Colin Chapman said the inspiration came from the steel […]
Gone, and Forgotten as Well
How the mighty have fallen. In 25 years, most expensive cars depreciate, but few cars as significant as the original Audi Coupe Quattro (Ur-Quattro from the German for “original”) have so utterly disappeared both in value and visibility from the marketplace. Although Audi was not the first to offer an […]
1961 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe
I don’t recall any stories of Porfirio Rubirosa romancing the lady of the week in his PF coupe, and there is little competition history When the 250 GT Europa was launched at the 1954 Paris Salon, it was described as the first series production car for Ferrari. The 3-liter cars […]