Profiles
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1931 Bentley 4½ Liter Supercharged Boattail
It never won a major race and proved almost sale-proof, but the macho Blower Bentley is Britain’s ultimate vintage sports car {vsig}2007-11_2091{/vsig} Though only 50 production Blower Bentleys were built, experts estimate that 43 still exist. Of that number, few if any are as untouched as this car. Indeed, no less a vintage Bentley…
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1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Zagato Spyder
With the body bare, the originality of the car could be confirmed, down to markings inside panels left by craftsmen who created it in 1931 {vsig}2007-11_2092{/vsig} Alfa Romeo and Zagato are two of the most charismatic names in Italian automotive history. Alfa Romeo built thousands of cars with bodies by other coachbuilders, and Zagato bodied…
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1963 Ferrari 250 GTL “Lusso” Berlinetta
Late in 1962, at the Paris Show, Ferrari introduced the Lusso Berlinetta, the last of the 250 series. The Lusso combined features of the 250 SWB and the 250 GTO in a beautiful, luxurious steel body by Scaglietti, and was one of Pininfarina’s most successful designs. The design incorporated aerodynamic refinement, the result of Ferrari’s…
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1968 Porsche 911S Coupe
Cost-no-object restorations rarely make sense on production cars, even exciting ones in hot markets, like an early 911S {vsig}2007-11_2094{/vsig} Within two years of the original 911’s launch, Porsche introduced a new model that would satisfy even the most demanding drivers. The new S offered the same vault-like body and chassis, well-appointed 2+2 interior, and 2-liter…
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1903 Cadillac Runabout Rear-Entrance Tonneau
Founded by Henry Leland and Robert Faulconer, the Cadillac Automobile Company of Detroit completed its first car in October 1902. The firm’s superior manufacturing technology-precise gear cutting was Leland and Faulconer’s specialty-soon established it as the foremost builder of quality cars in the United States. The company was formed using funds supplied by two of…
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1952 Allard Cadillac JR “Le Mans” Roadster
If hot rods had been invented in England, Sidney Allard would have been their originator. The first postwar production models of the Allard Motor Company featured American Ford flathead V8s, more often than not fitted with Sidney’s own alloy speed parts such as intake manifolds and cylinder heads. By the early 1950s, larger American OHV…
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1965 Porsche 911 Coupe
What’s so special about the original 235 911s? Not much, and most of it is bad. But they are different and that was enough {vsig}2007-10_2080{/vsig} In the late 1950s, Porsche began working on what would be a new model to entirely replace the 356. The styling was based on a set of guidelines prepared by…
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1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
The original, immortal Ferrari 250 GTO had been developed for the FIA GT Championship, duly taking the manufacturer’s title for Ferrari in 1962, 1963 and 1964. So, clearly, any revival of the GTO name could only be permitted for a very special car indeed. Enter the 288 GTO. Like its illustrious forebear, the 288 GTO…
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1961-79 MG Midget
These are truly small cars. Anyone larger than 5’9″ driving one looks like a trained circus bear in a parade The early ’60s were the golden age of the British sports car. The British Motor Corporation (BMC) aimed to have a product for every possible driver. MG dealers were clamoring for a car smaller and…
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1974 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty
The Trans Am was not without options, and one in particular made this Trans Am the king of the no-horsepower kingdom {vsig}2007-10_2071{/vsig} The year 1974 was a tough time for American automakers, with many legislated changes. The results were not good. New emission regulations, which had gone into effect in 1968, gradually sapped horsepower by…