Profiles
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1952 Jaguar C-type Ecurie Ecosse racer
The needle of the rev counter can be wound to the red zone, and each gear takes the car into a new dimension Designed and built with the sole intention of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the renowned Jaguar C-type was a development of the already successful XK 120. Though the race…
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1954 Buick Skylark
Was this sale a market indicator or auction fever carried to an extreme? {vsig}2006-6_1939{/vsig} There were just 836 Buick Skylarks produced in 1954. Each came fully equipped with leather interior, full power equipment, special ornamentation, and open wheel wells with Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. This low-mileage 1954 Buick Skylark received a complete professional restoration, which was…
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1935 MG R-type
A tiny, wavering soprano has a tough time in a Wagnerian opera, no matter how good she may be Last of the Abingdon marque’s pre-WWII racing cars, the R-type was unveiled on April 25, 1935. Beautifully wrought, its revolutionary chassis boasted such advanced features as selective dampers and finned drum brakes.Powered by a supercharged 747-cc…
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1967-69 MGC
The MGC was the first in a string of half-baked ideas that turned the British motor industry into a historic-preservation trust Few cars have taken more of a beating right out of the box than the MGC. Already incensed by BMC’s premeditated murder of the Austin-Healey 3000 in favor of the C, journalists were out…
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1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
Last year’s $3.2 million Oldsmobile F-88 sale has collectors scouring barns and museums for ’50s dream cars {vsig}2006-5_1927{/vsig} The business of building “show” or “concept” cars was in its infancy in 1940, with the notion of showcasing future styling and innovations. The idea dated back to Harley Earl and his 1938 Buick Y-Job, which was…
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1980 Triumph Spitfire 1500
They were cited by motoring journalists as an example of the thrills to be found in driving slow cars quickly {vsig}2006-5_1928{/vsig} The Triumph Spitfire 1500, according to the original brochure, is a true sports car whose classic lines express “the harmony of power and grace which is the car’s hallmark.” The brochure boasted that the…
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1974 Gaz-13 Chaika Limousine
I suspect this car falls into the same class of collectible as hearses-you can’t get away from the Dark Side {vsig}2006-5_1929{/vsig} This Russian Gaz-13 “Chaika” limousine is number 2,511 of only 3,719 built between 1959 and 1981. The Chaika-which means Gull-was favored by Kremlin officials, Soviet heads of state, and senior KGB officers. To…
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Pininfarina Cabriolet
The car defines the scene: a little playful, a little romantic, and a serious reinforcement of privilege {vsig}2006-5_1930{/vsig} The 250 GT Cabriolet was conceived by Pininfarina as Ferrari’s semi-luxury touring car and was thus given better interior appointments and more soundproofing than the California Spyder Series. The cabriolet appearance was also created to look…
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1957 Porsche 356A Coupe
If this car drives as the catalog says, the new owner did very well. If not get busy spending and making it right {vsig}2006-5_1931{/vsig} The 356A was Porsche’s first volume production car, in Coupe, Speedster, and Cabriolet versions. Introduced in 1956, the 356A embodied substantial revisions to the original 356 series, including a one-piece curved…
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1955 Maserati 300S
In 1955, after taking delivery of his most powerful Maserati to date, the three-liter 300S offered here, chassis number 3057, Benoit Musy contested eleven European Sports Car Championship events, winning five times and scoring a further five podium finishes up to the August 12, 1956, Kristianstad Swedish Grand Prix, which he won. In a cruel…