Profiles
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1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 2+2 Coupe
The rear seats won’t accommodate anyone bigger than munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz” What was an E-type owner to do when little Nigel and Fiona came along? Grace, pace, and space was how the marketing blokes in Coventry described the new “family” E-type 2+2 coupe that bowed as a 1966 model. It was…
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2004 612 Scaglietti
Despite controversial styling, the 612’s performance is Formula One: It reaches 60 mph in just over four seconds and tops out at 199 mph {vsig}2006-4_1473{/vsig} In naming its new four-seater Granturismo after Carrozzeria Scaglietti, Ferrari acknowledged the immense contribution made by its collaborator in the past 50 years. Founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 and…
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1953 General Motors “Parade of Progress” Tour Bus
One of twelve built by General Motors, this self-contained display and transport vehicle was created in 1940 by the GM design staff under Harley Earl’s direction. The Futurliner has opening sides, interior and exterior floodlights, a retractable stage, distinctive center cockpit driving position and dual-wheel front and rear axles. The buses were used in the…
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1965 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe “James Bond”
James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, which roared into the public consciousness in the 1964 movie “Goldfinger,” has a fair claim on being “The Most Famous Car in the World,” as Dave Worrall’s 1993 book asserts. That Silver Birch DB5 embodied the virtues of the character first launched in Ian Fleming’s spy novels in 1953: stunning…
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1966 Lamborghini 400 GT Monza
In 1970, after just 7,136 km, this unique V12 Granturismo was bricked up in a garage on a busy street {vsig}2006-4_1924{/vsig} Lamborghini’s first model-the 350 GT-wowed the motoring press and public at its 1964 launch. Not content to rest on their laurels, Lamborghini’s engineers were already at work on the 400 GT, which was in…
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1938 M-B 540K Sindelfingen Cabriolet “A”
Together with its predecessor the 500K, the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 540K was arguably the most noteworthy production model offered by the Stuttgart firm during the 1930s. A development of the 500K, whose independently suspended chassis it shared, the 540K was powered by a 5.4-liter supercharged straight-eight engine. It featured the company’s Roots-type supercharger system, in which…
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“Goodall Special Sports”
According to information supplied by the vendor, this intriguing two-seater special is believed to have been constructed in 1926 by one Cleland C. Castleman. Built around an inverted ladder frame (hence the ground-hugging stance), it’s equipped with a beam front axle, “live” rear end, leaf springs, and Andre-Hartford-style friction dampers. Clothed in a mixture of…
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1969-73 Opel GT
Over 70,000 GTs were peddled in the U.S. from 1968 to 1973. The history of captive imports is a tale of ill-starred orphans. If you recall the Plymouth Cricket (née Hillman Avenger), Plymouth Fire Arrow, (aka Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste), or the Ford Sierra sold here as the Merkur XR4ti (complete with pronunciation guide), you need…
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1952 166/330 MM Touring Barchetta Recreation
These rebodies are selling far below construction costs and will deliver miles of smiles. But don’t go near Pebble Beach, and don’t expect to make money Carrozzeria Touring’s 1949-53 Barchetta is considered one of Ferrari’s classic models. Only about 35 Touring Barchettas (literally translated as “little boat”) were produced using Touring’s patented Superleggera or super…
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1960 Volkswagen Split-Window Pickup
1960 Volkswagen Split-Window PickupVolkswagen pickups were worked to death and their lifespan was shorter than that of a Roman slave {vsig}2006-3_1917{/vsig} Unquestionably among the most innovative designs of its day, the Volkswagen “dropside” pickup stretched the definition of full-service utility vehicles. Production of the pickup was started in 1952, and it borrowed the cab from…