Profiles
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2005 Enzo Ferrari
Prospective purchasers were selected based on their importance to the dealer; we assume the Pope was pre-qualified {vsig}2006-1_1907{/vsig} Chassis number: ZFFCZ56B000141920 Ferrari entered the third millennium during an incredible phase of competition. In fact, Formula One has never offered the company such a true laboratory for advanced research. I decided that this car, which embodies…
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1939 BMW 327 Cabriolet
Because this car is a 2+2 and a cabriolet it weighs several hundred pounds more than a 328, and acceleration will be leisurely {vsig}2006-1_1908{/vsig} BMW’s first six-cylinder engine was launched in 1934, and formed the backbone of the company’s racing legacy. A modified version of the new powerplant was developed by Rudolf Schleicher and would…
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1973 Datsun 240Z Race Car
Trailing throttle oversteer resulted in far more of them leaving the track backwards than ever drove off straight {vsig}2006-1_1909{/vsig} When Spike Anderson went trawling for a bottom-feeder race car in England, he started at a fish-and-chip shop.Anderson bought “LAL,” a four-year-old Datsun 240Z from a Greek fish-and-chip shop owner, a Mr. Michael. Stripped, prepared, and…
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1964-1970 Maserati Mistral
If you decide to restore a Mistral, forget the scuba gear and go find Alvin, the Titanic submersible. You will be that far under water The cold wind that gave its name to Maserati’s 1964 Mistral spells the end of summer in the south of France. The model heralded an even colder and more inhospitable…
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1947 Buick Super Series 50 Woody Wagon
This was the Mercedes G-Wagen of its day, most often sold in high trim levels to affluent customers {vsig}2005-12_1898{/vsig} Buick’s biggest and most elegant woody wagons owe their genesis to a cocktail party in Hollywood in 1941. Movie director Norman McLeod and his wife Bunny invited Buick designer Harley Earl over as part of…
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1993 Jaguar XJ 220
This magnificent-looking and supremely well-specified Jaguar XJ 220 coupe is offered here in pristine condition and at a level offering a considerable savings over the list price at launch. The words “supercar” and “sensational” are often to be found in conjunction, and no more justifiably so than in the case of Jaguar’s fabulous XJ 220.…
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1960 Ferrari 250 GT “Nembo” Spyder
The tradition of custom coachbuilding died in the 1960s as new technology made “frames” obsolete. Ferrari was among the last constructors still building automobiles with separate frames, and this accounted for the pre-eminence of Italian coachbuilders. The carrozzerie prospered, supported by sporting chassis and powerful drivetrains and nurtured by the Italian passion for design. Such…
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1956 Mercedes-Benz 220S Sedan “Zippo”
In 1953, Mercedes-Benz introduced the line of mid-sized automobiles that would be its mainstay for nearly a decade. Built using unit-body principles, they were lightweight yet strong and utilized a front sub-frame for mounting the engine. These “ponton” or “roundie” models received a number of motors, from 48-hp diesels in the 180D taxi models to…
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1965 Shelby Daytona 427 Coupe
Those who worship at the altar of the Snake will kneel and genuflect, but was it ever a real car? {vsig}2005-12_1903{/vsig} This prototype is the only 427 Cobra Daytona Coupe in existence. Following the successful campaign of the small block Cobra Daytona Coupes in 1964, Shelby’s Director of Special Projects Peter Brock penned new…
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1972-1976 Jensen-Healey
Rust is a concern, almost as if the factory took perverse pride in building the most horribly corrosion-prone bodies The 1970s have been called “the decade without quality control,” and alas, the Jensen-Healey was a product of that era. While it should have taken the sports car world by storm, much the same way that…