Profiles
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1966-76 Jensen Interceptor
If one bought cars by the pound, Jensen Interceptors would be the best value in the marketplace. Produced in Great Britain during the death throes of the Jensen company and following the time-honored traditions of British companies installing big American engines into Italian-designed bodies, these cars are large, heavy and dirt-cheap. With space for a…
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2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina
To mark the world-renowned carrozzeria’s 70th anniversary in 2000, Ferrari invited Sergio Pininfarina to submit designs for a front-engined roadster that would capture the spirit of past Maranello classics, such as the 166 Mille Miglia, 250 GT California Spyder and 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder. In its manufacturer’s own words: “Ferrari has always created very special…
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1899 Clement-Panhard Voiture Legere Type VCP
As motoring got into its stride in France in the latter part of the 1890s, it was realized that there was a need to fill the gap between the larger, powerful, expensive motor cars and motor tricycles. The great firm of Panhard-Levassor joined the throng with a light car. Panhard-Levassor could not produce enough of…
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1931 Chrysler CG Imperial Dual Cowl Phaeton
The remarkable styling of the CG series Imperials was the work of LeBaron, one of the greatest design firms of the classic era. Founded by Thomas L. Hibbard and Ray Dietrich, and later joined by Ralph Roberts, the company established itself as innovative, creative and responsive. Although Hibbard and Dietrich later left the firm to…
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1963-64 Studebaker Avanti R-1/R-2
The Avanti was an automotive Hail Mary, a last-ditch effort to bring excitement and warm bodies to Studebaker showrooms. In 1961 Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert made the decision to build a sports car-and to do it as fast as possible. He called upon one of the best-known industrial designers in the world, Raymond Loewy, who…
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1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Fastback
{vsig}2003-2_1276{/vsig} Described by the seller on eBay Motors: This is a well documented, southwest all its life, no rust ever, older restoration (14 years) Boss with the potential to be made into a show car. This Boss is solid as a “new dime” and was sold new in Scottsdale, Arizona. It then migrated to southern…
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1991 Ferrari 348 tb Berlinetta
The 348 tb was a dramatic departure for Ferrari. Its 3,405-cc dual overhead-camshaft engine is mounted longitudinally in the chassis like the 288 GTO. However the 348’s chassis is only four inches longer than the transverse-engined 328 GT that preceded it. To accomplish this magic, Ferrari applied lessons learned in its Formula One racing program,…
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1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Convertible
If ever there was an auto manufacturer to take lessons learned from racing and apply them to their street cars, it was Jaguar. The legendary D-type was a formidable competitor on the track and Jaguar included all the D’s best traits when it debuted the E-type in 1961. Arguably the most well recognized sports car…
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1973 Datsun 240Z
Few realize the roots of Nissan reach back to 1912, when a young man named Masujiro Hashimoto created a car. The car was named DAT, after three family member’s initials. By 1934, the cars were Datsuns and the company was Nissan. By the late 1950s, Yuraka Katayama, a young engineer educated in America, advocated both…
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2001 BMW Z8
As BMW’s Web site proclaims: “The Z8 is the stuff that dreams are made of: an engine that is nothing less than a work of art, encased in a brilliantly designed aluminum spaceframe and open to the heavens. The Z8 is a two-seater sports car in the tradition of the legendary BMW cars of the…