Profiles
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1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe
The ACD Newsletter recently ran an article entitled “Cord Shifting for Dummies” with emphasis on gear-changing techniques {vsig}2006-1_1904{/vsig} E. L. Cord was a master salesman who acquired Auburn in 1928 after saving it from bankruptcy by unloading about 700 sedans languishing on the lot. He spiffed up the orphans with bright paint schemes and applied…
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1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe
In 1929 Errett Lobban Cord, expanding his automotive empire, introduced a front-wheel drive automobile that he named after himself. The Cord L29 offered a distinctive, sporting appearance and great performance for its price. Unfortunately, when the stock market crashed shortly after the car’s introduction, so did the market for the L29. The Cord’s distinctive styling…
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1991-93 Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 Convertible
The Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider, introduced in 1966, continued in production until Alfa withdrew from the US market after 1994. A 28-year run for one model is a notable accomplishment, similar to the Model T and VW Beetle. The original Duetto (a name which Alfa only officially used for the 1967 models) drew mixed reviews.…
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1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS “Dino”
Left-hand drive chassis number 06470 was delivered new to main agents Tayre Ferrari in Madrid in October 1974 and sold to an American citizen, William Kemmerer, its first owner. The latter was then serving with the USAF and brought the Dino back to the US from Spain when his tour of duty was completed. Ferrari…
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1956 Maserati A6G2000 Spider
Following their competition success with the sports-racing A6GCS models through 1953, in 1954, Maserati introduced a second series for a production run of road-going sports and coupe designs on a similar chassis. The twin-cam, 2-liter, 6-cylinder engine fitted into the well-designed twin-tubular chassis layout, which proved ideal to receive coachwork designs by the leading Italian…
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1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II
There is no mistaking the lines of an Austin-Healey. Perhaps second only to the seductive curves of the Jaguar E-type, the long flowing lines of the front shroud and powerful haunches of the short rear fenders make this car an icon of the golden decades of sports cars. Remarkable is the fact that the lines…
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1958 Porsche 356 Speedster
Of all the Porsches made in the 1950s, Speedsters are certainly the most charismatic. First sold in the 1955 model year, the Speedster was conceived for Porsche’s American distributor. For model year 1956, the entire 356 line under-went mechanical and chassis modifications and the revised and improved car was designated the 356A. The car pictured…
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1932 Ford Hot Rod Roadster
Flames, Flatheads, Fenders, Fatboys: the American hot rod has many manifestations. Each is the personal expression of its creator, which is both the charm and the attraction of the street rods. Some take T-buckets, some favor ’40 Fords, others prefer Plymouths or choose Chevys. The permutations and combinations are endless but the essence of the…
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1967-69 MGC Roadster
The introduction of the MGC is a tribute to how royally confused British Motor Holdings had become by the mid-’60s. The Austin-Healey, introduced in 1952, was getting long in the tooth by 1964, even with its new convertible top and roll-up side windows. Marketing managers also recognized that there was a slot in the market…
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1965 Corvette “Fuelie” Convertible
In 1965 the nine-year reign of the “fuelie” Corvette came to an end. Only 771 cars with the L84 option were built in 1965, making it the lowest production year. It was the only year you could buy a fuel-injected, disc-braked Corvette. This 1965 Glen Green model has traveled only 1,577 miles since new and…