For fairly obvious reasons, few Mercedes-Benz cars reached Britain or America in the late 1930s, which was our loss because, then as now, the company made superb, technically advanced motorcars. Introduced in 1932, the 200 series was unusual for the time in that it had all independent suspension, by transverse […]
Archives: Profiles
Jaguar D-Type Replica
The Jaguar D-Type was one of the most beautiful and charismatic sports racing cars ever made, not to mention one of the most successful. First appearing in 1954, the D-Type featured bodywork of a highly aerodynamic nature, complete with tail-mounted fin for top speed stability, penned by ex-aircraft designer Malcolm […]
1954 Fiat Topolino
Topolino means “Little Mouse” and is used in Italy to name Disney’s most famous rodent. What is not always appreciated, however, is how rare it is for a car to receive a universal and warm nickname. There is the Topolino, the Beetle and, er, um, that’s about it unless you […]
1958 Ferrari 330 GTC
“The best all-around V12.” With these words many Ferraristi have described the 330 GTC, a car with poise, performance and practicality rivaled by few others. When the 250 GT Lusso ceased to exist at the end of 1964 it created a gap in the Ferrari range. Whereas the Lusso had […]
1971 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Series 2
It was in 1965 that Lancia launched the Fulvia coupe. Designed in-house, it was powered by a twin-cam V4 engine of 1,216 cc producing 80 bhp, while the four-speed gearbox had a floor change. The 1.2 HF – for High Fidelity – followed with less trim and 88 bhp, and […]
1974 Jensen Interceptor Mk III Convertible
More than any of its previous models, the 1960s Interceptor firmly established Jensen as a producer of stylish, high-performance and hand-built cars. Launched at the 1966 London Motor Show, the Interceptor proved a star attraction. Beneath its attractive Vignale designed coupe coachwork, the substantial parallel tube chassis featured independent wishbone/coil […]
1939 BMW 327/28
Until 1928 BMW’s main line of business was aero engines and it did not make cars until it bought the Dixi company which made Austin Sevens under license. Although BMW was late on the scene, it established a towering reputation in a very few years. A six cylinder engine was […]
Maserati Merak SS
In the creative environment that coincided with the beginning of the 1970s, Maserati began work on the design of a car with high performance sporting characteristics capable of dominating the hard-fought 3-liter class of the market. In order to avoid risks the layout of the Merak, the name of a […]
Jaguar XK 140 Roadster
The XK140 was introduced in October 1954 at the London Motor Show as the successor to the XK120. The XK140 was easily distinguishable from its predecessor because of its Mk 7 type front and rear bumpers, the traditional radiator grill but with fewer slats and a chrome strip which ran […]
1961 Ferrari 250 GT Competition SEFC SWB
The first Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta with a 240cm wheelbase, later nicknamed SWB (for short wheelbase), was shown at the Paris Motor Show held in October 1959. It was still very much a prototype but the complete finished car was ready for the Turin and Geneva Shows held a few […]