Profiles
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1970-71 Porsche 917K
{vsig}1998-10_1813{/vsig} This Porsche 917K coupe is one of the most historic available survivors of this titanic breed. Most significantly, it is one of only five World Championship-level race-winning 917s outside factory ownership.In 1971, entered by the Martini-Porsche team and co-driven by Vic Elford and Gerard Larrousse, it won America’s most charismatic World Championship-qualifying endurance race:…
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1952 Porsche 356 Pre-A Cabriolet
In 1952 there were only four Porsche 356 Cabriolets sold in the United States out of 294 produced by the Porsche Werke in Zuffenhausen. Back in ’51, about the only way to buy a 356 in this country was through New York importer Max Hoffman. The early cabriolets were among his best-selling cars, helping to…
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1962 Lotus Elite Series II SE
Launched at the 1957 London Motor Show – when metal panel work was the sports car norm and all-independent suspension the domain of racing cars – the strikingly pretty Lotus Elite boasted a fiberglass monocoque bodyshell with rear suspension first seen on the Lotus 12 Formula 2 single-seater. A steel front subframe, bonded into the…
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1960 Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite
The Austin-Healey Sprite series of small-capacity production sports cars with BMC A-Series engines is too familiar to require detailed description here, but this particular car is one of the very select group of “Sebring” Sprites which were highly modif The Austin-Healey Sprite series of small-capacity production sports cars with BMC A-Series engines is too familiar…
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1957 Abarth 750 Zagato
When the magazine Motor Trend road-tested an Abarth early in 1958, the journalist started his article as follows: “Not since driving the Moretti coupe have I seen so many people gawk in admiration as I drove by, and not since the first TR-2 arrived have I had so much fun driving around in this beautifully…
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1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Worthy successor to the 275GTB/4, the 365GTB/4 Daytona debuted at the Paris Salon in 1968, with production proper commencing in the second half of 1969. Aggressively styled by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti, Ferrari’s new supercar boldly re-stated the traditional sports car’s long hood, small cabin, short tail look in a way which suggested muscular horsepower à…
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1961 Porsche RS61 Spyder
Porsche Spyders are excellent dual-purpose collectibles, equally at home on the track or on road tours such as the Colorado Grand One of the last 4-cam Spyders built, this tidy RS 61, chassis 718070, possesses a proud racing pedigree, an impressive list of owners, and a degree of authenticity found in few others. Constructed in…
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1956 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster
In 1956, Ford was building the two-seat Thunderbird, and outselling Corvette four to one. After two disastrous sales years, the Corvette had to change or die. And change it did. First, it received a new body to replace the classic roadster style body of the previous three years. Still in fiberglass, it now had external…
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1954-1955 Ferrari 2-Liter 500 Mondial
This delightful little Ferrari sports-racing car is a very low-mileage historic competition car from the Maranello marque. 0468MD comes from a European ownership which it entered as a two-owners-only vehicle in 1988 when it was purchased at auction in Monte Carlo. The car had been supplied originally in late 1954 as-new to an Italian amateur…
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1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster
For those insufficiently wealthy to afford its expensive race-bred sportscar, the 300SL, Mercedes-Benz offered the less-exotic 190SL. Based on the 180 saloon, the 190 made use of the latter’s running gear; this comprised independent front suspension by means of wishbones and coil springs, single-pivot swing axe at the rear, plus drum brakes all round. Announced…