Thor Thorson is president of Vintage Racing Motors, a Seattle-area collector-car dealer and vintage-racing support operation he founded in 1989. He has spent the last 25 years restoring, caring for, buying and selling incredible pieces of automotive history.
He has been actively involved with racing for over 40 years, dealing with racers from Ferraris to Sprites, but is mostly seen driving Elva sports racers.
His first big project after starting his company was the restoration of an Allard J2X Le Mans. Listen to his interview on Cars Yeah here for the story of what happened when it went out onto the racetrack.
He has been writing the race-car profiles for SCM since 2003.
Articles in Sports Car Market
Here are the latest articles from Thor:
1955 Aston Martin DB3S – Photos courtesy RM Sotheby’s This sweetheart of a sports racer is a better track toy than an investment In its maiden season, the DB3S accelerated Aston Martin’s rise as a highly competitive Works outfit during a golden era of sports-car racing. Based on the earlier DB3 — noted to be heavy and struggling against rival… Read more 1999 Chrysler Viper GTS-R – This 1999 Chrysler Viper GTS-R is one of five Works chassis built by ORECA for primary use in the 1999 FIA GT championship, in which it was fielded as the number-two entry with Jean-Philippe Belloc and a rotation of other drivers that included David Donohue and Dominique Dupuy at the wheel. Chassis C20 debuted in… Read more 2003 Ferrari 550 GTC – As Ferrari prioritized its Formula 1 and prototype sports car programs at the turn of the millennium, it was left to privateers to evolve the 550 Maranello road car into a bona fide racer. Most notably, the resulting 550 GTs built by Prodrive would secure class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American… Read more 1978 Renault-Alpine A 442 – A remarkably historic car, this A 442 competed in the 1975 endurance-racing season, raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 and was in the pits at Le Mans in 1978. It has been driven by the greatest racers of its time. Of the five Renault-Alpine A 442 and A 443 cars built with… Read more 1956 Jaguar D-Type – Among the final production D-types to emerge from Coventry before the February 1957 factory fire, chassis XKD551 was dispatched on June 12, 1956, as a short-nose example — measuring approximately 19 cm shorter than the succeeding long-nose variants. The accompanying Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate documents state that the D-type was completed wearing body number… Read more 1948 Healey Elliott Sports Saloon – The Donald Healey Motor Company completed its first car in 1945, going into full-time production in a disused RAF hangar in Warwick the following year. Given Donald Healey’s background, it was inevitable that his firm’s first products would be cast in the sporting mold. An ex-RFC fighter pilot and many-times Monte Carlo Rally competitor during… Read more 1959 Cooper-Climax T51 – In 1959, the T51 was introduced as a development of the earlier T43 and T45. Built using a spaceframe chassis, the new 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder Coventry Climax engine sat behind the driver, with the transmission mounted at the rear. Suspension remained the same as before, with independent coil springs at the front and a transverse leaf… Read more So, You Want to Go Vintage Racing? – Every red-blooded car collector has at some point (or many points) in their life looked at some cool little race car and wondered, “Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to buy that and go racing?” Certainly, many people have over the years, but for those who haven’t jumped in, the prospect can seem plenty daunting. As… Read more 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS – Completed on February 27, 1964, this Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, chassis 904028, was delivered to German racer Gerhard Koch. Koch, a seasoned driver with a win over Jim Clark at Zandvoort and class wins at the Targa Florio and Nürburgring, excelled with the car, winning the Rheinland-Pfalz Trophy at the Nürburgring and placing 2nd overall… Read more 1923 Mercedes Type 122 Indianapolis Racer – Following the Great War, Daimler began to consider forced induction using a supercharger. Renowned engineer Paul Daimler’s development path was further justified in 1922 when the Automobile Club de France issued new Grand Prix rules for the following season limiting engine capacity to 2 liters. Daimler designed an extraordinary 4-cylinder engine, featuring twin-overhead cams which… Read more 1936 Delahaye 135 S – Of all the pre-war French racers, few are as well regarded as the Delahaye 135 S. Just 20 of these lightened and shortened speed machines were ever built, each doing battle at the very pinnacle of Grand Prix and sports-car racing. Of that small cohort, the penultimate example — chassis 47188 — is arguably the… Read more 1933 MG Magnette K3 Supercharged – Here we offer this highly significant and important example of the MG K3 breed, the 1,100-cc supercharged cars from Abingdon-on-Thames, which did so much to enhance the prestige of the British motor industry. The K3 offered here spent many years on display in the Fremantle and York Motor Museums, Western Australia. It is considered from… Read more 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider – Despite Enzo Ferrari’s determination to win the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, very little went to plan that season. The new 118 and 121 LM 6-cylinder models did not pan out as projected, forcing Ferrari to revert to his 4-cylinder cars. And the disaster at Le Mans drew increasing scrutiny from critics of motor racing, which… Read more 1977 Tyrrell P34 – The six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 was a pet project of designer Derek Gardner, who had come up with the idea while he was working on four-wheel-drive systems for Indianapolis cars during the late 1960s. A few years later, and with the majority of the Formula 1 grid using the same Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, he revisited the… Read more 1975 Chevron B31 – Derek Bennett, a shy, intuitive engineer and vastly underrated driver, was once dubbed Britain’s Enzo Ferrari. Yet his most stunning, world-beating Chevron cars emerged from the gloom of a lofty old brick-built Lancashire cotton mill in Bolton’s Old Chorley Road. Debuted in 1969, the B16 sports racer — arguably the prettiest sports coupé ever to… Read more 1966 Porsche 906 – Although it was a successor to Porsche’s winning 904 GTS race car, the 906 Carrera 6 featured a nearly comprehensive redesign, with development closely supervised by Ferdinand Piëch himself in the factory experimental department. Summarized in a nutshell, the 904 was the ultimate racing variant of the 4-cylinder 356 model, while the 906 was the… Read more 1980 BMW M1 “Procar” – The BMW M1 was launched in 1978 but could not compete in the World Sports Car Championship due to a change in regulations. Therefore, Jochen Neerpasch (director of the BMW Motorsport Department) developed the Procar Championship as a venue for the model to race. There were two editions in 1979 and 1980, in races which… Read more 1969 Shelby GT350 “B Production” Racer – This fascinating 1969 Shelby GT350 race car, serial number 480033, began life as a Silver Jade GT500 sold new in Hayward, CA, on August 28, 1969. Shortly after its initial purchase, the car was stolen and damaged. The insurance company, unwilling to repair what it considered an “exotic” car, cashed out the owner. It was… Read more 1927 Amilcar C6 – After being discovered behind the Iron Curtain, this Amilcar — along with a second chassis — is understood to have been exported from East Berlin via Switzerland prior to being sold to Morris Frost of Florida, where a restoration was carried out prior to the car being used on the road. A cracked engine block… Read more 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce – This 1957 Giulietta Spider is a desirable 750F Veloce model that has been extensively prepared for vintage motorsport and maintained by KTR European Motorsports, having been previously owned and campaigned by the well-known marque specialists Alfas Unlimited of Norfolk, CT. Finished in an appealing shade of Alfa Red and fitted with period-style alloy wheels, the… Read more 1951 Alta Formula Two – This remarkable “time machine” Formula Two racing car is offered here for the first time after no fewer than 49 years in its current ownership. Furthermore, this long ownership period has seen the car raced once only — back in 1975 — after which it was set aside pending more-thorough preparation, which its still-enthusiastic owner… Read more 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider – It was the Tipo 166, introduced in 1948 as a replacement for the 125 S, that first established Enzo Ferrari’s Modenese workshop as a leading manufacturer of racing cars. Powered by a 2-liter, Colombo-designed V12 engine, the 166 set forward a course of development that would define the look, sound and inimitable character of Ferrari… Read more 1967 Ferrari 412P – The era was perfectly encapsulated by Sir Jackie Stewart as being “when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.” Ferrari and Fantuzzi, aided by the Maranello marque’s genius in-house stylist Edmondo Casoli (aka “the father of the 250 GTO”) created one of the most sexy, most beautiful pieces of performance engineering of all time. The… Read more 1990 Nissan R90CK – Born in 1982, Group C relaunched the World Endurance Championship and, for almost 10 years, this category attracted many competitors, both from major manufacturers and from more-modest craftsmen wanting to try their luck. Nissan was interested in this championship from an early stage, starting with the 1986 R85 V, fitted with a monocoque structure designed… Read more 1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider – By 1955, Mercedes-Benz’s 300SLR presented a challenge that could not be met by Ferrari’s V12 racers, nor the nimble 4-cylinder 750 Monza, prompting Il Commendatore to commission Aurelio Lampredi to create a more-powerful straight-6 powerplant. The advanced 3,747-cc engine found a home in the 118 LM — a sports car designed to take on the Three-Pointed Star… Read more 1968 Chevron B8 – Offered here for auction at the 2023 Race Retro International Historic Motor Show is DBE-45, believed to be the only Chevron B8 to escape a racing life and reportedly sold for road use, which is supported by a “pink slip” and letter of authenticity. The B8 proved too difficult for even occasional road use and… Read more 1959 Lister-Chevrolet Sports Racer – Ranking firmly among the most successful and innovative post-war British constructors, Lister earned a brilliant victory tally during its brief original period of activity during the 1950s. Developed in 1958, the Frank Costin-designed, spaceframe-chassis Lister-Costin succeeded the legendary “Knobbly” and served as the final Lister model built. This Lister-Chevrolet, chassis BHL132, has a provenance documented… Read more 1952 Allard K2 Special Roadster – Allard built just 119 K2 sports tourers from 1950 to 1952 and — now as then — each K2 is appreciated for its impressive performance potential on both road and track, as well as its distinctive styling and exclusivity. This K2, chassis number 91K3019, is something more special yet. As Allard documentation on file confirms,… Read more 1961 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Saloon – On paper, the Mercedes-Benz 220 was far from sporting. Its workaday 2.2-liter straight-6 was no fireball, and it had to be rowed hard to overcome a not-inconsiderable curb weight of 1,334 kilograms (2,941 pounds). But in that weight lay strength, and the model became an unexpected hit on the rally stage, particularly in top-spec fuel-injected… Read more 1993 Lola-Ford Cosworth T93/00 – Newman/Haas Racing’s 1993 CART PPG IndyCar World Series-winning chassis Powered Nigel Mansell to four of his five victories that season, with three poles Established Nigel Mansell as the only simultaneous reigning champion of IndyCar and Formula One Accompanied by workshop manual, laptop, electronic spares kit, championship hat, commemorative £2 coin, and Newman/Haas ephemera Equipped with… Read more 1976 Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally – To get the 131 Abarth homologated for Group 4 competition and to replace the aging 124 Abarth, Fiat produced a roadgoing version in a few hundred units. Launched at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show, the 131 Abarth Rally got the same engine as the competition version, but a little “civilized,” with the 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter, 16-valve… Read more 1964 Cooper-Zerex-Oldsmobile “Transformer” Sports Racer – Here the Bonhams Motor Car Department is delighted to offer for sale by auction the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team’s first sports-racing car. It is back at Goodwood for the first time since it started from pole position here in the immensely popular and universally respected young driver and engineer’s hands, to lead the likes… Read more 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ – Alfa Romeos enjoyed tremendous success in the 1920s and early 1930s in distance, circuit and hillclimb events across Europe. However, as World War II approached, German super teams from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union attempted to overshadow the cars from Portello. Post-war, Alfa Romeo picked up its winning ways with privateers running pre-war 8C 2900s. Through… Read more 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider – Enzo Ferrari was determined to secure the FIA World Sportscar championship in 1955, with the final leg being the Carrera Panamericana. A grueling five-day rally, it traversed the Mexican wilderness en route to the border near El Paso, TX. For the 1955 Carrera, Ferrari designed an all-new chassis, the type 519/C. It utilized a low-riding… Read more 1959 Jaguar XK 150 SE 3.8-Liter Coupe – Bonhams is delighted to offer this beautiful example of a knowledgeably restored and race-ready XK 150 SE with an impressive racing history. Originally finished in Olive Green with matching leather upholstery, this manual-transmission XK 150 was first registered as “JYO 1” on April 10, 1959. It was not until late 2014 that the previous owner… Read more 1969 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 – Having completed construction under the watchful eye of Carlo Chiti and his Autodelta outfit in 1969, this car joined the ranks of the other Tipo 33/3 factory cars in service at the time. Lining up against rival marques such as Ferrari and Porsche, Autodelta boasted a team of talented drivers who competed in the most… Read more 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Rally Racer – The 911 rally car offered here is unique among historic Porsches insofar as it has covered more competitive kilometers — equivalent to circumnavigating the world three times — than any other product from the celebrated Stuttgart factory. It was built specifically for the 1977 London–Sydney Marathon and crewed in that event by Polish rally ace… Read more 1968 Porsche 907 – It was May 19, 1968, the date of the Nürburgring 1000 Km, the sixth round in the International Championship for Makes. The showdown between Ford and Porsche was at its height: Porsche’s 907s won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, ahead of the mighty GT40s, which caught up with victories… Read more 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR IROC – In 1973, Roger Penske created a racing series called the International Race of Champions, or IROC. Equally ambitious and unique in concept, the IROC series aimed to place the world’s best racing drivers in identical cars to compete against each other over several rounds at leading U.S. venues. To compete in his special racing series,… Read more 1959 Austin-Healey “Bugeye” Sprite Mk I Racer – Having forged strong links with BMC in the process of developing the successful Austin-Healey 100, Donald Healey turned his attention to designing a smaller version intended to make sports-car motoring affordable to a wider sector of the market. Although its powertrain and running gear were entirely conventional and were thoroughly tried and tested, Healey’s new… Read more 1977 March 771 Formula One Racer – For the 1977 Formula One season, March developed the 771 that would proudly sport new Rothmans livery. The 771 had slight upgrades compared to the outgoing 761 with a front-mounted radiator, a wider tub, longer wheelbase, and lighter weight than previous models. It was powered by a 3-liter Cosworth DFV V8 DOHC engine mated to… Read more 1973 Alpine A110 – This Group 4 berlinetta, series number 18372, body number 6387, is a type 1600VC. The A110 1800 was registered on April 3, 1973, with the number 3697 HK 76. It has a heavy Morocco-type body, of which eight examples were constructed in Dieppe and registered between March and April 1973. According to the archives of… Read more 2008 Oreca Dodge Viper GT3 – Originally built in 2008, this Viper GT3 was initially raced in the British GT by Aaron Scott and Craig Wilkins. It was subsequently repurposed for the 2011–14 Dutch Supercar series and appeared in the U.K. again in 2018 to contest the GT Cup in the hands of David Krayem and Speedtec Motorsport. Under the bonnet… Read more 1963 Ol’ Yaller Mark IX Sports Racer – Beginning in 1957, Max Balchowsky and his wife designed, built and raced a limited number of sports racing cars. His first two were named Old Yeller, after the dog in Disney’s 1957 film who was yellow, mangy and unwanted. Disney didn’t like that, so Balchowsky changed the spelling to “Ol’ Yaller,” due to their pale-yellow… Read more 1967 Lotus 51A Formula Ford – The archetypal Formula Ford, the Lotus 51 is also one of the most aesthetically successful models. Listed in the Historic Lotus Register, chassis 51FF123 was delivered new in 1967 to the famous Jim Russell Racing Driver School in England that played a role in the development of drivers such as Derek Bell and Jacques Villeneuve.… Read more 1962 Ferrari 268 SP – In 1960, following the lead taken by Cooper and Lotus, Ferrari began to experiment with rear-engine placement in its Formula One and sports-racing cars. The dual overhead-cam V6 engine co-engineered by Vittorio Jano and credited to the late Dino Ferrari was the powerplant of choice, and potential applications ranged from Grand Prix to sports-car racing.… Read more 1990 Porsche 962C – After utterly dominating international sports car and prototype racing throughout the latter 1970s with its Group 5 935 and Group 6 936 competition models, Porsche scored its third overall Le Mans victory with the 936 in 1981. Since upcoming FIA rule changes for 1982 rendered the 936 obsolete, Porsche engineers set to work designing its… Read more 2014 Chevrolet SS NASCAR – Jeff Gordon’s iconic No. 24 DuPont Rainbow livery is the winningest paint scheme in NASCAR history, with 52 wins at 17 tracks, three championship titles, and more than 10,000 laps led. After “Fire and Flames” became the norm for Gordon’s No. 24 in 2001, the Rainbow only made one more appearance until Gordon’s final season… Read more 1950 Simca Estager – In the years following World War II, the Simca Eight chassis was a popular choice among independent racing-car constructors in France, and this example is the work of Jean Estager, an established driver and friend of Formula One competitor and Le Mans winner Louis Rosier. The 1,089-cc, 4-cylinder overhead-valve engine was prepared by Simca specialist… Read more 1965 Sunbeam Tiger – According to the Sunbeam Tiger Production Record, 000653 was finally assembled on October 12, 1965, prior to being finished in Mediterranean Blue, fitted with a hard top and shipped to the United States. After import to the U.K. by Bruce Stevens, the Tiger was purchased by our vendor in 1990 and U.K. registered on January… Read more 1972 Matra MS 670 – The car we are presenting is the MS 670-01 that won the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours. Assembled in March 1972, it was also the first MS 670 built. Following testing at Le Castellet and Montlhéry, MS 670-01 was entered for the Le Mans 24 Hour race. It was fitted with a short tail and… Read more 1959 Elva Mk IV – This sporting little Elva Mk IV sports racer is a well-known competitor in both period and contemporary vintage racing. Chassis no. 4L10061, offered here, had its first outing at the 1959 Sebring 12 Hours race, where it was entered by Elva Engineering as a factory racer. It fared remarkable well, finishing 2nd in class. The… Read more 1982 Renault 5 Turbo Group 4 – For 1982, Renault introduced its Renault Turbo 5 Group 4 rally car, and it turned out to be an absolute firecracker. It wasn’t a “homologation special” based on a warmed-through production car, but a totally focused little racer featuring a 270-bhp, 1,397-cc, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, 5-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel… Read more 1964 Ginetta G4R – Among the most famous and documented racing Ginettas The Chris Meek/Gil Baird “Works” development and competition car Numerous wins at Silverstone, Snetterton, Mallory Park and other venues One of only two Lotus Twin Cam-powered G4Rs to race internationally Featured in all the books written on the Ginetta marque Restored for and vintage-raced by previous owner Read more 1959 Cooper-Climax Monaco T49 Mk I – Successor to Cooper’s center-seat “Bobtail,” the Cooper Monaco T49 was named for the win at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix by famed British privateer Rob Walker’s Cooper-Climax Formula 1 car. The Monaco was Cooper’s first production rear-mid-engined sports-racing model, designed expressly to meet FIA requirements of two seats, two doors and a windshield, with a… Read more 1959 Tojeiro California Spyder – A unique post-war racing car conceived by famed race engineer John Tojeiro Completed to a very high standard in accordance with Tojeiro’s original vision Hand-formed body to original designs by Coachsmithing of Blair, WI 300-plus-hp, 302-cubic-inch GMC inline 6-cylinder engine; Muncie “Rock Crusher” 4-speed manual transmission Accompanied by history files, dyno sheets, race reports, and… Read more 1953 Kurtis 500 B – Offered from the Bill Akin Collection A significant example of a dominant design Four-time Indianapolis 500 competitor 1955 Indianapolis 500 3rd-place finisher Immaculately restored to historic No. 15 Bardahl livery Class winner at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island in 2010 and 2011, respectively Includes trophies and awards won by the car, along with period and… Read more 2001 Ferrari 550 GT1 Prodrive – The second of 12 550 GT1 chassis commissioned in 2001 to Prodrive by Care Racing Development for their race program Winner of the 2004 FIA GT Championship, driven by Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin Second in the 2003 FIA GT and 3rd in the 2005 Italian GT Championships Overall winner of the 2004 Spa 24… Read more 1955 Quin Epperly “Fuel Injection Special” Indy 500 Streamliner – Aerodynamic design conceived for two-time Indy 500 Winner Bill Vukovich Built by legendary Indy car builder Quin Epperly for the 1955 Indy 500 Powered by an Offenhauser twin OHC fuel-injected engine Read more 1966 McLaren M1B Group 7 Can-Am Racer – Bruce McLaren’s first sports prototype was the M1A. The team’s first self-designed car, the M1A was another simple space-frame design featuring the Oldsmobile V8 engine via a Hewland transaxle. Frank Nichols’ Elva Cars was already building its own highly successful sports racers, and he expressed an interest in the new McLaren prototype. The result was… Read more 1968–69 Repco Brabham-Cosworth BT26/BT26A – This is the Formula One Brabham in which — on September 20, 1969 — star Belgian racing driver Jacky Ickx won the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, Ontario. It is also the actual car in which Ickx finished 2nd in that same year’s Mexican Grand Prix, 3rd in the French, 5th in the Dutch… Read more 1987 Ferrari F40 LM – In 1987, Ferrari celebrated their 40th anniversary, and to mark the occasion launched their most uncompromising road car ever — the twin-turbocharged, 471-bhp, 201-mph F40. Developed by Michelotto, the F40 LM benefited from enlarged twin IHI turbocharger/intercooler units and advanced Weber-Marelli fuel injection, which increased power to over 700 bhp. A corresponding reduction in weight… Read more
1948 Lesovsky-Offenhauser Indianapolis “Blue Crown Special” – Making its Indianapolis debut in 1948, this car failed to qualify. George Connor was able to qualify the car in 6th position for the Indy 500 in 1949, finishing the race with an impressive 3rd overall. Bill Holland drove it at two subsequent AAA races that year at Trenton and Milwaukee. Connor drove the car… Read more 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint racer – This 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint is an SCCA Trans-American FIA/GT race car. The 999 VIN and the fiberglass doors, front fenders, hood and trunk lid identify this Falcon as a “63 Prototype” car. It was driven and built by Shelby team driver Bob Johnson and was sold in 1967 to SCCA driver Jim Harrell, who… Read more
1956 Ferrari 290 MM by Scaglietti – Within the hierarchy of Enzo-era Ferraris, the sports racing barchettas of the mid-1950s are amongst the most significant cars to wear the Cavallino Rampante. The Works-campaigned examples are especially significant, as they often finished at the front of the pack at the most grueling races, piloted by the most talented drivers. Chassis 0628 is no… Read more
1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar – Despite the enormous success of its production-based race cars throughout its history, Porsche rarely developed such models as official factory entries, preferring instead to support them in the hands of privateer customers. One of the notable exceptions occurred in the mid-1980s with the advent of one of Stuttgart’s most celebrated and advanced models, the 959.… Read more
1956 Elva Mk 1/B Sports Racer – Elva sports racers — designed by Frank Nichols — enjoyed considerable success during the 1950s and 1960s on both sides of the Atlantic. A Kentish garage owner, Nichols had commissioned a Ford-engined special with which to go racing, and the result, the CSM, was first seen in 1954. Nichols put his next creation into production… Read more
1968–69-Type Ford P68 “F3L” Group 6 Racer – Three of the Alan Mann Racing Ford P68 or “F3L” coupes were constructed, of which we are delighted to offer this well-presented example. In the late Alan Mann’s wonderful book Alan Mann: A Life of Change, the British Ford-specialist private entrant recalled how, “at the end of 1966, Len Bailey started a new design for… Read more 1952 Hudson Hornet 6 NASCAR racer – Driven and owned by NASCAR legend Herb Thomas during ’52 and ’53 seasons Presented in original racing livery; factory “Severe Usage” items throughout The last and only known Hudson factory “Fabulous Hudson Hornet” NASCAR racer in existence Read more
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II Coupe – Holman-Moody was initially allocated three GT40s for the 1966 season: chassis P1016 (the car offered here), P1031 and P1032. Although the chassis numbers were among the sequence used for production GT40 road and racing cars, they were each built to new Mk II specifications. The GT40 Mk II was the product of Kar Kraft, Ford’s… Read more 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato “2 VEV” – Bonhams is delighted to offer this ultimate, individual Aston Martin Zagato to the car-collecting world. This competition coupe — always known by its distinctive U.K. road-registration number “2 VEV” — is simply the best known and most charismatic of all Aston Martin DB4GT Zagatos. This ultimate Zagato variant, the 1962 “Manage Project 209,” was essentially… Read more
1983 BMW 635 CSi Group A – Constructed in 1982/1983 by BMW specialists Ted Grace International for Frank Sytner Competed in BTCC/ETCC in 1983 and 1984, driven by Frank Sytner, Brian Muir and Barrie Williams Extensive British and New Zealand racing history Immaculately prepared and eligible for a wide range of 1980s and Group A touring car events Read more
1993 McLaren-Cosworth Ford MP4/8A Formula One – It is evident from our long years of market experience that the essence of truly collectible and iconic competition cars is surely a combination of several very significant factors. The crème de la crème cars upon the very pinnacle of collectibility each have an individually unique and completely verifiable racing history, jeweled by significant success.… Read more 1967 Lotus 47 GT-015 Group 4 Coupe – By the mid-1960s, Colin Chapman’s boundless energy had produced no less than 36 distinctive Lotus automobiles. But the entrepreneurial engineer still yearned to build an inexpensive mid-engine production car with a race version for Team Lotus — and for sale to privateers. Thus the Type 46, or Europa, was revealed in 1965. Built around a… Read more 1956 Lotus Eleven Le Mans Series I – The present owner of this shining Lotus Eleven is no stranger to the type, having owned and raced another Eleven. Keen to add to his Lotus collection, he found another Eleven in the U.K., though it had been badly crashed — when and by whom is unknown. This car’s long recovery to health began in… Read more 1954 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spyder – It was in 1953 that the Maserati A6GCS found its perfect form. Having left Maserati for Stanguellini, Alberto Massimino left a space that was filled by Gioacchino Colombo, known for his work at Alfa Romeo, and the designer of the V12 Ferrari engine that took his name. Colombo perfected the development of the twin-cam,… Read more
1964 Bill Thomas Cheetah – One of only 10 genuine Cheetahs in the United States Original Bill Thomas 377-ci Rochester fuel-injected engine BTM of Arizona-certified and restored to museum quality Known as “The Cobra Killer” on and off the race track Period photos and restoration information available Read more 1957 Kurtis Kraft 500G Indy Racer – Fifth-place finisher at 1957 Indianapolis 500 with Andy Linden “Smokey” Yunick’s first Indianapolis 500 entry (1958) Driven at Indy in 1958 by Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Paul Goldsmith AACA Senior First Place Award and Race Car Certification Multiple awards; appearances include 2005 Goodwood Festival of Speed Great presence; offered in top operating and show… Read more 1952 Jaguar C-Type – This stunning C-type is just the seventh example of 53 cars in the chassis number sequence, and it wears the ninth body constructed. Chassis number XKC007 also claims important SCCA racing history in the hands of the legendary Phil Hill. The Jaguar debuted as number 41 at Elkhart Lake in early September of 1952. As… Read more
1914 Peugeot L45 Grand Prix Two Seater – All dual-overhead-camshaft engines trace their origins back to a few Peugeots built a hundred years ago by a trio of racers, Jules Goux, Georges Boillot and Paolo Zuccarelli — and their engineer collaborator Ernest Henry. The race cars they built had several variations to comply with changing regulations, but today only two examples of these… Read more
1963 Ford Galaxie 500 – Here we offer the John Willment Automobiles Ltd. racing team’s Ford Galaxie 500 — the landmark car in which the late, great, hugely popular driver Jack Sears stood the racing record on its head and shattered those long years of Jaguar domination. The Galaxie was a 400-horsepower 7-liter “Lightweight,” built by NASCAR stock-car racing specialists… Read more 2016 Ferrari 488 GTE – The latest in Ferrari’s illustrious line of rear-engine V8 GT cars, the 488 GTE made its competition debut in the 2016 Daytona 24 Hours. With one car each from SMP Racing, Risi Competizione and Scuderia Corsa, it was Scuderia Corsa — with the sister car to that offered here — which defied expectations to take… Read more
1970 Porsche 917 K – The Porsche 917 K was the direct result of years of intense research. Although it employed the most modern concepts in automotive design, the new car was absolutely in keeping with Porsche tradition. The foundation of the new model was an incredibly lightweight aluminum space-frame chassis. Similarly, the suspension systems made extensive use of lightweight… Read more
1959 W.R.E.-Maserati – The 1950s saw a surge in the popularity of small-displacement 4-cylinder engines. Few were as influential as the engine that powered Maserati’s 200S sports racer. The competition-proven Modena powerplant attracted significant interest from privateers running other makes, and the company was only too happy to sell engines to such concerns, paving the way for race… Read more
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA – While most GTAs were either supplied in Stradale form or subsequently upgraded to Corsa specification, chassis AR752675 was destined for competition from the outset. Correspondence from the Alfa Romeo Museum confirms that the car was manufactured on September 8, 1965, and delivered to the renowned Autotecnica Conrero Team on August 31, 1966 — unusually, in… Read more
2012 Lola B1280 IMSA Racer – Available with powerplants from Nissan, Honda HPD, Lotus and, as with this example, the Judd BMW M3 V8, the Lola B1280 was the LMP2 version of the larger B08/60 chassis. With the large spinal fin, the car featured excellent stability at speed — a must for a car designed to go nearly 200 mph down… Read more
1961 Aston Martin DP214 Replica Competition Coupe – The four Aston Martin Development Project cars were the final racing iteration of the DB4 and Aston Martin’s last pure racers of the David Brown era. In 1962, DP212 appeared at Le Mans and led easily with Graham Hill at the wheel before engine trouble put the car out. In 1963, the final three DP… Read more 1959 Devin D Porsche Special – The brainchild of Bill Devin, an SCCA National Champion from California, Devin Enterprises created a number of kit cars in the 1950s and 1960s. Lightweight, affordable and easy to construct, Devin’s fiberglass sports car quickly earned him a stellar reputation, and Devins could be found competing on racetracks across America. The Devin D could be… Read more 1959 Bocar XP-5 – The outrageous Bocar of the 1950s was the dream of Bob Carnes, who constructed the cars in Denver, CO. No two were alike. Six iterations were built through 1961, when a fire engulfed the Bocar shop and production ceased. Some 40 complete cars are believed to have been built, including an estimated 15 XP-5s. Chassis… Read more 1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 – Chassis 50006 is the sixth example of the seven Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 second-series wide-body cars, and it is one of three originally fitted with the Dubonnet suspension and reversed quarter-elliptical leaf springs (as opposed to being converted by the factory following initial manufacture). Stamped with Scuderia Ferrari number 46, this car interchangeably participated… Read more
1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition – Chassis S850667 is the 10th example of the 12 E-type Lightweights built. It benefits from a short chain of just three long-term caretakers, and the car displays phenomenal originality, having never been disassembled or rebuilt in any significant manner. The winner of the 1963 Australian GT Championship, this car boasts nearly unparalleled overall quality… Read more1987 Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Evoluzione IMSA “Ufficiale” – Alfa Corse Works car Presented in correct Works livery Highly competitive historic racing candidate Read more
1950 Jaguar XK 120 Competition Roadster – One of Australia’s best success stories in terms of motorcar sales and racing, the tale of Bib Stillwell began with a humble garage in Kew, Australia, in 1949. Early on, as agents for British sports cars MG and Jaguar as well as Morris, B.S. Stillwell & Co. established a fine reputation for excellence in client… Read more
1964 OSCA 1600 GT Coupe – The OSCA 1600 GT offered here is the work of Carrozzeria Zagato, and is one of only seven Zagato-bodied cars that were raced; indeed, chassis 011 is probably the most raced of all OSCA 1600 GTs. Its driver was Fausto Mariani, who achieved numerous successes with 011 during the 1964 and 1965 seasons. Read more 1969 AAR Eagle Mk 5 F5000 – When Formula A offered a 5-liter class in 1968, the series took off in the United States as the “American Grand Prix.” The springboard was the adoption of the Chevrolet V8, tuned by Traco to deliver more than 400 horsepower. Dan Gurney instructed All American Racers designer Tony Southgate to modify the 1968 Eagle Indy… Read more 1955 Jaguar D-Type – Following their win at Le Mans in 1953, where Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt led a veritable parade of C-types to three of the top four finishes, Jaguar faced a problem. The limits of the XK 120-based race car had been reached, and in order to remain competitive at Le Mans, a new car would… Read more 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix Two-Seater – Some of the world’s most evocative Grand Prix cars are those originally manufactured during the 1920s, not necessarily for racing team use, but primarily for sale to private customers, providing them with the equipment necessary to take the plunge and go motor racing upon their own account, potentially at the very highest level. Of course,… Read more 1977 Chevron B36 – The Chevron B36 was designed to enter the 2-liter racing class of sports car racing, with the chassis accepting various types of engines. Chassis 367705 was built by Chevron in May 1977 and delivered new to owner and driver Gordon Hamilton of Kansas. Fitted with the highly developed Cosworth BDG 1,975-cc, 4-cylinder engine, it was… Read more 1953 Jaguar C-Type Racer – This wonderful Le Mans racing Jaguar is one of the most unmolested, highly original, 1950s 24-Hour-race sports cars still surviving anywhere in the world today. It is also much more than “just” a Le Mans 24-Hour race car — it is a Le Mans 24-Hour-race top-10 finisher, and it achieved that feat in the Jaguar… Read more 1987 Ford RS200 Coupe – Masterminded by its European Motor Sports boss, Stuart Turner, the RS200 was Ford’s ambitious attempt at producing a championship-winning Group B rally car. Overseen by Ford Motor Sports Chief Engineer John Wheeler, the RS200 project commenced in 1983 with production of 200 cars planned to meet Group B requirements, hence the name. The design, by… Read more 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSR IROC – In 1973, Roger Penske created a racing series called the International Race of Champions, or IROC. Equally ambitious and unique in concept, the IROC series aimed to place the world’s best racing drivers in identical cars to compete against each other over several rounds at leading U.S. venues. In so doing, Penske’s aim was to… Read more 1975 Fiat-Abarth 124 Sport Rally Group 4 Spider – The Fiat 124 Abarth Rally was a high-performance homologation special based on the 124 Sport Spider. First introduced in 1966 at the Turin Show and based on a shortened 124 saloon floor pan and running gear, the attractive Pininfarina-styled Sport Spider and its derivatives would prove an outstanding success for Fiat, over 200,000 being sold… Read more 1966 McLaren M1B Can-Am – In 1961, Bruce McLaren applied his design skills to the M1 sports racer, developed at the same time as the Lola T70. The two mid-engine cars would fiercely contest the new Canadian-American race series. McLaren launched the M1 at the Mosport Grand Prix for sports cars in September 1964, where he led the race until… Read more 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super Competition Saloon – The Giulia TI (Turismo Internationale) was Alfa Romeo’s flagship high-performance saloon in the 1960s. Introduced in 1962 and outwardly almost indistinguishable from the outgoing 1.3-liter Giulietta, the Series 101 Giulia boasted a more powerful and much less fussy 1,570-cc engine. Despite their boxy, unitary construction body, the Giulietta and Giulia were paragons of aerodynamic efficiency… Read more 1960 Scarab-Offenhauser Formula One Racing Single-Seater – In recent years, front-engine Formula One car competition at historic and vintage level has seen the full flowering of a fabulous and brave American motor racing project that has been recalled with great pride and nostalgic pleasure by generations of road-racing enthusiasts. Where front-running success in such historic races had for long years been the… Read more1963 Lotus Super Seven Series 2 1500 Cosworth – The Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by Lotus Cars (initially called Lotus Engineering) between 1957 and 1972. It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity. The original model was highly successful,… Read more
1982 Porsche 956 – The history of 956003, and the Porsche 956 program at large, can be tracked back to 1981. That year, the FIA began to roll out regulations for its new Group C category for sports car racing, designed to replace both Group 5 (closed touring prototypes like the 935) and Group 6 (open sports car prototypes… Read more
1959 Lister-Chevrolet – Numerous privateer racing drivers got it in their mind to build their own car in the 1950s, with each experiencing varying degrees of luck on the track. Brian Lister had the money and the engineering know-how, so his first racing car, which was built in the mid-1950s with the able assistance of Don Moore and… Read more 1925 Bugatti Type 13 Brescia – The first 16-valve Bugatti cars were built from 1920 to 1923. Among these cars, a few rare racing models stand out. The Bugatti sales ledgers provide us with information on approximately 22 twin-magneto Type 13s, and seven single-magneto cars in 1923. In 1924, only 19 Type 13 twin-magneto models were built, and 40 or so… Read more 1962 MGB Sebring Lightweight – As they faced a relative failure at Sebring in 1963, MG was hoping that 1964 would bring a change in fortune for the proud marque. By this time, the MGB had been on sale for over a year, and MG was hoping to add to the car’s image with some success at international racing events.… Read more 1955 Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe – Introduced in 1953, complementing the company’s successful open sports cars, the Le Mans coupe was the first closed Frazer Nash to enter production. It used the new parallel-tube-chassis frame, around which was wrapped a beautiful, full-width alloy body that, with its curvaceous lines and horizontal front grille, hinted at the forthcoming Sebring roadster. The chassis… Read more 1955 Jaguar D-Type – When the Jaguar D-type debuted at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans, it finished a narrow 2nd to a 4.9-liter Ferrari V12. A year later, a D-type with a long-nosed factory body and a revised motor won the race outright. Although Jaguar retired from racing after the 1956 season, the D-type continued to flourish… Read more 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS – The Type 904, born of Porsche’s disappointing foray into Formula One in the early 1960s, was produced to bring the company back to its racing sports car roots. In 1962, the immensely talented Ferdinand A. “Butzi” Porsche was tasked with designing a new two-seat competition coupe that could also be driven on the street by… Read more 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione – In July 1966, the Ferrari factory received an order from SAVAF for a 275 GTB Competizione, later specified to be chassis 09079. Late in the specialty model’s limited run, the car was the penultimate example of the thinly aluminum-skinned competition GTB, making it the second-to-last GT car ever produced by Maranello’s factory competition department. Factory… Read more 1934 Talbot AV105 “Alpine Racer” – Simply the best. No other phrase better sums up BGH 23. In its day, this was the outstanding British sports touring car. Georges Roesch’s long line of “Invincible Talbots” needs little introduction to the discerning car connoisseur, and only a combination of poor luck and poor timing meant they never achieved the big-race overall victory… Read more 1993 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera RSR 3.8-Liter Competition Coupe – Built for privateers to go international GT racing, the phenomenally successful RSR was one of the final developments of the Porsche 911 Type 964, which on its launch in 1989 had represented a major step forward in the development of Porsche’s long-running sports car. Two versions were offered — the Carrera 4 and Carrera 2… Read more 1972 McLaren M20 Can-Am – After several years dominating the Can-Am series with a series of school-bus-yellow racers, McLaren Cars stood up to the developing Porsche challenge with the brand-new 1972 M20. Designers Gordon Coppuck and Tyler Alexander departed from standard McLaren practice in the M20 by removing the radiator from the front of the car and replacing it with… Read more 1966 Brabham-Repco BT20 F1 and 1968–69 Lotus-Cosworth Ford Type 49B F1 – 1966 Brabham-Repco BT20 F1 When the FIA announced in late 1963 that a 3-liter limit would be imposed on Formula One racing in 1966, a scramble ensued among competitors to develop suitable new engines. Jack Brabham turned to Repco, an Australian parts supplier. Development centered on Oldsmobile’s F-85 V8 block, which offered the advantage of… Read more 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Plus Competizione – In the winter of 1953–54, Enzo Ferrari concentrated his engineers’ attention upon perfecting a line of large-capacity sports-racing cars for customer sale, backed by a secondary line of smaller variants. To promote and publicize the new sports cars, he approved development of a muscle-bound, outsized “big bazooka” for his Works team. Mr. Ferrari authorized construction… Read more 1964 Alpine M64 – In 1955, Alpine was founded by Jean Rédélé, who originally modified and campaigned Renault 4CVs but quickly found success in many of the world’s most illustrious sports car races. Soon enough, Rédélé started building his own cars on the 4CV chassis and mechanicals, with the A106 being produced in 1955. Nevertheless, Rédélé’s passion for racing… Read more 1968 Porsche 907 LH “Longtail” – Today, Porsche remains the uncontested champion of more endurance races than any other manufacturer, having amassed the most outright wins at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. Yet in the early 1960s, Porsche remained an unconventional, small-displacement manufacturer only capable of winning class victories. At the onset of the prototype era, however, Porsche’s strategy on motorsports… Read more 1966 Lola T70 Mk II Can-Am Spyder – Lola Cars was founded in 1958 by former Quantity Surveyor Eric Broadley, who was located in Huntingdon, England. His first “production car,” the Lola Mark I, was so superior that it immediately made obsolete Colin Chapman’s previously unbeatable Lotus 11s — as well as all Elvas and Coopers. One of Broadley’s most interesting cars was,… Read more 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder – This car is equipped with a 260-hp, 2,999-cc DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine with two Weber 45 DCO/A3 carburetors, a 5-speed manual transaxle, independent front suspension with transverse leaf springs, De Dion rear axle with parallel trailing arms and semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel drum brakes, and a tubular steel frame. This car finished 5th overall at… Read more 1961 Alfa Romeo SZ-1 Coupe – Alfa Romeo’s successful Giulietta range debuted in 1954 with the arrival of the Bertone-styled Sprint coupe, the Berlina (saloon) not appearing until the succeeding season. Veloce models with improved performance followed, and the agile Giulietta SV quickly established an enviable record in production-car racing, notable victories including a Gran Turismo class win in the 1956… Read more 1964 Ferrari 250 LM – As Marcel Massini, the pre-eminent Ferrari historian declared, “Ferrari’s 250 LM is one of the most spectacular mid-engined sports cars ever built — a true competition race car rarer than the legendary 250 GTO, and the last Ferrari to win the grueling 24-hour race at Le Mans.” Chassis number 6107 is the 24th car of… Read more 1970 & 1975 Alfa Romeo Tipo – This month I’m going to write the Race Profile a little differently, because we’re looking at two Alfa Romeo T 33 racing cars that, although both are T 33s, in fact share little more than the lineage and the manufacturer’s logo. So it seems most useful to dispense with the customary catalog introduction and instead… Read more 1935-36 Alfa Romeo 8C 35 Grand Prix – Here we are absolutely delighted to have been engaged to offer this outstanding, uniquely important, supercharged straight-8 Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car for sale by auction. It is a superb example of the first all-independently suspended, big-engined Grand Prix racing design from Alfa Romeo, which the Portello factory made in 1936 to combat the might… Read more 1966 Gurney-Weslake Eagle Mk 1 – Despite his success in almost every category of international motor racing, many consider Dan Gurney’s incomparable Eagle race cars to be his moAst significant contribution to American motorsports. Designed and built in Southern California, the original Gurney-Weslake Eagles raced with success on the world’s stage and were among the most memorable machines built during the… Read more 1954 Mercedes-Benz W-196 Formula One Racer – With the approach of the new Formula 1 that was due to begin with the 1954 season, Daimler-Benz announced that they would be represented by an entirely new team of Mercedes-Benz racing cars. When these entirely new W-196 cars emerged at Reims, fans recoiled in astonishment. These sleek new silver rocket ships were futuristically alien… Read more 1955 Lotus Eleven Competition – The Lotus Mk IX was derived from the Mk VIII, Colin Chapman’s first full-bodywork two-seater barchetta. As with the Mk VIII, the Mk IX was designed around a lightweight steel tubular chassis, fitted with aluminum panels. The body was designed by Frank Costin (the “Cos” in “Cosworth”), and built by Williams & Pritchard. It had… Read more 1969 Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye 1.6 HFS – In total, 1,258 1.6 HFs were built during 1969–70, of which approximately the first 600 were designated HFS and fitted with the Variante 1016 engine featuring modified cams similar to the Works rally cars. This car, 001578, which is a rare fanalone (big-headlight) version, is one of the last HFSs to be built and is… Read more 2000 Porsche 911 GT3 R – Porsche’s 911 series is the definitive sports-car family and a legend in endurance racing. Many consider the GT3 as its crowning achievement. In the tradition of the Carrera RS 2.8, the 996-based GT3, introduced in 2000, was a street-legal homologation model — a raw, track-ready car with a highly modified 3.6-liter, liquid-cooled, flat-6 engine. Whereas… Read more 1936 Talbot-Lago T150C Racer – The heads of the Automobile Club de France, keen to see prestigious national firms return to racing, decided to introduce new rules for the 1936 ACF Grand Prix. The new regulations, adopted on October 13, 1935, opened the event to sports cars. The declared goal was, of course, to encourage the involvement of French firms… Read more 1953 Allard JR Le Mans Roadster – • Estimated 350-hp, 365-ci Cadillac overhead valve V8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors, 4-speed manual transmission, semi-independent front suspension with split axle, rear De Dion axle with coil springs and tubular shock absorbers, and Lockheed four-wheel hydraulic brakes • One of only seven Allard JRs built • One of two factory entries to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1953… Read more 1952 “Wagner Special” BMW Racer – This car appeared on the grid at the 1952 Eifelrennen at the famous Nürburgring complex in Germany. It finished 5th, in the middle of a collection of BMW-powered race cars. This is a unique opportunity to own a contemporary racer to the Veritas racer — and at a comparably bargain price. This example is a… Read more 1974 Lancia Stratos Groupe 4 – The Lancia Stratos is unquestionably the most extraordinary rally car ever produced. It is also one of the most successful, having won the World Rally Championship three times (and probably would have continued if allowed to do so). The first prototype Stratos was a project designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone and exhibited at Turin… Read more 1930–31 Maserati Tipo 26 Sport Road Racer – This magical Maserati was a direct competitor of the smaller-engined, less-uncompromisingly-race-bred Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. It should be considered absolutely within the same breath as one of the most illustrious of Italian-made thoroughbred road-racing cars. This extraordinarily well-presented survivor from Maserati’s early history is offered here direct from 57 years in its current ownership, and… Read more 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Sports Racer – Launched in 1952, the first Aston Martin sports racer was the DB3. Developed for Aston Martin by Eberan von Eberhorst, a former Auto Union racing engineer from the pre-war era, the DB3 featured an all-new, tubular chassis using De Dion rear architecture, with a purposeful, chunky, slab-sided body. Competition victory proved elusive for the DB3,… Read more 1972 Porsche 917/10 Spyder – Perhaps the world’s most recognized Porsche 917: Team Penske Racing, sponsored by L&M Driven by racing legends Mark Donohue and George Follmer Debuted at Mosport ’72 Can-Am driven by Mark Donohue Dominated the ’72 Can-Am series, taking first at five of nine races Can-Am Champion in ’72 driven by George Follmer Raced as #6 by… Read more 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spyder Lungo – Few great classic sports cars can match the intense sensory overload provided by the supreme Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 in raucous action. Add the historic importance and cachet of the Le Mans 24 Hours race, of Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, of Francis, Earl Howe and of Marshal Italo Balbo — and it becomes patently obvious… Read more 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Spyder – In February 1966, Ferrari debuted a new sports-racing car formulated for the FIA’s 2-Liter Group 4 class, with hopes of winning over the numerous privateer teams that campaigned in Porsches. Dubbed the Dino 206 S, the car was powered by the development of the 65-degree V6 engine that had been conceived by Dino Ferrari before… Read more 2007 Peugeot 908 V12 HDi FAP Le Mans Racer – This car has a 700-plus horsepower, 5,500-cc twin-turbocharged dual overhead camshaft V12 engine, 6-speed sequential manual paddle-shift gearbox, independent front and rear double-wishbone suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic ventilated disc brakes. The wheelbase is 116 inches. • 2009 Le Mans Works entry• Exceptional and undisputed racing provenance• 1st Overall at Monza, Silverstone and Spa• Groundbreaking HDi… Read more 1984 Porsche 962 – This Porsche, 962103, better known as the Holbert Racing Löwenbraü Special, is widely considered to be the most successful and recognizable 962. Built by Porsche AG in spring 1984, 962103 was the third customer car completed at the racing department in Weissach. Intended to compete in the IMSA GT Championship, 962103 was originally delivered to… Read more 1949 Snowberger-Offy Indianapolis ‘500’ Roadster – Among the many builders of Indianapolis 500 cars, the names Frank Kurtis, A.J. Watson and Quinn Epperly stand out, primarily for their work during the glorious era of the 1950s through the mid-1960s. Over the years, however, many other talented and resourceful builders turned their hands to the craft. One of these was Russell Snowberger.… Read more 1967 Fiat-Abarth 1000 TC Berlina Corsa – The Abarth reputation as a giant-killer was cemented on the racetracks, rallies and hillclimbs of Europe and America, as funny-looking but potent little Fiat sedans stormed to class wins and group championships in event after event. Based on the Fiat 600D introduced in 1960, the 850 TC, for Turismo Competizione, boasted an 847-cc, Abarth-tuned engine… Read more 1972 Alfa Romeo Tipo TT 33/3 – The Makes Championship racers of 1969–74 are not for the faint of heart or weak of pocketbook Chassis number: AR11572010 – 4th overall at Le Mans with Nino Vaccarella and Andrea de Adamich – Confirmed as a 1972 Alfa Romeo Autodelta team car – Driven by Andrea de Adamich in the 1972 season – Beautiful… Read more 1956 Tojeiro-Butterworth AJB Racer – I have no idea how much fun it might be to drive, but I can guarantee it won’t have a chance against the Lotus 11s and Cooper Bobtails Chassis number: TAD354Engine number: B44 Archie Butterworth of Frimley Green, Surrey, was a wonderfully extroverted engineering personality involved in the resurgent years of British motorsport immediately post-World… Read more 1964 Mini Cooper Works Race Car – From a collector’s standpoint, they were just plain cheap from concept to completion, and they built a ton of them Chassis number: CA257662044 Engine number: 9FSAY34709 Belying its small size and apparent fragility, the Mini Cooper developed into the most successful Works rally car of the 1960s. One of its most famous victories was… Read more Alloy Gullwing is the Ultimate Collectible – If a Mercedes Gullwing is the iconic 1950s Grand Touring car, as many insist, then the ultra-exclusive, all-aluminum “alloy Gullwing” is the ultimate example. Mercedes built 29 of them in 1955 as a lightweight, racing variant on the production car. It was 175 lbs lighter than the steel car and sat on lowered suspension, with… Read more 1966 Porsche Carrera Coupe – This very well-documented example of the Porsche 906 — more familiarly known in period as the Carrera 6 — was supplied by Porsche Kundensport to the marque’s contemporary Australian importer, Alan Hamilton. In essence two cars emerged, both using the chassis identity 906 007. One is the entirely distinctive lightweight Spyder-bodied car nicknamed “Känguruh,” which… Read more 1931 Miller Bowes Seal Fast Special – The Bowes Seal Fast Special was first piloted at Indy by Louis Schneider in 1930, with Clyde Terry as riding mechanic. The car qualified 4th at a speed of 106 mph and finished 3rd on the lead lap (finished 200 laps). It ran with a Miller 8 122-ci engine. The car is restored to its… Read more 1973 Datsun 240Z “Super Samuri” – Among U.K. Datsun enthusiasts, particularly those with a fondness for the 6-cylinder Z series, there is no bigger name than that of Spike Anderson, legendary proprietor of Samuri Conversions and the man responsible for a succession of Z-based racers in the 1970s, most notably Win Percy’s famous “Big Sam.” Very few cars are so famous… Read more 1964 Alfa Romeo TZ Coupe – It’s tempting to speculate what this car might have brought if it had retired after the 1964 season instead of being raced for years One of the most desirable of all of the postwar Alfas, TZs were—and continue to be—considered as Alfa Romeo’s version of Ferrari’s GTO. Ranking in rarity with the very best sports… Read more 1976/1983 Ferrari 308 GTB Group B Michelotto – Introduced at the Paris Salon in 1975, the stunningly beautiful 308 GTB—Ferrari’s second V8 road car—marked a welcome return to Pininfarina styling following the Bertone-designed Dino 308 GT4. Badged as a proper Ferrari rather than a Dino, the newcomer had changed little mechanically, apart from a reduction in wheelbase. The car retained its predecessor’s underpinnings… Read more 1961 Elder-Crawford Indy Roadster – Front-engined roadsters were a feature of the Indianapolis 500 from 1921 to 1963. Especially constructed for the 150-plus mph oval track, they attracted the best racing engineers that America had to offer, including Harry Miller, Fred Offenhauser, Frank Kurtis and A. J. Watson. Few Indy 500 roadsters survive in unmodified form, mainly because of the… Read more 1968 Lola T70 Mk III GT Coupe – There are a lot more T70 coupes out there than ever left the Lola workshop in Slough Eric Broadley’s Lola project, the legendary T70, debuted in 1965 and quickly demonstrated its prowess in the hands of John Surtees, who won the inaugural Can-Am Championship in 1966. The T70 was produced in open Mk II Spyder… Read more 1933 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix – The late Fitzroy John Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan, is remembered with tremendous affection within the vintage racing world. Following a successful Chairmanship, Lord Raglan was only the third person to become Patron of the U.K.’s Bugatti Owners’ Club, in succession to Ettore Bugatti himself and the illustrious motor racing peer, Earl Howe. Indeed, here we… Read more 1967 Jaguar E-type Series 1 Roadster Race Car – This month’s column is a tale with both tragic and cautionary threads for those who play in the vintage racing car hobby This Series 1 E-type roadster was purchased from its second owner in 2005 after being discovered in a garage where it had remained since the mid-1980s. The car was immediately sent to the… Read more 1966 Ford Lotus Cortina – The gulf between an assemblage of parts and a functioning, front-rank racer is immense and can be very expensive to cross Ford was looking to race the Mk I Cortina in the Group 2 category, for which 1,000 “homologation specials” would be required. The obvious powerplant was the twin-cam version of the ubiquitous Ford “Kent”… Read more 1934 MG PA/B Le Mans Works Racer – This car is the sole original survivor of a three-car team put together by MG to publicize the new P-Series, which had been introduced in 1934. The idea was that three identical works cars would be entered in the 1935 Le Mans race, driven by three teams of women, with the whole enterprise to be… Read more 1960 Faccioli Tipo BF Formula Racer – Bologna-based engineer Aldo Faccioli started out in 1947 when his OSFA workshop (Officina Specializza Faccioli Aldo) designed, developed, and built 750-cc specials based on the Fiat 500 chassis fitted with the Lancia Ardea engine. The subsequently named OFSA/Lancia spider achieved numerous top-five finishes throughout the 1950s. In 1960, racing driver Massimo Bondi commissioned Faccioli to… Read more 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza – I know a number of extremely knowledgeable individuals who simply state that if they could own only one collector car, it would be an 8C 2300In the early 1930s, Italian road racing, and motor sport in general, relied on various tiers of competitors to fill the grids: factory entries, successful privateers, loosely organized regional teams,… Read more 1972-73 Porsche 917 Interserie Spyder – Steve McQueen was “The Man” for a generation, and racing through the night in a blue 917 became the holy grail of many fevered imaginationsOver three tumultuous seasons of World Championship endurance racing, Porsche’s 4.5-liter—and later 4.9 and 5.0-liter—917s fought a no-holds-barred battle with Fiat-Ferrari and their 5-liter, V12 Ferrari 512s. The Porsches proved dominant,… Read more 1962 Panhard CD Le Mans coupe – This is a very collectible automobile, albeit for an enthusiast with a specific set of passions, with Le Mans, French, and weird being essential to the mix From 1950-64, Panhard & Levassor rekindled a sporting tradition dating back to 1895 and Emile Levassor’s victory in Paris-Bordeaux-Paris, the world’s first motor race, and continued in Grand… Read more1959 Elva Mk V – {vsig}2010-9_2528{/vsig}Frank Nichols’ first sports-racer was built in 1954, designed by Mike Chapman, competing immediately and successfully against the similar small-displacement Lotus sports-racers of Colin Chapman. Its success encouraged Nichols to emulate its design with the first few Elva live rear axle sports-racers. Mk II featured a De Dion rear axle. The Mk IV had fully… Read more
1960 Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage” – With the introduction and sales success of the road-going 3500GT, however, the company’s health improved drastically, prompting a renewed interest in creating a sports car that could be raced, not by the factory, but by privateers. Credit for the resulting Tipo 60/61 goes to engineer extraordinaire Giulio Alfieri, who, during 1958, created this stunning sports… Read more
1979 Williams FW07 Formula One – Williams F1, one of the world’s leading Formula One motor racing teams, was founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head. One of the few independent F1 teams, it has won 16 FIA F1 World Championships and seven Driver’s Championships. The FW07 was a groundbreaking car regarded by many as the most innovative of… Read more 1961 Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite – In 1958, following the Austin-Healey 100, Donald Healey and BMC (British Motor Corporation) teamed up to introduce the little Sprite. Speed parts were soon available from tuning firms, most notably Speedwell Performance Conversions. The firm also collaborated with Frank Costin and the Williams and Pritchard coachworks to produce a number of lightweight body components, including… Read more 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight – The Carrera 2.7 RS has long been regarded as one of the great cars of all time and, by some, the greatest of all road-going Porsches. Their competition achievements speak for themselves, while their on-road performance remains special to this day. Even the extraordinary (for the period) 0-60 mph acceleration time of circa 5.5 seconds… Read more 1959 Jaguar Lister Costin Sports Racer – In 1957, Brian Lister built his first Jaguar-powered sports racer, with which he achieved outstanding racing victories with the brilliant one-armed driver Archie Scott Brown. During this time, Lister’s sponsor, British Petroleum, was seeking a team of large-displacement sports racing cars to rival Aston Martin and Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars, both of whom were sponsored by… Read more 1924 Bentley 3/4½ Liter Sports – Recipe: Take a good 3-liter Red Label Bentley chassis, mix in a good 4½-liter engine, gearbox, and transmission and add a light body with accessories to taste. The result is a motorcar which, while still retaining a good vintage flavor, possesses a performance equaled by few other machines even of the most modern and expensive… Read more 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe, 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster – By the mid 1990s, there was growing interest at Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in returning to an ultra-exclusive form of racing featuring homologated race cars in the tradition of the great Gran Turismo cars of yesteryear. The result was the FIA GT Championship, which commenced in 1997 to great fanfare. Mercedes-Benz and AMG entered the top-level… Read more 1968 Lola-Colt T150 Indy Car – The advantages of four-wheel drive had been shown at Indianapolis in 1967, and George Bignotti sought to profit by combining it with the Ford V8 in 1968. He bought a single four-wheel-drive Lola with Ford V8 power for Al Retzlaff, to be driven by Al Unser. It was this car. In the 500, Unser qualified… Read more 1969 Ford Escort 1850 GT World Cup Rally Car – The toughest post-war test for motor car and crew ever is reckoned to have been the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, upon which 96 intrepid starters-seven of them Ford factory team Escorts-embarked from Wembley Stadium on April 19. The 16,000-mile route across mainland Europe, South, and Central America required competitors to ascend hazardous… Read more1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Prix – What this is about is the pre-war Grand Prix experience in an attainable, moderately bomb-proof and reliable packageThe Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Prix took its double barreled name from an ex-military major who in France was known as Antoine, in England as Tony, but in his native Venice, Italy, had been christened Antonio Lago. Major Tony… Read more
1922 Sunbeam 2-Liter Grand Prix – An 87-year-old car is like an older person; you certainly don’t expect them to run and jump with the young folks, but they can be fascinating to be around{vsig}2009-10_2376{/vsig}For 1922 and the following three seasons, the Automobile Club of France elected to limit engine capacity to two liters for cars competing in Grand Prix events.… Read more
1990 Ferrari F40 LM Competition Berlinetta – If you want to have the meanest, baddest, highest-horsepower stallion allowed in the Ferrari Historic paddock, here it isThe F40 was a simple machine that, like the greatest Ferraris of the past, relied upon its engine for its performance. Suspension and layout were conventional, and there were no serious attempts to employ cutting-edge technology. The… Read more
1990 Ferrari 641/2 F1 – The buzz at the auction was that this car was unusual and desirable in being completely ready to run with the F1 Clienti. The buyer bought it for that purposeFerrari entered 1990 with a dream driver lineup. Nigel Mansell was in his second season with the Scuderia and Alain Prost was making his debut with… Read more
1968 Porsche 911 Race Car – If you’re racing a 911 and it’s feeling twitchy in a high-speed turn, just hang in there, it will be okay. Above all, do NOT lift {vsig}2009-6_2335{/vsig}While the Porsche 911 has amassed an unmatched record of racing successes, its entry into road racing was not initially championed by Zuffenhausen. With the exception of the 911R… Read more
1969 Matra MS650 Barquette – It was a glorious combination of beauty, speed, sound, and comfort, a proper object of Gallic pride, and almost (but not quite) the equal of Porsche’s 908{vsig}2009-5_2325{/vsig}Only three Matra 650s were built. After a successful racing career, one is kept in the Matra museum at Romorantin, while the second belongs to a racing driver who… Read more
1946 Steyr-Allard Hillclimb Car – It’s shiny and extreme, weird, overdone, and in-your-face in a manner that puts a grin on you just walking around it{vsig}2009-4_2315{/vsig}Sydney Allard’s famous one-off hillclimb car, the 1947 Steyr-Allard, is the best known of all his vehicles. Allard competed in the British Hillclimb Championship with this car for five years, finishing 3rd in 1947 and… Read more
1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spyder Corsa – Though beautiful, the 6-cylinder, 121 LMs were overpowered, under-braked, evil-handling, notoriously unreliable, and historically unsuccessful{vsig}2009-3_2302{/vsig}This magnificent sports prototype Ferrari was the fifth and last of the select batch of 6-cylinder big-engined projectiles that provided the absolute spearhead of the factory Ferrari’s endurance racing campaign for 1955. These gorgeously aggressive and exquisitely proportioned cars were powered… Read more
1965 Ferrari 250 LM Berlinetta – Cars that were once wild girlfriends have become trophy wives, with all the cattiness that accompanies competitive collecting{vsig}2009-2_2283{/vsig}By 1962, it was becoming clear that the 250 GTO was no longer competitive, and something completely new was required. So starting in 1961, Ferrari began experimenting with a rear-engine design. A series of V6 and V8 prototypes… Read more
1976/77 Jaguar XJ12 Broadspeed Coupe – Going, turning, sticking, and stopping were evident and well in hand, but keeping the Jaguar in one piece proved to be more difficult than anticipated R alph Broad’s racing team had excelled in touring car competition since the early 1960s, running Ford Anglias, Mini Coopers, and Triumph Dolomites. Leyland subsequently contracted his Broadspeed team… Read more
1964 Porsche 904 GTS Coupe – If you want to do any serious competition, you’ll need a 2-liter, 4-cam four, and that’s a $100,000 project{vsig}2008-12_2265{/vsig}Having axed its expensive Formula One program at the end of 1962, Porsche turned once more to sports car racing as a means of improving and marketing its road cars. The Type 356-based Abarth-Carreras had flown the… Read more
1960 Jaguar E2A Le Mans Sports Racer – It was left in a corner to be junked, but Guy Griffiths, the father of vintage racing everywhere, talked the factory into selling it to him {vsig}2008-11_2254{/vsig} By 1960, Jaguar had won the world’s most prestigious race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, five times-twice with its original competition-tailored C-type and three times with… Read more
1965 McLaren-Elva M1A “Cro-Sal Special” – The Elva-built McLarens, called M1A to distinguish them from the original McLaren prototype, were campaigned by some of the most famous and successful drivers and teams with a variety of powerplants. Their characteristics reflect the McLaren team’s emphasis on simple, straightforward design and rugged construction, traits which had been inculcated into them from years with… Read more
1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe – “Prime Motoring Fool” Bob Sutherland took a savage pleasure in driving anything, but said his 340 Mexico was just too awful{vsig}2008-9_2223{/vsig}Intended primarily as a competition car for wealthy privateers, the 340 was directed specifically at a new and increasingly profitable market-the United States. Aptly named “America,” the 340 became the first of many subsequent sports… Read more
1971 Ferrari 512 M – These difficult cars have finally gotten the development they didn’t get when racing in anger and have become superb vintage racers{vsig}2008-8_2214{/vsig}In 1968, the rules for sports car racing were changed, limiting Group 6 prototypes to a maximum 3-liter engine capacity. For the 1970 season, Ferrari decided to do what Porsche had done earlier with the… Read more
1972 Ford Escort RS1600 Rally – A Kenyan safari guide tells of this car landing so nose down that everyone thought it was going to go end over endThis 1972 Ford Escort RS1600 Mk I comes to auction directly from the finish line of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic rally, where it was driven to victory by triple Safari… Read more
Lazenby Lotus 17 Special – Jim Clark’s future mechanic had to design and build a suitable frame and scavenge everything else he needed. That appears to be what he didHaving created his first special while training as a mechanic with the RAF, it was perhaps inevitable that David Lazenby would embark upon a similar project once he began working for… Read more
1968 Alpine Renault A110 Coupe – To be welcome, even invited, to drive flat out over an alpine pass in a raging blizzard at night-that’s pricelessThis ex-Works car, fitted with a Mignotet-built and -tuned engine, started its racing career in the 1968 Tour de Corse driven by Jean-Francois Piot. The rally was won by Jean-Claude Andruet in a sister car. Next… Read more
1952 Glöckler-Porsche Roadster – I will argue that the Glöckler-Porsches were early flickers, puffs of smoke in the weeds, and the tinder didn’t really catch fire until the 550 came along{vsig}2008-4_2163{/vsig}Walter Glöckler occupies an honored place among Porsche owners. Not only was he one of the first to race a Porsche, he was also one of the first owners… Read more
1965 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk I Saloon – That “inside front wheel in the air” was a function of stiff front springs and soft rear ones, which seemed to work{vsig}2008-3_2150{/vsig}Ford’s 1960s profile-raising competition program included recruiting Lotus boss Colin Chapman to give the new Cortina a sporting makeover. Chapman’s brief was to develop a Group 2 competition version; Lotus would then build the… Read more
1931 Reo Race Car – Blanco and this Reo scored podium finishes for 22 years-from 1931 to 1954-a monumental accomplishment{vsig}2008-2_2137{/vsig}Car collectors have known for a long time that some of the greatest barn finds have come out of Argentina, but not many realize why this is so. To understand, it is necessary to appreciate Buenos Aires in the inter-war years.… Read more
1948 Veritas BMW Rennsport – This is a front-running, potentially winning car at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Now the price all starts to make sense{vsig}2008-1_2123{/vsig}Veritas was formed in 1946 by BMW engineers Ernst Loof and Lorenz Dietrich to build BMW-engined sports cars. Because steel was virtually unavailable in post-war Germany, the bodies were all hand-finished in aluminum, with steel… Read more
Lola-Climax Mk I Sports Racer – For sheer giggles per lap, I don’t think there is a vintage racer around that can match the Lola Mk I{vsig}2007-12_2109{/vsig}This well-presented Lola-Climax Mk I is not only a fine example of perhaps the most sought-after of all British small-capacity sports-racing cars of the 1950s, it is also one that can boast an exceptional history.… Read more
1952 Allard Cadillac JR “Le Mans” Roadster – If hot rods had been invented in England, Sidney Allard would have been their originator. The first postwar production models of the Allard Motor Company featured American Ford flathead V8s, more often than not fitted with Sidney’s own alloy speed parts such as intake manifolds and cylinder heads. By the early 1950s, larger American OHV… Read more
1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM – 340/375MM coupes are hot, claustrophobic, cacophonous, and demanding to drive. The spyders are simply demanding {vsig}2007-10_2081{/vsig} Ferrari has been called a racing company with a production department, and nowhere is that emphasis more evident than in the production sports cars of the early 1950s. Not only was Enzo Ferrari passionately dedicated to victory on… Read more
1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spyder Corto – The Alfa is so light and quick, you almost forget it’s pre-war. Imagine a tall Lotus 7 with 19-inch tires and a lot more horsepowerThe chassis serial associated with this 8C 2300 is 2211051. This serial was the earliest number applied to the second-series of 8C 2300s, the brainchild of Alfa Romeo’s fabled chief engineer,… Read more
1969 Lola-Chevrolet T142 Formula 5000 – At the end of the day, Formula 5000 is still the ultimate bang for the buck in vintage racingOne of the most attractive categories within historic motor racing is Formula 5000, catering to single-seater (near-Formula One) cars powered by production-based engines of up to 5 liters capacity. Formula 5000 racing was introduced in 1968 in… Read more
1962 Lotus 25 F1 – It is no overstatement to say that the Lotus 25 revolutionized Formula 1 car design. It was a complete break from conventional thinking, advanced even for Colin Chapman, and its significance must be one of the best-kept secrets in motor racing. Colin Chapman said the inspiration came from the steel backbone frame of the new… Read more
1963 Shelby King Cobra Cooper Type 61M – Film clips show MacDonald almost sideways and he never lifts or moves the wheel as he slides through the turn, lap after lap. It is breathtaking to watchIn 1963, Carroll Shelby needed a car to compete in the USAC-sanctioned Fall Series on the West Coast, which evolved later into the SCCA Canadian American Challenge Series,… Read more
Maserati Tipo 65 Sports Racing Prototype – It’s an iconic Italian failure, a testament to chaos, caffeine, grappa, panic, and an unwillingness to throw in the towelThis remarkably imposing V8 rear-engined, sports-prototype is the last of the line of Maserati competition cars built during the Gruppo Orsi Empire’s long ownership of the Italian marque. As such, it marks the high tide of… Read more
1961 Porsche RS 61 Sports Racing Spyder – The factory figured on 120 man-hours to create one of these engines. Setting the cam timing took between eight and 15 hours.Porsche’s giant-killer Spyder series of four-cylinder, four-cam sports racing cars ruled small bore international racing for a full decade, beginning in the early 1950s. Since a powerful multi-cylinder engine was not available, Porsche’s racing… Read more
1965 Alfa Romeo TZ-1 – Alain de Cadenet explained to me a few years back that he bought his first Ferrari GTO because he couldn’t afford the TZ-1 he really wantedAlfa Romeo replaced the Giulietta in 1962 with the Giulia range of cars, powered by 1,570 cc engines. In 1963, the company introduced a radical aluminum-bodied Zagato coupe incorporating the… Read more
1907 Renault AI 35/45 Vanderbilt Racer – This car was the Ferrari Enzo of its day-exclusive, fast, beautiful, and exciting-but not really a racerRenault’s reputation was made in the open-road races of Europe at the turn of the 20th century, in cars built and driven by Louis Renault and his brother Marcel. Even though Marcel was killed in the 1903 Paris-Madrid race… Read more
1963-64 Lola-Chevrolet Mk 6 GT – This stunningly beautiful car represents the beginning of the modern GT and will be extremely competitive in high-level vintage racingHis groundbreaking Anglo-American competition coupe, with its two sisters, marked one of the most significant landmarks in the entire history of world-class endurance racing. This rear-engined Lola GT is the second sister of the original Lola-Ford… Read more
1927 Bugatti Type 35C – I can personally attest that it’s possible to sit for hours contemplating the Type 35 like a piece of sculptureThere were 23 automobiles on the starting grid for the 1930 Monaco Grand Prix. Fourteen of them-60% of the field-were Bugattis. Bugattis were essentially graceful machines that emphasized light weight and great road holding over power.… Read more
1956 Jaguar D-type – This gently patinated, tastefully restored 1956 Jaguar D-type sports racing car exemplifies all that was most impressive, most innovative-and perhaps above all most beautiful-about the legendary British manufacturer’s mid-’50s design. The immortal D-type survives today as the supreme example of semi-monocoque frontier technology. After three Le Mans wins in 1955, ’56, and ’57, it was… Read more
1993 Williams-Renault FW15C – ABS brought the realization that it was possible to allow computing power to do far more than keep the wheels from lockingWorld Champion Alain Prost once described the Williams-Renault FW15C, as “really a little Airbus” -his way of describing an F1 car in the electronic era. Prost campaigned seven grands prix in the 1993 season,… Read more
1968 Howmet Turbine – Much of the experimental engine is missing. Only ten were built, to win a government contract, so replacement parts are on intergalactic backorderThroughout the past century of automotive progress, the turbine engine was perceived as a possible alternative to the internal combustion engine. The two most famous American turbine programs are the Chrysler Turbine and… Read more
1963 Cobra 289 Le Mans – The engine and transmission Shelby dropped into the car were as exotic as corn dogs at a state fairCarroll Shelby’s concept was simple enough. Take the attractive, lightweight, well-proven Ace roadster built by AC Cars and turn it into a world-beating production racer by the simple expedient of replacing its aging six-cylinder engines with a… Read more
1965 Shelby GT350 R – Race cars have always been weapons for a battle, complex mechanisms that allowed talented humans to compete for pleasure and glory It is impossible to define a Shelby GT350 R any better than the Shelby American Automobile Club’s 1997 Registry does. “The competition model was the car the GT350 started out to be. Unlike any… Read more
1935 MG R-type – A tiny, wavering soprano has a tough time in a Wagnerian opera, no matter how good she may beLast of the Abingdon marque’s pre-WWII racing cars, the R-type was unveiled on April 25, 1935. Beautifully wrought, its revolutionary chassis boasted such advanced features as selective dampers and finned drum brakes.Powered by a supercharged 747-cc OHC… Read more
1955 Maserati 300S – In 1955, after taking delivery of his most powerful Maserati to date, the three-liter 300S offered here, chassis number 3057, Benoit Musy contested eleven European Sports Car Championship events, winning five times and scoring a further five podium finishes up to the August 12, 1956, Kristianstad Swedish Grand Prix, which he won. In a cruel… Read more
“Goodall Special Sports” – According to information supplied by the vendor, this intriguing two-seater special is believed to have been constructed in 1926 by one Cleland C. Castleman. Built around an inverted ladder frame (hence the ground-hugging stance), it’s equipped with a beam front axle, “live” rear end, leaf springs, and Andre-Hartford-style friction dampers. Clothed in a mixture of… Read more1965 Ferrari 1512 – Ferrari built three of these cars 40 years ago and never used the engine again. If you blew it up, it would be a very long walk homeIn an attempt to curb the ever-increasing speeds of Formula One, engine regulations were changed in 1961 to a maximum capacity of 1.5 liters. By the time more… Read more
1967 Lotus Type 51 FF – It was a class where being faster than the other guy meant you were a quicker driver, not that you had spent more money{vsig}2006-2_1915{/vsig}Introduced in 1967, the Lotus Type 51 was the Norfolk concern’s first specific Formula Ford design. Derived in part from the earlier Type 31 Formula 3 cars, it utilized a multi-tubular space… Read more
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 repainted in… Read more
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… Read more
1964 Ford GT40 Prototype – Whoever won the battle to own this car spent an absolutely scandalous amount of money to do so, presumably because the car is so historicallyimportant{vsig}2005-11_1896{/vsig}In April of 1964 the Ford GT40 was unveiled to the automotive press, and the journalists and industry executives alike were awestruck by the innovative monocoque design and dashing good looks.… Read more
1940 Maserati 8CL Indy Car – The car was like a snappy retort delivered after the party was over-clever, but presented to an empty room{vsig}2005-10_1888{/vsig}Following on the success of Wilbur Shaw’s win in his Maserati Tipo 8CTF at the Indianapolis 500 in May 1939, the Maserati factory was confident it could repeat this victory in 1940 with its new model monoposto… Read more
1967 Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA Corsa – I couldn’t keep away from the white GTA on the showroom floor, admiring it like it was a Playboy centerfold{vsig}2005-9_1876{/vsig}This striking Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA is documented as the car in which future Ferrari and Alfa Romeo T33 sports-prototype star Andrea de Adamich won the 1967 European Touring Car Challenge Championship. Records show that chassis… Read more
1960 Cooper T52 Formula Junior – The over-the-top factory team cars like the Lotus 27 and Lola Mk 5 were the reason Formula Junior died offPowered by JAP and Manx Norton motorcycle engines, Cooper’s innovative mid-engined racing cars dominated the 500-cc Formula 3 scene in the 1950s. These cars provided many future stars, most notably Stirling Moss, with their first taste… Read more
1987 March 87C “Kraco” Indy Race Car – The CART series has long been America’s premier open wheel racing series, and with multiple championships, the Andretti racing family has been its most favored winners. Father and son Mario and Michael had overlapping careers, giving fans splendid battles for first place, with neither family member giving an inch. The March 87C on offer here… Read more1964 Lancia Flavia Sport – Alternate terms for these quirky cars are “full of personality,” “individualistic,” and various other ways you’d go about describing a blind date{vsig}2005-5_1841{/vsig}When the Lancia Flavia was first presented to the public at the Turin Motor Show of 1960, most people were amazed at its unconventional layout. Developed by the gifted engineer Antonio Fessia, it was… Read more
1961 Chaparral 1 – There’s something romantic about cars that signify the end of an era, the last and greatest of their kind, yet doomed by the coming revolution{vsig}2005-4_1835{/vsig}The year was 1961. Jim Hall was an ambitious young man from Midland, TX, who had done well in oil and was determined to do even better in pro racing. He… Read more
1998 Dodge Viper Race Car – Your 16-year-old son would probably be happy lighting incense in front of it and inviting his friends over to worship{vsig}2005-3_1828{/vsig}Few cars in the history of the American automobile have captured the imagination of car enthusiasts like the Dodge Viper. What started as an outrageous concept car at the 1989 Detroit auto show led to a… Read more
1966 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra – In the late ’60s there just wasn’t anything badder than a 427 Cobra, and the fact that they were rumored to kill an abnormally high percentage of people who dared to drive them only increased the reputationAlthough the 289 Cobra was well proven in competition by the mid-1960s, it was becoming clear that something more… Read more
1929 Mercedes-Benz Type 38/250 Model SSK – In the hands of drivers like Rudolph Caracciola, the SSK was the dominant race car of its era, and came to symbolize all that was wonderful and scary about racing during the “Roaring Twenties”{vsig}2005-1_1809{/vsig}Known in period as simply, “the mighty Mercedes,” advertisements for the SSK justifiably screamed, “the fastest sports car in the world.” George… Read more
1968 McLaren M6B Can-Am Race Car – If you can hustle one of these babies around the track, nobody will ever question your manhood{vsig}2005-1_1810{/vsig}The Can-Am Series for unlimited sports cars began in 1966, and a year later Bruce McLaren won his first championship, driving a car bearing his own name. Teammate Denny Hulme was second, and for the next four years, the… Read more
1962 MGB Sebring – The U.S. MG distributors were hoping to put a gleam in the eye of the dentist from Columbus, who might imagine his car out there running with the Ferraris and Porsches{vsig}2004-12_1541{/vsig}Sebring in 1964 was one of the world’s top-tier endurance races, part of the FIA’s Challenge Mondiale and Prototypes Trophy, along with the Targa Florio,… Read more
1969 Chevron B16 – Chevron B16s are just about the coolest, most beautiful, fastest little fantasy of a race car that you can get your hands on{vsig}2004-11_1475{/vsig}Only 23 Chevron B16s were built and today they are universally praised by their drivers for handling, performance, and-most elusive of all-an exceptionally graceful design. Indeed, the Chevron B16 is among the most… Read more
1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Sports Works Rally Car – Few race cars have made such a serious strike for female equality-Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom took an overall victory in the most difficult rally of the time in this Healey{vsig}2004-10_1447{/vsig}British Motor Corporation’s Austin-Healey marque introduced the new 3000 model in 1959 as an improved version of the 100-Six, with the well-proven, pushrod six-cylinder bored… Read more
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C – This immensely desirable and highly usable Ferrari 275 GTB/C is the third of only 12 such Berlinetta Competizione models produced by the world-famous Maranello factory, and is absolutely not to be confused with the normal, standard production GTB models. Here was a purebred endurance-racing competition car whose fundamental bodyshape and basic technical specification were almost… Read more
2000 F1/2000 Race Car – Of course, there is no experience like driving an F1 car: The sound, the incredible horsepower, the ridiculous braking ability, and the sheer competence of the chassis combine into sensory overload of the best sort{vsig}2004-9_1211{/vsig}When Jody Scheckter won the Formula 1 drivers’ championship in 1979, few enthusiasts, and even fewer among the management at Fiat… Read more
1957 Kurtis-Offenhauser KK 500 G2 Indy Roadster – Front-engined Indy cars are the equivalent of those big, muscular farm boys from the ’50s with butch cuts, trucker’s tans, and aggressive smiles that sort of dare you to take them on{vsig}2004-8_1218{/vsig}After World War II, Frank Kurtis saw an opportunity and began to mass-produce midget racing cars of his own efficient and beautiful design. This… Read more
1984 Audi Quattro Sport – Anyone who’s ever stood in the cold on the side of a dark mountain road waiting for those headlights to come flashing by can understand the desire to own this car.{vsig}2004-7_1224{/vsig}This 1984 Audi Sport Quattro is not only the works car of world champion Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz, but is probably the fastest street… Read more
1951 Allard J2 Cadillac Le Mans Race Car – A tech inspector looked at the front suspension of a J2X and said, “Wow! Where’s the ‘crimes against nature’ checkbox on this form?”{vsig}2004-6_1233{/vsig}During the mid-1980s, Glenn Shaffer began a search for an Allard J2 with racing heritage. He found this Allard J2 in Lima, Peru, suspecting it was the “missing” #2 Le Mans race car… Read more
1966 Porsche 906 – If the new owner knew that 906.016 was a weird but very real chassis number, and that it had both factory development and extensive race history, then he had the unfair advantage When introduced in 1966 the Porsche 906-marketed generally as the “Carrera 6”-combined a multi-tubular space-frame chassis with strikingly low and curvaceous lightweight fiberglass… Read more
1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe – Its recent vintage-racing provenance has completely eclipsed whatever original period history the car might have had{vsig}2004-4_1245{/vsig}By the mid-1960s, Corvettes powered by the immortal 327-c.i. Chevrolet V8 were regular national winners in the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Production class. This storied 1966 coupe had just such an early history, as Texan Dan Hines ran it… Read more
1980 Ferrari 512 BB/LM – The only concern of the Porsche drivers was that they stay well clear of the 512s. The handling of the three overweight Ferraris was as diabolical as anything that had ever emerged from Maranello Ferrari’s opposed 12-cylinder Formula One technology worked its way into the production lineup in 1971 with the introduction of the 365… Read more
1981 Lola T600 – This sucker is one big, low car with ground clearance that would scare a cockroachLola constructed just 12 examples of the T600. Chassis T600-HU3 was completed on March 28, 1981, the only example built with a four-cam Cosworth/Ford engine, and the only one retained by Lola Cars, Ltd., as a factory “works” car. It was… Read more
1956 Ferrari 860 Monza – It gives ferocious yank, particularly through rock-hard vintage rubber{vsig}2003-11_1284{/vsig}The 860 Monza is one of the baddest, loudest, prettiest Ferraris ever built. While it keeps company with other legendary Ferraris including cars like the Testa Rossas, Monzas and 625 LMs, the 860 Monza really stands apart. It was big, it was hairy and it won races… Read more
1965 Brabham BT 8 Sports Racer – With big engines, they will introduce you to religion at the top end of fifth gearThe Brabham BT 8 is one of the most desirable of the Coventry Climax-engined sports cars of the 1960s. Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac laid down nine chassis for the 1964 season, just two in 1965, and only one chassis… Read more