In early 1962, Nuccio Bertone purchased a complete 250 GT SWB chassis from Maranello and laid out his vision for a spectacular new Ferrari that he would retain for his personal use. To execute the design, Nuccio turned to Giorgetto Giugiaro, a young stylist who had joined the coachbuilder in […]
Author: John Apen
John holds degrees in engineering and operations research from the University of California-Berkeley, New York University, and Johns Hopkins. He vintage raced a Ferrari TdF for 13 years and has been restoring old cars for nearly 50 years. He owned the Atlanta Ferrari-Maserati dealership, FAF, for 17 years. He’s always had an affinity for obscure American cars, and in high school, he drove a 1936 Packard convertible coupe, followed by a 1949 Olds Holiday hardtop that got him through college. Today his garage includes 11 cars, including a Top Flight 1960 Corvette he’s owned since day one, a 1957 T-Bird, and several vintage Ferraris. His automotive library contains over 5,000 magazines and books and 1,800 auction catalogs. He has contributed to SCM since 1996.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
In the pantheon of open Ferraris, the 250 California Spyder is head and shoulders above the rest. It has all the elements Ferraristi look for, the desirable Colombo V12, rarity, and a successful competition pedigree. The California Spyder, in contrast to the luxurious 250 cabriolets, was intended for those who […]
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
The extraordinary Ferrari presented here, 1425GT, is the 27th of 50 California Spyders built on the long-wheelbase 250 GT chassis. Consistent with its May 1959 build date, this California Spyder benefits from a number of significant evolutionary improvements introduced throughout the model’s two-year production run. Although more than 55 years […]
1957 Ferrari 250GT LWB Berlinetta TdF
{vsig}2010-9_2525{/vsig}The LWB Berlinetta was one of the great Ferrari racing cars and was the start of the 250 GT Berlinetta’s competition career. It would win more races than either of its legendary successors, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta or the 250 GTO. Introduced in October, 1954 at the Paris Salon, […]
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
The 250 GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta (SWB) is a great dual-purpose gran turismo and the logical evolution of the long-wheelbase Berlinetta, popularly known as the “TdF” because of its four consecutive wins in the Tour de France from 1956 to 1959. The SWB was even more successful than its predecessor, posting […]
1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Sport Berline
More than half of all the Model Js produced were closed and were generally more expensive and popular than the sporty, open cars. Styling was mostly both very conservative and conventional. However, Murphy of Pasadena, California, was an exception among Duesenberg coachbuilders, for their unique sedans were sporting. George Whittell […]
1949 Ferrari 166 Inter Farina Coupe
The Ferrari 166 Inter was the road version of the 166 MM racing model, and 37 were produced between 1948 and 1950. The “166” referred to the displacement of a single cylinder in cubic centimeters, and twelve cylinders equaled 1,992 cc. The Colombo-designed and Lampredi-developed engines had twin distributors and […]
1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Cabriolet
Even at $253,000, this car is still less than half the price of some Packard V12 Cabriolets {vsig}2009-7_2340{/vsig} This 1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Cabriolet was driven by James Cagney in the 1930s film “The Mayor of Hell.” It was restored over 20 years ago, and it’s been certified by the […]
1958 283/245 Convertible
Although the cars built from 1953 to 1955 introduced the Corvette to America, it was the 1956 second series that truly earned the title “America’s Sports Car.” The clean good looks of Harley Earl’s new body design struck a chord with the American public, and it quickly outsold the older […]
1933 Duesenberg SJ LaGrande Phaeton
Duesenberg expert Randy Ema affirms that cars like this, with original major components-chassis, body, engine-are at the top of the scale Duesenberg Automobiles was plucked from the post-World War I recession by Errett Cord, the savior of Auburn. By 1927, he was looking to build a more prestigious car and […]