By the late ’50s it was apparent that Ferrari had perfected the dual-purpose gran turismo automobile with its line of 250 GTs. The Colombo-designed V12 had evolved into a powerful engine. More important in racing, where it was said, ” to finish first, you must first finish,” it was reliable. […]
Considered as the original Austin-Healey, the 100 BN1s and BN2s were built from 1953 to 1956. Equipped with a four-cylinder engine, the 100 BN1 series cars featured a production run exceeding 10,000 units, while only about 4,500 of the later BN2 series cars were produced. Most enthusiasts do not differentiate […]
The introduction of the Fulvia sedan in 1963 maintained Lancia’s reputation for innovation in automobile design. The boxy replacement for the Appia featured an all-new, narrow-angle, V4, overhead-camshaft engine, along with front-wheel drive, independent front suspension by double wishbones and disc brakes all around. A 2+2 coupe version on a […]
If striking design and technical sophistication were the prime factors in determining a car’s collectibility, the Subaru SVX (1992-97) would certainly make the grade.Introduced in 1991 as a Giugiaro-designed show car, it wowed the public and the motoring press with its trend-setting Italian design. The SVX was both praised and […]
In 1959 Porsche concluded the run of the 356A cars, with their distinctive “droopy” front fenders, lower headlights and low bumpers. Even though the Cabriolet appears to share thepanels of the Speedster, in fact their bodies have almost nothing in common. In further contrast to the Spartan Speedster, the Cabriolet […]
Frank and Morris Eckhart of Auburn, Indiana, started the Auburn Motor Company in 1903. As their business grew, they acquired more dealerships to stay ahead of the competition, but by the mid-’20s size had caught up with them and they were in need of new leadership. In 1925 E. L. […]
Introduced in Europe in 1987, Ferrari’s newest supercar was a shock to the senses. An engineering tour-de-force, the F40 combined raw-edged radical styling with state-of-the-art engine, body and chassis design. Driving one is a visceral experience, hammering the senses with brutal acceleration, go-kart-quick reflexes and a howling exhaust note that […]
Jaguar turned the motoring world upside-down and inside-out when it introduced the XK 120 in 1948. It combined a powerful 160-bhp twin-cam straight-six with the most sensuous body ever seen on a production automobile. The combination of the 120-mph top speed, beauty and value had the celebrities lining up for […]
According to factory records supplied by the ever-helpful Maserati expert Ermanno Cozza, this desirable car left the factory on February 22, 1957, and was delivered new to Maserati’s California dealer, M. Rezzaghi. Records show that the car was next owned in 1959 by M.C. Valdez of San Diego and further […]
In the mid-’50s, as the costs of Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, and MGs began to increase with each new model year, Donald Healey saw a niche opening up for a car that would be fun to drive, inexpensive to own, and “small enough to store in a chap’s motorcycle shed.” From that […]
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