Although it tended to be overshadowed by the larger 300SL, the 190SL was a high- quality sports tourer noted for its refinement and elegance. When introduced in February 1954, it was thought to be a little slow, but by 1958 the engine output had been raised to 105 bhp, commendable […]
Profiles
1959 Kellison J-4R Coupe
Jim Kellison was a fighter pilot during the Korean War who went on to study aircraft engineering at UCLA. In 1954, he founded his own company, Kellison Engineering, and began building professionally-engineered sports cars with fiberglass bodies. A Kellison J-4 Grand Turismo coupe cost $6,700 in 1959. To put that […]
1979 Ferrari 512 BB Berlinetta Boxer
Faced with having to pitch its Daytona front-engined model against the mid-engined Miura and Bora, Ferrari responded with the 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta Boxer in 1973. An entirely new car and the first road-going Ferrari not to have a “V” configuration engine, the Boxer used a 4.4-liter, four-cam, flat-12 derived from […]
1955 Morgan Plus Four DHC
H.F.S. Morgan’s first four-wheeled Morgan, the Standard 10-engined 4/4, appeared in 1936 and formed the mainstay of production until 1950, when it was superseded by the larger and more powerful Standard-Vanguard-engined Plus Four. We are advised that the Morgan Motor Company has confirmed that this example left the factory in […]
1959 Facel Vega HK500 Coupe
Some of the most exciting and flamboyant sports cars in history were produced in Paris and its surrounding areas through the first half of the 20th century. Delahaye, Delage, Talbot Lago and Panhard were some of the great marques that called this area home. However, performance and the French government’s […]
1955-62 Triumph TR3
The Triumph TR3 may be the last real bargain among English sports cars. For reasons Triumph lovers can’t understand but don’t complain much about, these cars never caught the tide that swelled prices of Austin-Healeys and Jaguars. Nevertheless, the TR3 offers all the quirky touches so dear to an Anglophile’s […]
1960 Porsche 356B Roadster
The Roadster pictured here is a Drauz-built 50,000-mile California car. It was meticulously and comprehensively restored by a Porsche specialist. Presented in Fjord Green with a brown interior, a tan cloth top and chrome wheels, it has seen little use since restoration. Part of a 50-car collection, this 356 has […]
1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk I Roadster
Inspired by Carroll Shelby’s success in shoehorning a Ford V8 into the AC Ace to create the Cobra, Rootes asked Shelby to perform the same trick with its Sunbeam Alpine sports car. Ford’s 260 cubic-inch (4.2-liter) unit was chosen, similar to that used in the Cobra and more than capable […]
1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
Arguably the most beautiful product ever to carry the Maranello marque’s prancing horse emblem, the 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1962. Styled by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the Lusso (luxury) combined racetrack looks with new high standards of passenger comfort. Beautifully proportioned, the […]
1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV
The Aston Martin DB4 was introduced at the 1958 London Motor Show to great acclaim. Its beautiful yet understated coachwork was by the famed styling house Touring of Milan. Touring utilized the Superleggera process in which aluminum panels were attached to a steel tube frame, the overall effect being that […]