The advent of the Dino marque was not only homage to Enzo Ferrari’s son. One slice of Alfredo’s legacy was his fondness for engine design; encouraged by Vittorio Jano, he was able to convince his father that a V6… more»
Long-Term Owner: 1962 Jaguar XKE Series I “Flat Floor” Roadster
The market has sorted the XKE into what I call a “desirability stack”. At the pinnacle are the rarified – a couple of handfuls of Lightweights (the racing version), a few hundred “outside bonnet latch” (aka OBL) cars, and… more»
Q-Code 428CID V8: 1966 Ford Thunderbird Town Landau Coupe
In the beginning, Ford’s Thunderbird established the “personal luxury” niche. The original design was inspired by the popularity of two-seat European sports cars but amended to accommodate Americans’ desire for comfort. As the years rolled by, the T-Bird gained… more»
Garage Find: 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet
Until the 250 GT Pininfarina was launched, Ferrari model production numbers ranged from a few-handfuls to slightly less than 100 copies. Many were customized to buyers’ tastes. By the mid-1950s, the company knew it needed to sell more road-going… more»
Bubble Car Survivor: 1957 BMW Isetta 300
Like Triumph’s Amphicar and Fiat’s Jolly, the BMW Isetta has a “coin of the realm” quality when it shows up at auctions. Once parked on the lawn at Bonham’s or Gooding, these cars are almost guaranteed to bring three… more»
Low Mileage Original: 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan
Here are a few conundrums wrapped up in one 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor sedan, advertised on craigslist, with a request from the seller that prospective buyers send him a “best offer”. The car is located in Thousand Oaks, California… more»
Twin Turbos! 2001 Lotus Esprit V8
Lotus’ long-running Esprit model incorporated more than twenty variants, many of them made in overlapping production years. For instance, in 2001, buyers could opt for the Esprit V8, the V8 GT, the V8 SE, and the tremendous Sport 350…. more»
Unrestored 1958 Lancia Aurelia B24S Cabriolet
Lancia’s Aurelia was a kaleidoscope of models, from the slightly frumpy B10 to the luminous Spider America. Not only did the sheet metal change, but Lancia was ever in self-improvement mode, tinkering around the edges of its unique solutions… more»
Rare Micro Car: 1952 Mochet CM 125 Grand Luxe
When I hear “grand luxe”, I translate it roughly as “large, luxury, top shelf”. But Frenchman Georges Mochet – who inherited his father Charles’ cyclecar business – thought differently about these things. He had evolved the business away from… more»
Survivor! 1934 Chevrolet Master Sedan
In 1934, General Motors refined an idea that revolutionized ride comfort for the average car owner. The company studied independent front suspension configurations and adopted the Dubonnet system using enclosed springs and dampers pivoting on a kingpin. The structure… more»
Gas Miser: 1992 Geo Metro Convertible
The elfish Geo Metro amounted to one of the nine lives of the Suzuki Cultus, a car that was badged variously as the Suzuki Swift, the Chevy Sprint, and the Pontiac Firefly from 1985 to 1989. General Motors, partnering… more»
Low Miles? 1993 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE
Though the Lotus Esprit was produced for twenty-eight years in 22 variants, fewer than 11,000 examples were made in total. The cars were handbuilt by a slender workforce at Hethel, Norfolk, UK, at the rate of about one per… more»
Collectible Cat: 1993 Jaguar XJ220 Coupe
Jaguar, the carmaker, has been Jaguar, the race champion, almost too many times to count. In the 1980s, the company backed Bob Tullius and Tom Walkinshaw Racing at IMSA and the World Sportscar Championship, racking up wins at Daytona… more»
Upcoming Classic? 1982 Mazda 626 Coupe
By the 1960s, the American consumer understood exactly what a no-frills economy car was, thanks to Volkswagen. The import scene became a real brawl: Toyota brought us the Crown, then the Corona, Volvo the PV444, then the 140 series,… more»
Pink 1959 Cadillac DeVille Two-Door Hardtop
Integrated into this single car is the intersection of at least three vectors of American culture: music, art, and automotive history. “Music” refers to Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac”, a hit song in 1984. But of course, long before that,… more»
1996 Toyota HiAce Bambee Diesel Camper
As the years roll by, the US rule allowing a person to import a foreign car so long as it is more than 25 years old is bringing ever more interesting metal onto our shores. From Japan, we’re seeing… more»
















