When I think of muscle cars, my mind automatically goes to the Hemi Cuda. Maybe because my best friend in school had a ’73 Barracuda and the Hemi Cuda was always a car we wanted to own. Exotics? The… more»
Micro Cars
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»
Rare Beach Runabout: 1968 Fiat 500 Jolly
The Fiat 500 was one of the Italian manufacturer’s most successful products in the decades following World War II. Various incarnations were built and perhaps the most interesting was the Jolly. It was a low-production runabout with no doors… more»
Mid-Engine Gullwing: 1993 Autozam AZ-1
No matter the size of the vehicle, the horsepower, or the value, there aren’t many features that will gather a crowd like having a set of gullwing doors open while you’re getting gas or at a car show. This… 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»
Go-Kart Fun: 1958 Berkeley SE328
I could recount the entire history of the Berkeley Coachworks Company (headquarters: Biggleswade, England) – first using its expertise molding caravans from what we now call fiberglass, to making tiny sports cars that a few crazy people tried to… more»
Micro Magic: Rare 1952 Crosley Scorpion
Here’s a mind twister: Crosley, the niche micro-car maker, was the donor platform for a kit car known as the Scorpion (aka Skorpion). While thousands of Fieros, VWs, Model As and Ts, and various British cars have given their… more»
Pocket Rocket: 1991 Daihatsu Mira J Turbo
Well here’s something you don’t see every day in the U.S., or ever. Most of us know the name Daihatsu for its trucks or possibly for the short-lived (in the U.S.) Charade or 4×4 Rocky. The company makes fantastic… more»
Spotless Classic: 1972 Honda Z600 with 1,000 Original Miles
Classic cars with owners making extraordinary mileage claims are nothing new, and some bear better scrutiny than others. That brings us to this 1972 Honda Z600. It undeniably presents exceptionally well, and if the seller’s assertion that it has… more»
Exciting Small Car? 1967 King Midget Model III
The seller refers to this 1967 King Midget Model III as the “World’s Most Exciting Small Car”, and while I’m not sure whether that’s a historic King Midget advertising line or their personal belief, I’ve always wanted one. They’re… more»
One Wheel Less: 1983 Reliant Rialto 2 GLS Estate
Think the three-wheeler is odd? Consider this: the first self-powered vehicle was a steam-engined three-wheeler, with a single front wheel. Invented by Frenchman Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot, it likely inspired the 1886 Benz Patent Motorcar, also a three-wheeler with a single… more»
1958 Goggomobil TS400 Coupe
It was the early 1950s, and Hans Glas GmbH, based in Bavaria, Germany, needed to evolve. Making and repairing seed drills – its mainstay business since 1883 – was a struggle in the post-war era. An excursion to Italy… more»
















