Profiles

A Messenger from Germany

“Why don’t we get the great cars that the Europeans get?” has been a constant complaint of American enthusiasts, regularly falling on deaf ears at the car companies. Well, except for one pair of ears — those belonging to the legendary Bob Lutz. Before he had GM importing Opels to […]

1938 Packard Twelve Torpedo-Cabriolet

This one-of-a-kind 1938 Packard Twelve (Model 1608) Torpedo-Cabriolet by Kellner was custom built using the rear body section of a 1930 Renault Reinastella Torpedo Scaphandrier by the original owner, who is believed to be George “Geordie” Hormel II, heir to the meatpacking Hormel Foods Corp. and owner of the historic Wrigley Mansion […]

1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III

The 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III, commonly known as the BJ8 roadster, was the last iteration of the popular Austin-Healey 3000 Series. Produced from 1959 to 1967, the 3000 Series was a collaboration between the British Motor Corporation and the Donald Healey Motor Company. The BJ8 was the culmination of […]

1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante

The Type 57 presented here in its striking original color scheme is chassis no. 57432, which left the Bugatti coachbuilders on July 13, 1936. This is one of the four known surviving sunroof cars, described in factory records as “Coupé Atalante 57432, black and ivory, tan leather.” It was ordered […]

1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series II

With its bodywork designed and built by Pininfarina, the 330 GT 2+2 Series I differed greatly from the preceding 250 GTE and the interim 330 America, as it was fitted with an unusual four-headlamp nose. The second-generation 330 GT 2+2, later dubbed the Series II, was introduced halfway through the […]

1975 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI

Reported to have initially been used as a dealer demonstration vehicle, [this car] was first sold to Peter Leonhard Sandl of Ingolstadt on March 7, 1975. The car’s original German Fahrzeugbrief shows Sandl’s continued international registration into 1990. Upon moving to Canada, Sandl shipped the car to Vancouver via the […]

1999 Shelby Series 1

Inarguably one of the best-known Shelby Series 1s, the example offered here continued a rich tradition in American publishing, that of awarding a new automobile to the winner of one of the men’s magazine world’s most prestigious annual competitions. It was delivered new to the famed swimsuit model Karen McDougal […]

1969 Shelby GT350 “B Production” Racer

This fascinating 1969 Shelby GT350 race car, serial number 480033, began life as a Silver Jade GT500 sold new in Hayward, CA, on August 28, 1969. Shortly after its initial purchase, the car was stolen and damaged. The insurance company, unwilling to repair what it considered an “exotic” car, cashed […]

A Rose By Any Other Name

On the surface, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) had a great idea for a new lightweight 2-seat sports car. The 2012 co-development agreement with Mazda that led to the 2017–20 Fiat 124 Spider was originally intended to produce a new Alfa Romeo model. However, its CEO, the late Sergio Marchionne, […]

1929 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged Le Mans Tourer

There are few sounds in motorsport quite as evocative as a Blower Bentley at full chat — a gruff explosion of noise and power only matched by the guttural howl of a Vulcan bomber. Unapologetically loud, dirty, and fearsomely quick, the model earned a legion of fans throughout the 1920s […]