Two gorgeous pre-war Bugatti Type 57’s, one Type 57S and one Type 57C. It is very interesting to see both sides of Bugatti during this era. The Type 57S is very much a racing car, and the Type 57C is an elegant touring car. Back then there was a more obvious direct line between race cars and road cars than their is today. Enjoy the pics.
Continue reading Lime Rock Historic Festival: Bugatti Type 57S and Type 57C
Sir Stirling Moss was the guest of honor at this year’s Lime Rock Historic Festival, and we were fortunate enough to be in attendance for one of the evening events where he was a speaker. Sir Moss is famous for his sharp wit, and it’s clear he’s still got it despite being in his 80’s now. It was fascinating to hear a firsthand account of some of the great races of history from one of the most legendary drivers of all time. Put plainly, Sir Moss is a man among men, and any racing enthusiast will enjoy hearing what he has to say. The video is a little long, but it is totally worth the watch. I’m just sorry I didn’t have enough memory left in my camera to record the whole talk, however, I did catch most of the best moments. Enjoy.
-Nick Walker
Not sure if this is a genuine RSK Spyder, but I saw it in Switzerland, so it is very possible that it is legit. If it is real the car is quite, quite valuable. It was cool seeing this car on the street, and even among Zurich’s unusually high population of supercars, this classic Porsche stood out.
-Nick
This pristine Ferrari 250 LM was in attendance for the 2012 Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance. It is owned by the Simone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, PA. The 250 LM came about when Ferrari finally decided to give up on front-engined GT racing cars. The 250P was the first mid-engined Ferrari that saw major success, and was a contemporary of the legendary 250 GTO in the early 1960s. Seeing the success of their rivals with mid-engined racing cars, Ferrari decided to end the 250 GT cars, and carry on competition with a development of the 250P. And with that, the 250 LM was born.
The 250 LM was very similar to the 250P, except it had a roof and was built from a higher gauge of steel. The LM used an enlarged version of the 250 GTO’s 3.0L V12. At 3.3L the LM’s V12 produced 320hp, and it only had to propel a car which weighed under 1900lbs, lighter than the GTO. The result was a car that was very fast, and despite being denied homologation as a GT class, it still saw success in the Prototype class. 250LMs won 10 out of the 35 races they competed in, and in 1965 the NART team won the Le Mans 24 Hours. This would be the final outright Le Mans victory for Ferrari to this day, ending an era of Ferrari dominance in the late 50’s, early 60’s.
A total of 32 250 LMs were produced, making it on par in rarity with the GTO, and certainly worth a solid fortune in its own right. Seeing a car like this up close, with no barriers to keep people away is a rare treat indeed. I stuck around after most people had left the show, and had the privilege of some quality, un cluttered photo time with this epic car. Enjoy the gallery below.
If one day a magical genie came up to me and said “I will give you any classic Ferrari you want”, my choice would be this 275 NART Spyder. Yes that’s right, I would rather have this car than the legendary 250 GTO or 250 Testa Rossa. Why, you ask? Because I happen to be more of a road car person. I like racing cars just fine, but for me, driving perfection is found with the wind in my hair, and the hum of a great engine bellowing off the trees as I cruise by. Going on a real world journey in a great car may be my favorite thing to do, and it is the sole reason this 275 NART Spyder was commissioned by Luigi Chinetti back in the 1960’s. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Ferrari 275 GTB/4 N.A.R.T. Spyder
This epic Ford rat rod was at the Scarsdale Concours d’ Elegance. It was very well done, with a brutal supercharged V8 powering it. One has to wonder why someone would give it all that power with such skinny rear tires, but hey, it sure caused a scene amongst high society. This glorious rat rod stood in stark contrast to the high dollar luxury cars that filled the streets that day. It was a big calloused middle finger to the Rolls Royce crowd, with their pocket watches, and yippy appetizer dogs. This thing added a bit of flavor to this year’s event that is not normally present at a Concours, and for that I loved it. This is one of the coolest rat rods I have ever seen, the supercharged V8, the red wheels on whitewall tires, everything about it screamed “F**k you society!”. And at the end of the day, that is what a rat rod is supposed to say, so it is quite proper. Enjoy the pics. Continue reading Scarsdale Concours d’ Elegance: Ford Rat Rod
This gorgeous, and freshly restored, 300SL Roadster showed up at the Cruise Night in Hopewell, NJ last spring. The 300SL is an icon of its era, and the gullwing version was even the fastest car in the world for a time. Today the car looks as classy as ever with its long hood and beautiful swooping lines. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading Hopewell Cruise Night: Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster
Maserati Birdcage raced by Sir Stirling Moss at this year’s Lime Rock Historic Festival. Enjoy the pics of this legendary car.
Continue reading Lime Rock Historic Festival: Sir Stirling Moss’ Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage”
I saw this beautiful C1 Corvette during my last night on Woodward Ave this past summer. I saw many of the great American cars this summer, but it was nice to leave off with true legend. The Corvette is still one of the fastest, most accomplished cars money can buy, and this was the first generation. By 1958 V8s were the norm in Corvettes, and the car was well on its way to becoming a legend. This read and white example is like the apple pie of Corvette heritage. Enjoy.
Continue reading Spotted! 1958 Chevrolet Corvette C1, Woodward Ave, MI
Haven’t had a solid muscle car in a while, so this Plymouth Fury should get things back on track. I was blown away by this thing when I saw it during my summer in Detroit. First off I am a huge fan of black and red color schemes, so even just looks alone caught my interest. But then the hood was popped, and inside sat a 426ci Max Wedge V8; the epitome of the 1963 models. This Fury embodies what the muscle car is all about, rather unassuming looks with a whole lot of punch under the hood. Enjoy.
Continue reading Spotted! 1963 Plymouth Fury 426 Wedge, Woodward Ave, MI
This Abarth 1300OT carries #021 in the original Abarth registry, and is one of less than ten such cars in the US today. It is powered by 1.3L four cylinder with 75hp, and was the last Abarth model to utilize a Fiat engine. Abarths of old are always such interesting cars, sort of like the Italian version of Lotus with their emphasis on lightness and handling over raw power. They also happen to have one of the most bad ass logos around, the scorpion. Enjoy the pics.
This custom International Harvester truck was at the cruise night in in Hopewell, NJ a few months ago. I must admit that I don’t know much about these trucks except that they are quite rare at this point. This particular truck has obviously been slammed and customized, with pure badassary seeping from every nook and cranny. Enjoy.
Continue reading Hopewell Cruise Night: International Harvester custom
Mind Over Motor 