Tag Archives: Italian Cars

Car Shows

The Elegance At Hershey: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider

1 Comment

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider

This 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider won “Best In Show” at The Elegance at Hershey 2013. The awards were handed out very hastily as there was a rain storm moving in, but this Alfa deserved to win. This is an unrestored car, just maintained over the years, and it was a magnificent sight in person. It is one of just 22 8C-2900Bs ever produced, and of those it is one of only five short wheelbase versions. Under the hood it shares the same supercharged 2.9L inline-eight cylinder engine with other 8C variants of the time, producing 180hp in 2900B specification. It featured a super lightweight body from Touring in Milan, Italy that gave it a solid power-to-weight ratio. Alfa 8Cs dominated racing during their day, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Today this car resides in the Bahre Collection, and has won awards at other events, including Pebble Beach in 2002. Pre-war Alfas are always a treat to see, and this 8C-2900B was no exception. Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading The Elegance At Hershey: 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Spider →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Evo Magazine: Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II

1 Comment

Evo Magazine’s Harry Metcalfe shows takes us around his new Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II. This car has some truly fascinating design elements, and as Harry says, “It became a legend in its own time.” Enjoy.

-Nick

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera (10/10)

5 Comments
Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera at Exotics Racing
Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera at Exotics Racing

There is a special tingling sensation that runs through your body when you know that you’re about to go flat out on a racetrack in the ultimate version of the Lamborghini Gallardo. It is the same sort of nervous excitement you experience before getting on a big roller coaster, except here it will be you that is tasked with controlling the thrill ride. Knowing the responsibility you are being entrusted with only adds to the anxiety because the price of a mistake could top a quarter of a million dollars. But nothing could make you turn back at this point. You have been handed the key that will fulfill a dream. So as the engine erupts into life with a loud, satisfying bark, you decide to rise to the occasion, grab on to the bulls horns, and prepare to face its fury head-on.

It has been about a decade since Lamborghini first released the Gallardo. It was a “baby Lambo” model designed to topple the Ferrari 360 in its final years and lock horns with whatever replaced it. A brainchild of Audi, the Gallardo was supposed to widen the appeal of the Lamborghini brand, targeting people who want a car that fits within a single lane of traffic, and who like to be able to see while they drive. Many Lamborghini die hards scoffed originally at the idea of a more sane Lambo, but the end result has been by far the best selling Lamborghini model of all time.

Continue reading Test Driven: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera (10/10) →

Cars We've Seen

Spotted! Ferrari Enzo, Greenwich, CT

2 Comments

Black Ferrari Enzo

We were out walking around Greenwich, car spotting after the Concours event. We hadn’t seen too much worth shooting, and were heading back to the car to leave, and we came across this sinister black Ferrari Enzo, just parked on the street amongst normal cars. I found it interesting to see this $1.3 million dollar car sitting right next to an old Nissan Pathfinder that was probably worth $3 grand on a good day. I have seen Enzos before, of course, but seeing them out in the wild really highlights the car’s dramatic presence. It looks especially awesome in black, like an F117 stealth fighter randomly parked in public. Enjoy the photos and the video with some great V12 sound (at bottom). Continue reading Spotted! Ferrari Enzo, Greenwich, CT →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Ferrari 250 GT SWB by Petrolicious

2 Comments

Petrolicious features Andy Greene and his Ferrari 250 GT SWB, touching on what it’s like to work with classic cars on a daily basis. Enjoy.

-Nick

Car Shows

Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance: 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa

Leave a comment
1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa owned by James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus at the wheel of his Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa at the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

This 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa, chassis number 002C, is believed to be the single oldest Ferrari automobile existence. It also happens to be owned by James Glickenhaus, who is well known for his one-off Ferrari P4/5 and his P4/5 Competizione privateer racing program. I had a chance to talk to Mr.  Glickenhaus briefly and he’s a very nice guy, happy to talk cars with any curious enthusiast who passes by.

With a car like this, he was definitely getting a lot of attention at the Concours this year. It certainly isn’t hard to see how this thing took “Best In Show”, being the oldest Ferrari left. This 159S is also in truly immaculate condition, and that’s a good thing because from what I’ve found, it was the only 159 ever produced. You need to remember that Ferrari only built racing cars in their early years, and the 159 turned out to be a stopgap model between the Ferrari 125 and the Ferrari 166. The racing life of this car was short-lived, but that may well be the reason for its survival.

Under the hood lies an enlarged version of Gioacchino Colombo’s V12, at 1.9L. It makes around 125hp, but keep in mind how featherlight the car is. Back in its day, this thing was quite rapid. I just love looking at old racing cars because they show how the design of the automobile has evolved over the years. Racing cars of this era are so simple and functional, and that often makes them beautiful in a very pure way. Just look at the details of this 159 and you will see that it as much a work of art as it is a mechanical tool for speed.

It was such a treat to see this car in person and be able to take these photos of it. Congratulations to Mr. Glickenhaus on the “Best In Show” win. Enjoy the gallery.

Continue reading Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance: 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa →

Car Shows

2013 Amelia Island CDE: 1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

2 Comments

1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato

This is one of two Lamborghini 3500 GTs to be fitted with a Zagato body. The 3500 GT was the first automobile Ferruccio Lamborghini made after his storied dispute with Enzo Ferrari. Underneath, this 3500 GTZ has the same 320hp 4.0L V12 as the standard car, but that gorgeous body it wears is nearly one of a kind. This white car, chassis 0310, is the only one of the two that is currently accounted for. The other car, a red one, has all sorts of rumors swirling around its whereabouts, and state of condition. I’ve heard some people say it is just fine, safely locked away in a private collection. But I’ve also heard the story of someone who claims they saw it sitting in sorry shape in a barn in Arizona, and that he even saw bullet holes in it. The thought of the latter just kills me, so I will hope for the former. Either way, though, the owner of the white GTZ has done well to keep his car in immaculate condition, and I was privileged enough to happen upon it at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance. I had heard about this car, and of course had seen pictures of it online, but seeing it in person was truly breathtaking. I have yet to see anything from Zagato that I don’t like, and this 3500 GTZ is among my favorites. The standard Lamborghini 3500 GT was a great looking car to begin with, but Zagato turned it into something even more elegant. Classic Italian curves galore. Enjoy the gallery.

Continue reading 2013 Amelia Island CDE: 1965 Lamborghini 3500 GT Zagato →

Car Shows

The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

5 Comments
James Glickenhaus in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa
James Glickenhaus taking “Best in In Show” in his 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa…. believed to be the oldest Ferrari automobile in existence.

We were in attendance for the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance this past weekend in Connecticut. It was a fantastic event, and we saw, and drove, many awesome cars. Like most Concours events we go to, we have come back with months of material that we will be sharing with you over time, but this is a highlight reel to wet your appetite. Enjoy.

Continue reading The 2013 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Lamborghini’s 50th by Evo

Leave a comment

Evo Magazine celebrates Lamborghini’s 50th Anniversary.

-Nick

Car Shows

2011 Concorso Italiano: Ferrari F50 GT

3 Comments

Ferrari F50 GT

I was fortunate enough to see this mighty Ferrari F50 GT at the Concorso Italiano back in 2011, during the Monterey car week. The F50 GT is a Ferrari racing car that never came to be. It was developed to take on the likes of the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes CLK GTR and McLaren F1 LM, but it never made it past the prototype stage. Along with the prototype, two F50 GTs were built for customers. This is one of those customer cars, and it was the first one I’ve seen in person. There was a normal F50 right beside it, and the GT makes the standard car look puny by comparison. The performance of the F50 GT is also extremely massive. The car itself weighs in at just 2,005lbs and its 4.7L V12 has 750hp and 383ft/lbs of torque on tap. 60mph comes in under 3 seconds, the 1/4 mile is dispatched in 10.2 sec, and it tops out at 235mph, presumably when the aerodynamics are set up for top end speed.  This is a racing car, make no mistake. These photos are a few years old, and I have learned much about photography since, but I think they came out pretty well. Enjoy.

Continue reading 2011 Concorso Italiano: Ferrari F50 GT →

Car Shows

Amelia Island Festivals of Speed: Night Shots

3 Comments
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

We went to the evening cocktail event at the Amelia Island Festivals of Speed event, and they had some cars lit up in som interesting ways. It made for some cool shots, highlighting specific parts of each car. We also went out on the show field, and took a few shots of some supercars with some nightly dew on them. I like how these shots came out so I figured I’d share them. Enjoy.

Continue reading Amelia Island Festivals of Speed: Night Shots →