Evo’s Harry Metcalfe shows us what it is like to live with a Ferrari FF in realistic circumstances. Sure Ferraris are great for race tracks, and romantic cruises to St. Tropez, but what about for doing your holiday shopping, driving your granny around, taking a ski trip with some friends, or, yes, even doing the rounds on a farm? Could a big V12 Ferrari be any good at those things?
-Nick
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
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”
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.
The name “Mangusta” is one that gets all motorheads giddy. It’s the Italian word for “mongoose”–a perfect animal name for the car that it was bestowed upon. The De Tomaso Mangusta is still ranked highly as one of the best combinations of Italian style and American power, with its stunning, menacing early 1970s Giugaro lines, gull-winged engine bay, and stump-pulling Ford small-block V8 (a few had the 351 V8). Only 401 were ever built from 1967 until 1971, but in the 1990s and early 2000s, someone brought the name back–and the car had some strikingly similar characteristics to its namesake. Continue reading Obscure Auto: Qvale Mangusta
Ferraris always have a special place at an Italian car show. In many ways they are the corner stone of such events. Sure, seeing more obscure cars is always great, but the presence of numerous Ferraris, however generic they may be, serves as a sort of foundation on which the day can be judged. Going to car shows as much as I do, you kind of get used to seeing 360s, F430s, 458s, etc, but they are always brilliant in their own right. That is what this gallery is about, the majesty of the Prancing Horse. Enjoy.
When it comes to Ferraris things do not get much better than this. The 250 Testa Rossa is one of the most legendary cars of all time, and this was the first one sold in the United States. Owned by the Simone Museum in Philadelphia, we were fortunate enough to be able to see this car up close at this year’s Radnor Hunt Concours d’ Elegance. The design of the Testa Rossa is nothing short of breathtaking, with its voluptuous Italian curves. It is a work of functional art rivaled by few other objects on Earth. While visually beautiful, it remains a race car in purpose, so it was built to be as light and simple as possible. Under the hood there is a V12 engine, which is beautiful enough in its own right. Even going to car events all the time, I don’t get to see too many of these, so I ate up my time with this rare Ferrari (likely worth around $20M) by taking tons of photos. I hope you enjoy them; if this isn’t “Art”, then I don’t know what is.
Continue reading Radnor Hunt CDE: 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Yea this is an incredible car, yea I can’t wait to see one on the road, and yea I really can’t wait to drive one. It is awesome, as is any drop top Lambo. But after all the hype and build up after the last few years of spy shots, and Lamborghini test drivers chasing paparazzi, I look at this and find my self saying, “Okay, next”. Everything about it is just so predictable, the car looks fantastic but it also looks exactly how everyone knew it would look. I am thrilled this car is finally out, but for me it is hardly a showstopper when other cars, like the Mclaren P1, have come out and really dropped people’s jaws. They should’ve made the Jota instead of this, then I would really be excited.
-Nick
This is from the glory days of Maserati, back before they had fallen victim to corporate structuring. They now exist in the shadow of Ferrari, but back then Maserati was a real contender. In 1956, Sir Stirling Moss drove this very car to victory at both the Italian Gran Prix and the Monaco Gran Prix. It was a real treat to see this car in person, both up close and racing on the track at Lime Rock Park. Enjoy.
Continue reading Lime Rock Historic Festival: Sir Stirling Moss’ Maserati 250F
This is a great example of what Italian cars are all about. They have a sort of fizz that captures your enthusiasm, making you adore not only their good points but their flaws as well.
-Nick
Italian car shows are always full of interesting things. Often the first things to come to mind are exotics like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis, which were all well accounted for at this year’s event. However, if you go to a lot of car events like I do, then your typical Ferrari 430s and Lambo Gallardos get a bit mundane after a while. Luckily things at this year’s Angelina’s Italian Car Show in Staten Island, NY got spiced up with the arrival of an eclectic bunch of Fiat Ciquecentos. Each one was unique with its own appeal, from the modified Abarth model to the yellow standard 500. I cannot emphasize enough how these cars stole the show from the Ferraris when they arrived. There is just so much personality in each one that they are irresistible, even when compared to cars that cost as much as a house. Regardless of whether you share my enthusiasm for these classic Fiats or not, one thing is certain; the Italians sure know how to make some appealing cars. Enjoy.
We were in attendance for this year’s Concours d’ Elegance in Scarsdale, NY. This show is one of my favorites because the venue and time of year are just perfect for this sort of event. The Fall air is a bit crisp, the trees are turning all sorts of beautiful colors, the town is quite nice, and the cars are incredible. This is an overview gallery of the event, and certain cars will get their own features later on. Enjoy.
Mind Over Motor 