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
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
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.
To my knowledge this car is not officially imported into the United States, so seeing one in person here was a real treat. Morgans are extremely cool cars, and I think the Aeromax is their best design yet. It has a unique mix of nostalgic appeal and modern design. Like many of the 1930’s Art Deco Era cars, the Aeromax’s swooping lines make it seem like it is going 100mph even when it’s sitting still. Unfortunately, the owner of this car was a typical rich jerk, and the first thing he told me about the car was how much he paid for it and then how he had scammed his way out of paying taxes on it….. great guy. Needless to say, taxes on a $150,000 car are a decent bit of money, but if you can afford to spend that much on a car, then not paying your taxes on it just makes you a deadbeat low-life. Too bad, because I really loved this car, and it would be nice to see it in the hands of a more worthy human being. Either way, owner aside, the Aeromax looks stunning in these photos, so enjoy. Continue reading Scarsdale Concours d’ Elegance: Morgan Aeromax
-Nick
This absolutely pristine Jaguar E-Type was out for one of the cruise nights this summer in Detroit, MI. The E-type was deemed “the most beautiful car in the world” by many in its day, and you can really see why when looking at this car. I was also thrilled to have the chance to shoot it with the hood open. There is a mechanic elegance about how it sits with the hood up that is nothing short of seductive for a gear head. This is basically as close as cars get to pornography folks, any more than this and I would have to flag this post as NSFW. Enjoy the gallery of this Jag among Jaaags.
Continue reading Spotted! Jaguar E-Type Series 1, Woodward Ave, MI
A Wankel, or rotary, engine is a bit of an automotive conundrum these days. It is a technology with some very distinctive pros and cons, making it very controversial amongst car people. In fact, Mazda is the only company that has dabbled with it in modern production cars, and the RX8 just recently went out of production. The rotary is the trademark feature of their RX line of sports cars, in the same way that a rear engine design is the hallmark of the Porsche 911. I got my first taste of a rotary when I reviewed the RX8, and I thought it was quite fun. So when my friend Shane told me I could borrow his ’91 RX7 convertible for the afternoon, while he was at work, I jumped at the opportunity. Sunny day, convertible sports car, rev happy Wankel motor, it sounded like a great time to me.
Continue reading Test Driven: 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC Convertible (8.5/10)
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
I found this beautiful V12 Vantage was parked in front of a fancy hotel in Munich during my visit this summer. I have only seen a few of these, and I think this is the only one I’ve seen on the street. It is always a good thing when a company puts its biggest engine into its smallest car.
Continue reading Spotted! Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Munich, Germany
Mind Over Motor 