Forgotten Franco-American: 1985 Renault Alliance DL Convertible
In the late 1970s, American Motors Corporation was hanging onto a slender 1.8% share of the US auto market. While the US government bailed out financially fraught Chrysler, AMC was deemed dispensable. Buyers for a lagging automaker were scarce,… more»
Long Wheel Base 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Rolls-Royce followed its traditional body-on-chassis Silver Cloud with a new model in 1965 – the Silver Shadow. The new car struck an ominous note for the bespoke coachbuilders who had worked with Rolls-Royce for generations, for it was the… more»
Supercharged 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
A Golden Hawk painted gold – how appropriate! This seller is pruning his collection, so he’s sent the Hawk to the auction block. Wearing an older restoration, the car is still nice enough to pull a trophy at local… more»
Driver-Quality Exotic: 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”
In the mid-1960s, over at Pininfarina, Lionardi Fioavanti was sketching a new car. The result emerged in days and met with approval from his boss as well as Enzo Ferrari. The new two-seat grand tourer was a successor to… more»
Original Warhorse: 1972 Chevrolet K20
The first of Chevy’s C/K truck series arrived in 1960 as a complete overhaul of GM’s approach to this market. No longer planted on an automobile frame, the new truck received its own purpose-built platform. Designed for easier ingress… more»
One Owner, Estate Sale: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
The 190SL was Max Hoffman’s idea. Hoffman grew up in Austria, racing prolifically until he was 30 when he turned his attention to importing and marketing Lancia, Auburn, and Cord cars among others. He remained in Austria until the… more»
Older Restoration: 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury
Chrysler was riding high in 1955, breaking its own historical sales records. Unfortunately, Plymouth’s doddering image kept it lagging the pack. To goose the brand, Plymouth introduced the limited-production Fury in 1956 as a sub-model of the Belvedere. The… more»
Field Find: Flock of Austin Americas
Here’s a British saloon that you don’t see every day: the Austin America – or rather, a bunch of ’em. There’s a good reason for that – not seeing one every day, that is. The Austin America was derived… more»
Low Mileage Survivor! 1987 Porsche 944
This story is about the 944, I promise. But first, we have to talk about the 924, because it was important to the later car’s story. The 924 was a front-engined, water-cooled, four-cylinder car, designed to replace the 912… more»
Ready to Roll: 1974 MGB GT
While the MGB roadster hogged the limelight, the pretty Pininfarina-designed GT was the workaholic of the family. Introduced four years after the roadster, the GT was originally designed at Abingdon to satisfy customers who wanted a less noisy, more… more»
One of Forty-Two: 1988 Alpina E28 B7 Turbo/1 Katalysator
Before we launch into a description of this very special Alpina, let’s dispense with a prevailing controversy around why and how this car is listed on eBay and the seller himself, prompted by questions about the BMW M3 EVO… more»
Ponton Project: 1957 Mercedes 220S
Pity the poor W180 sedan: while its brethren the coupe and the cabriolet leap to successively higher highs on the price scale, the sedan is mired in the mid-teens. Those of us who favor orphans of all ilks –… more»
Low Miles, Long Ownership: 1983 Porsche 911SC Coupe
\ In the late 1970s, Porsche was planning to sunset the venerable 911 in favor of its front-engined 928. But one last iteration would grace the streets before the 911’s discontinuation: the 911 SC. Arriving in 1978, the new… more»
All Stock Except Exhaust: 1986 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Ford began development of the Fox platform in 1973. Designed to accommodate downsized versions of several Ford cars, its first job was carrying the Fairmont. But a priority for Iacocca was correcting the sins of the Mustang II, so… more»
Low Miles! 1980 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
The 1976 revival of the Biarritz trim package for Cadillac’s Eldorado established a luxury niche not seen since the 1960s, and then only on Cadillac’s wildly expensive convertible. Loaded with power accessories, classy cosmetics, and comfort options, the Biarritz… more»
Stored Forty Years: 1964 Citroen DS19
André-Gustave Citroën was an exceptional innovator, stirring together inventions from other visionaries to create singular cars. Citroën himself was Dutch and Polish, but the family settled in Paris in 1873. Trained as an engineer, he made armaments during WWI…. more»
