May
31
RUF had been modifying and upgrading Porsche 911’s since the 1970’s; first with a ‘RS’ Style 215 hp normally aspirated 911, and then a 3.3L version of the 911 Turbo, before Porsche built it. The first RUF car, made after RUF gained German manufacturer status, was the BTR, which was put in limited production in 1983, and continued into the mid 90’s. The letters ‘BTR’ come from ‘Group B’, ‘Turbo’, and ‘Ruf’. Read More
May
31
Rumor has it Ferry Porsche was afraid that the US Government might ban the sale of rear engine cars because of perceived safety reasons. He lobbied for a V-10 powered front engine, rear drive car with 50/50 balance. That engine would have been developed by mating 2, Audi 5-cylinders together but the Porsche Board feared the relationship between Porsche and VW/Audi was getting too chummy and no Porsche should have an engine born from a lowly Golf. So they developed the big V-8 instead. Read More
May
31
This C-10 started out just like any other C-10. Now, after a mechanical makeover, and an artistic paint treatment, it is now what appears to be a vintage shop truck. But really, it is just a cool C-10 that you can enjoy everyday yet be a little distinctive. Read More
May
30
Donald Healey and Nash-Kelvinator CEO George Mason met on the Queen Elisabeth, going from the United States to Great Britain. Healey was returning to England after his attempt to purchase engines from Cadillac, but GM declined his idea. Mason and Healey met over dinner and a production plan ensued during the remainder of the voyage. 
A prototype was built shortly after an agreement was reached, and the resulting Nash-Healey hit the track. Almost out of the box, the Nash-Healey finished fourth at Le Mans. Read More
May
30
The XJS is no XKE. Now you might think that is a shot but it isn’t entirely. The XJS is the last of the Lyon’s Era Jaguars. Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975, the XJS received a tepid response. Subsequently, sales of the new Jaguar during its lifespan were erratic. But that was not totally the fault of the XJS and more so fuel shortages and an erratic economy. Sound familiar? We think the sweet spot for the XJS is the mid to late ‘80s. Mostly because of an engineer by the name of Michael May. He designed a new, high-compression head with a fireball combustion chamber that increased power and fuel economy. Read More
May
30
Fiat always sold attractive Spiders (Spiders with an “I”) in the U.S. The design studio Pininfarina usually got the nod to pen the body. They were generally a lower price and lower performance alternative to Alfa Romeo Spiders. The last series sold in the U.S. was to be the longest lived of these. First known as the 124 Spider, when introduced in 1966, the car sported a 1500 cc DOHC four-cylinder engine that over the years went up and down in displacement several times, with most of the cars sold in the U.S. being 1756 cc and 1995 cc, both variants equipped with a single Weber carburetor. Read More
May
29
Motor magazines have quoted the Busso V-6 engine as one of the best sounding engines ever. The British Classic & Sportscar noted it as “The best sounding engine, this side of a Maserati V-8”. If you’ve ever heard one at full chat, it is a very cool sound. We really like these Alfas after years of not really liking the way they look. But the Giugiaro design is now appreciated and has become pretty neat to look at. If you look carefully, you’ll notice some details that were first deployed in the Montreal like the scallops over the headlights and the tail light cluster. Read More
May
29
We posted a rather nostalgic look back at a Volvo 240DL wagon just yesterday and then this beautiful precursor popped up. We are just enamored with the Volvo 122S. It is one of the most significant sedans/wagons of the 1960s in our opinion. And probably in the opinion of the advertising agencies that created the most memorable automobile advertising this side of Volkswagen and Doyle Dane Bernbach. Read More
May
29
The Porsche 911S Short Wheelbase is one of the most sought after collectible Porsches today. So it isn’t the Holy Grail, it is a Holy Grail. The Short Wheelbase cars (SWB) are a little twitchy, actually more twitchy than the newer long wheelbase (LWB) cars. The SWB cars are more welcome to events than the later cars but only by a hair.
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May
28
It is never done. You learn that early on in the hobby. You can never really say you are done when you are re-commissioning an old car – in our case 48 years old. There will always be something you either have to do or must do. Last week we replaced a clutch master cylinder and the week before, the gear shift lever linkage and tomorrow, a heater core shut-off valve. But for all intents and purposes, The Colonel is back to health and is a blast to drive. The only item not yet working is the windsheild washer system. The wipers wipe but we need to clean out the fluid lines and do some fiddling. However, we even managed to get the small stuff up and running – the clock, the Becker Grand Prix, the interior lights, the glove box light, the cigar lighter and even the trunk light all function like 1967. All of the new equipment we added with the help of John Rogers works great. We await our graphics package from Ghi Signs and we will be ready for the Greenwich Concours on June 2nd. That’s next Sunday and the weather prediction is sunny and around 90 degrees. Oh my. If you plan on attending, stop by and say hello.
May
28
These R107 Mercedes Benz SLs are among the nicest and best built Mercedes SLs ever. Drive one and you will feel like you are driving a very sporty feeling anvil. Typical of Mercedes long-lived models, there is a constant progression in engine size and other refinements. And since this is the 2nd longest running production model for Mercedes (The G-Wagen the longest), there are many differences from year to year. Read More
May
28
The MG TF is the final iteration of the T-series MGs. It was sort of looked upon as an interim model while the MGA was in development. MG engineers took the TD and replaced it with a chassis 3-inches lower, and sporting a sloping grill and faired-in headlights. Like the TD, a 1,250-cc, XPAG inline-four engine was initially used to generate 54 hp. Shortly after introduction, however, a more potent 1,466-cc XPEG engine was installed. These cars carried 1500 badges on the sides of the hoods to visually distinguish them from the 1250s. Read More
May
28
We are big fans of the FJ40 as it is a viable alternative to the bulldog Land Rover. We come across many of these in restored, customized, modified and junk condition but when we see a solid original, we can’t help ourselves. This one has exited from long-term storage and made road worthy again by the seller. Read More
May
28
If you are saying to yourself “what in the hell are these Mint guys thinking”, you might not appreciate loyalty. The Volvo 240 wagon, in any of its many flavors, is a robust almost indestructible mode of transportation. And it is to be respected for that. One can equate it to the Labrador Retriever. If you owned one, you know what we mean. You just get attached to them.
May
26
We thought we would honor Memorial Day by offering a veteran of the Armed Forces. This Jeep has been treated to a 2-year restoration. It is a Korean War period military Jeep and trailer, and it is now time to find a new home. Purchased from a local Washington State collector, this Jeep found its way from Nova Scotia, where it lived its military life on Canadian Nato base. Read More
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