Oct
22
Yes, we have posted a bunch of MK 2 Jaguars and that is because we probably want one ourselves. The 4-speed 3.8 is the one to get but sometimes, condition and price trump power. In this case, it looks like an exceptional example of a 2.4 liter Jaguar with a manual transmission. Read More
Oct
22
We really like GMs bubbletop cars of the early ’60s. The Pontiac Ventura is probably our favorite followed by the Impala Sport Coupe. This one popped up in a really nice Jewel Blue finish with a nice original material interior. The best part is the 4-speed gearshift with the big round knob on it. It is a real 348ci, 4 barrel, 4-speed car in excellent restored condition. Read More
Oct
22
California-based Aldin ‘Red’ LeGrand was a senior mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry who built a series of cars that bore his name. His first creation was a Renault-based racing special which was completed in the very early 1960s. His second car was called the Cheetah which was designed to compete in Formula 4. The Formula 4 series never really caught on. LeGrand used an air-cooled BMW 700cc engine and transaxle for his car. Read More
Oct
22
We guess because we have a Mercedes-Benz Fintail that we rave about; readers tend to send us Finnies of similar potential. Potential is the key word here. We rarely see for sale a Mercedes-Benz W111, referred to here in the states as a Fintail and in Europe as a Heckflosse, in totally restored, drivable condition. Either the owners of said Finnies (like us) don’t want to part with them or there aren’t that many surviving examples. We believe owners don’t want to part with them. Here is a good one that has a similar story to ours. Read More
Oct
21
We’ve featured a few 308 GT/4 before and each does a pretty fast job of finding a new home. We’ll repeat what we have written before about these neat beginner Ferraris. There is a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts for Ferraris built while Enzo was still in charge. – They didn’t call him il Commendatore for nothing. He died in 1988 so there are many Ferraris that fall under this Enzo-era category. Enzo was a mercurial person. He once declared that only V-12 Ferraris can wear the Cavallino Rampante – Prancing Horse badge. So early V-6 and V-8 powered cars were referred to as Dinos. But sometime around 1976, Ferrari had no cars suitable for the US market except the Dino. He was forced into allowing it to be properly badged Ferrari. Read More
Oct
21
You know the story. General Motors (pre-government bail-out) bought SAAB cars and proceeded to run it into the ground. Yes, they built some decent cars based on other GM Europe platforms and that hastened the loss of the spirit of the quirky, yet loveable SAAB. Read More
Oct
21
Not too much was written about this one by the seller so we have to go by what we see in the photos. And what we see, we like. At least it would warrant further investigation if we were in the market. It is a 1967 Westie so it came from Germany equipped with the camper stuff. Remember, VW couldn’t get enough of these out of Germany so the local distributors had camper equipment installed on standard panel or passenger vans. This one looks to be box stock and in great condition. We like the pop top version of the older campers where the pop goes vertical. Read More
Oct
21
Here we have a classic American luxury convertible from the mid-50s. In other words it is huge and powerful and very capable of leading any parade. Chryslers were doing very well in the mid-60s although their famous letter series cars were falling out of favor. But the 300 would soldier on with or without letters. This one has a big V8, Torqueflite transmission, special order leather interior, power windows, power driver’s seat and rare air conditioning. Read More
Oct
21
Back in 1993, Ford’s Mustang started to climb back out of the doldrums. Okay, there were some 5.0 liter cars that collectors like very much but none were really an entire package built by a special division of Ford called SVT. And boy, do they know how to specify a car! The SVT Cobra was a huge success. Development progressed through to the end of production when in 1999, the Cobra received an Independent Rear Suspension. But this one is a ’98 and represents a sweet-spot in model years for SVT Cobras. Read More
Oct
21
Northwestern Auto Parts Company has been around since 1918. But, like many manufacturers, during WW II, they supported the war effort by supplying specialized parts and systems for the military. These military tested components served to help build quite a business converting pickups into 4-wheelers. As early as 1942 NAPCO began building 4-wheel drive assemblies to be fitted to Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Studebaker vehicles however NAPCO is primarily associated with GMC and Chevrolet pickups. Read More
Oct
21
The Meyers Manx is probably more of a West Coast phenomenon. We rarely see them here in the East except occasionally at a cruise night. They are kind of cool when you take it all in. It was the first street-legal Dune Buggy and it featured a unibody shell attached to a shortened VW chassis. So if you want a Buggy like Steve McQueen’s in The Thomas Crown Affair, you should start with a real Meyers Manx and not a rip-off. Read More
Oct
21
We are confident that there are some big fans for Ford’s mid-sized “personal” car – the Gran Torino. Okay so we would prefer a different color like Highland Green but this one is just in spectacular original condition. It has 75,000 miles and only 2 owners since new. The interior is immaculate too. The Torino is equipped with Air Conditioning making it an ideal vintage daily driver or comfortable cruiser on a hot summer night. Read More
Oct
20
Sunday is a day of rest for us at Mint. You see Saturday we participated in a 120 mile rally organized by Matt deGarmo, ltd. Matt selected a great route through Fairfield County into Dutchess County, New York ending up in Litchfield County, Connecticut. We began at 8 AM in New Canaan, Connecticut in front of Zumbach’s Coffee. Zumbach’s organizes one of the most tantilizing Caffeine and Carburetors in the country. Along with our Mercedes Benz 230S, there were 2 Aston Martin DB4s, a Ferrari Dino, 2 early 911S Coupes, a Pantera, ’61 Corvette, ’59 Austin-Healey 3000 MK I, a 356SC Coupe and a real Porsche 356 Carrera GT. I’m sure I forgot a few. The end of the rally was a real treat – a catered lunch along the Housatonic River. Perfect weather and some really nice people made for a great day.
Oct
19
The British Top Gear TV Show voted the Morgan 3 Wheeler the “It’s not a car, car of the year” award. We can’t say anything about the Morgan better than Jeremy and the gang so we quote a little snippet from them. “By modern standards, it isn’t fast, has a quaint attitude to cornering and uses a V-twin engine that delivers torque like a sledgehammer: one massive thud, and then it’s all over. And yet this literally pointless grown-up tricycle is an utter joy, precisely because of its deficiencies rather than in spite of them. You have to drive a 3 Wheeler, immerse yourself in the experience, invite the entire world into your exposed, noisy, furious explosion of wind-whipped hair and manic grinning. Read More
Oct
19
These late-model, fuel-injected Volvos are really neat, useable sports cars. No, they are not the fastest or the best handling but they are built like a Swiss watch and great to look at. We were lucky to have time to inspect this one at Auto Turismo Sport while it was in for service. The gaps are amazing and the doors close with solid reassurance. The chrome along the top leading edge that flows from the door to the rear fender lines up perfectly. Read More
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