Aug
19
This is no “normale” Alfa Spider. It is an “exceptional” Spider. the seller states it has undergone a 3-year no expense spared restoration and it looks like it. We love the black and red color combination and it is unusual for an Alfa. The seller is clear to state that he has spent $65,000 in cash, invested over 1,000 hours of his time plus the cost of the original Spider. Read More
Aug
13
The modern La Carrera Panamericana is a revival of the famous international Pan Am that was conducted between 1950 and 1954. Many of the world’s most famous drivers, including world champions like Phil Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio came to Mexico during these years to test their cars, skill, and stamina. Read More
Aug
12
We have always had a soft spot for the Sebring influenced by the fact that we could actually have afforded one. Sadly those days of bargain Maseratis are gone. Unless you want one dreamed up by Lee Iacocca. This was the first Maserati to be given a name to celebrate Maserati’s success in the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours; one of the premier road racing events in the world, it was won by Fangio and Behra in a Maserati 450S. Read More
Aug
10
Okay, so maybe bargain isn’t the proper way to describe any low volume, Italian Super Car from the sixties. But comparable cars like the Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura will set you back 8-times more money and not get you a better parking space when you pull up in front of Chateau Marmont. The Maserati Ghibli is an Italian gran turismo produced from 1967 to 1973 so our feature car is one of the early ones from 1968. 
Ghiblis share their underpinnings and mechanicals with the Mexico 2+2 coupe and power comes from a dry-sump, twin-cam 4.7-liter V-8. Read More
Aug
9
This Sprint has covered a lot of territory in its long and illustrious life. Born in Italy, grew up in England, spent time in Japan and now in the US. Sounds like the life of an Army brat. Nuccio Bertone (Nuccio to his friends) designed the Sprint for Alfa and presented it at The Turin Auto Show in 1954. They didn’t plan on making any more than a thousand. But it was so successful, over 40,000 were manufactured until the end in 1965. Read More
Aug
9
This is a fully restored 1968 GT 150. It is no secret that we are in love with old Italian movies starring Rossano Brazzi, Audrey Hepburn or Sophia Loren. They always have like a thousand Vespa motor scooters humming around in the background or featured in front of a period green screen. But this romantic notion doesn’t diminish how practical a period Vespa might be in today’s environment. Let’s face it, we are all trying to set ourselves apart from the average people and what better way to do it than on a vintage Vespa. You see anyone with money can buy a new scooter. Read More
Aug
7
Of all Italian cars, Lancia is probably the most underrated. Not by people who know things, however. Talk to any Italian car mechanic and ask them if they would choose an Alfa over a Lancia and they will tell you the answer straight away. They will say, Alfas may be more fun and more attractive but Lancias are engineered like jewels. There are many really valuable Lancias like the Aurelia Coupe, Spider and Convertible. And then there are the lesser cars like the Fulvia and Flavias. Read More
Aug
7
The Italia 2000 GT was produced over the period 1959 to 1964. Produced is a relative term when it comes to Italias, since something less than 300 were ever made. Unique marketing efforts in the U.S. included each original owner having to sign a contract that included among its clauses the fact that no body panels or trim pieces were available as spares! It wasn’t inexpensive having a $5000 list price, which was close to an E-type Jag or Corvette. The dealers had their difficulty finding a home for them because the average U.S. sports car buyer didn’t exactly beat down the doors to purchase one. Read More
Aug
3
There is no doubt that these 4-seater Ferraris have become the darling of the entry-level Ferrari set. It’s similar to what they say about marijuana – it’s a gateway drug to a 512 Berlinetta Boxer. The 308 is an Enzo-era car and that means something to Ferrari Tifosi. 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 1975, Ferrari had no cars suitable for the US market except the Dino. He was forced into allowing it to be properly badged Ferrari. The Ferrari 308 GT4 we have here as our Preferred offering, represents the first mid-engine, V-8, 2+2 Ferrari. Furthermore, it was designed by Bertone, another Ferrari first. In today’s automotive landscape, the 308 GT4 represents an example of the wedge-shaped design influences of the 1970s. Read More
Aug
1
We did our best today but honestly, we didn’t find nor were we presented with anything Mintworthy. Until our hero for the day stepped in. He’s Fred R. and this is his first submission and it is a good one – a rare Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Zagato. Back in the late 60s, Alfa’s marketing managers found out that there could be an additional market segment to tap into. They thought younger drivers desired a sporty, original and compact GT from Alfa Romeo. Read More
Jul
29
We have seen quite a few DeTomaso Panteras but none that called out to us like this one. That doesn’t mean that the others were inferior, they just didn’t have a story like this one. First, a short version on how the Pantera came to be. Henry Ford wasn’t satisfied with vanquishing Ferrari at LeMans. He still craved owning an Italian carmaker. He thought the Mangusta that DeTomaso built was very interesting but he liked the car that was in development better. It was designed Tom Tjaarda while he worked at Ghia. Read More
Jul
28
It is hard to shake how people perceive your brand. One can equate it to typecasting – a Hollywood term. We believe Fiat had the same problem back in the late ’60s. They wanted an upscale sedan and coupe that would compete with Mercedes and BMW. The effort was not at all successful but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a decent car. Fortunately, Fiat was smart enough to realize it wouldn’t sell in the States so the few cars that swam across were imported by individual owners. Mint was tipped off to this extraordinary version of the 130 by its seller whose cars we have featured before. His skill at finding gems is legendary. Here we have a beautiful 130 Coupe with an elegant interior and – trumpets, prepare to toot – a 5-speed manual gearbox. Read More
Jul
27
The Montreal was an outrageous show car replete with louvers and NACA ducts that sported a tone-down version of an Alfa racing V-8. That show car was penned by Marcello Gandini who also designed the Lamborghini Miura, Countach and that absolutely crazy-cool Lancia Stratos. Read More
Jul
27
It seems like every Alfa Spider between 1966 and 1993 is referred to as The Graduate car driven by Ben Braddock played by Dusty Hoffman. Even Alfa tried to capitalize on the film’s notoriety by naming a special cheapy edition in 1985 called The Graduate. Perhaps the thinking was that young graduates couldn’t afford the expensive Quadrafogilio model with alloy wheels and power windows at their paltry starting salaries. The next time you are at a car show where there are a bevy of Alfa Spiders and your friends say “oh that’s the car that was in The Graduate”, you can correct them. Unless of course, it is a 1966 or 67, then they would be correct. Read More
Jul
25
The correct description for this little convertible is “transformabile”. We suspect that means the top goes down. Topping the 1958 FIAT line was the 1100TV roadster, priced at $2498. Available in Europe since 1955, this small but exquisitely styled two-seater convertible was inspired by ‘boulevard sports cars’ like the 1953 Corvette and Nash-Healey. Contemporary styling touches included the wrap-around windscreen, Cadillac-style vertical rear-quarter embellishments and bright full wheel covers. Read More
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