Supercars

1970 Cadillac NART Zagato One-Off on eBay

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:23:55 -0600

Even with no further information, the name Cadillac NART Zagato is liable to raise an eyebrow or three among those in the automotive know—to say nothing of their probable reactions to hearing that such a thing is currently on sale at eBay Motors.

Founding father of the North American Racing Team, Luigi Chinetti is said to be responsible for engineering this crossbred beast, which drew power from a mid-mounted, Eldorado-sourced 7.7-liter (472 cubic-inch) V-8, and was wrapped with a very continental body from the Italian Zagato. Caddy was also responsible for the basic chassis (also from an Eldo), as well as for the dashboard, steering column, brakes, and those unmistakable hubcaps.

Perhaps even more striking than the wild aluminum body work though, is the fantastical Batmobile-styled interior of the car, complete with a ludicrously curved rear bench seat. Do yourself a favor by taking a closer look at the eBay find in our gallery above.

+ eBay Motors

Classic eBay Motors Auction: 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele Sport Goes Under Gavel

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:05:36 -0500

As a pristine example, of a limited edition, of a very exclusive sports car from an extremely small manufacturer, this 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele Sport represents a true find for the eBay Motors shopper. The exotic (and very 1970s) 2+2 styling and black on brilliant yellow paint may not be the right fit for every collector, but there’s little doubt that this eccentric Italian will attract eyeballs wherever it’s driven.

The heroic Iso offered muscle car shove in 1974, with something like 360 horsepower being wrung from its 5.7-liter, Ford-sourced V-8 engine, and a top speed that was claimed to be around 150 miles per hour. One of the last products that rolled out of the Iso doors, only 20 Lele Sports were known to have been produced. We’d guess then that the starting bid of $30,000 on this auction will have to move considerably before the seller’s reserve is met. Happy bidding.

+ eBay Motors: 1974 Other Makes

Forgotten Supercars: The 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Delivery Van

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:59:01 -0500

The 1950’s were a bizarre stretch for hot rodders it seems, golden era of the automobile or no. Witness this amazingly strange portion of an article from a 1959 issue of Rod & Custom magazine, with attendant comic strip, which manages to be cringingly funny, artistically compelling, and culturally inelegant all at once. Illustrations in the gallery above, excerpt from R&C below.

One of these days you may be casting about for a new and lucrative business to get into. Thinking it out, you decide that the Chinese hand laundry is a natural to bring in lots of bread, so you make the scene. It’s a natural - hardly nobody is in it anymore and for executive-type cats like R&C’s readers the personalized service would be as popular as West Coast Jazz. The good word is “service” so to make like fast delivery bring out that old Mercedes 300SL you don’t drive much anymore and start modifying it a little. This is certain to establish your shop’s status.

Adding a panel cab to your 300SL just behind the doors will be an easy job for anyone with a few simple hand tools and a small amount of time and patience. An apropos name for your new company should be emblazoned on the side with final color a brilliant oriental yellow lacquer. Since you will be in competition with other laundry and cleaning establishments, the use of competition stripes on the upholstery is permissible. You may wish to tow your 300SL on a mag-wheeled trailer and use of the Chevrolet Corvette SS is encouraged. If by chance your mother is a racing fan like artist Bruse Billings’, let her drive.

- Rod & Custom Magazine - October, 1959

+ The Jalopy Journal

A Return to Glory: One-Off Lamborghini Bertone Miura Roadster Emerges After 40 Years

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:28:57 -0500

After more than 40 years spent shuffling from auto shows, to museums, to the often careless hands of private collectors, a stunning one-off Lamborghini Miura Spyder has surfaced for the edification of the classic car-loving public.

Created by Marcello Gandini as a design exercise assigned by Nuccio Bertone himself, this topless Miura was finished in 1967 and proceeded to spend the next decade touring the auto show circuit around the world. Originally finished in a light blue metallic paint with an off-white leather interior, the car was later shipped back to Sant’Agata in a deal with the International Lead and Zinc Research Organization, which was looking for a sort of test bed/show car for various zinc-based components. The ILZRO refinished the Miura in a fetching metallic green, adding a raft of bright work and experimental parts in the process.

The spyder spent three decades moving from collections in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, before being purchased in late 2006 by a New York property developer who recognized the Lamborghini for the historic piece that it was. Read the full story of the Miura Spyder in the press release below, and be sure to enjoy a few choice images of the stunning car in our gallery above.

One-off Lamborghini Miura Spyder re-emerges after 40 years!

Exclusive news from Joe Sackey, Miura expert and author of "The Lamborghini Miura Bible" to be published in November 2008 by Veloce Publishing Ltd.

Purely as a design exercise, aimed at keeping demand for Lamborghini’s Miura on the crest of a wave, Nuccio Bertone assigned Marcello Gandini a styling project to create a Spyder version of the Miura, commencing in the second half of 1967.

The ‘Lamborghini Bertone Miura Roadster,’ as it was officially christened, was finished in a light metallic blue with an off-white leather interior with red carpeting. The dashboard and steering remained black, and the steering wheel itself was the original avant-garde unit that was also used on the Marzal. This Miura carried chassis number 3498 (which, in accordance with its one-off prototype status, is not even listed in the factory’s original production chassis number register), and P400 engine number 1642 was fitted.

For the January 1968 Salon de L’Automobile Bruxelles, Bertone pulled off another masterstroke when he unveiled this Miura Spyder to a gob-smacked Ferruccio Lamborghini, who, we are told, only saw the show car for the first time at the preview the day before. However, Bertone told Lamborghini to put any ideas of production right out of his mind: “We couldn’t make this car for production because there were untold problems with stress-tolerance issues involving the chassis and the windscreen. It’s purpose was simply that of a showcar,” Bertone confided to a GM stylist years later.

With its Bertone publicity duties completed, the Spyder was sent to Sant’Agata (where it was famously photographed by both Zagari and Coltrin, and it was fettled by the service department with the idea of making it roadworthy to sell as an expensive one-off.

In 1968, International Lead and Zinc Research Organisation (ILZRO) CEO, the late Shrade Radtke, was looking for something radical to showcase the zinc alloys, coating and plating systems the company promoted for the major manufacturers in the Detroit area. It was decided to purchase a standard production Lamborghini Miura Berlinetta and have it specially built using zinc-based components and trim wherever possible.

Onwards then to Sant’Agata, and a meeting with Paolo Stanzani. However, Stanzani was against the idea of modifying a production Miura, and came up with the convenient solution of offering the one-off Miura Roadster, at the time at Sant’Agata for fettling. The offer was accepted on the spot.

In May of 1969, the "ZN75" was completed, now adorned with much extra brightwork and painted metalic green, and Bertone arranged for a private showing at a villa in Turin, attended by the hierachy of the Italian automotive industry. It was a special day, and Bertone, was proudly pictured with the car on that occasion.
There followed a globe-trotting schedule of International Motor Shows -

August 1969 – Shown in Detroit, Michigan
October 1969 – Shown in Montreal, Canada
November 1969 – Shown in Anaheim, California
January 1970 – Shown in Detroit, Michigan
January 1970 – Shown in Montreal, Canada
February 1970 – Shown in London, England and featured on BBC TV
April 1970 – Shown in Palmerton, Pennsylvania
July 1970 – Shown in Tokyo, Japan
August 1970 – Shown in Sydney, Australia
November 1970 – Shown in Paris, France

After a final showing at the 1978 Detroit Motor Show, in February of 1981, Radtke donated the car to the Boston Museum of Transportation for an estimated $200,000 tax deduction. In the mid-1980s, it was refurbished and its interior upholstery replaced.

In 1989, it was purchased by the Portman group, and has spent its life since then shuttling from auction house to temporary owner, likely because its full history and significance is unknown by most. Auctioned off soon thereafter, it spent a number of years in Japanese collection. In 2002 it returned to the USA for a brief sojourn, before finding another home with a Ferrari collector in France.

In December 2006, the priceless Miura Roadster was finally purchased by a New York property developer who, at huge cost, has had the car returned to its original 1968 Salon de L’Automobile Bruxelles specification. The conversion, by the Bobileff Motorcar Company, was completed in late August 2008.

Buick Turbo Regal + Grand National Photos & Information

buick grand national — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:35:58 -0500

Forgotten Supercar: 1995 Lotec C1000

Chris Paukert — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:05:31 -0500

Despite being badged with the name “Lotec,” this Forgotten Supercar was anything but. Commissioned in the mid-nineties by a wealthy United Arab Emirates citizen, the C1000 featured carbon-fiber bodywork, IMSA-spec brakes, and a twin-turbo version of the 5.6-liter V-8 featured in the Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC.

Equipped with a 5-speed Hewland manual transmission, the Lotec reportedly clipped 60 miles-per-hour in just 3.2 seconds, but there are conflicting reports as to how fast the car was, with some sources proclaiming as “little” as 232 mph, and others suggesting as high as 268 mph. In any case, it’s likely that this impressive one-off was never top-speed tested.

As the story goes, the engineering costs on the C1000 ran into the seven digit range, with total production cost costing in excess of $2,200,000. In 1995.

The C1000 is still in existence, and in fact was put on eBay just recently by Carolina Autosports. The supercar appears to have bounced around in recent years, having been previously put up for sale by Kruse auctions. The eBay auction ended without tallying a single bidder, and the car is currently listed at $1,475,000 on Carolina Autosport’s website. If you happen to pick it up, be sure to let us know.

Interestingly, period photos (see the gallery) reveal that the car has been significantly updated since its inception. The car that went up for sale on eBay featured different wheels, headlamps and new front turn signals, different mirrors, a single-arm windshield wiper, and even a Mercedes three-pointed star. What (if any) mechanical freshening has been done is unknown.

+ eBay: 1995 LOTEC C1000 POWERED BY MERCEDES-BENZ

+ Carolina Autosports

Forgotten Supercar: Yamaha's 0X99-11

Chris Paukert — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:16:57 -0500

When car fans think of Yamaha, they tend to think of motorcycles, or perhaps the handful of car engine designs they have produced for Ford and Volvo. The 3.2-3.4L V-6 in the first- and second-generation Taurus SHOs are perhaps the most widely known, but Yamaha also designed the 3.4L unit that powered the less-loved third generation SHO. That same engine, incidentally, was renewed and revived for use in the Volvo XC90 and S80.

As great as those engines may have been for their time, it remains a shock to the system that Yamaha nearly built the OX99-11 supercar seen above. The idea was to build a road car based on technology they were developing for their Formula One effort, a late-Eighties team that never truly got off the ground.

The awkwardly-named supercar was actually designed by Ypsilon Technologies (a subsidiary) and well-known English engineering form IAD, but it never made its on-sale date for 1994.

In any case, the 0X99-11 carried a carbon-fiber chassis that was very close to the company’s F1 car, as well as the same basic 3.5-liter V-12 that was slated to give 450 brake horsepower. It seated two in tandem, and was projected to reach a top speed of 219 mph, thanks largely to its light weight (around 2500 pounds).

In the end, the Yamaha project was killed off after just three prototypes were built.

eBay Auction of the Day: 1999 Vector M12

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:00:01 -0500

When Gerald Wiegert first conceived of his all-American super car the Vector, he hoped to bring together the genius of the aerospace industry with the glam of exotic sports cars. After failing to succeed with models from the W2 to the W8, Vector’s last real grasp at production success was this wild M12 coupe.

In the mid-1990s Vector teamed with Lamborghini to produce the M12, which was based in part on Vector’s earlier WX-3, but with power from the Diablo’s V-12 engine. Vector brought two examples of the M12 to the 1996 Detroit Auto Show, but by 1999 less than twenty examples of the M12 had been produced.

That kind of rarity means that we don’t often see Vectors listed for sale on eBay Motors, and get a little bit excited when one appears. This 1999 M12 seems to be in first-rate condition and has only covered about 3,500 miles from new. The scarcity and exotic pedigree of the Vector may warrant the opening price of $100,000, but we don’t doubt that it will take a special collector, with deep pockets, to pull the trigger on this one. A much better value proposition is a trip through our M12 gallery below.

+ eBay Motors: 1999 Other Makes Other Vector M12

Hamilton Promised Rare McLaren LM for Title

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:56 -0500

Lewis Hamilton would seem to have just a bit more incentive than the rest of the Formula One field while fighting for the 2008 championship, as the McLaren driver has been promised a very special bonus if he can bring home the title.

British newspaper The Sun is reporting that McLaren chief Ron Dennis has promised Hamilton an ultra-rare version of the McLaren F1 super car, the LM, if he wins a world championship this season and helps the McLaren team win a constructors title. Hamilton has reportedly been smitten with the F1 LM, built to celebrate the McLaren F1 GTR’s which won at Le Mans in 1995, since the first time he saw one ten years ago.

“When I first went to McLaren it was there and I fell in love with it,

eBay Auction of the Day: 1979 BMW M1

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:30:25 -0600

While one would be hard pressed to call any BMW M1 “subtle,

The Segrave Club Opens its Doors in London

Dustin P. Walsh — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:30:13 -0600

London’s The Segrave Club is a supercar aficionado’s dream. The opportunity to drive the world’s most elite, and expensive, supercars without the burden of ownership – at a handsome cost, of course.

And, at the club’s opening night, the presence was strong, including the 27-foot long Golden Arrow, driven by Sir Henry Segrave at an average of 231.446 mph to break the world land speed record in 1929. The Golden Arrow was loaned to the club for the night and is estimated to be worth £15 million (over $29.5 million).

The club was inaugurated in front of 250 guests by the Golden Arrow’s owner Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and current land speed record holder Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, according to Classic Driver.

For a one-time fee of £5,000 ($9,800) and a £16,000 ($31,500) annual fee The Segrave Club’s members get access to drive some of the world’s most exciting and exclusive cars. The fleet includes: a Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes McLaren SLR, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Lamborghini Murciélago LP640, Ferrari 599 GTB, and an Aston Martin DBS.

+ Classic Driver: The Segrave Club Opens in London

If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com

Three Seats are a Charm: Ferrari 365P Prototype on Display in New York

Evan McCausland — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:30:44 -0600

In 1966, it was good to be the boss, and two Italian businessmen certainly knew so. Giovanni Agnelli, head of the Fiat empire, and Luigi Chinetti Sr, Ferrari's number one man in the United States, were both treated to examples of the 365P Berlinetta Special, two of only three examples of the Ferrari concept. Chinetti's car, the first built, is now on display at the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Built upon the chassis of 365P2 and 365P2/3 racers, the 365P Berlinetta Special was stripped of its racing body and treated to a full reinterpretation, courtesy of Pininfarina.

Although it borrows many lines from the 1965 Dino prototype, the 365P, designed by stylist Aldo Bravarone, was considerably larger, allowing the 380-horsepower 4.4-liter V-12 from the race machine fit underneath the rear deck. Top speed is reportedly a scalding 186 mph. Perhaps the biggest styling cue that differentiated the 365P from the Dino was the three-abreast seating inside, which continues to be the car's most enduring hallmark.

That configuration proved to be somewhat problematic, particuarly when Chinetti attempted to sell the car to a New York businessman. Unable to reliably judge the proximity of the car to both the center line or the curb, he soon returned the car to Chinetti, who kept it until his passing in 1994.

Luckily, the car remained in the family, passing hands to Luigi's son, Luigi Jr. It may be good to be the boss, but it's apparently not bad to be the boss' son, either. Chinetti Jr. allowed the swoopy white coupe to grace the halls of the Saratoga institution. Unless you can track down the other two examples and successfully beg to lay your eyes on it, this may be your best chance to see the beast in person.

+ Saratoga Automobile Museum

SARATOGA RELEASE

A marvelous and rare Ferrari by Pininfarina has just rolled into the Racing in New York Gallery of the Saratoga Automobile Museum for an extended stay.
The 1966 Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale one of just three examples, debuted at the Paris Auto Show that year, and was shown that year at the Earl's Court London Motor Show. Until recently, one of the last Ferrari prototypes, it was initially sold by Luigi Chinetti, Sr., the North American Ferrari importer, to Marvin Carton, in New York City, who claimed he couldn't drive it - probably because of the center steering. He returned it shortly afterward.
Inside, a luxurious leather interior was distinguished by an unusual seating arrangement. The driver was located in the center, with accommodations alongside for a pair of passengers. The center seat was mounted on runners, with a rotating base, allowing easier entrance and egress. This particular car even had it's fifteen minutes of fame in popular culture - uncovered in research was this little known tidbit, "Noted British auto artist, Russell Brockbank, penned one of his most famous cartoons about this car. In his
drawing, two attractive ladies are shown cat-fighting over who'll get to sit alongside the obviously wealthy driver. In a somewhat chauvinistic way, he's rather amused by the situation."
For the "gearheads" out there, this car was based on the Ferrari 365P2 and 365P2/3 racecars campaigned by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team in the US, and in international races, this 365P road car was influenced by the 1965 Dino prototype, but it was wider and longer. Its 4.4-liter V-12, develops 380-bhp @ 7300 rpm. A top speed of 186-mph was claimed.
Stylistic elements included lofted front fenders, prominent side scoops, a specially developed bronze layered glass "moon roof" and a convex rear window. Some of these styling cues would later appear on the production 206/246 Dino GT.
A second example was built for Giovanni Agnelli, heir to the FIAT empire. Agnelli's car was different. in that it had a large, stainless-steel rear spoiler. Signor Agnelli may have ordered the spoiler to aid high-speed stability on Italy's autostradales. Ferrari authority Dick Merritt says a third version was built with a diplane rear spoiler.
The late Genevieve Opert, in a European Car article on this Ferrari wrote, "sources credit Pininfarina stylist Aldo Bravarone for the 365P's basic design." One of Bravarone's subsequent projects for Pininfarina, the 1967 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, used a variation of this prototype's nose and grille design.
The car is on display courtesy of Luigi Chinetti, Jr., Stuart, Florida.
The current exhibit of two-seat wonders for "Romance of the Roadster" runs through June 1st at the Saratoga Automobile Museum. For more information call (518) 587 1935, or log onto www.saratogaautomuseum.org.