Category Archives: Classic Cars

Watch as Hot Rod goes from El Paso to LA the hard way

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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Hot Rod Roadkill Catalina

There are few things simultaneously more romantic and idiotic than taking a road trip in a beaten-down heap of a car. Trust us. We know. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan of Hot Rod Magazine fame recently undertook an epic trip from El Paso, Texas to Los Angeles with the express goal of doing so for under $1,500, including the purchase price of a vehicle, food, lodging, repairs and, most importantly, fuel. With this in mind, the duo settled on a 1972 Pontiac Catalina for a lofty $650. Hilarity ensues.

Realizing that no one actually wants a Catalina sulking around the shop, Freiburger and Finnegan put the car up for auction on eBay Motors the instant they had the title in hand. By the time they rolled into Hot Rod HQ, the vehicle sold for a little over $500.

The video is part of a new series called Roadkill that should document similar adventures. Keep your eyes peeled for more calamity-soaked clips in the near future. In the meantime, hit the jump to check it out yourself.

Continue reading Watch as Hot Rod goes from El Paso to LA the hard way

Watch as Hot Rod goes from El Paso to LA the hard way originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lyonheart K aims to rekindle British sporting tradition with E-Type homage

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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Lyonheart K

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, few automobile shapes are as imitated as the legendary Jaguar E-Type. Of course, Jaguar itself has drawn inspiration from its most iconic sportscar with the contemporary XK and the more recent C-X16 concept. Eagle has reinterpreted the classic with modern accoutrements. And about a year ago a Swedish designer by the name of Bo Zolland rendered a sumptuously retro re-imagination of the form with the Growler E.

That design was slated to go into limited production by a firm called Visualtech, but now the design has resurfaced under a new moniker: Lyonheart. Based on a tweaked version of Zolland’s renderings, designer Robert Palm has given the retro E a slightly more aggressive look, with more catlike headlamps and retro touches that are somehow even more pronounced.

The new Anglo-Swiss outfit intends to render the shape in carbon fiber, stainless steel, brushed aluminum, chrome, leather and wood veneer and put it into limited production in England for 495,000 euros a pop – equivalent to about $650K. Power is slated to come from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 550 metric horsepower (542 by our standards) and 500 pound-feet of torque, which – coupled with a curb weight targeted under 3,500 lbs – aims to propel the Lyonheart K from 0-62 mph in under four seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 300 kph (186 mph).

Follow the jump for the press release and scope out the fresh renderings in the high-res image gallery above for a closer look.

Continue reading Lyonheart K aims to rekindle British sporting tradition with E-Type homage

Lyonheart K aims to rekindle British sporting tradition with E-Type homage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1950s Ferrari-powered world record hydroplane heading to auction in Monaco

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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Arno XI

There are any of a number of places you’d expect to find a Ferrari: at the race track, on the auction block, in the showroom, parked in front of the swankiest restaurants in town… To see one in the water usually spells trouble, but history is not without its exceptions.

Back in the 1980s, Italian boatbuilder Riva collaborated with Ferrari for a rather Testarossa-inspired speedboat, but long before that, the House that Enzo Built lent its expertise and 4.5-liter V12 engine to Achille Castoldi to build the hydroplane power boat you see here.

Castoldi was bent on setting a new speed record on the water, and with this spectacular watercraft – dubbed Arno XI – he did just that. The Ferrari-powered vessel hit an astonishing 150.19 miles per hour at Lake Iseo in northern Italy on October 15, 1953. That’s mighty impressive in its own right, but what’s even more astounding is that the record stands in the 800kg category to this day.

To get there, Ferrari and Castoldi took the same Type 375 4.5-liter V12 engine that powered José Florian Gonzalez to his first grand prix victory at Silverstone, marinized it and fitted two superchargers to crank out more than 600 horsepower.

Now Arno XI is heading to the auction block in Monaco, where RM Auctions expects it will fetch around $1.5 million. Whether you’ve got that kind of cash or not – and whether or not Monte Carlo is in your travel plans for May – you can pull up alongside it in the gallery of high-resolution studio and archival images above.

1950s Ferrari-powered world record hydroplane heading to auction in Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zagato sketches out its history with Aston Martin

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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Aston Martin by Zagato sketches

The name Zagato may be most closely associated in the minds of many with other Italian marques – names like Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari. But the truest of connoisseurs wouldn’t make the mistake of excluding Aston Martin from the list.

When the two stoic names teamed up for the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, it came as only the latest fruits of a collaboration that stretches back for decades. The classically curvaceous DB4 GT Zagato started it all in 1960, followed by the pugnacious V8 Vantage Zagato and V8 Volante Zagato of the mid-80s and the DB7 V12 Zagato and DB AR1 of the new millennium.

To highlight the lineage, Zagato released the renderings pictured above and a brief history of the bonds that tie it to Aston Martin. Click above to view in extra high resolution and follow the jump to delve into the text.

Continue reading Zagato sketches out its history with Aston Martin

Zagato sketches out its history with Aston Martin originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pogea Corvette modernizes an American classic

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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Pogea Corvette

Some will invariably debate their authenticity, but as far as we’re concerned, there’s no arguing with the quickening of our pulse when we gaze at such examples of retrofitted classics as the Eagle E-Type Speedster or the Singer 911. But if you’ve been wondering why European sportscars have been getting all the old-meets-new attention, wonder no more, and feast your eyes on the Pogea Corvette.

German tuning house Pogea Racing – whose customized Abarth 500 we reported on back on 2010 – has taken an original ’59 Corvette roadster and given it a thoroughly modern makeover. Starting with the chassis itself, Pogea went back to the drawing board and built a new tube frame to which it has mounted a new suspension, brakes and powertrain.

The latter comes courtesy of a modern 6.2-liter Corvette LS3 V8 engine, upgraded with new injectors, camshaft, intake and exhaust to drive 485 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque through a five-speed manual with ceramic clutch to a Dana 44 differential. Modern Corvette-sourced ventilated brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-pots in the rear were fitted to keep the power in check, mounted behind 19-inch modular wheels on low-profile Bridgestone Potenza rubber.

Pogea also widened the track, fitted LED tail lights in the shape of the originals, and refurbished the interior with fresh leather and carpeting, Cobra buckets, Vallelunga wheel, Alpine stereo with sat-nav and upgraded electronics. The result is a stunning package that has all the charm of the original (minus, perhaps, the rear quarter vents…), but with a 3.9-second run to 62 and a 179 mph top end. Check it out in the high-res image gallery and press release after the jump.

Continue reading Pogea Corvette modernizes an American classic

Pogea Corvette modernizes an American classic originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Extremely rare 1913 Hispano-Suiza Type Alfonso XIII headed for Amelia Island

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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1913 Hispano-Suiza Type Alfonso XIII Double Berline

Cars get their names from a wide variety of sources: animals, places, the founders of the company that makes them… Some, of course, have completely meaningless names concocted by marketing departments, or bear alphanumeric codes that show where they stand in the company’s line-up. But this car was named for a king.

The young King Alfonso XIII of Spain was an early gentleman driver, motoring enthusiast and patron of Hispano-Suiza. He was such a fan, in fact, that he owned a good 30 of them, and drove them around Europe. The company, honored by his patronage, named its Type 15T in his honor: Type Alfonso XIII.

Few such examples, rare as they are, ever change hands, but the example you see here is destined for the auction block when RM Auctions sets up shop March 10 at Amelia Island. This 1913 model – chassis # 718 – is one of only four built, and packs a 3.6-liter inline four with 64 horsepower – not much by today’s standards, but a veritable supercar in its time, capable of hitting a top speed of 80 miles an hour. It’s also got more patina to it than an antique shop, but that’s not all: it also comes with two bodies, one for the winter (pictured here) and open coachwork that could be installed for the summer.

It’s expected to fetch between $750,000 and a cool million when the hammer drops, but if that’s not entirely within your budget, you can check it out in the gallery of high-resolution images above, along with the auctioneer’s description after the jump.

Continue reading Extremely rare 1913 Hispano-Suiza Type Alfonso XIII headed for Amelia Island

Extremely rare 1913 Hispano-Suiza Type Alfonso XIII headed for Amelia Island originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Historic Porsche collection going up for auction at Amelia Island

Posted on by Drew Phillips

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Drendel Porsche Collection

Classic car aficionados are currently making arrangements to be in Northeast Florida for the second week of March for the Amelia Island Concours, but not everyone will be headed to Florida just to see cars. Plenty of collectors come to the annual event with cash burning in their pockets, and the various auction houses are happy to oblige with a selection of special cars on offer.

One of the highlights of the weekend’s auction action will surely be this incredible Porsche collection slated to cross the block at Gooding & Company. Owned by the late Matthew Drendel, the collection consists of 18 classic Porsches from a rare 1973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder with an estimated value of up to $3.25-$4 million to a very attainable 1991 944 S2 Cabriolet worth around $30,000. Also of note are a two-time Daytona 24 winning 1984 Porsche 962, the very first Porsche 935 built and a 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution that is one of just four factory team cars.

Follow the jump for more details on the auction and the Drendel Porsche collection, or take a closer look at the drool-worthy cars in the gallery above.

Continue reading Historic Porsche collection going up for auction at Amelia Island

Historic Porsche collection going up for auction at Amelia Island originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch HRE make one of its Vintage Series wheels

Posted on by Zach Bowman

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HRE Wheel

We’re smitten with the Vintage Series three-piece wheels from HRE. The hardware is about as cool as it gets in our opinion, and you can bet we’d rock a set if we had a vehicle worthy of the rollers. If you’ve ever wondered how the company goes about putting the wheels together, you’re in luck. HRE and StanceWorks have collaborated on a video documenting the ins and outs of crafting “investment grade” wheels.

The manufacturing process is set to a suitably epic soundtrack, and the high-def images of aluminum being milled from soulless blocks to three-piece glory are mesmerizing. Take a second to hit the jump and check out the clip for yourself.

Continue reading Watch HRE make one of its Vintage Series wheels

Watch HRE make one of its Vintage Series wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin DB5 rejoining James Bond franchise for Skyfall

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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James Bond's Aston Martin DB5

James Bond has driven a lot of fine machinery over the years. And most of them have been Aston Martins. But few have been as iconic – or as constant – as the classic DB5.

The iconic Aston first appeared – complete with machine guns, revolving license plate, ejector seat and chariot-style slicing wheel knockoffs – in 1964′s Goldfinger, and has since returned to reprise the role in Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and (most recently) in Casino Royale. And now it’s been spotted on the set of the upcoming fresh installment of the 007 franchise, Skyfall.

Although this won’t be the first time the DB5 (pictured above as featured in Goldfinger) has returned since the Sean Connery days, it is expected to be the first time it will appear in full battle array in a chase scene.

Aston Martin DB5 rejoining James Bond franchise for Skyfall originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Milhous Collection hitting the auction block in Boca

Posted on by Noah Joseph

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1912 Oldsmobile Limited Five-Passenger Touring

The world is replete with private auto collections that rival the best any museum has to offer. But no one person could have compiled the kind of spectacle that is the Milhous Collection – the embodiment of the life’s work and collective wealth of brothers Bob and Paul Milhous of Boca Raton, Florida.

The Milhous brothers shared a love for everything mechanical, ranging from automobiles and petroliana to player pianos, clocks and even a full-size carousel, and collected them all. Having outgrown four previous locations, the Milhous brothers moved their collect to a 39,500 square-foot facility in Boca in the mid-’90s. And there it has remained, closed to the public, ever since. But now its contents are going under the hammer later this month by RM Auctions in association with Sotheby’s.

Aside from the considerable musical and visual elements of the collection is more than a handful of noteworthy automobiles. A rare 1912 Oldsmobile Limited Five-Passenger Touring cabriolet (pictured above) is expected to go for around $1.5 million, joined by a 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Tourist by LeBaron, a 1939 Lagonda V1-2 Rapide Sports Roadster once owned by actor Robert Mongomery, a 1949 Rounds Rocket that was the first mid-engine/rear-drive Indy speedster and a 1934 Packard Super Eight Convertible Victoria by Dietrich that won Best in Show at Pebble Beach – just a few of the most noteworthy examples on the docket from the collection.

All-in-all, more than 30 classic automobiles, along with the rest of the collection, are to be auctioned on February 24 and 25 in conjunction with Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance. Take a stroll past the jump to delve into the full press releases, browse through the high-resolution image gallery, and follow the link for a virtual tour of the collection.

Continue reading Milhous Collection hitting the auction block in Boca

Milhous Collection hitting the auction block in Boca originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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