Since its release for the 2009 model year, the Nissan GT-R has been breaking track records and getting rave reviews from test pilots. Making its performance even more impressive is seating for four, full size trunk and all other amenities. This black example shows only 4,239 miles (6,822 kms) and remains in excellent condition. Priced at $89,900CDN, offers and/or trades welcome.



First shown as a concept at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, after great feedback and years of development at the famous N“rburgring Race Track in Germany , the Nissan GT-R finally made it to the showrooms for the 2009 model year. An incredible example of aerodynamics, advanced technology in stability and traction control with the ATTESA E-TS All Wheel Drive system, combined with a 480 horsepower 3.8 liter Twin Turbo V6 and dual clutch semi-automatic 6 speed transmission makes for one of the most impressive performance cars to date. The result is supercar performance from a car with room for 4 passengers and a full size trunk!!

Legendary Motorcar Company

- By Mark J. McCourt
Automobili Lamborghini engineers are currently hard at work on the replacement for their Murciélago flagship, which made its debut in 2001. The car may be getting up there in age — although its predecessor, the Diablo, was in production for 11 years — but it certainly isn’t a commonplace sight. In fact, Lamborghini has just built their 4,000th Murciélago, a top-of-the-line, 212-MPH LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, powered by a 6.5-liter, 670hp V-12 engine. This milestone is extra-special because the aforementioned Diablo only reached a production figure of about 2,900 units.

This car, number 4,000, finished in Arancione Atlas orange over an Alcantara and carbon fiber-trimmed interior and one of 350 SuperVeloce models to be built, will be delivered to the Lamborghini showroom in Hangzhou, China, for delivery to a Chinese customer.

Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said, “The enthusiasm our products incites makes us proud and confirms that the company’s product strategy and model range are a winning combination, producing exceptionally desirable super sportscars.”

Lamborghini.com

By Richard Lentinello
Hemming’s Article

Cadillacs in Connecticut
The folks at the Golden Age of Trucking Museum in Middlebury, Connecticut, are already getting ready for their special all-Cadillac show to be held on Saturday, April 24. This will be the second year for this Inter-Regional Meet put on by the New England and Lower Hudson Valley regions of the Cadillac-La Salle Club. The show is free, but admission to this fantastic museum, which has on display some of the finest and rarest vintage trucks in the country, is $8.

More Info

Having gone through a full frame off restoration, this black on tan 1936 Ford Roadster shows beautifully, powered by a 221 cu in flathead V8 tastefully upgraded with dual carbs, polished intake and a reliable alternator. Priced at $79,900 USD, open offers and/or trades.



Having recently completed a full nut and bolt restoration, the previous owner realized that this Roadster was too nice to go the way so many have, by making a street rod, it was restored to its factory specs right down to the suspension and flathead V8 drivetrain. It has been beautifully finished in black paint which has been polished to a fantastic shine, which is only further complimented by the refinished interior and tan colored upholstery with matching convertible soft of on a restored frame. The L-head, 221 cu in., V8 engine has been carefully rebuilt and tastefully improved with dual carbs, a polished intake and a reliable alternator, pushing its now 100 hp to the rear wheels through the proper 3 speed, floor shifted manual transmission. Recently out of long term ownership, and yet still having only seen test mileage since its complete restoration, this 1936 Roadster is a perfect car to be shown, or enjoyed on the warm summer evenings, rumble seat open and only the deep sound of a flathead V8 filling the air.

Old Cars Weekly article

By Brian Earnest

More than five decades ago, the Parklane Sport Wagon was supposed to be Ford’s Nomad fighter. When General Motors launched its hip, sporty two-door Chevrolet wagon in 1955, it was occupying a niche that it pretty much had all to itself — at least for a year.

Ford brought out the Parklane to do battle with the Nomad a year later. Alas, neither wagon really set the world on fire, and Ford pulled the plug on the Parklane experiment after just one model year — and one year before Chevy ended the Nomad’s three-year run as a two-door wagon.

But that one year that Ford was in the sport wagon business was enough to produce some pretty dandy collector cars for guys like Tom Ripplinger of Hammond, Wis. Ripplinger owns one of the 15,186 Parklanes that were made for the 1956 model year. Ripplinger’s car is a beautifully restored example that wears an authentic two-tone Bermuda Blue/Diamond Blue paint scheme. It’s a splendid and very collectible car that almost never got back on the road. In fact, even after Ripplinger picked up the car during a trip to Oklahoma back in 1989, he never planned to even get the car running.

“We didn’t intend to restore it. I bought it for parts,” he recalls with a chuckle. “And then we realized how few they made and decided we had to fix it up. We didn’t know how few they made and how rare a car it was when we got it … I got a Crown Victoria, and this car originally had factory air conditioning and power steering, and I was going to take that stuff out off and put in my Crown and then sell this car for parts.”

That plan quickly went out the window when Ripplinger figured out he had a one-year-only Ford, and within a year the Parklane was back on the road and being regularly driven. In fact, that car hasn’t had much rest in the past 20 summers.

“We’ve put over 60,000 miles on it. It’s been on the road over 20 years now,” says Ripplinger proudly. “This was our driver car until a couple years ago — it was the only (collector car) we had running. We drove it everywhere we went.”

Old Cars Weekly article

When 36 vintage Corvettes turn up missing after being stored and neglected for two decades in the garage of a New York apartment complex, you can bet that it won't go unnoticed by Corvette fans.

Such is the case of the strange, ongoing saga of the cars owned by artist Peter Max.

New York Times reporter Daniel McDermon has dogged the story for several years after finding them in the basement garage of his Upper Manhattan apartment building. He discovered that the cars, a complete set dating from 1953 to 1989, had originally been given away in a contest sponsored by the cable music channel VH1 in 1989. A carpenter from Long Island won the cars then sold them to Max, who planned to repaint them for an art project he had conjured up in a dream. Sidetracked by more pressing projects, the cars were stashed away where the dust began to accumulate, convertible roofs began to collapse, and tires began to flatten.

The first New York Times story ran in 2005, attracting the attention of Corvette lovers who were appalled by the declining conditions of the 'Vettes. There were offers to buy the cars, restore the cars at no cost, and to give the cars temporary homes until Max needed them. All offers, however, were declined.

When DigitalCorvettes.com learned of the story, they went on a covert mission to document the cars, which were stored behind a chain link fence inside the garage. Despite years of fretting over the ultimate outcome of the cars, they could do little more than serve as a watchdog for the collection.

They have done just that. About a week ago, the cars began to disappear, but the watchdogs weren’t far behind. Give some credit to Twitter that provided DigitalCorvettes.com with pictorial evidence of the move, including tire tracks from where one of the cars apparently had to be dragged out because of a locked wheel.

By last Saturday afternoon, DigitalCorvettes.com had received notice that the cars had been found but the location was not disclosed. Posted were photos of the cars in their new 'Corvette dungeon'.

What will happen next? According to the New York Times, Max said he would like to purchase 14 more Corvettes to make a total of 50 needed to realize his project plans.

Until that time arrives, the collection will likely remain hidden in their private dungeon.

Did you know honorable discharged veterans are entitled to franchise incentives from Auto Appraisal Network?
Statistics:
• 40% of businesses owned by veterans are home-based.;
• Veterans made up 14% of the US self employed in 2001;
• The total military veteran population in the US is 24.9 million
• There are 1.7 million women veterans in the United States
I can tell you from experience, veterans are very good small business owners and we give incentives to veterans not only for service their country, but it makes good business sense.

Auto Franchise Profiles comparison article

Compare Auto Appraisal Network, with other franchise opportunities and take note that all of the other franchise opportunities available are all very similar and compete with many other brands within their markets. Auto Appraisal Network is unique, affordable and is setting new standards for providing appraisal services in every new market we support.


Auto franchises come in all shapes and sizes. This is reflected in the variation in fees and capital required to start an auto franchise. Based on the sample in this report the typical franchise fee for a single unit franchise is $25,000. A higher franchise fee may reflect a higher level of support from the franchisor or a business model with particularly high financial returns. With a given franchise system there may also be a variation in the franchise fee depending on the size of territory.

Old Cars Weekly Article

If you have a little bit of cash burning in your pocket, you might want to consider buying one of the world's most desirable Ferraris.

A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, (chassis no. 4675 GT), one of only 36 originally produced and one of a limited few with Series II GTO bodywork, is currently up for grabs in a private treaty sale through RM Auctions.

In addition to being considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built by Ferrari, the GTO was tremendously successful in competition, securing multiple World Championships for the Modenese car builder.

In April 1963, 4675 GT left the factory finished in Rosso Cina. It was raced by such drivers as Guido Fossati, Jean Guichet, Oddone Sigala, Vincenzo Nember and Luigi Taramazzo and proved itself a tremendously capable racing car, rarely finishing outside the top three in its class and achieving numerous race wins. It participated in the full range of competitive events, including hillclimbs, endurance races and rallies.

The present owner acquired 4675 GT in 1996, and has maintained it in his exceptional, world-renowned Japanese collection ever since. Most recently 4675 GT has participated in the ultra-private events reserved only for GTO owners, namely the 35th and 45th GTO Anniversary Tours in France and California.

By Greg Riley

John O’Quinn has assembled perhaps the most significant collection of Classic automobiles since Bill Harrah. But rather than in Reno, O’Quinn’s collection calls Houston, Texas, home.

Upon entering the collection’s private showroom, one sees a glittering array of perfectly restored Duesenbergs. Even among such rarified surroundings, some cars immediately stand out. Such is the case of Duesenberg SJ-397 (Chassis No. 2405), known alternately as “The Rudolf Bauer Duesenberg” for the artist who designed the car for himself, or “The Last Duesenberg.” The twists and turns of this particular Duesenberg story are reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

At first glance, the Bauer Duesenberg seems as perfectly restored as its stablemates. However, this car is parked slightly apart from its Indianapolis cousins, confirming its status as something special. I was allowed the rare privilege of closely inspecting the Bauer car in minute detail.

Several things about the car were surprising. One might surmise the car has an older restoration showing slight patina. However, not only is this the last Duesenberg delivered, but the car is thoroughly original with only 10,843 miles traveled since new. The catalog from the auction where O’Quinn purchased the car made much of the authentic World War II “A” rationing sticker and 1943 New Jersey registration stamp. I discovered something even more interesting — an “Essolube” oil change sticker dated Oct. 14, 1941, with a mileage of 4,854. It seems the car traveled half its total mileage within 18 months of its delivery on April 25, 1940.

For information about the upcoming O'Quinn auction
To see the Bauer Duesenberg Video (scroll to the bottom of the page to find video)

ASRA
- By Daniel Strohl

Dissatisfaction with a change in the National Street Rod Association’s admittance rules has led to the formation of two new street rodding groups, both going by the same name.

Both the American Street Rodding Association and the American Street Rodding Association have emerged in recent months as a response to the NSRA’s recent decision to open up all of its events to all cars 30 years old and older. Previously, most of the events on the NSRA’s schedule were open only to cars built in 1948 and before.

Jimbo Perkins, editor of Gulf Coast MotorSports Magazine, said he formed one of the two ASRAs in December “to bring together pre-’49 Street Rodders in a family-style reunion. Hopefully at hotels, motels, places of interest around the country.” On his ASRA website, www.theasra.com, Perkins wrote that the NSRA’s 30-year rule “opened a can of worms” and that he “see[s] nothing wrong in limiting members to restrictions of their interest.” Perkins plans to charge $25 for dues.

The other ASRA, at www.americanstreetrodassociation.com, is the effort of John Winter, who wrote on his site: “Due to the recent changes to the other national organization a group from the Midwest decided it was time to have a street rod only organization. We feel the pre-1949 enthusiast is being forced into a car culture melting pot of tri-five Chevys, custom Mercs, 1970s muscle cars and mini trucks. We have nothing against these groups, we enjoy a custom or a 1955 Chevy as much as anybody else, but it's our intention to have street rod only events.” Winter is in the early stages of planning his ASRA, and has yet to formulate a charter.

An NSRA spokesman last year said the intent of the rule change was to increase attendance at the shows put on by the organization. “For the events we opened up, we saw a 25 percent increase in car count, as well as an increase in spectator attendance,” NSRA spokesman Jim Rowlett said. “I’m sure some people will complain, but I don’t think we’ll see any big surprises by opening up all of our events.”

www.concorso.com
- By David LaChance

The organizers of Concorso Italiano, that celebration of Italian cars and culture that takes place each August in Monterey, California, are working up something special for the 100th birthday of Alfa Romeo this year, and they’d like you to join them. Among the events planned so far for the August 13 show are a display of cars that will reflect the breadth of the Milan firm’s glorious history, and participation by Alfa Romeo Association members in spelling out the words “ALFA 100” in Alfas.

Organizers say they’ll have more to announce in the coming weeks, and are hinting that there might be a sneak preview of some Alfa Romeo concept cars, courtesy of the factory. Alfa owners who would like to have their cars considered for inclusion in the Centerpiece Display can send descriptions of their cars, along with photographs, to ci@concorso.com. The display will include a broad range of Alfa Romeos, including street and competition cars from every era.

Concorso Italiano, now in its 25th year, is a major event on the calendar of Italian car aficionados everywhere. Held on the beautiful, rolling hills of the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Concorso attracts as many as 1,200 vintage Italian cars, motorcycles and boats. Non-Italian cars are also welcome, with a display area of their own.

Source: “bross” at ADVRider.com

From zero to sixty and back to zero in 2.5 seconds! From $1.5 M to $0 in one second…

We were in Okanagan Falls, BC just stopped for a break on a ride when a Ferrari rolled through town, not just any Ferrari, but an Enzo, red of course. Well here’s what the Enzo looked like 10 minutes later…

We rolled past and walked back to the scene. Jodie stopped and asked a man walking along the road if he knew what happened. He said “Yeah a guy was driving his Enzo Ferrari, it caught on fire and he jumped out.” Jodie said “We saw that Ferrari drive by us in OK Falls, is the guy OK?” He said “Yeah, I’m the guy!” Then Jodie was struck speechless and said “I’m sorry”

The whole time he’s not really looking at Jodie just texting furiously on his phone. He then went and sat down on the side of the road beside his duffel bag, all that he had left.

Old Cars Weekly Article

When they take their hobby car out for a drive, there isn't much of a chance David and Patricia Couling will run across any other black Mercury Meteors cruising around Mobile Ala.. In fact, there isn't much chance they will spot a Meteor of any color or vintage.

"To the best of my knowledge, there are only three '63 Meteors registered in the state of Alabama," says Patricia. "And we've owned two of the three!"

The Meteors are certainly among the more obscure Ford offerings of the 1960s, and go largely overlooked even by die-hard Ford enthusiasts. The Meteor line was built only from 1961-'63 and featured lower-end, full-sized vehicles akin to the Fairlane series.

Though there seemingly wasn't much reason not to like them, the Meteors never gained much of a following, and disappeared for good after the '63 model year.

Everybody knows the Governor Connolly’s limousine where the President JFK died. This limousine was licensed under number: GG 300 and dubbed "X-100" by US Secret Service.

After the Kennedy assassination, the car was completely re-bodied by Ford and Hess & Eisenhardt. These changes cost more than $500,000 !!!
It includes:
• new black paint job (originally in midnight blue)
• 1600lbs of bullet proof was added (that increase the weight of the car to nearly 10,000lbs)
• addition of a non-removable top
• solid aluminum rims inside the tires to make them flat-proof
• a fuel tank filled with porous foam to prevent explosion in case of penetration by a bullet
• a second air-conditioning unit in the trunk
• reinforcement of some mechanical and structural components to accept the added weight of armor
• complete restoration of the rear compartment to eliminate the damage that was caused by the assassination
• a more powerful motor (17% greater power) was necessary and added
The new X-100 was finished in May 1964, it was put back into service and was used by President Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter before being retired in 1977.
In 1977, the odometer shows more than 100,000 mls ! Ford Motor Company donated the car to Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, where you can admire several presidential parade vehicles: the 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible (the "Sunshine Special") used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan (the "Bubble Top") used by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, and the 1972 Lincoln used by Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush. The 1972 vehicle is the last presidential parade vehicle that will be given to any museum. The Secret Service will destroy all future presidential vehicles in test so that the complex electronic and security devices will remain confidential.

-By Richard Lentinello, Hemmings eWeekly

Corvair Birthday Party
Hemmings will be honoring the 50th birthday of the Chevrolet Corvair at the New England Concours on Sunday, July 18. To show everyone just how innovative these compact cars really are, our goal is to have on display one example of every Corvair model ever built. If you own a correctly restored or well-preserved original Corvair and would like to be part of this very special tribute, kindly send photos of your Corvair to rlentinello@hemmings.com. There’s no entry fee to the Concours, so come up to Vermont and join the fun!

More Info

In case you were sleeping or accidentally pushed the delete button, Old Cars Weekly broke the news Wednesday that a number of cars from the John O'Quinn collection, described by some as "the world's greatest car collection," are headed to auction. If you missed the article, here's your chance to read it, along with a long list of cars believed in the O'Quinn collection.

Read it now

Cars to be auctioned

Gusting winds over 50 mph and torrential rains were the talk of the Arizona auctions last week. The weather wreaked havoc on auction tents across the area, with the most damage sustained at Russo and Steele, where two tents, each 800 ft x 100 ft, collapsed under the stress of the storm.

Beneath them, approximately 400 collector cars were exposed to falling tent poles, whipping cables, and flapping canvas. Despite damage to dozens of cars and a two-day delay, the sale resumed on Sunday as planned. Click here to read more and see photos of the damage here.

La Dolce Vita announced today that it will not be holding an event this year in Monterey. Read the complete statement here. This means that Concorso Italiano will be the only all-Italian car event being held in Monterey this August. SCM Publisher Martin will return as emcee and SCM will once again be sponsoring the Alfa Best of Tipo awards.

Registrations for Concorso are now being accepted, click here for early-bird pricing.

Bob Nizza says he always wanted the best muscle car he could find. "The one that was worth the most, and that was the Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda," chuckled the Long Island, N.Y., resident. "But those bring six, seven figures. That just wasn't gonna happen!"

Turns out, after spending the last 36 years with his superbly preserved 1974 'Cuda, Nizza actually did wind up with his "seven-figure car," even if all those zeroes only fall in the intrinsic value ledger."My friends all laugh at me, but I wouldn't ever sell this car. I wouldn't sell this car for a million dollars," Nizza proclaimed.

The odometer on the car now has just 29,679 miles, making Nizza's 'Cuda a rare pristine survivor from the muscle car era's dying days, and this week's OldCarsReport.com "Car of the Week."

The Rest of the Story

As an auto appraisal company, many of the damaged cars in Scottsdale were previously appraised by us and Insured by their owners. We have received lots of feedback from those customers who are now receiving payment on their claims. All have been positive and our customers have express great gratitude for the comprehensive appraisal reports we supplied.

Unfortunately, the area of contention seems to be those vehicles which had inadequate appraisals or no appraisals at all. Because these claims are mostly third party claims determining the prior to loss value will be left up to the insurance companies paying the claims.

A collector-car insurance executive estimated damages to the vehicles could exceed $1.5 million.
As a car guy, he said, it was very sad to see what had happened at the Russo and Steel auction site.

Protect Your Investment. Have it appraised

Old Cars Weekly Live Online Seminar

Date: February 9, 2010*
Time: 8:00 pm ET
Duration: 1 hour

*You will also have access to the archived version of this seminar for one year!

The Scottsdale, AZ auctions are often considered the "barometer" for the old car hobby and can predict the direction for the hobby in the coming year. So what happened this year? What trends did we see?

Old Cars Weekly's auction gurus, led by Auction Editor Ron Kowalke, were there, crawling under cars, sniffing exhaust fumes and recording the numbers. Register for this live online seminar and get the experts' opinions and find out what really happened. You can also interact with the auction reports and offer your opinions or even ask questions.

Topics include:

• What vehicles were hot? What was not?
• Who is buying?
• Who was selling?
• What will happen in the hobby for 2010?
• What were the steals?

More information

The football-friendly folks who run the Northeast Classic Car museum in Norwich, New York, are offering a great deal to entice car lovers to view their incredible display of truly rare and very interesting collector cars before the Big Game begins. So on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, when you buy one ticket, you’ll be able to get your car buddy in for free!

Currently there’s a tractor exhibit, featuring Avery, Allis Chalmers and Porsche tractors, in addition to all the more popular brands. Besides being able to view rare Franklins, Packards and Brass Era cars such as Pullmans and a Firestone-Columbus up close, there’s also a fantastic display of vintage aircraft engines. For more details, call 607-334-2886, or check out their website: www.classiccarmuseum.org.
- By Richard Lentinello for Hemmings eWeekly
Hemmings Article

PHOENIX – So you raised your hand a few more times than you anticipated during the Arizona classic car auction week and you’re going home with more cars than your garage can hold. Maybe it’s time to move.

But how do you find a new place that can accommodate your collection?

I found out while waiting for the RM auction to begin.

“The real estate system for tracking properties ignores garages,” said Bob Cross, who about three years ago established the Car Property Group and the CarProperty.com Web site.

Mr. Cross’s father was a car collector. So were his father’s friends. “Space for their cars was always an issue,” Mr. Cross said.

After establishing his own computer software company, then spending a decade as a consultant, Mr. Cross got a real estate license. In addition to general home sales, he focused on finding properties for car collectors in the San Jose/Silicon Valley area of Northern California. He started his Web site as a resource for those selling or seeking car-oriented homes anywhere in the country, one of the few sites that offer such a service.

He said he found that car enthusiasts with extensive garage space want their homes sold to others with automotive passions. Often, Mr. Cross added, it’s the property owner who pays to advertise on his site.

He said there are about 1,000 properties, vehicles and even some real estate agents who are part of a car property network advertised on his site.

We made a quick visit and saw:

• A 15-car garage and 4-bedroom home for $575,000 in Georgia;
• An 8-car garage and 6-bedroom home for $1.89 million in Colorado;
• A 5 ½-car garage and 6-bedroom house for $2.29 million between Los Angeles and San Diego;
• A vintage café, two gas stations and other buildings on more than 17 acres along old Route 66 for $659,000 in northern Arizona.

As for Mr. Cross, he sold his collector car – a 1968 Jaguar XK-E — about a year ago. Since then, he’s started collecting motorcycles, which don’t demand nearly so much space in the garage.

But How Big Is the Garage?

Our office giant drives an original Cinquecento the only way he can: with his head sticking out of the roof.

View the video here:

WHAT IS IT?
It’s a sort-of-convertible version of Fiat’s hot-selling and ever-so-cute small car. We say “sort of” because the cloth top electrically folds back between fixed roof rails, rather than forming the roof structure. It’s just like the fold-back sunroof on the original Cinquecento or a Citroën 2CV. In Europe, the 500C is sold with three engines: a 74-hp, 1.2-liter turbo-diesel; and 1.2- and 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines making 68 and 99 hp, respectively. Manual and automated manual transmissions are available, driving through the front wheels.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?
Pretty nicely, if you’re not aiming to go anywhere in a hurry. We drove an upscale “Lounge” model fitted with the 1.4-liter engine, which is willing but not very powerful, as evidenced by a claimed 0-to-62-mph time of 11.0 seconds. At least the five-speed manual is slick, which is important because you’ll be using it a lot. We also liked the fruity exhaust rasp. If Fiat brings the car to the U.S., we’d advise that the 1.2 be left behind, because it must be about as fleet of foot as Homer Simpson.

WHERE CAN I GET ONE?
Currently, all over Western Europe, priced at the equivalent of about $20,000 when stripped of sales tax for the 1.4 Lounge. The more basic Pop model saves roughly $2000. Of course, one can option a 500C up to the nines, with items such as a full-leather interior, stability control, and an upscale stereo.

It’s very likely to end up on sale in the U.S. in a couple of years, delighting teenage girls (and their moms) everywhere.
-By Mark Gillies
Read the full article here:

PARIS — Retromobile may be Europe’s best old car show. Housed in a hall here at the Porte de Versailles, Retromobile officially celebrates the bicentennial of Peugeot and urban transportation. But the eclectic nature of the exhibits means there’s a little bit of everything spread around the immense pavilion.

The highlight was Saturday’s sale of 99 classic cars by Bonhams. And the star of the stand was a 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia that was salvaged from a Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. The car ended up in the lake in 1936 and was recently recovered. It sold for around $370,000 — nearly three times its high estimate.

Then there was David Townend of Yorkshire, England, who makes and sells clothes for classic-car buffs. “They get the car, and we supply them with the clothes,” he explained. “People come and say, ‘This is the car, what should I wear?’ Bentley guys wear simple clothes, corduroy trousers and Harris tweed. Rolls-Royce owners wear suits.”
-By WILLIAM DIEM for the New York Times
To read more, click here:

The times, they are a changin', and even Ferrari is being dragged into the hybrid scene. We brought you news yesterday that, during the debut of Ferrari's 2010 F10 Formula 1 car, CEO Luca de Montezemolo revealed that a production-ready hybrid version of the 599 would be coming to Geneva. Today we have a preview image of the car leaked to the Web.

The 599 Hybrid is still cloaked in mystery, but previous rumors of the car's Geneva Motor Show debut broke last December, following confirmation last June that a hybrid was in testing. The details dropped then indicate the 599 will keep its V-12 engine, and add a road-going version of the KERS system Ferrari developed--and has now dropped--for F1. It's not clear if the 599 will employ the all-wheel-drive system leaked last summer, but it seems likely.

The benefit is expected to be a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy, from a miserable (but understandable, given the 612-horsepower output) 8.7 mpg to a slightly more tolerable 13.8 mpg. Considering the average Ferrari only sees a few thousand miles per year, however, this is more an exercise in high-tech engineering than in fuel savings.
-By Nelson Ireson for The Car Connection
The Car Connection Article

The annual GS Nationals, held each May in Bowling Green, Kentucky, are more than just drag racing, turbocharged GNs and 455-powered Gran Sports. They’re about Buicks of all types, including Centurys, Electras, Le Sabres, Roadmasters, Skylarks and Apollos, too. This five-day-long Buick love fest, which runs from May 11-15, also hosts a large all-Buick car show on Friday the 14th; there's even a weeklong swap meet.

So whether you own a four-cylinder Skyhawk or a pre-war Super convertible, bring your Buick to the GS Nationals and join the fun. For more information, visit their website: www.gsnationals.com.
- By Richard Lentinello for Hemmings eWeekly

Hemmings Article

The final numbers are coming in from the top three auto auctions that took place in Scottsdale last week and despite a wave of storms that included winds of more than 60 miles per hour, nearly 4 inches of rain, flash flooding and reports of a tornado...sales dollars were up from last year!

Barrett-Jackson finished with an auction total of $68 million, up from last year's $63 million, with the help of a 1929 Hamilton Metalplane bringing in $671,000, a 1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster at $478,500, and a 1963 Shelby Cobra Roadster at $401,500 being their top sellers.

Gooding & Company hammered out a total of $33.9 million, up from last year's $32.4 million. Its auction broke two price records for specific models, with the sale of the 1959 Costin Lister Jaguar Sports Racer for $1.1 million and the 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V Gran Sport for $1.54 million. But their top seller was a 1956 Jaguar D-Type Sports Racer that went for an amazing bid of $3.74 million.

RM Auctions announced that their sale at Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa netted $19.6 million with an 89% sell-through rate which was up compared to 2009 sales of 18 million. Their top sellers included a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT at $1,001,000, a 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra at $632,500 and a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Tourster for $550,000.00

Russo and Steele was hit hardest by the Thursday nights storms which blew one of the main tents covering the cars off its moorings and made a second tent collapse. It has been estimated that out of the six hundred cars consigned to Russo and Steele, up to 50% of them have some type of damage. So far their highest selling car appears to be $797,500 for a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series II with the highest bid of $1.4 million coming in for the controversial 1948 Convertible Tucker, not reaching its reserve.
-By Tony and Michele Hamer, About.com Guides to Classic Cars

Full Article