Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal
Sports Car Digest focuses on Classic Car Auctions, Concours d’Elegance, Vintage Car Racing, Road Rallies and other historic automotive events.
Although racing drivers Johnny von Neumann and Luigi Chinetti were instrumental in the development of the California Spider, only a select group of the beautiful open Ferraris ever saw track time. Of some 50 long-wheelbase Californias, fewer than 10 were built with competition in mind. By the time the short-wheelbase Californias were introduced, the Berlinettas had already become so dominant that … [Read more...]
Can-Am McLaren M8B - The Perfect Race CarStory and Photos by Pete LyonsSome race cars come off the shop floor ready to win their very first race. One beauty famous for doing so was 1967’s F1 Lotus 49.More rarely, a new car will win its first couple of times out. That same year, Ford’s GT40 Mark IV scored at Sebring and then Le Mans. Because those were its only two races, … [Read more...]
Born in the Depression, Restored in a Recession, Delage D8S Gives New Meaning to EleganceStory by Philip PowellIn perhaps the strangest paradox of the 1930s, as the worst depression the world had ever known was putting millions out of work, extraordinary design still flourished. Bauhaus architecture by the likes of Mies van der Rohe and LeCorbusier gave us functional homes described as … [Read more...]
Although Maserati had enjoyed competition success with its championship-winning 250F grand prix car, the Modenese company soon found itself in dire financial straits. With the introduction and sales success of the road-going 3500 GT, however, the company’s health improved drastically, prompting a renewed interest in creating a sports car that could be raced, not by the factory, but by … [Read more...]
BMW brought a tradition back to life when it lined up at the 78th staging of the Le Mans 24 Hours 2010 with an elaborately designed Art Car. American artist Jeff Koons’ BMW M3 GT2 Art Car really caught the eye in France.While the no. 78 BMW M3 GT2, with drivers Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR) and Uwe Alzen (DE), finished sixth in the LM GT2 class, the no. 79 BMW Art Car, … [Read more...]
Long before he became famous for designing and building Indianapolis racers that won the 500-mile race five times, Los Angeles fabricator Frank Kurtis made a considerable reputation building the best midget race cars in the world.Beginning in the late 1930s, his company, Kurtis Kraft, churned out over 1,150 midgets, 500 in ready-to-race form and 600 kits. Described by the National Midget Auto … [Read more...]
In its 20th anniversary year, the McLaren F1 is considered by most people to be one of the greatest cars of all time. Its exclusivity, technical innovation, racing provenance, revolutionary packaging and extraordinary driving experience have made it an icon.In 1988, McLaren took the decision to expand from Formula One and design and build, “the finest sports car the world had ever seen.” … [Read more...]
Ferrari SpA recently issued an Attestation for vehicles of historic interest by the Ferrari Classiche department to the 250 GT Berlinetta passo corto (chassis 2819) nicknamed the “Breadvan.”The special document, which has been available since 2009, is dedicated to Ferrari cars that, although they do not comply with the strict Ferrari Authenticity Certification criteria, have been deemed, … [Read more...]
The original winning car from the 3rd Carrera Panamericana Mexico in November 1952 is to return to the scene of its great triumph. The 300 SL racing sport car (W 194) was temporarily removed from the “Races and Records” display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, in order to join the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and set off once again along a part of the original route through Mexico.The … [Read more...]
Zagato Atelier introduced the Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa at the XII Villa D’Este Concours d’Elegance, held April 24-25, 2010 at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, Italy.The TZ3 Corsa is not a design exercise. It does not take inspiration only from the 90 year collaboration between the two brands, neither only from the Milanese conjunction between Alfa Romeo and Zagato. The TZ3 Corsa is a race car, … [Read more...]
This 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia 'Bügelfalte' will be offered for sale at RM Auctions’ Sporting Classics of Monaco sale, to be held May 1, 2010 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Its pre-sale estimate is unavailable.BMW was actively involved in sports racing in the pre-war years, enjoying considerable successes with its advanced high performance 328. The 328’s success in competition and in … [Read more...]
The Ferrari 599XX is the first ever production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the classic 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping in 6 min 58.16 sec.The 599XX, which inspired the 599 GTO, is an extreme berlinetta designed for track but not official competition use, and is a veritable technological laboratory incorporating a number of innovative solutions. … [Read more...]
The story of XKD-528 begins on November 9, 1955, when this sports racer was dispatched from the Coventry factory and shipped to the famed California distributor, Hornburg Jaguar. Originally finished in cream with a blue interior, the Jaguar was immediately sold to Continental Motors of Whittier, California.As with any good D-Type, it was not long before XKD-528 became active in racing and, … [Read more...]
This 1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Berlinetta will be offered for sale at RM Auctions’ Sporting Classics of Monaco sale, to be held May 1, 2010 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Its pre-sale estimate is €110.000 - €135.000.Giovanni Moretti made his name with racing engines for motorcycles. Following World War II, he began making small automobiles, the first powered by his own vertical … [Read more...]
For the first time since the 288 GTO, Ferrari is bringing back the famed GTO moniker with its new 599 GTO model. Ferrari revealed the first photos and information on the 599 GTO, an extreme V12 berlinetta developed to a specific performance-oriented brief.The 599 GTO is the company’s fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a … [Read more...]
Recent Comments