Yeah - the industry keeps telling us that battery breakthroughs are just around the corner and that the all electric future will be light, agile, and with no fear of running out of juice half way home. So far, these promises are all unfulfilled. Until then, I would never consider an electric. Not in a million years. Or at least around the corner. ... View more

The Z was a dream for those who couldn't afford, or want the commitment of an E Type when it premiered here in 1970. My dad got in on the act in 1973, the last year for the 2.4 liter 240 in the US. And it was a revelation to drive! When it ran. Which was almost never during the summer. Vapor lock meant you spent as much time on the side of the road as on it. Would the Webers on this car have helped? Maybe, but they would have changed the tone of the car some. In 1974 the 260 came and it was far worse than my dad's '73. These damn things are a rare sight today because they were for one year only and most of them were driven off cliffs by frustrated owners. The fuel injected 280 finally solved the issues, although, as you note, the car had changed in other ways by then. So if you want one, 1970, '71 or '72. Otherwise, unless its been modified, as this one has, expect trouble. ... View more

They still should!!! Bring back the rotary! ... View more

Well the Lotus basically did go into production, albeit with some changes as the Esprit. I always liked that car. Its a better of taste whether the earlier car like the show car, is better looking than the later one. ... View more

Right? At just over 6 feet tall, the first thought I had when I saw the Bertone Lancia Str was yeah, no way I could get into that thing unless I was laying on my back! ... View more

Great Seinfeld episode on this topic. George buys a Chrysler LeBaron form someone named Jon Voight. ... View more

Excellent perspective!!! My 3.8 E-Type, which I drive almost as a regular car all summer, has an aluminum rad and a much better electric fan. Its still + ground and has a gennie and not an alternator, although its now possible to get an alternator that looks the part now. That just means when that fan is running in traffic one has to watch the volts. Stock size tires, but new radials that look the part of the old ones from Dunlop make a huge improvement without effecting the steering or handling geometry. And I actually love the old brakes that everyone hated. While it take more effort, they are completely responsive. Its a slippery slope after all! ... View more

Great story. The year before Covid, my son, an avid junior pilot, and I went to OshKosh, WI for the annual air show. What an amazing event! They had a Tri-Motor there doing rides around the field a couple of times and returning. We wanted to go but they were sold out. I watched several takeoffs and landing and its true that thing looks like its going about 20 MPH from the ground! Great sound, though. ... View more

Picturing three young lads of, say, college age, heading off to the pubs to hunt for the birds, and arguing over who has to sit with the gearshift between his legs... ... View more

It looks like the Japanese collector car market for parts is where I found the English car market when I got into it in the late 1980s. Most cars were never thought to still be around after 40 years of use so parts availability was hard. NOS was costly and aftermarket parts, what there were, were often from Mexico and poorly made. But time and demand changed things and today you can build your own MGB or E Type from scratch as everything is now available in good quality. Hopefully the same evolution will happen for my 1990 RX 7! ... View more

So much inaccurate in your politically-charged post its hard to know where to start. Amazon is huge in Washington State, which is a very Democratic area. As Robert_A points out, they are in Detroit as well. As for Musk, he's far too busy building rockets at plants that displace poor people and cars that have quality control issues to worry about Detroit, although his battery plant is in Nevada, which has a Democratic governor. And most of his CA issues came from trying to force employees to work during a deadly pandemic. Nice guy. ... View more

As sad as this is, I have been expecting it for a long time. As the photos demonstrate, there is really little left to save at this point. While it would be nice to say it was repurposed, its really not practical any more. A lot of buildings in Detroit are in fact getting restored, but alas this one isn't going to be one of them. ... View more

I love how the car looked after the wreck. Looked like it was frowning and sticking its tongue out at the stupid GMC! The car was expressing its displeasure!! ... View more

So much of 'modern' cars are what I call technology for technology's sake. IN other words, things that really don't help the driver much and in fact, hinder the use of the vehicle. But they seem cool on the showroom floor and up the cost. As you note, they are more complex and often, sadly, fail. I feel your pain. My 4X2 Frontier struggles mightily to tow my 19 foot camper, but I can't find anything that is as easy to drive and not miserably expensive and complicated to own. So it soldiers on. ... View more

Love these wagons. My mom got her first Country Squire in 1960, a black beauty, when I was one year old. She traded it in for another, white this time, in 1965. Both of course had the wood decals on the sides and the fiberglass wood trim as well as the facing seats in the rear that I often rode in as the youngest at the time. Her last one was a fabulous red one in 1969 with the cluster dashboard and the tailgate that opened down or to the side even with the window up.To a ten year old I thought it was magic. Then there was the oversized V8. My mom always fancied herself a hot rod driver and frequently raced 911s off the line at traffic lights. I don't know whether the other drivers were racing but she often bragged that she never lost. In 1973 mom got an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, with the window that went up into the roof instead of down. That was some boat too, but that's a different story. ... View more

I am a huge fan of this sort of kooky innovation! It seems we have lost the will to experiment the past few decades. On the other hand, I am not too sure that attention was paid to the possibility of being rear-ended vs hit in the front, judging by the driver's position up high with a low seat and glass all around them! ... View more

Quite an attractive and forward-thinking design, to my old eyes! It reminds me of Jaguar's compact sedan, the Mark I and Mark II, although of course there was no Mark I designation until the Mark II came along. You can see the sexy curves and smaller dimensions in this car. ... View more

Well I don't know why the Italians kept trying to redo Jags. While they are interesting, none of them are an improvement at all. I saw the Talbot-Lago at Pebble about 20 years ago, and it is certainly a sight to see. Imagine taking that to the grocery store. The 2000 is by far the best looking Japanese car of all time - in short, they copied the E-Type. As for the Packard, all Packards are magnificent things. But man is it BIG! ... View more

Well it isn't so much that these were bargains so much as they went for about what they are worth, plus or minus. The trade at the big auctions has gotten so out of control in terms of price that these are noteworthy not for being actual bargains, but for not being outrageous prices. ... View more

I put these in the same class as very expensive cars with low miles on them. Why would you pay a lot extra to get a car with almost no miles? The value is in the low mileage, meaning you can't drive it. No thanks. ... View more

Right? From the beginning of the article I thought we were going to get some insight into models that were less collectible in the past that are now on the move. Instead we got cars that have been collectible, expensive and out of reach for decades have gotten more so. What a revelation. Not. ... View more

I remember that episode!! Loved where his long-suffering wife refers to it as a hot dog in a bun! Yeah the Aston was the only one on this list that appealed to me at all. With all the high end brands making crossovers now, its a shame there's no real station wagons. ... View more

Would he have been able to do the things he did, including collecting cars, without his and his family's personal fortunes? Of course not. Money allows you to do many things. Some good, some evil. Just because some northeastern real estate moguls and other wealthy types of late have used their money and influence for evil alone, means they grab more headlines than someone who uses it for something positive. ... View more

What an unfortunate time in automotive design this was! Other than the Merak, none of these is worth a second glance. The X19 was cool for its mid-engine layout. That's all. The rest? Ugly. ... View more

These TESLA recalls are really just the tip of the spear. To put it bluntly, if Ford released a car that was as poorly put together as many TESLAs, they would be in court. ... View more

Fun read! Thanks you. I would say that you will certainly miss the Jeep if you pass it on (as in sell, not junk), and we have all been there. I have sold cars that I miss but still know I did the right thing for the time. Hell I currently have 6 cars and am thinking about adding another. At least I have two places. But if the Jeep isn't costing you anything and you enjoy it, why shift it? ... View more

Maybe its just me but the wholesale use of plastic-type products in a car cooling system, and hose 'clamps' that are not clamps, seems like utter madness! Or, perhaps, a recipe for disposability. Many areas of the car can handle this lightening (i.e. cheapening) of parts. But the cooling system? It really calls into question the intentions of the underlying company itself and their concerns about the quality of the very costly product they are selling. ... View more

See I am with you. Maybe I have gotten lazy in my old age, but the hours and hours of work and driving around the author did to save $300, all the while driving around on dangerous tires, albeit at low speed, negated the whole utility of the thing in the first place. I would have just ponied up the $300 extra bucks in the first place and felt secure that I was safe and had a usable vehicle. But then in the words of the Thanksgiving episode of Mad About You, 'what does he care about money? He buys ice!' ... View more

You are right. I incorrectly substituted 'Series' for 'generation'. Mine is a second generation convertible from 1990. One of the 'Porsche' generation cars.  ... View more

You are probably right about Ferrari owners. I missed that point. I have an E-Type and an Escape. I could buy a Jag SUV instead of the Escape, but it seemed like more money when the Ford was better 'utility'. I guess that's another reason I don't have a Ferrari! Other than the obvious one. ... View more

I recently acquired my son's series 2 RX7 convertible. It is just as this video describes the later car. Cramped, plastic, flimsy. But like the series 3, it goes like crazy! My brother has had one of each series and still has the final series, a red car identical to the one in the test. He loves it. He says he will never sell it.  These are fast, fun cars. But they are not for me. I like European cars that are not filled with cheap materials that break, fall off, and rattle like crazy. So why did I buy my son's series 2? Did I mention it goes like stink? And its a convertible. ... View more

Well, owning a V-12 Jag is a hell of a lot cheaper than, say a V-12 Ferrari! Exotic cars cost money to maintain. Jags less so than other comparable, in reality. My son is a service tech at a Mercedes Dealership. Any time one from the 1990s comes in they all run! Total nightmare. ... View more

I am always surprised when someone says 'I owned X, and it was really ugly, cramped, had a bad driving position, was too slow, etc. etc.' Did you buy it from an internet auction? Or did you actually sit in it to see if you thought it was cramped? Did you drive it and think, wow, this is really slow - I want it! Did you look at it and decide, yeah its ugly, but I'm buying it? I don't get it. ... View more

If one can afford a Ferrari, then they can afford to put a Ford Escape in the garage next to it when the utility is needed. Which likely is not very often. ... View more

I'm not so sure. He might have preferred to sell than to bastardize it. ... View more

And then a Ferrari RV! Italian Winnebago!!! The mind boggles. And shudders. ... View more

You have a point. In 2013, after my beloved Land Rover was totaled, insurance wouldn't replace it so I bought a top spec From Escape Titanium. While it has been a great car, racking up well over 100k, now in the hands of my car-abusing daughter, it keeps running perfectly, hauling her horse equipment, while filthy. So what's the problem? In a parking lot it looks like nearly every one of its competitors. So while it was the perfect car for me, and later my daughter at the time (see Citation above), I can't see anyone lusting after it in 20 years! Remembered fondly, perhaps, but nothing more.  ... View more

For a first time 'collector' get something you love! Never pick something because you hope it will go up in value. Then if what you love does go up in value, then great! Buy the best one you can afford since it always costs more to fix a rusty car than to to buy a good one. Mechanicals can be repaired. Rust is a bigger problem. And be very careful. Shiny paint can hide many nightmares. Take magnets and someone in the know with you. Above all, have fun!! Go to shows, join clubs, etc. If its not fun, then its work! ... View more

Absolutely correct. When I was young, stereo manufacturers kept talking about numbers - look how low the distortion is in out amp! No, ours is lower! Ours is lower still!! Uhm, guys you can't hear any of those differences in normal use. So an electric Tesla is faster according to the numbers on the track. Does that matter when lots of gas powered cars are super fast, just not quite as fast? When the gas powered cars are a hoot to drive and the Tesla experience is crap? When the Tesla build quality is crap? The numbers game is over and electric wins. Which just proves that that is the wrong game to play if you love to drive. Oh, and buy a vintage tube amplifier. It sounds way better... ... View more

Well said and well shared, at least on my part. Both my classics, my E-Type and my Sunbeam Harrington were early attraction for me, the E going back to when I was about 10. Like so many, the first time I saw it you and thought, 'WHAT IS THAT??!!' But one thing you left out is how there is an evolution in these tastes. I have found as I age that I still love hard rock, but now like jazz too. As a youngster, I loved the lotus Elan but not mid-engine cars which always had, to my eye, poor proportions, like the Porsche 914 or the Lotus in your story. But as I have aged, I find I love those very different lines and would love to have a twin cam Lotus bread van someday. Or even a Fiat X19. How far from the lines of the E is that? What appeals to the eye (and ear) can evolve. ... View more

After two divorces, during which I have had my Jag for the whole time, I have found that for #3 it should say, marry your classic car and you will have more peace! But that's just my experience... ... View more

Wow. What a totally misguided article. Number one, when you eat meat, the hides are not part of the product, so they actually are useful rather than discarded. Second, vinyl i horrible for the environment in countless ways from its manufacture to its disclosure. And leather is not nearly as hot in summer and cold in winter as vinyl. Ever get in a car with vinyl seats when the weather is below zero? Yikes. Third, I have leather in two of my three vehicles and each is more than 15 years old and in great condition. I confess they are in the garage at night, but one is a convertible and the leather has aged much better than the carpets. Fourth, I have dogs. The leather stands up to them and their fur brushed right off. My fabric truck? The fabric is durable enough but the hair sticks to it like glue. Fifth, leather costs more because it costs more to stitch those hides together and buy the hides. Vinyl is made in a chemical factory or horrible stuff, worse than anything used in tanning leather, so is of course cheap. And toxic. Try doing a little research before you write an article. ... View more

And then there's British Standard...BS! ... View more

I especially love the middle photo of the Cat sandwiched between the 'compact' cars of today, and looking like a mouse more than a cat! I feel the same with my admittedly much larger E-Type. It always looks so tiny in a parking lot with modern machines. As the author observed, why are modern cars so fat...? ... View more

Mine is also a '64, although a drop head. Its late so doesn't have the aluminum dash either although mine even has a console. Jaguar just used whatever they had and when it ran out they used something else. What I disagree with in this splendid story is that the cars seldom get out to drive. Mine is driven all summer. Even to work before I retired. Its been to California from the northwest several times as well as other states east. I probably do about 3 - 4000 miles each year. Otherwise, I probably would sell it. All that work on the drag and stability is wasted otherwise. and yes, its a joy! ... View more

XJ 220 race car? Yes, please!!! ... View more

My thoughts exactly. One of the first things I noticed about these beauties is that the expected prices seem to lack a celebrity tax. I suspect the estimates are conservative... ... View more

I have been a railman since I was able to walk. Somehow, my son got it too. But worse. While I love my O and HO scale models and of course, the real thing, he got into a group running live steam. When we put an LGB scale railway in the backyard garden and I suggested an electric model he scoffed. Not a chance. Steam. You can't ride ours (his), but it still runs the same way, makes the same sounds, and the same smells. Like my E-Type, its a whole experience... ... View more

MGA was available as a roadster. But this is Hollywood... ... View more

IN 1985 when I got married to my starter wife, I was a Japanese car guy driving a Nissan 200SX. My bride was from Dearborn and so insisted her first new car ever be a Ford. A black, aero Tempo with a 5 speed. I scoffed, but I wanted to please her so that's what we got. To my surprise, we used it more than my Nissan because it was completely reliable, fast enough, and comfortable for 4 -5 adults, while the Nissan's back seat was, well, 2 + 2. Sure the Nissan handled more crisply and was more responsive. But the Tempo was a much better car than its rep. She kept it for many years longer than she kept me. ... View more