Lots of interesting comments, but how about the NSU RO80. Launched in 1967 and voted "car of the year" for 1968, the vast majority of initial press comment related to the Wankel engine, and them went on to related how that engine was under-developed and unreliable, with rotor seal problems leading to a string of warranty claims. Many owners had their engines changed, more that once in an attempt to cure the problem. However, the real innovation was the automatic stick shift. With just two pedals (accelerator and brake) the electrically operated clutch switch was situated on the top of the stick. As soon as you put your hand on the top of the stick the clutch operated and you changed gear in the normal stick shift manner. Whilst the engine was a real issue, you never heard of any problems relating to the gearbox. ... View more

Looks like the madness continues. Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Jan 28th 2022. 2019 McLaren Senna - 902 miles on the clock - sold for $1,512,500. In the UK you can buy right now a 2019 McLaren Senna with 209 miles (yes 209 and not more discalculia !!) for £750,000 or $1,012,000 at today's exchange rate. OK, the UK McLaren has the steering wheel on the wrong side and the Barrett-Jackson Senna had a bespoke interior and special exterior paint. But the UK car is from the McLaren dealer network and has a specification as long as your arm. So, is the Barrett-Jackson car worth the 50% extra - you decide. Lower down the McLaren pecking order - well as low as you can get - Barrett-Jackson also sold 2 McLaren MP4-12C models, both coupes . The 2012 white model with 3779 miles sold for $180k, whilst the red 2014 model sold for $160k. In the UK, the 12C (we dropped the MP4 bit years ago) sells for an average price of $110k. So again we are seeing an approximate 50% premium for having the steering wheel on the wrong side !! ... View more

Looks like the madness continues. Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Jan 28th 2022. 2019 McLaren Senna - 902 miles on the clock - sold for $1,512,500. In the UK you can buy right now a 2019 McLaren Senna with 209 miles (yes 209 and not more discalculia !!) for £750,000 or $1,012,000 at today's exchange rate. OK, the UK McLaren has the steering wheel on the wrong side and the Barrett-Jackson Senna had a bespoke interior and special exterior paint. But the UK car is from the McLaren dealer network and has a specification as long as your arm. So, is the Barrett-Jackson car worth the 50% extra - you decide. Lower down the McLaren pecking order - well as low as you can get - Barrett-Jackson also sold 2 McLaren MP4-12C models, both coupes . The 2012 white model with 3779 miles sold for $180k, whilst the red 2014 model sold for $160k. In the UK, the 12C (we dropped the MP4 bit years ago) sells for an average price of $110k. So again we are seeing an approximate 50% premium for having the steering wheel on the wrong side !! ... View more

Agree with Tim - why pay that much for a 570S, when you can get a much newer, faster, better McLaren from the dealer network for the same money or less. In the UK, the average price of a 570S right now is £100k or $136k. For what this guy paid you could easily get a 720S, so perhaps he has discalculia ... View more

Great article, especially is it mentions the idea of the "half life of ... internet content ", something I have been interested in for years. Whilst it is already evident that previously published content can be lost at the push of a button / keyboard key, there are thankfully many people who are acting as information keepers and are more than willing to share this knowledge. You just have to ask. Car clubs are the key as they consolidate enthusiasts with the passion and knowledge and are happy to help like minded people. In the UK, the VSCC is a good example. They have a comprehensive library, that continues to expend as members donate books, magazines and brochures. Plus their membership has a wealth of knowledge, especially on pre-war cars (and in some cases pre 1st world war) a lot of which has been gained first hand as generations have maintained old cars bought by fathers and grandfathers. In addition there is a thriving community of businesses that are preserving old technologies. A good example is a company selling old reconditioned magnetos - they have a wealth of knowledge and are more than willing to help solve problems. That's just one example, but as many car clubs have forums and chat rooms where information can be be exchanged, its relatively easy to find out where to get hard to find information, or at least a lead that will set you on the right road to finding what you are looking for. So, in conclusion the answer is a hybrid one. Use the internet to search possible sources of information and then once you have found the source, revert back to old fashioned methods, i.e. read books in the "specialist" libraries that do have them, plus get in touch and talk to like minded enthusiasts. Also, get out and visit any car show or autojumble and you will find people with the knowledge willing to help. As I said, its a hybrid approach. Spend all your time trying to find information on the internet and you will end up frustrated that you can't find what you were looking for. Who knows, talk to your next door neighbour as there is the remote chance they may be an expert on magnetos and you didn't even know. ... View more

Interesting read - but why compare two cars with completely different characters. There is no comparison. ... View more

Valid but completely academic if you live in the UK. Any C8 Corvette ordered today is not likely to be delivered until late 2022 (make that very late 2022) which means you will probably end up with a 2023 model anyway. The alternative is buy one of the very few currently on the UK market at around $150k. ... View more

OK - lets concentrate on the main topic - age of buyers online vs live. The data clearly shows that live auction buyers are buying older cars. There is not much online activity for the cars that are 70-80 years plus. There must be a good reason for this and its probably the fact that you really do need to get up close and have a good look at what you are buying when a car is that old. Not only condition wise, but checking for originality. You really do need to spend time talking to the auctioneer about the car and the seller and that's best done face to face. ... View more

Heated & Cooled seats !!! are you serious. Right now I am considering Fuel Injection for my 74 Cadillac Eldorado. The latest products such as the Holley Sniper EFI are relatively affordable, easy to fit and offer real benefits over an old 4 barrel with 90k on the clock. ... View more

Thanks for the replies. Time to own up - I currently own the following in age order. 1926 Bayliss Thomas (fully running and road worthy), 1930 Ford Sporting Trials car (basically a load of parts), 1968 Lotus S4 Elan (all there and in need of a complete rebuild as it hasn't run for 30+ years), 1974 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (running but not "on the road"), 1987 Callaway Corvette (currently for sale), 2006 Jaguar XJR (215,000 miles on the clock and my daily driver), 2010 Jaguar XKR for special occasions such as going to Le Mans. What I feel I need is a focus / plan of action as the number of cars is greater than the available storage space. NITRO450EXP - your suggestion is the best so far, but land prices where I live make this close to impossible. Oh for the space you guys have in the USA. ... View more

OK, 2 Ferraris & 2 Lamborghinis, you might expect them to appear on a list of supercars. However, 2 McLarens, now that saying something.  ... View more

Thanks for the replies. The suggestion that you build the garage with some of the cash is a great idea. Especially as I have already sort ff answered my own question, as I currently have 6 cars. These range from my daily driver (Jaguar XJR with 215k miles on the clock) to the 1926 Bayliss Thomas Speedster.  ... View more

C4 Corvette, Toyota 2000GT (67-70), 67 Cadillac Eldorado can also be added to the list. ... View more

How about the Lotus Elan. All models including the 1962-72 original, plus the +2 version and the later M100 series all had pop up (and in some cases never pop-down) headlights.  ... View more

The Austin Allegro has to be a contender. Build in 1973 this was the worst car British Leyland had ever made and the square steering wheel was one of the main talking point . They must have realised this square design was a mistake as the "phase 2" models from 1976 onwards had conventional round steering wheels. ... View more

Great though provoking article. Seeing as a Honda motorcycle engine was added, how about the Honda RC116 50cc twin engine with possibly the best BHP per litre figures ever. Or the Honda RC166 250cc 6 cylinder engine !! For all you engine addicts check out the Jimmy Deville Engine Addict TV programme. Its a UK production but may be available internationally. ... View more