Porsche 911 – the world’s most successful sports car. Its rear-mounted boxer engine and classic styling are unmistakable. It combines sportiness and everyday functionality like no other vehicle. A street-legal race car. For almost 70 years the 911 has stood for sportiness, elegance and quality. The latest version, the Porsche 992, is equipped with almost 400 hp in the basic version and costs almost a quarter of a million euros. In this documentary, racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck takes you through the world of what is perhaps the most famous sports car.
Category Archives: Classics
Italian Racing Cars: 1957 Maserati 200 SI (Video)
Introduced in 1955, the Maserati 150, 200, and 250 series of sports racers were geared towards privateer owners, featuring a four-cylinder engine connected to a four-speed, and later five-speed, gearbox.
The 1957 Maserati 200 SI offered here, chassis 2423, was completed on June 13, 1957 and sent by Maserati Corporation of America to Houston. This example has been used sparingly on the road since then, and comes accompanied by an extensive history file and large cache of spare parts, including the original riveted fuel tank and two sets of Borrani wheels. An alluring choice for both collectors and racers alike, this rare and capable 200 SI is eminently eligible for a number of important road rallies, including the Mille Miglia, possibly the world’s greatest vintage motoring event. As an exceptionally desirable Maserati 200 SI with known history from new, 2423 represents a rare opportunity to buy a gorgeous, versatile, and potent 1950s Italian sports racer.
Automobiles: Decline Of The American Convertible
Rising in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, the convertible car is an automotive American icon. It was a vehicle meant for leisure and fun. Some of the most iconic models throughout history were convertibles, such as the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Mustang. However, in the last few years, convertibles have been slowly declining in popularity. Along with rising prices, American car buyers, especially those with children, value practicality and functionality over looks and leisure, leading their interest towards SUV’s and midsize sedans. In 2021, convertibles make up only 0.46% of new car sales. Can the iconic design stand the test of time?
Views: Classic Wooden Motor Boats At Villa d’Este, Lake Como, Italy
The Grand Hotel Villa d’Este hosted what was arguably the world’s most elegant gathering of classic wooden boats and yachts. And what could say ‘La Dolce Vita’ better than an armada of Rivas dancing on the waves of Lake Como?
Members of the rather secretive Associazione Scafi Epoca – an association and historical register of vintage and classic hulls – watered their classic wooden boats on Lake Como for the Villa d’Este Vintage Yachting.
Sipping on an Aperol on the Grand Hotel’s waterfront terrasse buzzing with waiters in splendid white uniforms, the sonorous chugging of the wooden boats filling the air, one immediately felt thrown back to the 1950s and 1960s, when the international hautevolee spent their summers yachting and water-skiing on the lakes of Northern Italy. Had H.S.H. Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco or Count Giovanni Agusta moored their Aquarama on the Villa’s floating pool on the lake, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Music: 50th Anniversary Of “Déjà vu” By Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Half a century ago, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released one of the greatest albums of the rock era, “Déjà vu.” The record would sell eight million copies, but the band, and the friendships, did not endure. “CBS This Morning” co-host Anthony Mason talks with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash about their shared history and the timeless music they produced, as “Déjà vu” gets a delayed 50th-anniversary expanded release.
Legendary Race Cars: ‘1970 Porsche 917 K’ In Steve McQueen’s ‘Le Mans’ Movie
Too often the word ‘iconic’ is applied to a car, but rarely is the term truly justified. In the case of the 1970 Porsche 917K, chassis no. 031/026, the car that contested the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Hailwood and Hobbs, resplendent in full blue and orange Gulf livery, and a car that featured in much of the original racing footage used in Steve McQueen’s Le Mans movie, the word ‘iconic’ doesn’t really even come close to doing it justice.
RM Sotheby’s is honored to offer this incredibly iconic racing car and ‘Le Mans Legend’ movie star at its flagship Monterey auction on 13-14 August in California. To any automotive or motorsport enthusiast, the Porsche 917 needs no introduction, and it is the car’s early 917K coupe form, that truly ignites the passions of these enthusiasts most strongly.
Commonly regarded as ‘The World’s Greatest Sports Car’, boasting a near-perfect flat-12 cylinder, air-cooled engine that could propel the car to speeds in excess of 230 mph, the Porsche 917 set a standard for design, engineering, and sheer performance that took endurance sports car design to new levels and which proved dominant over three incredible seasons of World Championship racing.
Classic French Cars: ‘1969 Renault 4L Plein Air’
Feel the freedom. the 1969 Renault 4 Plein Air, a roofless, doorless car for a liberating driving experience happy 60th anniversary to Renault 4.
The Plein Air was introduced in the spring of 1968. Plein Airs were converted by Renault group company Sinpar S.A. from regular 4 speed R1123’s produced by Renault. A R1123 selected for conversion entered Sinpar’s premises as a complete R4 Berline to undergo a complete make-over and leave without doors and roof to be delivered to clients who had ordered their Plein Air from one of Renault’s dealers worl-wide. Plein Airs were actually sold and delivered into France, Canada, United States, Mexico, Finland, Germany, UK and the Netherlands. In 1968 approx. 20 Plein Airs were exported to Canada to be used on the site of the 1968 Terre des Hommes World Exhibition in Montreal. Approximately 500 Plein Airs were produced by Sinpar until 1971, when it was succeeded by the R4 ACL Rodeo. After 1971 Renault continued to offer Plein Air conversion kits for self-made plein airs, but little is known about their number.
Classics: ‘1967 Volkswagen 21-Window MicroBus’
One of the most notable variants of the T1 Type 2 is the Samba. Samba is the name given the 21 and 23 window versions of the Type 2. The 23 window Samba was built until 1963 and the 21 window Samba was built from 1964 until 1967. These variants were considered to be the top of the line versions of the T1 Type 2 and were fitted with a cloth sunroof. It is very common to find Type 2s that have been converted to 21 or 23 window variants, yet only cars built until 1967 are considered to be original.
1980’s View: History Of The VW Beetle Wizzard (Video)
Born in the U.S.A, this 1960s VW Beetle Wizard gained its popularity in the midst of a custom car phenomenon with looks overriding performance, though it didn’t kick off in the UK until the 80s. Eye-catching, noisy and cool was the goal. About Car S.O.S Series 9: The best car restoration series with a big heart is back to bring a warm smile to all!
Master mechanic Fuzz Townshend and parts-blagging petrol head Tim Shaw set off on a mission to save decaying classic cars from their unsuspecting but very much deserving owners. The cars are taken to the Car S.O.S. garage with Tim & Fuzz racing against the clock to carefully restore it to its former glory, leading to the big, surprise reveal.
Inside Views: Ali MacGraw & Ryan O’Neal On The Filming Of “Love Story”
Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz interviews the stars of the classic tearjerker, “Love Story,” to talk about the making of an unlikely box office blockbuster, and asks: What does “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” really mean?
