This 1971 Fiat Dino Coupe project was originally metallic blue and runs bit is said to need tuning. The seller calls it very solid the exterior looks complete and we love those Michelin tires. Find it here on Kijiji in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada for $18,500.

This 1981 Lancia Beta is a 3-owner car with 106k miles and is said to have been well maintained and garaged since new. This is way cleaner than most we see on offer. Find it here on Craigslist in Tacoma, Washington for $4,200.

This 1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale (Chassis ZLA831AB000449099 ) is said to be in excellent condition with only 125k kilometers (86k miles) though the odometer reads nearly twice this. Few details are given, other than the seller stating that it’s rust free, runs well, and has full documentation including the ever popular Florida title. This example appears to be one of the earlier 8v Integrales, which although less powerful than it’s successors, still had serious rallying pedigree and performance for its day. Find it here on eBay in Miami, Florida with bidding at $18k.

This 1971 Lancia Flavia (VIN 820416005141) has working air conditioning and electronic fuel injection. There are plenty of good photographs top and bottom attesting to the cleanliness. We wish the seller would elaborate on the history of this particular car rather than give a general history of the model, but it is certainly a rare Lancia in North America. Find it here on eBay in Miami, Florida, with no reserve.

Says the seller: “This car is the perfect candidate for a full restoration as it is very very original with only minor rust issues. A Euro market car without the federal corner lights and emissions that has the small chrome bumpers and dual alternator setup. ”

How long have you had the car? Found the car in Hemmings only blocks from my home. Purchased in 2002 as a fair runner.

Describe the body condition: Body is very straight and rust free(except for about 14″ of one frame rail at lower left front suspension -critical repair however). I can find no signs of accident damage. Panel fit is very good. Hood is excellent, rockers and bottom of doors show no rust, Texas and California car.

Describe the mechanical condition: Ran well when parked! (Smile) Everything worked except the A/C. Fuel mixture was a little lean and tough to balance. I discovered cracks in the intake manifolds and then the list of “might as wells” began. All the lights and gauges worked and the suspension felt pretty good for a 40 year old car on bad tires. Nice on the highway and long on ramps

Included documentation: Past registrations,title and plates from Texas, my receipts for parts, repro owner’s manual, factory parts manual,tech manual and Rome license plate

What makes this car special? Well your either love or hate the hard edge angular 70/s Italian designs. The fact that it has no damage with minor rust issues. Is a Euro model with 5 speed in a good color combo. All the parts are there. 1975 so last year for no CA emission testing. You start with a car the way it left Italy.

Asking Price: Auction

For more info: Click Here for the seller’s eBay listing.

This 1980 X1/9 is described as a rust-free, 34k original mile example that’s being offered by its second owner. It’s been restored and sports a rebuilt engine with performance upgrades, freshened transmission, new brakes, redone suspension and more. The reupholstered interior looks great, retrofitted Euro bumpers are a huge plus, and the car has scored both concours and autocross wins. Find it here on the XWebForums in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for $11,500 OBO.

This 1967 850 Spider has been prepped for vintage racing by renowned specialists Krause and England, and has logbooks going back over twenty years. The car looks to be solidly and simply built, and should prove to be easily maintained and fun to race. It’s said that all it needs is a new set of race tires, but in our opinion all race cars need a nut-and-bolt check before hitting the track. Otherwise, this looks to be a great car for the first-time racer. Find it here on eBay in Jeddo, Michigan with no reserve.

This 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce (chassis AR244606) appears to be in excellent condition throughout, is claimed to be rust free, and benefits from a rebuilt 1600 twin-cam with less than 19k accumulated since completion. These stepnose cars are our favorite iteration of Alfa’s Tipo 105 bodystyle, and this particular example looks great in Rosso on Nero over 14″ GTA reps. It isn’t for the originality freaks, and that custom fuel filler is a bit unusual, but this is a very clean looking car otherwise. Find it here at De Laveaga Motors in Santa Cruz, California for $45,900.

​Bodywork appears to be in very nice shape with good paint, trim and panel fit, and though not the most imaginative color for an old Alfa, Rosso always looks right on these cars. The engine bay and inner panels would seem to suggest that red is the car’s factory color, but condition and omitted history in the ad strongly hint at a prior restoration—originality is just too big a selling factory to skip. Those enamel four leaf clover badges are among our all time favorites regardless of make, model or era, and black California plates might be YOM so the documentation should be checked to see how long they have been with the car.

​The interior matches the cleanliness of the rest of the car, with taught, nice fitting vinyl seat covers, carpets and nicely-preserved veneers, gauges, and switchgear. The dash houses what appears to be a factory issue radio, and the fat rimmed, small diameter three spoke steering wheel might be a MOMO or Personal. The massive dash speaker is the only demerit here, and we’d remove it and add new vinyl up there to smooth it out.

​Rebuilt by Phil’s Foreign Car Service of Santa Cruz in 2008, the 1600 twin-cam is said to have accumulated less than 19k miles since work was finished. An Optima red-top battery is a nice touch, and we like how it’s been de-stickered for a more sanitary look. Maintenance and repair history aren’t mentioned, but the third owner who traded it in sounds like an enthusiast, leaving a good chance that records are available upon request.

​We’re willing to forgive much of the ad’s informative shortcomings, seeing as the selling dealer is more accustomed to working with high end late model stuff. If we were in the market for another stepnose, this one would be high on the list based on cosmetic presentation alone, and provided it’s mechanicals match the looks we think it could be a winner.

Held by the auction house of the same name this coming Saturday, the 26th of July 2014, the Silverstone Classic Sale is made up of dozens of interesting cars from various periods, countries, makes, models and niches, not to mention lots of cool vintage watches, random automobilia, and even a Harrier jump jet. We had a hard time picking just four to highlight here, and definitely recommend checking out the full catalog located here.

​​Up first is this 1971 Alfa Romeo 1300 GT Junior Zagato (chassis GPF804J, lot 321). Claimed to be fully matching numbers and offered with comprehensive history, the car looks to be in very nice shape following a bare-metal respray. Junior Zagatos are some of the most intriguing Alfas of the period, and command an undeniable presence in person. Said to be turn-key ready, this particular example sounds sorted and ready to go.

​This ex-John Surtees 1960 Lotus 18 Formula Junior racer (chassis 754, lot 326) was rebuilt to original specification in 2007, and has since raced competitively including outright wins at Pembrey, Oulton Park, and a further 18 class wins at venues like Spa, Silverstone and Brands Hatch. We think it looks fantastic, and given its recent championship winning performances and Surtees history it seems like a great buy at an estimated 65-75k GBP to boot.

​Taking up third place is this 1964 Dinalpin A110 (chassis 0009, lot 357). Upgraded to Group 4 competition spec, it runs a recently rebuilt 2L motor with large Webers said to be good for over 130 HP—quite a lot in a machine weighing roughly 1300 lbs. The car looks quite well built and sounds to be race-ready, and though largely identical to a Dieppe-built Alpine, the car’s Mexican origin sounds as if it will help keep the sale price relatively realistic, with Silverstone predicting it to fetch between 30-35k GBP.

​Our fourth and final selection is this 1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Group A car (chassis A OZ 88, lot 356). Built to factory specs at the request of famed Italian private race team Jolly Club, the car competed in European and World Touring Car championships from 1987-1988. Mechanically and cosmetically recommissioned in 2012, the car is now said to be race ready following only five shakedown laps upon completion. Check out the listing for a list of period race starts.

This year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este had a class called St Tropez to Portofino – one of the most beautiful drives in the world! And shortly after the Concorso, I got to do it, on my birthday no less! Our time traversing the French and Italian Rivieras included drives in and out of seaside towns, an afternoon in Monaco, plus a romantic 5 night stopover in Cannes, the place I met my wife 9 years ago…

But first things first. My last post finished at Villa d’Este. On the day after the main event, all the cars are presented to the public at Villa Erba, which is just down the road. It only costs 9 Euros to get in and is much more of a fun, family-friendly affair. Don’t let the exclusivity or cost of attending Villa d’Este deter you – Villa Erba alone is well worth the trip.

After we’d seen all there was to see at Villa Erba, we checked out of our hotel and hit the road. Our drive took us south of Lake Como, past Milan, and down and along the coast to the town of Ventimiglia, which is situated close to the French/Italian border. We moved along smoothly for most of the way, then right before we hit the coast, close to the turn off to Genoa, we came to a dead stop in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Turns out there had been a bad accident, and we had to wait 30 minutes for the road to be cleared. When you spend as much time driving as I do, it’s scary and sad how often you encounter accidents, and how rarely you are in a position to help. Once the cars started moving again, we almost immediately saw the water, and never lost sight of it as we drove the final kilometers to Ventimiglia. This road is really lovely, with breathtaking views and winding roads that feel like they were meant to be driven in a classic Lancia.

Ventimiglia is a small town up on a steep hill that has a friendly, authentic feel to it. We stayed in a lovely little bed and breakfast there and hit the road early the next day, continuing along the coast road into France, through Menton, and on to Monaco, where we planned to spend the day. Just so happens it was the morning after the F1! I really wish we could have been there for the event, but I know I will make it one day. Can you imagine New York City or any other major downtown being transformed into a Formula One racetrack for one day a year? Monaco is obviously the only place on Earth where they can get away with it.

You could still smell the race in the air and the city was undergoing the transformation back to normal traffic, causing quite a few detours and delays. This lead to our first concerns about the Flaminia’s engine overheating. Up til now, we had never really encountered stop-and-go traffic, and while we were stuck in it, the temp gauges kept climbing, and we just made it into a parking lot before hitting the red. The parking lot turned out to be just below the Prince of Monaco’s car museum, so we took a tour of the collection before heading to the aquarium (our son loved it!) and going for lunch near the palace, all the while letting the car cool down.

We had similar issues with overheating in the Flavia last year that were never properly resolved til we got the car back to the US. I always check oil and water at every fueling, but when I checked the fluid levels after the overheating, I noticed the first major loss of water I had seen on the trip so far. I filled her up and we got back on the road, but I knew I would have to deal with the problem at some point. After Monaco we continued along the coast, enjoying the perfect weather and gorgeous scenery. We stopped in Nice to pick up supplies at a local health food store, then continued on to Cannes, where I had work to do and memories to relive – this was my wife and my first return since meeting here, and it was amazing to be able to do it with our child.

Over the next 5 days, we cruised the Croisette, hit the beach, got some good work time in, and explored Antibes, where we unexpectedly came across the Rally de Antibes and saw a beautiful Fulvia on display.

We also made it to Juan-les-Pins and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and went back to Nice, where we had our first real serious mechanical failure in the parking lot of the Museum of Contemporary Art. While going up the ramp, the temp gauges shot way up and the car stalled out, then wouldn’t start back up, so we had to enlist some help pushing the car up the last few feet and into a spot. We let it sit for a few hours before trying to start it again and fortunately it started back up right away. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but at the time thought it had something to do with the overheating and figured if I kept an eye on it I’d soon be able to identify the problem.

Once back in Cannes, we drove to St Tropez, then on the morning of my birthday commenced our journey to Portofino. Soon after we hit the road, we stumbled upon a gathering of Hotchkiss cars organized by the Automobile Club of Nice. It was great to see so many of these cars brought together and put on display.

After that, we continued along the coast, passing through countless beautiful coastal towns, lunched in Menton, and arrived in Genoa by early evening, where we checked into a hotel for the night and went for dinner. The next morning, the car had some issues starting, and at a red light heading out of town stalled again and we had to let it sit for half an hour before it would restart.

Since the stalling and starting problem was happening when the car was running cool, I was beginning to think there was an issue with the carburetor as the engine didn’t seem to be getting enough gas at idle. I adjusted the idle screw, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I learned to give it a little extra gas at stop lights to keep it from stalling and got into an awkward heel toe rhythm, but we still managed to stall occasionally, most notably at a toll booth where the attendant himself helped to push us to the side while we waited to start the car again.

We made it to Portofino without any more problems, however, and it was well worth it. This tiny marina town is one of my favorite places in Italy, and we had a relaxing late lunch on the water.

From Portofino we drove to Pisa, and then on to Rome the following day.

It’s very rare to see any classics on the road so it was a great pleasure to see a Triumph out for a good tour while heading down the highway.

On the way into Rome, we hit horrible stop and go traffic again. The car was overheating badly and then stalled, and we had to be pushed to the side of the highway to allow it to cool down. Once the traffic cleared, we drove into the city without any more incidents, my wife/navigator somehow finding a series of back roads with few cars on them. At this point we knew we needed to see a mechanic right away, so I reached out to my good friend and personal Italian roadside advisor, Francesco, and he found us someone who said he could help.

I took the car to the mechanic (who owned a Flaminia Limousine himself) and after talking over the problems, I felt like I was in good hands. Given the limited amount of time we had to work with, I told him to focus on the overheating issues. He flushed the radiator and installed an electric fan, something I had wished I had done with the Flavia last year, but never got around to. He also cleaned the jets and adjusted the carburetor, hoping that that would solve our stalling problems.

After four days of taking meetings, eating lots of pizza and pasta, and sightseeing around the Italian capital (this included a visit to the Vatican City), we drove off with our new electric fan to Forte di Marmi, where we planned to meet up with the Modena Cento Ore Classic rally for their final stage.

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Seth will report from some very interesting locations in the next couple installments. Stay tuned! We encourage people to drive their cars. We hope this series inspires you to do so, just as it has inspired us! Be sure to check out the full resolution photos in the Flickr album below. -BaT

This 1962 Maserati Tipo 151 replica (chassis 151007) is described as a project featuring an aluminum body and a V8 that the seller believes to be from a Mexico. The seller claims it’s complete apart from driveshaft, windshield, pedal assembly and exhaust system, and though a lot of work remains to be done, photos seem to suggest a well built, accurately proportioned car. Find it here on eBay in Grass Valley, California with no reserve.

The seller admits to having little hard info on the car, but known mechanical spec includes:

• Front wheel discs with 3-piston calipers

• CWI independent rear suspension and Jaguar rear differential; a Jag-sourced De Dion tube unit is also included.

• Maserati Mexico DOHC V8 with four 2bbl Weber carbs

• Unspecified 5-speed manual transmission, presumably the matching Mexico unit

Although shown resting  in the car’s engine bay in one photo, the dust-covered V8 is seen here in the seller’s warehouse with a number of other parts. Doors, rocker trim, exhaust parts, dash, and door cards are pictured, though the ad makes no mentions of an interior.

The first photo of the ad shows the car as complete, and is similar to a pic seen here at Sports Car Market. While some of SCM’s information is limited to platinum subscriptions, apparently their Tipo 151 replica sold at auction in 2002 at Amelia Island; the seller also mentions Amelia Island in this particular car’s history. The displacement is listed as 4.7L which is the same as a Mexico V8, and the now 12 year old listing’s pre-auction estimate gives a high of $100k with condition described as “not very attractive”.

While the car will clearly need extensive, expensive work it appears to be worthy of restoration, provided provenance isn’t as much of a priority as fun to the next owner. Aluminum bread van styling, a quad cam V8 and 5-speed are good ingredients in almost any recipe, and we’d love an opportunity to drive the finished product.

This 1952 1900M AR51 ‘Matta’ (chassis AR1509) is said to be an import from Italy and one of only 85 known to exist. The seller adds that it’s a 95% complete restoration, though few specifics are given and even the exact year is unknown. Just over 2,100 Mattas were built for the Italian military and civilian sale in the early 1950′s before the type was replaced with a simpler Fiat design. Scarce in Europe let alone the United States, the Matta was more advanced than the Willys Jeep, and would be a guaranteed hit at any Italian car show. Find it here on eBay in New Egypt, New Jersey with a $19k BIN.

This Matta appears to be in very good, solid condition. No mention is made of when and what has been restored, though the paint looks fairly new as do the (incorrectly upholstered) seats. On the other hand, the side mirror and windshield gaskets look a bit worn, and though seemingly largely complete it could stand to see some general tidying throughout.

The spartan cabin looks to be in nice shape though is not without its issues, including cracked gauge faces and missing trim pieces like the shift boot. The loose dash wiring is also said to be brittle and in need of replacement, likely presenting the new owner with their biggest challenge of the project.

According to the seller the truck runs great, though brake lines are in need of replacing and the rear differential needs to be rebuilt. The engine bay looks quite clean, though wiring is a bit messy. Powered by a de-tuned 1884cc Alfa twin cam, the Italian Jeep’s powerplant was light years ahead of its American and British competition. The stainless gas tank is also new, which hopefully will be of some comfort to the front passenger who sits directly on top of it.

Like so many other post-war 4×4′s, the Matta was clearly influenced by the Willys MB, and perhaps there is some irony that Fiat now owns both Alfa and Jeep. The chances of a Nuova Matta appearing in the future are probably slim to none, but if it does happen we hope they offer it in this bright military pea green.

This 1986 GTV6 looks and sounds well-cared for with full documentation from new, cold A/C, nice cosmetics and a lengthy list of recent work including new clutch, timing belt/tensioners and water pump. The car appears quite solid and rust is said to be limited to the spare wheel well, and though the dash cover may be hiding sun damage the rest of the cabin (redone five years ago) looks great. Find it here on Craigslist in Danville, California for $6,500.

This 1967 Ferves Ranger is a rare Fiat 500-based off-roader, the seller claiming less than 50 still in existence. Ferves stood for FERrari VEicoli Speciali, who between 1966 and 1971 built some 600 of these little trucks around 500 and 600 mechanicals. This one appears to be in nice condition, and like all Rangers features removable doors and a folding windshield. Find it here at collectorcarads.com in Acireale, Italy for $33,000.

This 1970 Abarth 695 SS replica is said to have been modified in Italy by a mechanic who raced 500′s back in the day. Work done includes upgraded displacement to 700 cc, lightened flywheel, performance carb, 5-speed gearbox, and custom exterior and interior work. The seller says he’s owned the car for over 20 years, and adds that it can comfortably cruise at 130km/h and go much faster flat out. Find it here on eBay in Markham, Ontario, Canada for $14,500 OBO.

One of the rare high-end exotic and classic dealers that doesn’t exclusively list cars POA, Joe Macari Performance Cars stocks an impressive array of vintage and modern era machines ranging from Ferrari Daytonas all the way up to current day heavy hitters like an Enzo and Pagani Huayra. Another of our stocklist favorites is a Porcshe 935 in Martini livery—be sure to check out their full inventory here, physically located in London, England. Representing the late 80′s-early 90′s supercar cutting-edge, this group of four stand out as worthy of comparison.

​This 1988 Porsche 959 wears our preferred silver over black/gray color scheme and is said to have 36k miles and full factory service records from new. The car looks to be very well preserved with a clean cabin, tidy engine bay, nice paint and panel fit, and though current running condition isn’t mentioned we imagine that maintenance costs aren’t going to be a top concern for anyone in the market for a 959.

​Second in line is this 1994 Bugatti EB110 with a claimed 2,600 miles from new. With enough tech to make a 959 look relatively simple by comparison, the very low mileage could potentially be a concern if the car hasn’t been exercised regularly. Tech included a carbon fiber tub, four wheel drive, and a quad turbocharged, 3.5 liter, 60 valve V12 capable of revving to 9,000 RPM. One of our favorite orphan supercars, we can’t help but wonder what Artioli and his gleaming factory would have achieved had the economy gone in a different direction.

​​Though arguably best untouched, this 1989 Ferrari F40 serves as an interesting comparison to the stock example below. Painted white and with a custom-made straight-through titanium exhaust, we’re sure it sounds utterly fantastic but at the same time seems completely impractical considering it won’t be legal even on most racetracks. Further modifications include adjustable suspension accomodating 3cm of air-assisted lift for clearance, bespoke aero pieces, Enkei wheels and more. Fortunately the drivetrain remains completely stock.

​​Last up is this 1990 F40, which with a claimed 3,000 miles has traveled less than one quarter the distance of the white car listed above. Like all cars here, such a low figure opens the door for arthritis to set in, but as mentioned before that’s not going to be a concern to those in this rarefied end of the market. The car looks essentially as-new, and we wish we were in a position to rescue it and drive it ragged, quadrupling the odometer readng in the span of a year or two.

This 1978 128 has been built into a high compression, flared road racer that appears to have been sitting for a few years. We see stickers for the Mid Atlantic Road Racing Series (typically races at Summit Point) and Waterford Hills (near Detroit) so this car has been around. Assuming the existing logbooks are included, it could make for an affordable project for vintage events. Find it here on eBay in Medfield, Massachusetts, for $3,950 OBO.

This 1975 Fulvia Series III (chassis 067402) is said to be a garage kept, rust-free example that was recently imported from Italy. The seller adds that the car runs, drives, and shifts well, though the paintwork makes it more suitable as a driver than show car. An ideal candidate for a period rally build, these cars are known for their wonderful engineering but can be troublesome if neglected, making a PPI mandatory. Find it here on eBay in New Egypt, New Jersey with no reserve.

This 1980 Ferrari 308 GTB (VIN ZFFAA01A1A0032905) is said to have just over 38,000 miles and looks good if a bit dusty in photos. The seller says it was fully serviced two years ago and that it still runs very well. We’re surprised to find a tin-top 308 in Hawaii, but these closed cars are arguably even better looking than Targa-equipped GTS models anyway. Find it here on Craigslist somewhere in Hawaii for $33k OBO.

This 1990 Lancia Delta Integrale is a fully UK road legal example that’s been prepped for rally duty with many Group A homolgated parts, big Wilwood brakes, a rebuilt motor with forged pistons and much more detailed below and in the listing itself. Many of these UK-based cars were aftermarket converted to RHD early in life, so it’s nice to see this one retain original, factory-spec left-hand steering. Find it here on eBay in Ringwood, Hampshire, England with no reserve. Special thanks to UK reader Mark J. for the submission!

​The car wears a convincing Martini livery similar to that used on some Lancia works cars, though the seller admits that it’s now somewhat tired and in need of refreshing following rally use. Compomotive TH2′s on an Integrale are among the best-matched car/wheel combos ever devised, and we also like the Group A mirrors and roof-mount vent flap. By all accounts we’ve read the RHD conversion used on these cars employed a different steering rack and pedal box, each contributing in small but noticeable ways to a lessened driving experience—one more reason to be thankful for this one’s originality.

​Inside the fully-caged interior we seen Group A-spec Kevlar floor inserts and shifter, carbon fiber door cards, plumbed-in fire suppression system, Brantz rally meter, flocked, toggle-switch strewn dash, and a battery relocated to the bare trunk. Seats and six-point harnesses look serious, but the former are said to be expired under FIA scrutineering as of 2013. We’d love to drive this thing on the streets, but imagine it may be very difficult to communicate with a passenger if it weren’t for the included intercom system–straight pipes see to that.

​The turbocharged, 16 valve motor in these cars traces its lineage back to the Lampredi-designed twin cam first utilized in the Fiat 124, and though quite different from the original’s architecture at this stage of evolution they nonetheless retained a similar eager, revvy, flexible nature as early, eight valve, naturally aspirated variants. This one is said to run forged pistons, upgraded cams and (we suspect) much more, an expensive looking, large-bore header hinting at a big turbo. The car will need a new clutch (it’s unexplained why a recently changed item failed almost immediately) and some cosmetic tidying, but overall we’re impressed.

​Provided the weird driveline issue isn’t indicative of some other major, undiagnosed problem we think this one could make a lot of sense for someone looking to get into high-level amateur rallying or in need of a fast, distinct and slightly insane B-road blaster—or both.