One of the most memorable concept models from the decade that brought us grunge, the internet, Playstation and the Prius, is Italdesign’s series of BMW Nazca supercar studies. Designed by the great Giorgetto Giugiaro who was also responsible for BMW’s production M1 sports car, the Nazca M12 made its debut in 1991 and was followed in by a more hardcore version called the Nazca C2 in 1992 and an open-top Spider C2 model in 1993. Now, one of the Nazca concepts has been put up for sale by a dealer located in the Czech Republic. The car seen here is based on the body of the 1991 Nazca M12 but features an Alpina-prepped 5.7-liter V12 engine (sourced from the 750i / 850i of the era) producing 379HP.
The owner of the “Strawberry Red” 356 Cabriolet pictured above has earned the bragging rights for owning the oldest Porsche model sold in America. The discovery was made as part of the My Porsche Classic Search, which was launched in August to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary. The Porsche Classic Search was conducted online with owners having to submit documentation that their Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed in the USA.
The oldest documented sale was this rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. According to the company, Wilson's car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950. The 1952 Porsche 356 Cabriolet is powered by a 1.5 liter, 60 horsepower engine and was salvaged by its current owner from a salvage yard. The oldest Porsche in USA was completely restored.
The program also led Porsche to one of the first 356 cabriolets ever built--a 1950 model owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md. Brumme's Porsche is from the first batch of cars built in Stuttgart, Germany, after the company moved from Gmund, Austria. But because the car was originally sold outside the United States, Porsche gave the winning honors to Wilson's car.
National search also finds 12 of the earliest models sold in America
ATLANTA, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Porsche Cars North America embarked on a quest to find the oldest Porsche sold in America. The Porsche Classic Search, conducted online at www.Porsche60Years.com, encouraged individuals from coast to coast to submit documentation that his or her Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed on American soil. With awards and bragging rights at stake, the call for entries yielded an impressive collection of finalists, including the oldest U.S. - retailed model found, a lovingly restored 1952 Strawberry Red 356 Cabriolet.
Launched in August, the My Porsche Classic Search received hundreds of submissions from Porsche owners across the country. Among them was a rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. Wilson's car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950. The 1.5 liter, 60 horsepower gem was discovered in a salvage yard by Wilson years after arriving on U.S. soil and meticulously restored.
The My Porsche Classic Search also yielded the discovery of another distinguished and even rarer Porsche - a blue 1950 356 Cabriolet owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md. This car is one of the very first series production 356s built in Stuttgart, after the company relocated from Gmund, Austria. Impeccably restored with original parts sourced from around the globe, the 1950 356 Cabriolet was also recently honored with the 2010 Best in Show and Best in Class Awards at the 356 Registry's annual gathering in Cleveland, Ohio. While Brumme's car is unique and special, it was not the oldest Porsche actually retailed in America. This distinction goes to Wilson's 356 Cabriolet of 1952.
Porsche also encouraged owners of cars spanning 12 model ranges to enter their cars for a shot at earning the 'oldest' designation for their respective car model. Apart from the 356 lineup, entries were submitted for the Porsche 911, 912, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, Boxster, Cayenne, Carrera GT and Cayman. The oldest Porsche models in America and their owners are:
1965 911: Barry August of Clarksville, Md.
1965 912: Steve Torkelsen of Wilton, Conn.
1970 914: Ralph Stoesser of Marco Island, Fla.
1977 924: Jay Hoover of New Haven, Ind.
1977 928: Jim Doerr of Richmond, Va.
1983 944: John Denning of Covington, Wash.
1992 968: Jeffrey Coe of Trumball, Conn.
1997 Boxster: David Adrian of Worcester, Mass.
2004 Cayenne: Adam Reichard of Magnolia, Texas
2005 Carrera GT: Robert Ingram of Durham, N.C.
2006 Cayman: Eugenie Thomas of Martinez, Calif.
A photo gallery of the oldest Porsches and car details can be viewed at www.Porsche60years.com.
Porsche plans to honor the owners of these cars with an exclusive badge issued by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, and by featuring images of the cars at the new "Sixty Years of Porsche in America" exhibit, which opened in the museum on Oct. 12. Additionally, the 1950 356 will be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, where it will join the company's newest models.
The celebration is not yet over. Porsche aficionados still have an opportunity to participate in Porsche's 60th anniversary. Open until Nov. 1, the My Porsche Passion Contest encourages enthusiasts to submit a 500-word story that communicates their passion for a specific Porsche car or an experience with the Porsche brand at www.Porsche60Years.com. The top 20 stories, selected by a special panel of Porsche judges, will be available for public judging Oct. 25 – Oct. 31. Fans are encouraged to vote online for their favorite essays from the list of 20 finalists. The three entries with the most votes will win an all-expense-paid trip to the Porsche Sport Driving School in Birmingham, Ala.
About Porsche Cars North America, Inc A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and its 197 dealers offer U.S. customers some of the most technically advanced and high-performance vehicles in the world. Porsche is also synonymous with supreme quality and first-class customer treatment. A testament to this is the fact that Porsche has been ranked No.1 in J.D. Power and Associates' prestigious Initial Quality Study (IQS) during four of the past five years. Also, Porsche is fully and publically committed to being a leader in significantly lowering emissions, and saving fuel. The company's guiding credo is "Porsche Intelligent Performance" and the goal is to prove that Porsche's high performance and efficiency are not contradictory terms. A dramatic example of this is the highly-anticipated 918 Spyder - a super sports car that is also a planned plug-in hybrid. Of course this is nothing new for Porsche, which for 62 years has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations. Obviously, one expects such achievements from the most revered race car brand in the world --- one that has accumulated more than 28,000 motorsport victories. Today, PCNA imports the cars that are the product of this great history, including the iconic 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-passenger Panamera Gran Turismo cars.
The owner of the “Strawberry Red” 356 Cabriolet pictured above has earned the bragging rights for owning the oldest Porsche model sold in America. The discovery was made as part of the My Porsche Classic Search, which was launched in August to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary. The Porsche Classic Search was conducted online with owners having to submit documentation that their Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed in the USA.
The oldest documented sale was this rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. According to the company, Wilson's car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950. The 1952 Porsche 356 Cabriolet is powered by a 1.5 liter, 60 horsepower engine and was salvaged by its current owner from a salvage yard. The oldest Porsche in USA was completely restored.
The program also led Porsche to one of the first 356 cabriolets ever built--a 1950 model owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md. Brumme's Porsche is from the first batch of cars built in Stuttgart, Germany, after the company moved from Gmund, Austria. But because the car was originally sold outside the United States, Porsche gave the winning honors to Wilson's car.
National search also finds 12 of the earliest models sold in America
ATLANTA, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Porsche Cars North America embarked on a quest to find the oldest Porsche sold in America. The Porsche Classic Search, conducted online at www.Porsche60Years.com, encouraged individuals from coast to coast to submit documentation that his or her Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed on American soil. With awards and bragging rights at stake, the call for entries yielded an impressive collection of finalists, including the oldest U.S. - retailed model found, a lovingly restored 1952 Strawberry Red 356 Cabriolet.
Launched in August, the My Porsche Classic Search received hundreds of submissions from Porsche owners across the country. Among them was a rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. Wilson's car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950. The 1.5 liter, 60 horsepower gem was discovered in a salvage yard by Wilson years after arriving on U.S. soil and meticulously restored.
The My Porsche Classic Search also yielded the discovery of another distinguished and even rarer Porsche - a blue 1950 356 Cabriolet owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md. This car is one of the very first series production 356s built in Stuttgart, after the company relocated from Gmund, Austria. Impeccably restored with original parts sourced from around the globe, the 1950 356 Cabriolet was also recently honored with the 2010 Best in Show and Best in Class Awards at the 356 Registry's annual gathering in Cleveland, Ohio. While Brumme's car is unique and special, it was not the oldest Porsche actually retailed in America. This distinction goes to Wilson's 356 Cabriolet of 1952.
Porsche also encouraged owners of cars spanning 12 model ranges to enter their cars for a shot at earning the 'oldest' designation for their respective car model. Apart from the 356 lineup, entries were submitted for the Porsche 911, 912, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, Boxster, Cayenne, Carrera GT and Cayman. The oldest Porsche models in America and their owners are:
1965 911: Barry August of Clarksville, Md.
1965 912: Steve Torkelsen of Wilton, Conn.
1970 914: Ralph Stoesser of Marco Island, Fla.
1977 924: Jay Hoover of New Haven, Ind.
1977 928: Jim Doerr of Richmond, Va.
1983 944: John Denning of Covington, Wash.
1992 968: Jeffrey Coe of Trumball, Conn.
1997 Boxster: David Adrian of Worcester, Mass.
2004 Cayenne: Adam Reichard of Magnolia, Texas
2005 Carrera GT: Robert Ingram of Durham, N.C.
2006 Cayman: Eugenie Thomas of Martinez, Calif.
A photo gallery of the oldest Porsches and car details can be viewed at www.Porsche60years.com.
Porsche plans to honor the owners of these cars with an exclusive badge issued by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, and by featuring images of the cars at the new "Sixty Years of Porsche in America" exhibit, which opened in the museum on Oct. 12. Additionally, the 1950 356 will be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, where it will join the company's newest models.
The celebration is not yet over. Porsche aficionados still have an opportunity to participate in Porsche's 60th anniversary. Open until Nov. 1, the My Porsche Passion Contest encourages enthusiasts to submit a 500-word story that communicates their passion for a specific Porsche car or an experience with the Porsche brand at www.Porsche60Years.com. The top 20 stories, selected by a special panel of Porsche judges, will be available for public judging Oct. 25 – Oct. 31. Fans are encouraged to vote online for their favorite essays from the list of 20 finalists. The three entries with the most votes will win an all-expense-paid trip to the Porsche Sport Driving School in Birmingham, Ala.
About Porsche Cars North America, Inc A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and its 197 dealers offer U.S. customers some of the most technically advanced and high-performance vehicles in the world. Porsche is also synonymous with supreme quality and first-class customer treatment. A testament to this is the fact that Porsche has been ranked No.1 in J.D. Power and Associates' prestigious Initial Quality Study (IQS) during four of the past five years. Also, Porsche is fully and publically committed to being a leader in significantly lowering emissions, and saving fuel. The company's guiding credo is "Porsche Intelligent Performance" and the goal is to prove that Porsche's high performance and efficiency are not contradictory terms. A dramatic example of this is the highly-anticipated 918 Spyder - a super sports car that is also a planned plug-in hybrid. Of course this is nothing new for Porsche, which for 62 years has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations. Obviously, one expects such achievements from the most revered race car brand in the world --- one that has accumulated more than 28,000 motorsport victories. Today, PCNA imports the cars that are the product of this great history, including the iconic 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-passenger Panamera Gran Turismo cars.
Did you know that Lincoln offered its mid-1980s Continental sedan and Mark VII coupe models with a factory-installed BMW straight-six turbo diesel? It may sound bizarre -to say the least- but it is true.
The BMW-sourced 2.4-liter inline-six turbo diesel engine, which was used in the shark-nosed 1980s 524TD, delivered an output of 115HP and was backed by a ZF four-speed automatic transmission. It was available optionally in 1984 and 1985 on the Continental sedan and Mark VII coupe models instead of the standard 140HP 4.9-liter gasoline-fed V8.
One of these extremely rare [since few buyers opted for the diesel] BMW-powered Lincolns has been found for sale on Craigslist with the asking price set at $2,800.
Here's the seller's description:
"This is a limited edition from Lincoln, it is only 1 of 2500 ever made. It has a 2.4 liter BMW turbo diesel form the factory. This car is in very good condition, It has always been stored for the winters and has no rust. The mileage is unknown because the odometer is digital in it dosen't work. It runs and drive great. It was purchased from an estate sale about 5-7 years ago. This car is all original. Seats are NOT ripped but worn a bit. This is a Rare car you will not find another one of these for a long time."
The owner of the "Strawberry Red" 356 Cabriolet pictured above has earned the bragging rights for owning the oldestPorsche model sold in America. The discovery was made as part of the My Porsche Classic Search, which was launched in August to celebrate the brand's 60th anniversary.
The Porsche Classic Search was conducted online with owners having to submit documentation that their Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed in the USA.
The oldest documented sale was this rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. According to the company, Wilson's car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950.
The 356 Cabriolet, which is powered by a 60-horsepower 1.5 liter engine, was discovered in a salvage yard by Wilson many years after landing on this side of the Atlantic. Wilson bought the car and painstakingly restored it to its original condition.
Porsche said its search also yielded the discovery of an even rarer and older model, a blue 1950 356 Cabriolet owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md, which was one of the very first series production 356s built in Stuttgart, after the company relocated from Gmund, Austria. However, this car was not actually retailed in America so the title went to Wilson's 356.
Aside from the oldest Porsche sold in the US, the company also made a list of the oldest models in each range:
1965 911: Barry August of Clarksville, Md.
1965 912: Steve Torkelsen of Wilton, Conn.
1970 914: Ralph Stoesser of Marco Island, Fla.
1977 924: Jay Hoover of New Haven, Ind.
1977 928: Jim Doerr of Richmond, Va.
1983 944: John Denning of Covington, Wash.
1992 968: Jeffrey Coe of Trumball, Conn.
1997 Boxster: David Adrian of Worcester, Mass.
2004 Cayenne: Adam Reichard of Magnolia, Texas
2005 Carrera GT: Robert Ingram of Durham, N.C.
2006 Cayman: Eugenie Thomas of Martinez, Calif.
The Stuttgart-based firm said it plans to honor the owners of all of these cars with an exclusive badge issued by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, and by featuring photos of the cars at the new "Sixty Years of Porsche in America" exhibit, which opened in the museum on Oct. 12. Furthermore, Wilson's 356 Convertible will make its way to Porsche's LA Auto Show stand in November.
Do you want a car that, "look deferent and feel deferent [sic]"? If so, this Australian tuner - whose skill at vehicle modification is in line with his comprehension of the English language - has the car for you...
The third generation Ford Taurus was not a very pretty car to begin with. Its ovoid shape, which extended to the taillights, rear window and even the dashboard was not especially attractive and made the car look like it was slowly melting.
This enterprising owner has attempted to fix that by adding an ill-fitting body kit, hood and roof scoops and a generous amount of black and gold paint (which makes the car look like a tin of Lyle's Golden Syrup). The result is...well, you can see for yourself.
Underneath that hideous façade the Taurus appears pretty stock with a 3.0 L V6, automatic transmission and 164,321 km (102,104 miles) on the clock. It looks like it even has the stock wheels and tires.
For the enterprising buyer in Blacktown, NSW, this...thing could be yours for a little over AU$1,500 - or at least that's the highest bid currently on eBay.
Americana Manhasset, a high-end shopping center located in Manhasset, New York, is hosting the 6th annual Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, October 10. Organizers said they expect around 200 privately owned vehicles to make their way to the show and compete for the 'Best in Show' and 'Best in Class' titles.
This year's theme is, "Salute to Classic Coachbuilders of the 20th Century". To reflect that, Americana Manhasset has invited Tom Tjaarda, an automotive designer who has worked for such design luminaries as Pininfarina and Ghia
Among the cars to go on show is the 1971 Momo Mirage, an Italian bodied American GT car owned by its co-creator Peter Kalikow.
There are only two of these cars in existence, due to the venture going legs up during the '70s energy crisis. A wooden prototype will also be on display, though it's unclear whether this will be 1:1 scale or not.
Showgoers will also get the chance to see the Baja Boot that Steve McQueen famous drove in the 1968 Stardust 7-11 and 1969 Baja 1000 off-road events, as well as a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Coupe, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California, a 1973 Alfa Romeo Zagato 1600 and a 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica.
Carscoop will hopefully have pictures from the event next week, so stay tuned.
Styling trends come and go, but if there's one thing that has remained relatively unchanged in the past 105 years of personal motoring: the steering wheel.
Although plastics have replaced iron and wood and airbags (1970s) and radio controls (1990s) have been added, the basic design remains the same: a circular ring with spokes connected to a central hub.
Some cars had horns in a ring circling the hub (Mercedes-Benz 300SL), others had oblong steering wheels (Austin Allegro) and a few had only one spoke (Citroen DS). At the end of the day though, they all had some sort of steering wheel... except this car.
At Mercury, engineer Bob Rumm produced this one-off 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible with so-called "wrist-twist" steering controls. The standard steering wheel has been replaced by two 5-inch, wrist-operated dials, that the promo claims frees up knee room, improves visibility and makes parking easier. Now take a moment to consider why Mr. Rumm is an "ex-"missile engineer at the height of the Cold War.
The promo also cheerfully informs us that the wrist-twist can be used by, "a driver who promises to be about as non-technical as they come," by which they mean a woman. Carscoop is reliably informed they can vote now [...].
I suppose we should be thankful that a lot of these concepts, including the wrist-twist, never left Ford's Dearborn proving grounds.
It's the sort of thing that could only have been made in the 1960s, the decade that gave us the laser, manned spaceflight and Astroturf. Like everything else, cars were becoming more futuristic, and by futuristic we mean daft. And by daft we mean Modern Mechanix of the 1930s daft.
It's also the sort of thing the Ford Motor Company was coming up at the time. Just for fun, type 'Ford Nucleon' into Google, and see what other disastrous innovations motorists of the 1960s were spared.
Now, one of the Nazca concepts has been put up for sale by a dealer located in the Czech Republic. The car seen here is based on the body of the 1991 Nazca M12 but features an Alpina-prepped 5.7-liter V12 engine (sourced from the 750i / 850i of the era) producing 379HP.
