Ferrari 250 GTE and 330 GT 2+2

by Mike

The 250GTE was Ferrari's first production four passenger car. They were produced from 1960 to 1963 and nearly 1,000 were made. They were followed by the 330GT America which looked very similar but only 50 were produced in 1963. Then came the 330 GT 2+2 made from 1963 to 1968. This last model came with the four headlight and the two headlight versions and more than 1,000 were made. The 2+2 Ferraris of this era were a financial success for Ferrari, although they are not as well thought of by collectors as the two seat only models.

I think the 250GTE has a classic Pinin Farina lines and is a very beautiful car as you can see from this picture below.

So, for a collector who wants a V12 Ferrari from the early 1960s these can represent a real bargain. They also have been increasing in value over the past few years as they are being appreciated more and their numbers are dwindling because many have been turned into 250GTO or Testa Rosa replicas.

This 1964 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I is at Fantasy Junction in California. It has 15,691 miles and is priced at $85,000. It has the four headlight configuration which I like but may not suit everyones taste.

This 1963 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III is for sale by Michael Sheehan in California. It is under restoration and the buyer can still pick the color. The car is in Europe, with EEC duty paid and priced at 129,950 €uros (about $170,700).

There are a few more cars for sale in Europe where the prices tend to be higher than the US. As with all Ferraris, a pre-purchase inspection and study of the history is important.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Maserati Bora - For Sale

by Mike

The Bora was introduced in 1971 and was Maserati's first mid-engine sports car. It was powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine putting out 310 hp with a 5 speed manual transmission. The Bora could accelerate to 60 MPH in 6.5 seconds and the top speed was 160 MPH.

There were 571 Boras made between 1971 and 1980. With styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro, at his own firm Ital Design, it has beautiful lines as would be expected.

This beauty below was parked next to me at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance this past July.

Boras have sold at auction for prices ranging from $44,000 to $90,000 over the past two years.

This 1974 model below is for sale at Copley Motorcars in Massachusetts for $53,800 and has 34,000 miles.

This 1978 red model below is for sale at Miller Motorcars in Connecticut for $99,500. It has only 2,281 miles!

The 1972 car below is for sale at Gullwing Motor Cars in New York for $49,500 and has 22,000 km (13,700 miles).

 There are many Boras for sale now so look at more than one before you decide. Pre-purchase inspection is important as is the cars history.

Shelby GT350 Mustang

by Mike

In 1964 Ford asked Carroll Shelby to transform the Ford Mustang into a race car. He did that and in 1965 the Shelby GT350 Mustang won the SCCA B/Production Class championship. There were 562 1965 GT 350s produced: 34 were the race version, 9 were drag racing models, 1 street prototype, 2 race prototypes and 516 street versions.

In 1966 there were 2,367 GT350s made. These have become highly collectable and have increased in value over the years. The GT350 was produced until 1970, however, the 1965 and 1966 are the most desirable and valuable.

I especially like the 1965 "double digit" cars, these are the first 100 produced for homologation purposes. One of these is shown in the pictures below taken at the Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance in June 2007.

This is the important Shelby identification plate located on the left under the hood.

The 1965 GT350 below will be at the Mecum Auction at Kissimmee, Florida on January 26-30, 2011.

This 1965 Shelby GT350 R below will be at the Gooding & Company auction on January 21 & 22, 2011 in Arizona. It has an estimate of $650,000 - $850,000. This is an R model - one of the rare race cars.

This 1966 Shelby GT 350H model is for sale at Fantasy Junction for $115,000. This is a Hertz model that could have been rented from Hertz when new.

This is an advertisement promoting the 1967 Shelby Mustangs using success on the race track to attract buyers.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Iso Rivolta GT Restoration

by Mike

Bruce Caron, a friend of mine, is restoring an Iso Rivolta GT and is doing a significant amount of the work himself.

Below are pictures of what he started with.

Bruce and his Iso Rivolta.

Bruce says, "It was my brother-in-law's car.  I can remember driving around with him when I was in high school. It sat for about 18 years in a driveway then when my brother-in-law died his son asked me if I wanted it.  He said if I didn't take it the car would be towed away for scrap.

When I got it everything from the radiator up to and including the drive-line was gone.  A family of rats had been living in the back seat, the paint was cracked and in some places lifting off like an old piece of tile - it was a huge mess."

Something is definitely missing.

This is where he is today.

You can see the beautiful Iso Rivolta GT shape coming back to life.

This is going to look great, 327 cid Corvette - very fast too.

When Bruce is done it will look like one of these cars below, or likely better.

This is what the engine bay will look like.

Click on the images for a larger view.