Iso Car Literature - The Book

by Mike -

This new book contains a collection of rare Iso car literature reproductions including: Iso Grifo, Iso Rivolta GT, Iso Lele, Iso Fidia and Isetta. This book has nearly 100 images and a brief history of Iso.

This paper back book is 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches high and is 88 pages long.

This high quality reproduction sales literature is a treasure for the Iso fan.

It is available now - click here.

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Iso Grifo For Sale - A Forest Find

by Mike -

This new US eBay listing for a 1967 Iso Grifo GL 350 Coupe is also listed on eBay in the UK.

The sub-heading is 1967 ISO GRIFO serial-vin-CHASSIS # GL * 730143 * Found 40 + years 1 owner.

This is technically not a barn find because the car is sitting outside in the forest and no where near a barn, so I call it a Forest Find.

I spoke to the seller today and he points out that this Iso Grifo has not been in the public eye for many years. I agree that many in the Iso community do not know where this car was located or who owned it.

Here are some interesting features about this listing:

1) There are no pictures of this car on the US listing but there are pictures on the UK listing. This was just a technical glitch according to the seller.

The seller also posts pictures of an Iso Grifo that sold in the UK earlier this year. These pictures were borrowed from My Car Quest, here and here.

Chassis ID number

2) The car is in the US (East Coast) but the seller wants to be paid in pounds sterling.

3) The deposit required within 48 hours of the end of the auction is 25,000 pounds sterling ($39,000). But the Buy it Now price is US $137,500.

4) The sellers expectations for what the car will be worth in the future - a direct quote is below:

"It does not have its GLASS, HOOD, WHEELS, ENGINE, or TRANSMISSION...
'
The CHEVROLET ENGINE & TRANSMISSION "ARE" EASILY FOUND at a "LOW COST"

After undergoing a complete Mechanical & Structural Restoration, This car will be worth in EXCESS of $250,000 to $300,000...DOLLARS and will be sure to rise to over $500,000...DOLLARS in the years to come...!!!"

5) Another direct quote from the listing:

"*****A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS OF THIS AUCTION WILL BE DONATED FOR RESEARCH & SUPPORT FOR THE CURE OF CANCER*****"

It will be interesting to see what the market thinks this Iso Grifo is worth.

Also read:

This Iso Grifo Was For Sale 5 Years Ago

This Iso Grifo Was For Sale 5 Years Ago-Part 2

Iso Grifo 7 Liter Replica For Sale

And more here

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Unexpected Memories - Ferrari 250 GTO

by Mike -

It is such a terrific moment when someone unexpectedly gives you a gift of a memory forgotten.

Today I am talking about photos of Stephen Mitchell's Ferrari 250 GTO.

The photos were taken and saved all of these years by Larry Crane who recently gave them to Stephen. You can read about that here.

These pictures were taken at Riverside Raceway, I am guessing in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Notice the GTO is in the parking lot and not on the track. 

It is parked between a Shelby Cobra and a Ferrari 275 GTB.

Above people walk by like it is a routine event to see a Ferrari 250 GTO in the parking lot.

Then the car catches the eye of a young car lover.

This Ferrari 250 GTO is now owned by Ralph Lauren and spent its 2011 summer at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. This is Stephen below at the museum reunited with his former Ferrari.

Stephen is on the right, in the middle is Jeanetta Dumouchel, a producer, with Stephen, on the Carrera Panamericana documentary film and Marc Sonnery on the left, author of Rebel Rebel: Breadvan: The Most Recognizable Ferrari in the World.

What a contrast between the car in the museum and the car in the parking lot of a race track about 40 years earlier. Amazing changes have occurred over the years. 

The dirty, driven and well used Ferrari 250 GTO of Stephen Mitchell is now a museum piece owned by Ralph Lauren.

You can read Stephen Mitchell's blog here. All photos provided to me by Stephen Mitchell.

Also read:

Ferrari 250 GTO - Five Things - Part One

Ferrari 250 GTO - Five Things - Part Two

Ferrari 250 GTO - It's Always Something

Ferrari 250 GTO Pictures

Ferrari 250 GTO

In the close up pictures below it can be seen that someone made some design changes to this car. Notice the lower air intakes have gone from two to one per side, the fog lights have appeared where an air intake once was, the three openings on the front of the hood have been covered and the air intakes near the windshield are either gone on the Lauren version or they are different, maybe plexiglass.

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Ariel Atom - A Motorcycle With Four Wheels

by Mike -

I wanted an Ariel Atom so bad once that I bid on one on eBay and eventually lost. My wife does not know that but now she does because she reads My Car Quest everyday.

The Ariel Atom to me is a motorcycle with four wheels - and thus theoretically safer.

The Atom was developed in the UK by Nik Smart at Coventry University.

The Specifications Summary:

0-60 mph : 2.8 seconds (manufacturer's claim)

Top Speed: 155 mph, 250 km/h (155 mph, 249 km/h supercharged)

Power: 245 bhp (183 kW; 248 PS) @ 8200 rpm (300 bhp supercharged)

Torque: 210 N·m (150 ft·lbf) @ 6100 rpm

Weight: 455 kg (1,010 lb)

Transmission: Honda six-speed with reverse

Engine: 2.0L Honda K20A1, 4 Cylinder, i-VTEC - their are options on the engine

Manufacturer: Ariel Motor Company Ltd

In this Video below Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear tells you what he thinks.

Please share your comments with me and other readers.

These pictures were taken at The Danvile d'Elegance. Some photos by Michael Menetto.

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Why Do We Like Classic And Exotic Cars So Much?

by Mike -

When someone asked Willie Nelson why he took up the guitar and joined a band he replied "to get the girls".

I wanted to be this guy below with the Triumph Spitfire so I bought a TR6, above.

Is there some of this Willie Nelson motivation behind why men love cars so much?

Is there a correlation between the MG Midget ad below on the beach in 1970 and me with my MG Midget on the beach above in 1977? I am not sure why I am in front of the trash cans.

My Porsche 911 on a lake in Colorado above and a beautiful lady with the 911 below.

The same lady a few years later is sitting in my Alfa Romeo Spider below.

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I could not afford either one of these cars below but I wanted them.

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Ferrari 250 GTO Pictures

by Mike -

Here are some great pictures from the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where the Ferrari 250 GTO was featured. Photos by Drew Phillips.

Driving down Scenic Drive in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Some of my other articles on the ferrari 250 GTO are here, here, here and here.

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1966 ASA 1000 GT Spider

by Mike -

This is a terrific car that you do not see very often.

Ferrari designed this little gem and sold the manufacturing rights to Autocostruzioni Societa per Azioni (ASA).

ASA hired Giotto Bizzarrini to test drive the car and work out the final technical details, which he did.

The engine has 1032 cc displacement and is based on the Ferrari 250 GT engine, with a 4-speed transmission. It produces 97 hp.

The body style is by Bertone. The coupe was introduced at the Turin Auto Show in 1961 and the Spider was introduced in 1963.

It is estimated that 118 ASA 1000 GTs were made with only 17 Spiders in the total.

This car delivers a Ferrari like experience without the expense of owning and maintaining a V12 Ferrari. Well, it also will not go as fast as a Ferrari.

This car was at the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours On The Avenue in August 2011.

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