Journal Classic Cars

Some cars are like a literal Swiss Army knife in the collector car world: They can be taken on any collector car rally (other than London to Brighton), are eligible for any concours on the planet, can serve as vintage race cars, and can also be used for weekend drives. Unfortunately, these cars (think 1950s Ferraris, classic Bugattis, prewar Aston Martins, Bentleys from the W.O. era) are pretty rare and often very expensive. Sometimes thinking outside the box and looking a little left of center can be beneficial when it comes to finding a vehicle at a somewhat affordable price. My Pick of the Day is one of these rare cars, a 1950 Maserati A6 1500 Berlinetta with coachwork by Pinin Farina, offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Louis, Missouri.

You may have noticed that I spelled Pinin Farina as two words above. No, it’s not a typo. It’s because that is how Pininfarina was spelled until 1961.

Introduced at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show, the A6 was Maserati’s first production road car. The A6 1500 was powered by Maserati’s race-bred A6 TR SOHC 1488cc inline six-cylinder engine and featured a magnesium oil sump and an aluminum block. The chassis was just as good. Capitalizing on Maserati’s competition experience, it featured an independent front suspension and tubular frame, making the A6 as competent on the autostrada as it was on a mountain pass. Maserati built a total of only 51 A6 1500 cars, making this example quite rare, even when compared to Ferraris costing many times its price. In addition, every A6 1500 is a little different, making each a sort of one-of-a-kind automobile.

This A6 1500 is one of the final 10 produced, chassis number 0101. It was delivered as a rolling chassis to Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in March 1950 for completion. After construction was complete, it was sold through the marque’s Rome distributor, Gugliemo Dei, to its first owner, Mr. Catullo del Monte. Detailed factory records note that del Monte’s Maserati was equipped with Pirelli Corsa tires, a single Weber 36DCR carburetor, Maserati spark plugs, and a full tool kit. In 1952, this A6 was acquired by an American expatriate, Edwin Henry Morris, who later imported it to the United States.

Since arriving in the U.S., this A6 spent time in California and benefited from a comprehensive restoration by the late renowned Maserati expert Claudio Zampolli. His attention to detail ensured the car retained its authentic character while elevating it to concours standards.

Next the car passed through the hands of a Japanese enthusiast, who took the car on the 2011 edition of the Mille Miglia Storica.

The A6 1500 then returned to the United States in 2014, joining an East Coast collection before being acquired by its current owner. During its latest ownership, the Maserati continued to be exercised as intended, completing in the 2016 Mille Miglia, the Colorado Grand and Copperstate 1000. Demonstrating that “Swiss Army knife” ability, it was also shown at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the 2023 Chattanooga Concours d’Elegance, where it earned a Best-in-Class award.

Driving one of these classic Maserati A6 1500s is an amazing experience. Unlike many Italian cars, the driving position is quite normal; the only tricky thing is figuring out what the mostly unmarked switches on the dash do. The rest is typical classic sports car: a nice five-speed gearbox, a responsive engine, and some of the most wonderful-looking gauges ever used in an automobile.

This A6 1500 features period-correct rich red paintwork over Blood Red upholstery and still retains its original numbers-matching inline six-cylinder engine, which is currently fitted with the desirable triple-Weber carburetor setup and a synchronized five-speed gearbox instead of the standard non-synchronized five-speed – upgrades that greatly improve both drivability and performance. Happily – and importantly – this A6 is being sold with its original gearbox and single-carburetor arrangement, ensuring the car can be both enjoyed as-is or returned to factory specification.

This A6 is FIVA-registered, carrying both its FIVA Identity Card and Registro 1000 Miglia certification, offering its next owner an open invitation to the world’s most prestigious historic motoring events. Its history – from Rome and Modena to the California coast and the Mille Miglia – is quite special and makes this A6 1500 a virtual time machine back to the classic era of high-end sports cars. At the asking price of $395,000, I honestly think this 1950 Maserati A6/1500 is a veritable bargain for a ticket to wherever you might want to go in the collector car hobby.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

I’ve known for a long time that the Lamborghini Espada of the 1960s-1970s is an oddly attractive machine. In fact, it’s so strangely alluring that I bought a 1:18-scale model of one (in red, of course). However, it wasn’t until recently that I learned about the ultra-rare variant of the four-seater known as the Lamborghini Espada VIP.

Back when I was researching the Espada as part of my write-up of this 1974 model I selected as a Pick of the Day, I discovered the VIP. The Lamborghini website briefly mentions it: “Based on the Espada 400 GTE Series II, the Espada VIP was presented in 1971, a special series of only 12 examples that featured a mini-bar, refrigerator and a Brionvega Algol 11 television mounted on the center console for entertaining the rear seat occupants. The VIP is currently one of the most sought-after versions by Espada collectors.” Unfortunately, the blurb didn’t include any photos. I had to find this unusual creation.

Luckily, there were places online that filled the visual gap. Not surprisingly, the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum was one of them. It shed a little more light on the VIP, stating that it had a two-tone leather interior chosen by Bertone, the coachbuilder responsible for the Espada’s distinctive exterior. There were a few pictures of the interior that showed the seats (which look like an X-Men costume), but what about all the goodies in the back? To me, those were the main attractions.

The search continued and took me to another no-brainer spot online: LamborghiniEspada.com, which states, “A few months after the 1970 Paris Motor show, the first Espada with the Bertone VIP leather interior was delivered to a customer, and a total of 12 Espadas were delivered with this probably unofficial option until 1973. About nine SII and one SIII Espadas with VIP interior are known to exist today, making them among the rarest Espadas.”

You might be thinking, OK, that’s nice, but were there any pics? Don’t worry—there was a whole rainbow of them. I personally like the orange and tan. Which combo is your favorite?

Even better, there was a shot of the minibar and the funky TV that the second-row passengers were able to enjoy.

Lamborghini intended the Espada to be “the best GT in existence, a sports car that was fast while still being comfortable and luxuriously appointed.” In its basic form, it had a 4.0-liter V12, a five-speed manual gearbox created in-house, and leather-lined cabin, which the VIP made even more opulent and indulgent.

In my one-time visit to AA (Automobiles Anonymous), I have an admission that can make me self-conscious: My 6-year-old son is not into cars. This contrasts with fellow writer Derek Shiekhi’s son, who seems to have embraced his inner off-roader. I’m completely alright with this.

Early in his youth, my son developed a fascination with garbage trucks. Was it the size? Was it the automation? I don’t know, but any or both of those things can be an attention-grabber for kids. And if a side-loader was worth stopping the world for a look-see, then a rear-loader was worth searching out so he could see actual trash being compressed by hydraulics (a pastime from my youth). In turn, my son also enjoyed pointing out cans (as well as fans, though I could never get a straight answer while at Home Depot whether it was because the words rhymed or that fans were intriguing, animated items).

Over time, I developed a habit of purchasing a Hot Wheels diecast for him during every supermarket visit. He was always dazzled, though, in retrospect, it likely was due to these being gifts. I was merely trying to connect the dots between his love of trash trucks and his potential love of automobiles.

However, this past autumn, my son accused me of buying diecast for myself. Smart kid! He simply was not interested. The battle has been lost! The truth is that my kid has a lifetime to determine whether he’s interested in automobiles. If he doesn’t develop the interest, that’s just fine with me, as he’s an individual and can determine for himself what he likes.

Over the past year, my son has developed an affinity for robots and kraken. Robotics have gone up a notch or two in recent years, so there are several points of interest in that aside from the fact that he has been afraid of our Roomba in the past. And kraken? Octopus, squid, and any other sea creatures are always interesting, so I don’t get bored . . . but it isn’t about me, right? Add Legos and Minecraft to the mix and I truly have a happy boy.

Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this restored 1972 Chevrolet C10, which is powered by a BluePrint Engines 383ci stroker V8 paired with a custom-built 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. Highlights include power steering, power front disc brakes, and air conditioning. Finished in Spanish Gold and White over a brown vinyl and yellow houndstooth cloth interior, this custom street truck is now offered by the selling dealer in Missouri with a clear title.

As part of the restoration, the body was refinished in Spanish Gold and White by Tommy Zarella of Candy Apple Customs in Boca Raton, Florida. Exterior features include chrome bumpers, woodgrain trim on the sides and tailgate, dual mirrors, sliding rear window, bed liner, black roll-up tonneau cover, and dual exhaust outlets. Not visible are the electric exhaust cutouts from Granatelli Motor Sports, which let out even more of the engine’s sound.

This classic Chevy pickup sits nice and low over a set of 17-inch front and 18-inch rear American Racing Torq Thrust wheels, which are wrapped in 235/55 Michelin Pilot Sport and 295/45 Toyo Proxes tires, respectively.

The body’s Spanish Gold flows into the cabin, where it’s complemented by brown door cards with woodgrain inserts, a brown dash pad, wood-rimmed steering wheel, brown carpeting, and brown vinyl bench seat with yellow and black houndstooth cloth inserts. Power steering, air conditioning, and Pioneer AM/FM/CD/USB/AUX stereo add convenience and comfort to all that style.

Instrumentation consists of a 100-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the battery, temperature, fuel level, and oil pressure. The odometer shows 1,286 miles, reflecting the mileage accrued since the restoration was completed.

Under the hood is a BluePrint Engines 383ci stroker V8, which has 10:1 compression and comes equipped with a cast steel crankshaft, four-bolt main caps, aluminum heads, hypereutectic pistons, and hydraulic roller camshaft. On a dyno, the engine produces 436 horsepower. A 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission that was custom-built at Arnst Ocean Automotive in Delray Beach, Florida, sends the engine’s output to the 3.73:1 limited-slip rear end. Power front disc and rear drum brakes keep both ends of this truck pointed the right direction.

If you want this upgraded and customized 1972 Chevrolet C10 headed your way, bid on it before the auction ends on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 11:45 a.m. (MST).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

People from New York City have two distinct reputations: being aggressive and being snobby. The latter was likely the inspiration for Chrysler’s New Yorker nameplate, as the Big Apple was one of the top cultural centers of the world, full of demonstrable sophistication when its residents weren’t vacationing in the Hamptons. Our Pick of the Day is one of the earlier versions to use this nameplate. This 1942 Chrysler New Yorker Club Coupe is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Torrance, California.

The original New Yorker was a special 1938 sub-model named the Chrysler New York Special, though interestingly, it was based on the C19 Chrysler Imperial Touring Sedan and powered by the higher-horsepower engine that powered the Custom Imperial. The sub-model was produced only as a four-door sedan with the choice of two colors (or four two-tone combinations) and a fancier broadcloth interior. For 1939, the name evolved into “New Yorker” and the sub-model expanded to four different body styles, including a two-door sedan and two coupes.

For 1940, the New Yorker (as well as the new Traveler and almost-new Saratoga) became a stand-alone model, absorbing the Imperial and leaving the Crown Imperial as the premium offering within the Chrysler fold. Available body styles were expanded to include a convertible and a formal sedan. Unlike the Royal and Windsor, the New Yorker was powered by a straight-eight.

Styling was much more massive for 1942. The grille consisted of five chrome bars that ran across the front end and wrapped around the fenders to the wheel wells; the same fender treatment was repeated at the rear. Running boards were semi-concealed by the doors for a more streamlined appearance. New Yorkers rode on a 127.5-inch wheelbase and were powered by a 323.5ci “Spitfire” straight-eight offering 140 horsepower with a Stromberg two-barrel. Three-speed Fluid Drive was standard, with an available Vacamatic semi-automatic as an option. As in previous years, a Highlander plaid or Navajo “Thunderbird” upholstery was available for a $20 upcharge.

“Blackout” trim was instituted for cars built after December 1941, with production ending at the beginning of February 1942 so factories could devote themselves to the war effort. That makes cars like this pre-blackout 1942 Chrysler New Yorker Club Coupe an interesting footnote on several levels. Yes, the design was used from 1946 until 1948, but the Thunderbolt-influenced styling of the ’42 was unique, lacking the baroque grille of the later cars. The Club Coupe was positioned as a swanky personal car, perhaps a coupe version of the dashing convertible. It features “luxury appointments including the marbled Bakelite dashboard with a detailed instrument panel and rare factory options of its day including the original radio and heater, indicating a loaded and no-expense focus on basic, durable luxury by its original owners,” says the seller. “The cloth upholstery is original spec, as is the carpets and dashboard plastic. The brightwork is all very good quality, and the car is a wonderful driving older restoration that performs as good as it looks with recent extensive servicing including a full engine tune up, brake overhaul including master cylinder and wheel cylinders.”

This example is one of only 1,234 built for the abbreviated 1942 model year, the third most popular New Yorker for ’42. For $35,500, you can own this stylish, upmarket coupe, but don’t be surprised if admirers are hesitant in approaching you—they won’t know whether you’re a sophisticate or just irascible.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

The quartet of cars seen below are currently for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com. They all share one thing in common. Care to tell us what that may be?

Be sure to answer in the Comments section, but don’t think you can get away only with that—we want you to give us the model year, make, and model as well. Who’s gonna step up to the plate?

Click on a photo to reveal each car

Every Tuesday, you will find a new automotive game at The ClassicCars.com Journal. You can also play past puzzles by clicking here!

Bentley’s history is filled with racing, but the Bentley Bentayga X Concept takes the British automaker to a new kind of track: the FAT Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria.

FAT International started off as a logistics company that transported fashion in Europe and sponsored motorsports to promote its express delivery service. It was quick on a racecourse, too: FAT claimed an overall victory at the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Dauer 962 LM. These days, FAT International “produces clothing and connects people at offline experiences like the FAT Ice Race and FAT Mankei while its mission is to change motorsports forever starting at the grass roots: with the FAT Karting League.” FAT’s Ice Race is a celebration of exotic cars and their cultural significance as well as a multi-class race. Most recently, FAT started a multi-year collaboration with Bentley, which led to the debut of the Bentayga X Concept.

Based on a Bentayga Speed, the X can blast across the ice thanks to its 641-horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 – and blast out its sound through an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system. Permanent four-wheel drive and an air suspension with a 48-volt active anti-roll setup makes sure that that supercar output is controlled and delivered precisely.

Of course, racing in such an extreme environment calls for some upgrades, so Bentley widened the track by 4.7 inches (120 millimeters) to increase the X’s stability and pushed the wheel arches out 1.6 inches to accommodate the change and the new Brixton forged one-piece 22-inch wheels and off-road tires. To keep the X from turning into a snow plow, Bentley raised its ride height by approximately 2.2 inches (55 millimeters), giving it nearly 12.2 inches (310 millimeters) of ground clearance and a wading depth of more than 21.6 inches (550 millimeters – perhaps if the track’s ice starts to melt underneath?).

A roof rack hauls gear (if you look closely, you’ll see a Bambino-size Go Kart used in the FAT Karting League) and serves as the platform for a quartet of auxiliary lights.

Given how wildly different the X Concept looks from regular Bentaygas, it’s logical to assume that it’s just a one-off for its deal with FAT, but it might lead to something more. And that doesn’t mean wishful thinking that Bentley may make a production version of the X or something like it. Bentley came out and said, “This unique Bentayga X Concept has been developed to stimulate and gain feedback for an enhanced off-road capable Bentayga.” Is there more than a snowball’s chance in Hell of that happening? We’ll have to wait to see.

I think many of us have purchased a car we regret buying for one reason or another. Maybe it turned out to be horribly unreliable or you bought it before a major life change that rendered it incompatible with your finances and/or lifestyle. Or perhaps you bought it primarily for attention, not your own satisfaction.

Many people take this concept to the extreme by getting into debt up to their eyeballs by—in the words of David Mamet—signing “on the line which is dotted.” Rolling around in a new Mercedes shows the world that you’ve “made it.” Believe me—I understand the impulse, but only your family and friends care about your success. Everybody else is too busy trying to “make it” themselves to notice your flashy new wheels.

And I’ll venture to guess that an expensive luxury car is most enjoyable when you can truly afford it. Tom Ripley’s approach to life in the 1999 film “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” that it’s “better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody,” is not a motto to live by.

A lot of guys buy certain vehicles to impress the opposite sex. I’m not saying that that tactic never works because, in the past, when I was out testing high-end press cars, I occasionally noticed women were more interested in me than they probably would’ve been if I had rolled up in a beater Toyota Corolla. But overall, whenever someone has made it clear that (s)he’s impressed by what I’m driving or comes out of the woodwork to start a conversation about it (such as the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500), that person has been a dude—or three.

The truth is that no matter what you drive, people will notice it. And it’s normal to want them to like what they see (who wants to catch a disgusted sneer?), but you have to be honest with yourself: do you want to buy that sports car or off-road truck to get a reaction out of fellow drivers and people walking by, or because it gets an emotional reaction out of you? Your opinion is the only one that really matters. Yeah, someone at a red light may give you a slow nod of approval or shout out, “Cool car,” but the vast majority of people you’ll pass won’t even notice your ride or you in it. Even if someone out on the road thinks your car is the most awesome one (s)he’s ever seen and is convinced that you’re this generation’s Steve McQueen, you’ll never know anyway. Why pay for a minuscule possibility of impressing total strangers who don’t even know you exist? They’re not paying for the car—you are.

Money is too hard to come by and life is too short to buy something you don’t really need and—much worse—don’t even truly want. Get something for you, a vehicle that you enjoy driving . . . even if nobody is around to notice.

Modifying a car can be tricky because it might not come out right, but this 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, aka “Bodacious,” that our correspondent Tyson Hugie spotted was done well. Previously owned by retired NFL player Patrick Peterson, it’s finished in a stealthy gray with black stripes on its cowl-induction hood, a black rear spoiler, and black custom wheels.

The cabin is furnished with black leather seats from TMI, Dakota Digital gauges, a Billet Specialties steering wheel, and air conditioning. This F-body may look low-key, but its engine definitely isn’t. Under the hood is an LS7 7.0-liter V8, which is paired with a TREMEC T-56 6-speed manual gearbox. Other upgrades include a Fast LSXR intake manifold, Cahill Customs cold-air intake, and Holley Terminator X Max ECU. We think this is a great example of a Camaro restomod – and so did the person who paid $93,500 for it at the Barrett-Jackson 2026 Scottsdale Auction.

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The E31 BMW 8 Series was BMW’s first foray into the full luxury grand-touring car world in the modern era. The original 8 Series project began in July 1981 and was expensive, costing more than 1.5 billion deutsche marks. The project was completed in 1986, but the launch of the 8 Series was delayed due to the still-strong sales of the 6 Series coupe, which the 8 Series – offering more performance, more technology, and a substantially higher price – was created to replace.

Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is one of these BMW super coupes, a 1996 BMW 850ci with 109,000 original miles, listed by a dealer in Denver, Colorado. (While that mileage may sound high, many of these cars have been driven past 200,000 miles and are still going strong.) The auction ends Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (MST).

The 8 Series was finally introduced to the public at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, and the car was well received. Timing can be everything, though. The BMW 8 Series went on sale during the recession of the 1990s, when the appetite for high-end European cars was anything but at its peak. As a result, BMW sold a mere 6,920 units in the American market. 

The seller describes this 850ci as being powered by its original M73B54 5.4-liter V12 mated to a five-speed Getrag ZF 5HP30 Steptronic automatic transmission. The car is finished in the great color combination of Oxford Green over a tan leather interior. It is offered by the selling dealer with an AutoCheck report and a clear title.

The exterior of this 850ci looks to be in overall good shape, with some small scratches visible. The AutoCheck report indicates the car had an incident resulting in what they call “severe structural damage” in December 2025, but I honestly don’t see evidence of that in the photos. That being said, I would want to have the car inspected by a BMW shop.

The interior looks nice. There is some minor wear on the seats, but otherwise everything appears to be in good overall condition. The seller notes that there is some cracking on the center console bezel.

Under the hood is the awesome BMW M73B54 5.4-liter SOHC V12, which produces 326 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque. When it debuted, the model was said to be capable of a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 156 mph. The engine compartment looks to be nice and clean, and the seller states that the car was serviced last year.

As mentioned earlier, I would advise getting a few more details about this car from the seller because of some of its history. This can easily be asked about in the comments section of the listing, and I am sure that the seller would respond. If it checks out, then I would throw a few bids on this car, because a V12-powered BMW GT car is something very special. Has any of this piqued your interest? If so, don’t delay – the auction for this 1996 BMW 850ci ends Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. (MST). 

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery