Oh, to have been rich and privileged in 1958.
These wonderful old photos come via the Porsche Convertible D Registry.
Oh, and if you happen to have $55,000 burning a hole in your pocket, go and tickle your fancy here (unless, of course, a modern Ferrari is more to your liking).
– Gyro
Bit of a VW kick as of late.
Continuing on that theme, Automobile Magazine has just named the GTI its 2010 Automobile of the Year (following in the footsteps of its 2007 selection).
Pocket rockets like the GTI have a reputation of being cars for callow young men, and indeed we have a few of those on our staff. But what’s cool about the 2010 VW GTI is its universal appeal. From our editors who were not yet born when the GTI debuted in 1983, to those of us in our forties, to septuagenarian design editor Robert Cumberford, who calls the GTI “a perpetual good-value proposition for performance and practicality,” we all like and admire the GTI and would happily have one in our own garages.
(via Automobile)
– Gyro
We suspect this car needs no introduction, so we’re not going to bother reinventing the wheel, although the uninitiated can take a quick look here and drool over some photos of a show car here (factoid: three live in the United States, apparently). We may do a proper feature someday, a la the BMW E9. Certainly, it is worthy of one.
This particular car lives in Canada. The owner notes:
In Canada we have a rule that allows us to import any car that is 15 years old or older into the country without having to meet the requirements that all new cars must meet. The car just has to meet basic safety requirements and then it can be registered in Canada. I believe there are about 3 of these in Canada now and I’m sure more will be coming considering the popularity.
Maybe we’ll see one up on BaT one of these days (BaT Exclusive: Offered for sale is this incredibly rare import; fewer than ten exist in North America…).
Photo credit: Dave ten Broek
– Gyro
Saw one of these in the flesh yesterday. In a word, stunning- as Ferraris in the wild are wont to be. Pictures absolutely do not do the car justice. Not even close. We have always loved this design, and it has aged exceptionally well, like a fine wine. Quite frankly, in terms of modern Pininfarina designs, we think it may have been a high water mark in this particular branch of the family tree (not counting the early Dinos).
Absolutely brilliant.
– Gyro
I know it’s my car, but it never fails to impress every time it’s taken for a good workout. With the stiff Hotchkis rear sway bar, H&R cup kit, and wide, sticky Kumho Ecsta XS rubber, the car is grippy, feels beautifully balanced, and goes where it’s pointed. From the engine note to the steering feel, t’s just a real pleasure to drive. No, it doesn’t have gobs of power, but very rarely does the powerplant feel lacking (especially when the road gets curvy), and subjectively it feels plenty fast most of the time. I imagine it’s the type of sensation one gets wringing out a Miata to its limit, despite the fact that by most quantifiable measures, there are plenty of cars that go faster in a straight line.
2+ years into our relationship, it’s still probably the best purchase I’ve ever made, car or otherwise.
– Gyro
Given the enduring popularity of one of our older posts on the BMW 3.0 CSI (one of our consistently high hit-generators), we thought we’d give our viewers what they want and provide more E9 goodness.
We certainly have to agree that the E9 is just about one of the prettiest, classiest, and most appealing cars ever, even when pitted against the stiff competition of… other vintage BMs. To wit: it’s more stately and mature than the Neue Klasse likes of the 2002, and less bloated, boat-like, and, well, ’80s (Members Only, popped collars and all that), than the E24. And that’s no knock on either the Neue Klasse or the E24 (or the ’80s!), because we love them all.
Good grief what a depressing ten years it’s been.
– Gyro
Motoring Con Brio 
