Andrey Lipgart was a Russian automotive engineer who received formal training from the Ford Motor Company in the US. During his tenure at Ford, Mr. Lipgart carefully studied contemporary American automotive designs and assembly-line production. Following his return to the Soviet Union, he was named chief constructor at the Gorky Automobile Plant..
Introduced at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, the Lamborghini Espada was a striking 2+2 grand tourer designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Gandini drew inspiration from two of his prior designs – the Lamborghini Marzal and Bertone Pirana – to pen the sleek lines of the Espada. Mechanically, the Espada utilized the Giotto Bizzarrini-designed 3,922..
Debuted in Paris in 1968, the 365 GTB/4 succeeded the 275 GTB/4 as Ferrari’s new top-of-the-line, two-seat gran turismo. Almost immediately, it was unofficially known as the “Daytona” in honor of Ferrari’s podium sweep at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, and it stands as the last front-engine, V-12 GT model designed before Fiat’s takeover of Ferrar..
Deceptively comfortable, sophisticated, and usable, Maserati’s mid-engine Bora surpassed Lamborghini’s groundbreaking Miura in several key respects and predated Ferrari’s 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer by several years.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and masterfully engineered by Giulio Alfieri, the Bora was Maserati’s first monocoque-based r..
One of the most glamorous automobiles of any era, the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is an extraordinary true four-passenger convertible, and just 1,232 were produced from August 1969 through July 1971. Built with no cost spared using extensive hand labor, these high-style, V-8-powered machines were aimed squarely at elite buyers in the US an..
A fascinating combination of ingenious oleo-pneumatic, self-leveling suspension, elegant avant-garde styling by Robert Opron, and an exotic, quad-cam Maserati V-6, the Citroën SM remains among the most distinct and desirable GT cars of the past half century.
The SM offered here is one of 134 examples originally built for the US market t..
Achingly beautiful with Pininfarina-designed bodywork, the V-8 Ferrari 308 continues to be recognized as one of Maranello’s finest modern road cars. Launched at Paris in 1975, the gorgeous 308 replaced the outgoing V-6 Dino 246 and, soon after, the Bertone-designed 308 GT4. The first 712 “Vetroresina” examples were bodied in fiberglass, with th..
During the early 1970s, US safety and emissions standards influenced changes in Porsche’s iconic 911. Introduced for 1974, the G-series 911 ushered in a transformative new look, including a shortened hood, crash-resistant impact bumpers, revamped lighting, and a plethora of other upgrades.
Porsche offered a higher-performing 911 model f..
Debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963, the W113 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL replaced the 300 SL and 190 SL at once. An undisputed design and engineering triumph, the new and sporty, yet entirely rational, Mercedes-Benz progressed through the 250 SL, and subsequently introduced four-wheel disc brakes to the 2.8-liter 280 SL, which was built from Nove..
Upon being selected to create an exhibit of “Man’s Aspiration of the Automobile” at the 1967 International and Universal Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada, Alfa Romeo turned to Marcello Gandini and Bertone to create a groundbreaking and memorable prototype. Overwhelmingly positive reaction to the Gandini design prodded Alfa Romeo to move forward with ..