Chicago Car Club

Author name: Mike

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British Cars – It\’s All About the Charm

…At any given car show or cars & coffee event you’re bound to encounter a handful of colorful little British roadsters.  No matter where you are, it could be Malibu or Omaha, any one of the Triumph, MG, or Austin marques are sure to be represented.  These cars, while notorious for their temperamental nature, are just about impossible not to appreciate.  Their fan base is prolific and far-reaching, and for good reason.  There’s an undeniable charm to the little raspy-sounding roadsters, they just seem to radiate a happy-go-lucky vibe of “I’m here to have a good time”. As any British classic-car owner will tell you, having had a trouble-free day of touring adds a certain element of satisfaction to the overall enjoyment, whereas a trouble-free day with another classic, like say an air-cooled 911, would likely be taken for granted. When setting off on a trip, or even just a quick Sunday coffee jaunt in your British classic, there’s an excitement in the uncertainty of your car’s reliability.  While that undoubtedly sounds like crazy-talk, the presence of “oh I hope this keeps up…the car feels great right now!” in the back of your head is an exhilarating feeling, which is what we’re all pursuing in driving a classic car anyway, right?  The fact that these cars encourage the driver to be hyper-aware of the mechanical state of their car helps them to more genuinely appreciate that given moment of trouble-free motoring bliss.  To put it simply, these cars help the driver to live in the moment. It’s fun to be seen, and what better way to draw eyes than with a pastel-colored vintage roadster?  That’s a big part of the draw of these cars, the public appeal.  Put a female 20something that’s as far removed from the automotive hobby as could be in front of a pastel-colored classic British roadster and a blacked out modern supercar and see which one they’d rather tag along in for a sunny Sunday drive – it’ll always be the happy-go-lucky Brit.  These cars aren’t just cool, they’re cute.  Just ask me how I know; I took our Iris Blue ‘57 MGA to a small local show last weekend…I’m feeling all cool, top down, collared shirt on, watch glimmering in the sunlight, and as soon as I pull into the lot I hear a voice from a group of girls, “awww that’s so cuteee!”.  While maybe not quite the self esteem boost as “woahhh check that out!”, I’ll take it.  Sharing appreciation for a car, no matter if it be in terms of cuteness or coolness, is a special connection.  When two people connect over a car, there’s a mutual understanding of, and respect for, their taste.  No matter who you are, if you’re connecting over a mutual appreciation for a car, you’re seeing eye-to-eye.  On many, many occasions I’ve found myself having long, genuine conversations with folks who I never would have guessed I’d have related to, solely because we struck up a conversation while both gazing at a particular car. It’s no secret that there’s a community feel among classic car enthusiasts; perhaps due to the individuality and home-built nature of so many British classics, this bond is particularly strong among British classic car enthusiasts.  These cars are extremely simple, meaning that just about any regular-Joe mechanic, given enough time, can restore one in their standard two-car garage.  These cars weren’t perfect from the factory, so there’s really no pressure to dive too deep into a 100-point, concours-level restoration.  Panel fitment and overall finish tends to come second; getting the car road-worthy and ready-to-be-enjoyed is typically paramount.  Which brings us to parts supply and availability, the endlessly talked-about crux of classic car ownership.  With British cars, this is hardly a concern. Moss Motors, a US-based British car parts vendor, has wiped away those concerns with their massive inventory of MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, and MINI parts.  Parts from Moss Motors, and mechanical wisdom from Youtubers, and you’re all set for a project. We’ve briefly touched upon the ups and downs of British classic car ownership; now let’s take a look at the market and address current values and long term appreciation, as that’s at the back of every classic car buyer’s mind, if not the front.  One of the many reasons why classic British cars are so inviting is the extremely reasonable cost of entry.  So many classic cars [looking at you, German and Italian marques] have inflated in value so much in recent years that cost has become prohibitive to ownership.  However, perhaps due to their reputation of being temperamental or underpowered, the overwhelming majority of classic British sports cars have remained out of the market’s limelight.  If you have $10k to spend, you’ve got options.  $15k and you’re spoiled for choice.  You could have a Spitfire, TR6, GT6, MGB, Midget, Jensen-Healey, the list goes on and on.  While these cars won’t explode in value anytime soon like the air-cooled Porsche or Ferrari Dino markets have in recent years, there are certain picks of the litter that have very real investment potential and are quietly flying under the radar. I won’t dive too far in or get overly speculative, but I will say that the historical significance and low production numbers of particular models should be considered, as it will add tremendous value in the long term, rather than just pure aesthetic appeal or driving pleasure.   For example, let’s say you’re looking at buying a Triumph.  Your $15k could be spent on the best TR6 money can buy, but it could also be spent on a nice GT6+.  The TR6 will be more enjoyable to drive, but will it be as sound of an investment?  The GT6+ was penned by Giovanni Michelotti of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Alpine, and BMW fame.  A designer hired by Enzo Ferrari himself?  You can be sure that’ll help the GT6+ in the long term, as Michelotti’s other designs continue to appreciate into the stratosphere.  But I digress, this isn’t a

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The Big Ugly Bumper Mandate of ’74

…In 1971, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 215.  To be first implemented for the 1974 model year, Standard 215 required all new cars sold in the United States to be able to withstand a 5 mph front end or 2.5 mph rear end collision without any damage to the lighting equipment or fuel delivery systems. The objective being to minimize the cost of crash damage repair for the general public, as well as improve a car’s ability to absorb an impact in the event of a collision. This change in regulation forced automotive manufacturers to go back to the drawing board and rethink the styling of their classic cars. Driving lights integrated into both front and rear bumpers were commonplace at the time; with this new regulation, these bumpers would almost certainly spell a violation of Standard No. 215. This new generation of damage-resistant bumpers would drastically change the appearance of a number of the United States’ most beloved import classic cars. Some cars pulled off the big-bumpered look better than others; let’s take a look at 5 of the best and worst examples of the “impact bumper” era. 1.  BMW Looking at a US-market BMW of the 1970s or 1980s alongside a European-market example, it’s easy to see why the bumpers of US-market examples have become widely known as “diving boards” or “picnic benches”. BMW’s 5mph impact bumpers stick out almost comically far from the grille, and as a result, many US-based owners have purchased European bumpers secondhand and reverted the cars back to Euro-look. That’s not to say that the US-bumpered classic cars don’t have their own advocates; for those owners who street-park their cars, the damage-defense provided by the impact bumpers can save on many trips to the body shop. 2.  Porsche The 911’s iconic, simple-yet-elegant long-hood shape was, to many, spoiled by the 5mph impact-bumper mandate of 1974. Looking at the air-cooled 911 market, it’s hard to believe the difference in value of a 1973 example vs an impact-bumpered 1974. 1973 911Ts, the “base model”, are seldom seen on this side of $100k, while excellent ‘74 examples trade hands for significantly under $50k on a regular basis. I think we all know which one we’d rather have, but is it worth the price premium? Very, very debatable. 3.  Mercedes Much like fellow German manufacturer BMW, Mercedes took the “diving board” approach to damage-resistant bumpers. Again, practical, but not quite as pretty. 4.  MG The MGB’s 1974 facelift changed its appearance drastically. The chrome-heavy, ‘60s Italian-roadster-looking front end was replaced by a bulky rubber bumper that quite nearly took over the whole front end of the classic car. To many, the MGB was the hardest hit by the impact-bumper mandate of ‘74. These days, a ‘73 MGB is worth about double what a ‘74 example is, even though underneath they’re quite nearly the same car. 5.  Lamborghini: Last but not least, Lamborghini.  While much more rare than the other examples listed here, no impact bumper conversation would be complete without a mention of the Lamborghini Countach. Lamborghini’s solution to the United States’ crash standards was brilliant; Lamborghini didn’t overthink it, they just fit big rubber blocks to the nose and tail of the car and called it a day.  If you Americans want damage-resistant bumpers, here, here’s your damn damage-resistant bumpers. Written By:  Jake DePierro

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Mazda Miata – What’s All the Buzz About?

…Last month we at Chicago Car Club purchased our first Miata, a ‘92 “Black & Tan” with just 6800 miles on the clock.  Until very recently, we hadn’t quite understood why the Miata had developed such a cult-like following among car enthusiasts. We had always thought they were nice looking lil’ cars, particularly the first generation examples, but were never really compelled to track one down and purchase. From time spent on car-related websites like Jalopnik, we had repeatedly seen the “Which car should I buy?” questions posed, and swarms of enthusiasts responding with “Miata is always the answer!”  Having now had seat time in what is undoubtedly one of the nicest ones out there, it’s all beginning to make sense. Sitting in the showroom alongside far more “desirable” metal, there’s a certain charm that makes the Miata stick out and look so appealing. The design is sporty but not boy-racery, well-proportioned but not overstyled. It finds itself in a sweet spot; now 25 years old, the first generation Miata is both an introductory sports car, and an introductory classic car. Now, a bit more about the car you see here in the photos. The backstory of our car is an interesting one; in late 1991, Crown Mazda of Holland, Michigan ran a raffle, the prize being a brand new Miata right off the showroom floor.  The gentleman, lets call him Bob, who happened to win the raffle had it delivered to his house in Michigan, and proceeded to park it in his garage. There it sat, never having been road registered, for four years. One of Bob’s subordinates, lets call him Dave, was a car enthusiast and struggled to wrap his head around how Bob could allow the Miata to just sit in his garage indefinitely. Dave badgered Bob to no end about his Miata until, in 1996, Bob caved and decided to just go ahead and give the car to Dave. The car was then finally registered and served as Dave’s summer driver for a handful of years before he gave it to his sister, who had expressed enthusiasm for the car ever since Dave first started driving it. We purchased the car from her, with just 6800 miles on it. She told us that car was always garaged and driven with utmost care only on sunny days, and the condition of the car speaks to that. This particular car is very well-spec’d, which was surprising to us considering the fact that it was a giveaway car.  It was optioned with the G9 package, which consists of headrest speakers, cruise control, power antenna, stainless scuff plate, a Nardi wood shift knob, wood handbrake lever, and BBS alloy wheels with locks.  The car was also optioned with air conditioning, Miata-branded floor mats, and a limited-slip differential.  There are still the factory stickers on the large majority of mechanical components both underneath the car and under the hood.  On the road, the car feels new in every respect. While the 1.6L DOHC 16 valve inline 4-cylinder isn’t known for its tremendous power output (114hp), the car’s short-throw 5-speed, 4 wheel power disc brakes with vented front rotors, limited slip differential, and sport-tuned stainless exhaust make it extremely fun to drive. Everybody knows it’s most fun to drive a slow car fast, and the Miata is the perfect example of that. The suspension-focused design of the Miata offers a uniquely engaging driving experience; it’s a momentum car, so you’re constantly downshifting to find the power.  That may sound like a negative attribute to some, but think about it; what’s the most fun part of driving a sporty car?  Quick shifts!  This ties back to the Miata’s cult-like following; it all makes sense now.  It’s not just the Miata that its followers are crazy about, it’s the approach to motoring that the car represents – an involved driving experience that requires finesse and technique to squeeze “sporty” performance out of it.  And since the car is fairly down on power, its performance limits can be reached responsibly on well trafficked public roads.  A car that evokes the feelings of a sports car but can be enjoyed at its limit within the confines of the law?  That’s something we can all get behind!

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Five of Zagato’s Finest

…With a coachbuilding resume dating all the way back to 1919, Zagato has designed and produced many of the most striking and sought-after vehicles the world has ever seen.  Ugo Zagato, as pictured above, established his coachbuilding business in Milan, Italy with the intent of applying sophisticated construction techniques from the aeronautical sector to automobiles.  Cars of the 1910s and 1920s were big and heavy; Ugo Zagato aimed to emphasize lightness in order to improve driveability and performance. In doing so, his influence initiated a change of direction for the more performance-oriented portion of the automotive sector. Ugo Zagato’s foray into racing cars began in the early 1920s, when he was asked by Alfa Romeo’s Chief Engineer to create a sleek and lightweight body for the Alfa 6C racing car. Zagato’s work was more than satisfactory; the 6C Zagato scored second place overall at the very first running of the now-legendary Mille Miglia in 1927, then took three consecutive first place finishes in 1928, 1929, and 1930. Ugo Zagato’s genius had been recognized and rewarded; by 1938, 36 of the roughly 140 Mille Miglia total entrants were Zagato-bodied cars. Pictured:  1928 Mille Miglia winners Giuseppe Campari & Giulio Ramponi in their Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS Zagato Fast forward a decade to the late 1940s, and Ugo’s first-born son Elio was coming of age. Having done quite well as a weekend racer and shown promise as a designer working alongside his father, Elio gained respect as a manager of the family business. Elio left his mark on the automotive world in more ways than one; not only was he a designer and racing driver, he had a heavy hand in the birth of the Grand Turismo (GT) racing category.  The GT racing series comprised of production-car based racing specials of which at least thirty examples must be built.  As the cars had to be based on a standard production chassis, they were practical enough to be used for everyday purposes while still able to be competitive at the racetrack on weekends. Zagato’s designs were plentiful in 1950s and 1960s GT racing; entrants from AC, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Aston Martin, Bristol, Ferrari, Fiat, Maserati, Jaguar, and Osca all wore Zagato bodywork. While they have continued to do tremendous work to this day, now under the leadership of Elio’s son Andrea, Zagato is best known for their early GT sports and racing cars, many of which are considered to be some of the most desirable automobiles in existence. While the overwhelming majority of Zagato’s creations are stunning and deserving of recognition, the following five vehicles are some of, in my personal opinion, Zagato’s finest. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 Zagato The original TZ, which debuted in 1963, was designed by Zagato and developed by Alfa Romeo in conjunction with Autodelta, a company led by an ex-Ferrari engineer. While it was technically a road car, the TZ was designed with on-track performance in mind. The small coupé weighed only 1,430lbs and had disc brakes, independent suspension, and bodywork formulated by aircraft-inspired aerodynamic principles. Only 112 of these original TZs were built between 1963 and 1965; in 1965 the car was updated with new fiberglass bodywork, penned by Zagato. This new TZ2 was never made available to the public; it was built strictly as a racing car and only for one year. The 170hp TZ2 was capable of over 150mph, and saw endurance-racing success in 1965 and 1966 with impressive performances at Monza, Sebring, Nürburgring, and the Targa Florio. 1952-1957 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato The Alfa Romeo 1900 was built in a number of different versions. There was a two-door and four-door, the Berlina and the Sprint, as well as the Super and Super Sprint. Iginio Alessio, then general manager of Alfa Romeo, was concerned that the rising popularity of the unibody chassis design was going to run independent Italian coachbuilders out of business, as Alessio was close friends with one of the owners of Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, a small independent coachbuilder. Alfa Romeo then built five different variations of the 1900 unibody chassis specifically for independent coachbuilders to put their spin on.  Of all the varieties, the 1900SS Zagato is unquestionably the most desirable. The car featured Alfa Romeo’s most powerful 1900 in the Super Sport, dressed with Zagato’s lightweight and aerodynamic aluminum body. Only 39 of these racing coupés were ever built. 1960-1963 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Perhaps the most widely-recognized of Zagato’s work is the DB4GT Zagato, first introduced in 1960. The very first competition outing of the DB4GT Zagato was at Goodwood in 1961, where the car took a third-place finish at the hands of the great Sir Stirling Moss. The DB4GT Zagato scored its first victory soon after, overtaking the leading Jaguar E-Type on the final lap of a 1961 British Grand Prix support race to win in dramatic fashion. As only 20 units of this iconic GT car were produced, these cars rarely trade hands. When they do, they create quite a stir in the automotive community. The most recent DB4GT Zagato to cross the auction block was sold by RM Sotheby’s in December of 2015; that ‘62 example commanded a $14.3M price tag. Prior to that sale, it had been nearly a decade since a DB4GT Zagato had come up for sale. 1956-1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato “Double Bubble” First shown at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show, the Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato was designed as a purpose-built racing car. Abarth, then a well-established tuner of Fiat engines, commissioned Zagato to rebody the Fiat 600 to turn it into a lightweight, slippery racing car for entry in the 750cc GT Championship. Thanks to Zagato’s weight-saving prowess, the earliest cars weighed only 1179lbs. While these cars only produced 47hp, they proved very capable. One of the earliest prototypes was entered in the 1956 Mille Miglia, placing second in its class. The following year, five 750 Zagatos finished the 1000km Mille Miglia, one of which won the 750cc class. The 750

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What Constitutes a “Survivor” Car?

…The classic car community has pivoted a bit in recent years; fully-restored cars were once the ones-to-have, now the respective values of these restored examples are being surpassed by “barn finds” and “survivor” examples that, while maybe not seemingly as nice at first glance, carry their value in the form of originality. While we’ve seen a number of “barn finds” fetch large sums of money at auction in recent years, there’s perhaps no better example of a car’s “survivor” nature feeding its value than the Aquamarine Blue ‘57 Porsche Speedster that sold at Auction America’s Hilton Head sale in late 2016. Fully restored Speedsters are trading hands in the $300k – $500k range; meanwhile, this completely original example, which needed some attention, having sat stationary in a Chicago storage unit for the last forty years, fetched $605,000, nearly triple the pre-auction estimate. But why? There’s a particular charm to unrestored “survivor” cars; whether due to nostalgia for a far-gone era or just the excitement of recognizing a car’s full potential underneath a thick layer of dust, the time-capsule feeling evoked by unrestored cars is something special. The woo of that intangible charm is a key component in what drives the value of many classic cars. That ‘57 Speedster was, in every sense of the word, a “survivor”. But what constitutes a “survivor”? Original paint If a car has been repainted in full, it’s not a true “survivor”. Plain and simple. Even if the respray is of the original color, for a car to be considered a true survivor it must wear its factory-applied paint job. When a car is painted, the large majority of evidence of the car’s life up to that point is covered up.  Collectors and buyers alike don’t lust after original paint because they think it looks better, it’s because the state of a car’s original paint job can tell a lot about the history of the car. If a car has been left outside for an extended period of time, the paint will be sun-bleached or faded, particularly on the hood and roof.  In that case, you would know to look out for hidden rust.  If a car has been street-parked, the original paint will likely show some little nicks on the doors and curb-rash on the wheels. In that case, you’ll know to look for evidence of bondo or dent repair. When attempting to determine if a car still wears its original paint, there are a number of things to look out for. Take a look at the trim and moldings, there should be no evidence of paint on them. At the factory, these pieces are put on the car after it’s been painted. Take a look in the door jambs, is there any evidence of overspray, or other colors? Are there any tape lines? Take a look at the lower portion of the body, do you see any running paint? If a car wears its original paint, there should be no running, no overspray, and no paint on the trim pieces. Original Parts/Equipment: A true “survivor” car’s originality isn’t limited to just the paint; parts and equipment should be original as well. Inside the car, this means the radio, gauges, A/C, and all other powered systems. With many older cars, creature comforts that we now take for granted, things like powered windows or cruise control, were once desirable, luxury options. For a car to have retained all of its original equipment is a fairly uncommon occurrence, as many creature comforts, the radio and A/C system in particular, are often replaced with more effective, contemporary units. If a car is claimed to be an extremely low mileage “survivor”, it’s possible that the car still wears it’s factory-fitted tires. While this may mean the car isn’t particularly safe to drive at speed, due to dry rotting or cracking, it’s something that people seeking a “survivor” car love to see. Take a look at the numbering on the tires, you’ll see the DOT code. These numbers will tell you the date of manufacture. Of course, wheels should be original to the car as well. A car’s mechanical components, things like the engine block, transmission, and rear end, have identification numbers stamped or cast into the parts themselves. These numbers can be recorded then researched online to determine if they’re correct to that make/model/year. These numbers should always be looked at prior to the purchase of a classic vehicle. If the numbers are not correct to that specific make/model/year, this means that the car has had some sort of powertrain or drivetrain swap. In most cases, this would not only detract from the cars originality and value, but also the car’s on-road characteristics if the parts aren’t perfectly compatible. A car that has the correct, original mechanical components throughout is said to be “numbers-matching”. Receipts and Documentation Papers Documentation, in the form of service receipts and expired registration papers, isn’t quite a must-have in order for a car to be considered a “survivor”, but it sure is of value. A well-documented car is desirable for a variety of reasons. First off, this paperwork will enable you to piece together the history of the car; you’ll then know what states the car has resided in, and who has owned it. If the car was in dry, no-salt states, this can add value to the car. If the car only passed through one or two hands over the course of its life, that’ll add value too. Documentation serves to validate sellers’ claims about their car. There’s only so much that the naked eye can pick up on; extensive documentation will help you to uncover details about the car that may have otherwise been overlooked. Many cars have what is called a “build sheet” hidden somewhere in the vehicle. A build sheet will tell you everything you could hope to know about the specification of your vehicle; a build sheet describes the cars factory-equipped options, date and location of manufacture, and VIN.  A bit of online

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Motor-Racing’s 5 Most Iconic Tobacco and Alcohol Sponsorships

…While alcohol and cigarette manufacturers’ advertisements were once plastered on the large majority of racing cars and circuits worldwide, times, and regulations, have changed.  The long-term negative health effects of cigarettes and alcohol are now beyond doubt, so it’s been established that there must be a limit to the exposure of these brands to the malleable minds of young motorsport viewers. There was a time though that motor racing and the alcohol and tobacco industries were in close ties; for example, the 1970s. The expectations of drivers then was a bit different than it is today.  Today’s drivers are expected to appear as model citizens in the public eye, as their opinions and behaviors are viewed as exemplary, and representative of those of their sponsors.  Back then, drivers served to build the sponsors’ image where the executives couldn’t, in contributing the intangible ‘cool’ factor. The carefree, young-forever charm sold; and it didn’t detract from the respectability of the organization that the driver represented, it simply humanized the brand and extended their reach. Racing’s young viewers tended to idolize those ‘cool’ drivers, the ones that were always seen with a cigarette, beer, and girl in hand. In hindsight, were the tobacco and alcohol sponsors’ longstanding close ties to motorsport a bad influence on the health of a generation of racing fans? Well, maybe. At the same time though, these sponsors brought phenomenal amounts of money into the sport of motor racing, which attracted the talents of the drivers that we’ve idolized. Bad influence or not, one thing is for certain, many of the liveries that emerged from this era of motorsport were true works of art. The following sponsorship programs, listed in no particular order, are five of the most iconic: 1.  MARTINI Italian vermouth distillery Martini & Rossi is hands-down one of the most iconic sponsorship programs in all of motor racing history. Having gotten its start in 1968, when advertising unrelated to racing was first permitted on the bodywork of racing cars, Martini’s sponsorship program has had a long, decorated history. The blue and red Martini stripes are still gracing circuits at the highest level of motorsport competition today, with their current sponsorship of Williams’ Formula One team. Martini’s most successful and instantly-recognizable sponsored-cars include the likes of Porsche, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo, while they’ve also sponsored race entrants from Ferrari, Ford, and Brabham. During the 1970s, Martini Racing became closely associated with Porsche’s motorsports division, having sponsored the Le Mans-winning Porsche 917 in 1971, as well as the Le Mans-winning 936 in 1976 and 1977. Martini sponsorship wasn’t limited to solely World Sportscar Championship cars like the 917, they also sponsored touring cars, Can-Am cars, and a number of rally cars, including the infamous Group-B Lancias. 2.  John Player & Sons JPS, now under the Imperial Tobacco umbrella, was an England-based cigarette manufacturer. Their motorsports involvement began with their sponsorship of the Lotus 49 in the 1968 Tasman Series, a championship-winning car at the hands of the legendary Jim Clark. However, the iconic black and gold livery that we’ve come to know and love didn’t come into the picture until the 1972 Formula One season, when it was displayed on the Lotus 72 of Emerson Fittipaldi, who went on to win the Formula One World Championship driving for Lotus that year. JPS applied the same simple black and gold design language of their cigarette packaging to their racing cars, creating an unmistakable brand identity. Because of its simplicity, understated yet sharp look, and its association with the impossibly-cool racing icons that piloted the JPS-liveried cars, including the late, great Ayrton Senna, the JPS black and gold livery has long been a fan-favorite in the motorsports community. 3.  Jägermeister Jägermeister, a company I’m sure we’re all familiar with, is a German liquor manufacturer. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Jägermeister was an instantly-recognizable sponsor of various European racing teams, primarily those who fielded BMWs and Porsches. The in-your-face, bright orange livery bearing the Jägermeister name in bold white text is absolutely unmistakable. Their sponsored cars raced in a variety of series, including Formula One, DTM, and Group C, where the Jägermeister-sponsored Brun Motorsport Porsche 956/962 took home the 1986 World Sportscar Championship honors. 4.  ROTHMANS Founded in 1890 as a small kiosk on a city street in London, Rothmans International grew to become a world-renowned Tobacco manufacturer. Much like Martini, Rothmans saw phenomenal success in partnership with Porsche. From 1982 until 1987, when Porsche withdrew from the World Sportscar Championship, Rothmans supported the factory Porsche racing efforts. In 1982, the Rothmans-liveried Porsche 956s took home a 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a massive feat. Rothmans Porsche came back to win Le Mans again the following year, 1983, then again in 1986 and 1987. Rothmans Porsche even took the World Sportscar Constructors’ Championship title in 1985. It didn’t stop with the World Sportscar Championship, though. Rothmans’ sponsorship extended to rallying, where they sponsored Walter Rohrl’s World Rally Championship-winning Opel, as well as Porsche’s 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally-winning 959. Rothmans also sponsored Williams F1 from 1994-1997, though that is a dark time in Rothmans Racing history; in May of 1994, Ayrton Senna, widely considered to be the greatest Formula One driver of all time, was killed while behind the wheel of a Rothmans-Williams car, the crash due to an undisclosed mechanical failure. 5.  MARLBORO Marlboro, the worlds best-selling brand of cigarettes, is credited with being one of the most important sponsors of Formula One racing. The iconic red and white Marlboro livery has graced some of the most competitive and globally-adored racing cars of all time, and multiple Marlboro-sponsored drivers have achieved legendary status in the motorsports community. In 1974 Marlboro began their sponsorship of the McLaren Formula One team, which yielded an instant championship victory with Emerson Fittipaldi at the wheel of the McLaren M23. Two years later, charismatic British driver James Hunt took the 1976 Formula One World Championship title in another M23, after an incredibly competitive season battling Ferrari’s Niki Lauda. In 1982, Lauda signed with

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90s Babies: Can You Believe They’re Already 20 Years Old?!

…When we think of “classic” cars, cars of the late 1990s surely don’t come to mind.  Our minds go straight to carburetors, roll-up windows, and non-synchromesh manual transmissions.  However, in the eyes of the law, a car only needs to be 25 years old to be considered a “classic”.  How’s this for mind-boggling:  next year the Mazda Miata turns 30 years old.  30!  You kiddin’ me?  Today we’re going to look at two modern, at least in our eyes, roadsters that just recently crested the 20-year-old mark, the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3.  In just a few years we’ll be seeing Boxsters and Z3s with classic plates; I can’t be the only one rattled by this realization. Porsche Boxster: Seriously? The Boxster is already 20 years old? Little did the public know that when the water-cooled Boxster was introduced in late 1996, it prefaced the impending demise of the beloved air-cooled Porsches. The Boxster was soon followed by the 996, the first 911 to be water-cooled rather than air-cooled, which caused a stir among the Porsche faithful. Interestingly enough, the mid-engined, 2-seater Boxster was Porsche’s first road car originally designed as a roadster since the legendary 550 Spyder. You may have noticed that Porsche just recently changed the Boxster and Cayman names to the “718”, a homage to the 718RSK racers of the late 1950s, the 718RSK being a racing variant derived of the 550 Spyder. In the early 1990s, Porsche wasn’t quite the economic powerhouse we know today. As a matter of fact, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. In 1993, Porsche sold just 3,000 cars in the United States, total. In an effort to turn things around, Porsche looked to introduce a new, more affordable model. They looked to Japanese automaker Mazda, who was having tremendous success at the time with their Miata, an entry-level 2-seater roadster. Mazda had proven that there was a strong market for small, sporty roadsters, and Porsche recognized an opportunity. The Boxster would, in some senses, become the German Miata. It was similar to the Miata in that it was small, convertible, and relatively inexpensive, but it featured a mid-mounted flat-six producing nearly twice as much power as the Miata, had near-perfect weight distribution, and above all, wore a Porsche badge. The Boxster was a massive success, and quite likely saved the company from financial ruin. By 2003, when the first generation of Boxster was phased out, Porsche had sold more than 120,000 of them. Ironically, the Boxster, the car originally intended bring Porsche ownership to the masses, is now one of Porsche’s lowest volume sellers. BMW Z3: While it may seem a bit odd, as BMW has been such a prevalent automaker and household name for decades, the Z3 was actually BMW’s first mass-produced, mass-market roadster. It was also the first new BMW model to be manufactured in the United States, having been assembled at BMW’s South Carolina plant. The roadster was introduced in late 1995 and was an instant hit; by the time the car came to market for the 1996 model year, over 15,000 orders had already been placed. Just under 300,000 units were produced over the course of the car’s seven year production run, a huge success. While the Z3 Roadster sold very well, the Roadster is likely not the model that the Z3 platform will be remembered by. The Z3 M Coupe, with it’s hate-it-or-love-it “clown shoe” shape, was the ultimate development of the platform. The M Coupe was essentially a Z3 powered by an M3 powertrain; the combination of the M3’s massive power (320hp in the Z3M’s later iteration) and the Z3’s sub-3000lb weight pushed the Z3M to supercar-like levels of performance. In recent years, the Z3M Coupe has seen a phenomenal appreciation in value, and, as the market currently sits, there’s no sign of values ever dipping back down. Today, twenty years after the Z3 Roadster’s inception, they’re still a common sighting. And because of the high production numbers, there are bargains to be had; higher-mileage examples can be had for as little as $3k. With the Roadster now at the very bottom of its depreciation curve, if you can find a nice, original, low-mileage example, you can only win. While it probably wont be the next Ferrari Dino or Porsche Speedster in terms of rapid appreciation in value, there’s no better time to buy than now. Written by:  Jake DePierro

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