Sizzling Rides, Not for The Faint of Heart

The season for exotic vintage cars has begun. Lans Christensen will share some special items throughout the summer.

In this issue, he’s sharing a wide range of rides, from a 1911 Ford Model T to a 21st century McLaren 720S Spider.

1911 Ford Model T

Model Ts are not as rare as one might think. You can often see them at car shows or just out for a Sunday Drive.

This one is particularly interesting: It sports the “Torpedo Runabout” body style that was — and still is — very desirable. It was unique because it had two doors! No more climbing over the sides.

John Gunder and his brother, Alan, of Torrington, Conn., built this example with parts, “from the ground up.”

It is also unusual to see a “T” in color: After 1914, they were only available in black.

This “T” was shown at Lime Rock Park race track’s Royals’ Garage Car Show on Sunday, May 29, as part of the Trans Am Memorial Day race weekend.

1966 Simca 1000 Coupe Bertone

The name Simca may not be familiar to most readers. These cars were produced in France from 1938 to 1978 and were predominantly small, boxy econo-cars. For years, the best-selling car in France was the little Simca 1100.

Seeing them anywhere nowadays is very rare, so seeing a cool one, in perfect condition, is a real treat.

The Coupe Bertone started as a normal Simca 1000 sedan, but Italian coach builder  Bertone transformed it into a stylish, racy, coupe.

Joseph and Margaret Degarperis of Somers, N.Y., found this red one in Wisconsin in 2012.

The 4-cylinder rear engine had also been tweaked by Italian performance wizards at Abarth. No surprise this car won the Hagerty Cars award for “Import Car Any Year” at Lime Rock Park race track’s Royals’ Garage Car Show on May 29.

1993 Porsche 968 Coupe

Porsches are always easy on the eyes, and we get to see their classic familiar shapes every day.

But its a bit more unusual to spot one of Porsche’s front-engine models, and especially to see the 968, which is the coolest one of all.

It replaced the 944 and was initiated in 1992. There were only 12,780 of them sold until production ended in 1995, and only 5,000 made it  to the U.S. market.

At the Royals’ Garage Car Show at Lime Rock on May 29, a stunning  color  caught my eye, even before the car model could be identified. Owner John Rodriguez , of Shelton, Conn., identified the 968, and its factory color as Ruby Redstone. It had been his mother’s car since 1993.  A very cool family treasure  — which deserved the Hagerty Cars “Classic Car 1976-1995” award that it won at the Royals’ Garage Car Show.

1911 Ford Model T Photo by Lans Christensen

1966 Simca 1000 Coupe Bertone Photo by Lans Christensen

1993 Porsche 968 Coupe Photo by Lans Christensen

1911 Ford Model T Photo by Lans Christensen