Volvo is well-known for its quality safety features. So despite the hefty price tags of its luxury vehicles, there are still those who are willing to spend just to get one. If you’re one of them, then you might be interested in this classic 1993 Volvo 240. Although it won’t survive the rigors of today’s uneven roads, this thing of beauty can still make an impact on the road. Thanks to its slick black exterior, it’s bound to make heads turn. It runs on an automatic transmission and sports a mix of tan and off-white interior. While the car looks really cool, its price however, isn’t. The owner is asking for $4,800, which is a lot more than what the car should be priced. So if you’ve got extra cash on hand or you just really want this car, head over to Craiglist and start bidding.

Source: Ride Lust

Here’s something you might be interested in. A 1962 Lancia Flaminia is currently being sold through Hemmings Motor News. In case this vehicle model isn’t all that familiar to you, here’s a brief backgrounder.

The Lancia Flaminia was a luxury vehicle that was built by Italian car maker Lancia from 1957 to 1970. The vehicle was the company’s flagship car and enjoyed having a number of body styles ranging from the Berlina (the sedan version), the Coupe, the Convertible, the Sport, and the 335 (often referred to as the Presidenziale or Quirinale). All these body styles were built by popular Italian coachbuilders (save for the sedan) during the production run of the vehicle. And because its production was quite limited, with only a total of 12,633 units sold in 13 years, the Lancia Flaminia has become one of the most sought after vehicles among car collectors everywhere.

Now that you have an idea as to how special the Lancia Flaminia is, let’s look at what this 1962 version has to offer. According to the seller, the luxury car was discovered in Switzerland after being kept from the world for 12 years. Carrying the Sport body style, this 1962 Lancia Flaminia was originally worked on by Italian coachbuilder Zagato. Since then, it has been refurbished by Swiss and US marquee specialists with its original interior components still in good condition. The only restoration job done was a repaint of the exterior to fix the color it was given about 25 years ago. And despite being an old model, this 1962 Lancia Flaminia has only 49,000 km tucked in its belt after being used by three different owners.

So if this unique luxury vehicle has gotten your attention, make a bid for it by contacting the owner at 949-338-4591 or through email at michaelabaum@gmail.com. Of course, be prepared to pay the hefty price of $210,000 just to get it. However, with its rich history and high demand among collectors, it’s something worth paying for. Provided you’ve got nothing better to do with that huge amount of money.

Sources: Hemmings, Wikipedia

The Alfa Romeo 6C can be considered one of the pioneer vehicle lines produced by this well-renowned automotive company. With bodies made by popular coachbuilders, it’s no surprise that it’s been able to give us six generations with a number of variants in between. In our last two entries, we’ve already shown you what the first four generations of the 6C could do. Now let’s focus our attention on the last two generations of 6Cs to see if they’re as good as their predecessors.

6C 2500 – Considered the last road car of the brand, the 6C 2500 was introduced in 1938. Although the impeding Second World War caused manufacturers to stop production of vehicles, the C6 2500 was able to bounce back from 1940 to 1945. Although only a hundred of them were made, it helped the car establish itself to the public. This resulted in it being offered again in 1946 with bigger results, allowing Alfa Romeo to produce 680 of them until 1981. It also attracted the attention of celebrities such as King Farouk, Alì Khan, Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power, and Prince Rainier, all of which ended up owning a 6C 2500. Even though this vehicle line enjoyed the production of a number of variants (the Coloniale, Turismo, Sport, Super Sport, Super Sport, Freccia d’Oro, GT, Competizione), the one people will remember is the Villa d’Este variant. Produced from 1949 to 1952, this vehicle was made for the Concours d’Elegance which was held in Villa d’Este. Only 36 units of this hand-built model were made.

6C 3000 – Even though the 6C 2500 was meant to be the last 6C vehicle to be built, Alfa Romeo came up with a prototype of a 6C in the 1950s. It was a 6C 2500 that carried a 3-liter engine. This prototype is what gave birth to Alfa Romeo’s CM or Competizione Maggiorata. Despite being a prototype car, this vehicle was given four variants: the 6C 3000, the 6C 3000 50, the 6C 3000 CM, and the 6C 3000 PR.

Thanks to the six generations and variants spawned by the 6C, Alfa Romeo has been able to establish itself as being one of the top car manufacturers worldwide. This has helped the company become a recognized brand that’s synonymous to creating the best luxury, sports, and racing vehicles to date.

Sources: Wikipedia, Velocetoday

The Alfa Romeo 6C is one of the earliest vehicles produced by the company. Since it first came out, this mix of luxury, sport, and race cars has been able to provide us with six generations. In our last entry, we talked about the first two generations of 6C’s that was produced by Alfa Romeo. For this one, we’ll be focusing on the second batch of 6Cs.

6C 1900 – Introduced in 1933, this vehicle sports a 1917 cc engine and an aluminum head. The engine gave the 6C 1900 the ability to produce up to 68 brake horsepower and reach the maximum speed of 81 mph. Although this generation didn’t spawn a number of variants, it is considered quite rare. That’s because about 197 of these cars were produced when it first came out. It was then later replaced by the next model, the 6C 2300.

6C 2300 – The 6C 2300 spelled the demise of the 6C 1900. Sporting a 2309 cc engine, this vehicle was designed by Italian automobile designer Vittorio Jano. The 2300 is most known for being an economical alternative to the more expensive Alfa Romeo 8C. During its run, the 6C 2300 was able to sport seven variants. The first is the 6C 2300 Turismo, which was able to produce 68 bhp and the maximum speed of 75 mph. Second is the 6C 2300 Gran Turismo. This version was able to give off 76 bhp as well as the top speed of 81 mph. Third is the 6C 2300B Gran Turismo, which was able emit 76 bhp when on the road. The fourth variant is the 6C 2300 Pescara, which enabled the car to hit 95 bhp and the maximum speed of 89 mph. The fifth 2300 is the 6C 2300B Pescara. Its engine was capable of producing a maximum of 95 bhp. The last two variants released for the 2300 was the 6C 2300 B Corto/Lungo and the 6C 2300 B Mille Miglia.

Now that we’ve gone through four generations of the Alfa Romeo 6C, we’re down to just two. If you’d like to learn more about them, be sure to check back with us for our last entry on the various generations of Alfa’s 6Cs.

Source: Wikipedia

During the 1950’s all the way to the 1980’s, Russia was popular for its involvement in the Cold War, its weapons, and its occasional banter with the United States. What people fail to realize is that apart from these things, the former Soviet Union was also popular for the cars it produced during those times. Just take a look at one of its contributions to the automotive industry, the Chaika.

Translated as “gull” (or seagulls), the Chaika is one of Russia’s luxury vehicles developed by GAZ. The vehicle had two generations produced during its existence. The first was the mark 1 Chaika or the GAZ M13. Developed from 1959 to 1981, this was considered the most famous of the two generations, enjoying more than 3,100 units produced during its production run. It took some design cues from the 1955 Packard Patrician and Mercury and was powered by a 5.5-liter V-8 engine. The engine enabled the M13 Chaika to produce 195 horsepower at every outing. It also sported a unique push button automatic transmission similar to the Chrysler TorqueFlite.

The second generation was Chaika M14 introduced in 1977. Its design was inspired by American luxury sedans and was equipped with the latest electronic features. However, it did carry the same drivetrain and undercarriage as that of its predecessor. Sporting a more modern engine though, the M14 was able to emit more power reaching up to 220 horsepower at every outing. Sadly, this model was the last to be produced since production of the Chaika ended in 1988.

Despite not being produced anymore, the Chaika has enjoyed immense popularity in Russia. It’s been the vehicle of choice for a number of important people ranging from top professionals, party officials, scientists, and VIPs. Even the KGB enjoyed using them. It’s this popularity that has helped establish the Chaika as one of the important vehicles of our time.

Sources: Wikipedia, About.com

Alfa Romeo is no stranger to producing fast cars. Through the years, it’s been able to give us the very best in road, race, and sports cars. One of the earliest vehicles that helped establish the company among car owners everywhere is the Alfa Romeo 6C.

The Alfa Romeo 6C takes its name from the fact that it’s a vehicle that uses a straight 6 engine. Aside from being popular for the use of a straight 6 engine, this luxury vehicle is also known for being produced by top coachbuilders during its time. These coachbuilders included James Young, Zagato, Touring, Castagna, and Pininfarina. It also has 6 variations tucked under its belt, which were all produced from 1925 to 1954. For this entry, we’ll be setting our sights on the first two versions.

6C 1500 - This vehicle sported a dual overhead camshaft and was packed with a 1487 cc engine. It’s had four variations of its own. First is the basic 6C 1500 which emitted 44 bhp and hit the speed of68 mph. Next is 6C 1500 Sport, which produced 54 bhp and allowed the car to hit the speed of 78 mph. There’s also the 6C 1500 Super Sport compressore, which produced 76 bhp and the speed of 87 mph. The last is the 6C 1500 TF, which was able to give off 84 bhp at every outing.

6C 1750 – Introduced in 1929 in Rome, this model sported a single overhead cam and had six available variants. First is the 6C 1750 Turismo which produced 46 bhp and the speed of 68 mph. Second is the 6C 1750 Sport/Gran Turismo, which gave off 55 bhp and the speed of 78 mph. Third is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport. It’s able to produce 64 bhp and hit the top speed of 81 mph. Fourth on the list is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport compressore. It’s able to emit 85 bhp and give up a maximum speed of 89 mph. Fifith is the 6C 1750 Gran Turismo compressore, which can emit 80 bhp at 84 mph. The sixth and last variant is the 6C 1750 Super Sport/Gran Sport/TF. This version can give you 85 bhp and the top speed of 106 mph.

To get more info on the other generations of the Alfa Romeo 6C, check out the second part of our entry regarding this unique sports vehicle.

Source: Wikipedia

Marauder. The word itself can make you quake in your boots. Well, that’s what Ford was going for when it used this word as the name for one of its personal luxury vehicle. So start running for your lives because here comes Ford’s 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder.

So does this vehicle live up to its “marauder” name? Well, take a look at the image above. If that doesn’t look like a car that you shouldn’t mess with, then we don’t know what is. And if its looks aren’t enough to make you think twice about messing with it, then take a look at what it can actually do. Despite being branded as a luxury vehicle, the 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder can make even the most powerful of cars twitch. That’s because this car comes with two engine options: a 429 in³ engine V-8 and a 390 in³ engine V-8. These engines allow the vehicle to produce an amazing 360 horsepower at every outing. That’s how much power these engines can bring forth.

Aside from packing the 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder with powerful engines, Ford also equipped the vehicle with an automatic transmission that can be activated by using a unique U-shaped shift handle. This shift handle was placed in a floor console for easy use. The vehicle also comes with a set of bucket seats, Kelsey-Hayes stylized road wheels, and rear fender skirts. And as a final touch, Ford added side air intakes to the car’s quarter panels and a tunneled rear window.

Although its looks could kill, the 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder came a little bit too late. Despite looking like a hybrid between a muscle car and a sports car, this version of the Marauder failed to enjoy a good production run because of the dwindling popularity of full-sized cars. This led Ford to produce only 15,000 units in 1969. The 1970’s also didn’t bode well for the car since only a third of it was produced during this year.

But despite that, the 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder still remains an iconic vehicle. With a look and power that can make you wet your pants, it’s something car enthusiasts both old and new would want for their collection.

Source: Wikipedia

If you’re into collecting rare automobiles, the last place you’d expect to find one is on eBay. But ‘lo and behold, this popular online auction house managed to include one in its listing. The vehicle in question is none other than a very rare 1951 Bristol 401.

Bristol 401s were one of the first luxury cars produced by Bristol Aeroplane Co. About 601 units were produced and enjoyed relative success after the Second World War But unlike its predecessor, this unit had some changes done to it. Of course, since the years will cause the car’s engine to deteriorate, a change had to be done to help it tweak its performance. Replacing its original engine is a Ford Falcon six engine. It has a custom manifold that supports twin SU carburetors.

As for its exterior, the 1951 Bristol 401 does suffer from having a few scratches and dents here there. Of course, being a vintage car, that’s pretty much expected. The good thing though is that it’s not suffering from any corrosion or rust problems. It’s still in good running condition so you’re guaranteed that you’ll be able to take it out for a spin whenever you want to. However, it’s designed to be a right-hand driven car so you’ll need to get used to staying on the passenger side of the vehicle (if you’re used to driving left-handed).

So if you’re interested in nabbing a rare vehicle for your collection, you might want to look into this 1951 Bristol 401 posted on eBay. It’s definitely going to make a nice addition to that collection of yours.

Sources: Car Domain, eBay, Wikipedia

North American mythology described the Thunderbird as a huge bird that lived on top of a mountain, delivered messages from the Great Spirit, emitted thunder and lighting, and controlled rainfall. No wonder Ford chose to use its name for one of its vehicle lines, the Ford Thunderbird. While this model has undergone different production changes from 1955 to 2005, one of its models that stood out is the 1964 version. That’s because this was the time that it deviated from being a sports car to what Ford terms as a “personal luxury car” by incorporating a more formal, squared-off appearance. But even though there was a change in style, it still didn’t damage the impressive performance of the vehicle. Here’s a run through of what this baby can actually do.

Under the hood: The ’64 Thunderbird sported a 390-cubic-inch engine which allowed it to produce 300 bhp. The drawback though is that it takes the Thunderbird 11 seconds to go from o to 60 mph. While the 11-second jumpstart is a bit of a downer, with a little bit of momentum, the car does allow you to hit the maximum speed of 120 mph.

Special Features: One of the Thunderbird’s unique features is its soft spring suspension. This allows drivers to experience body lean, wallow, and float when driving. That all changes though when you find yourself driving on a smooth surfaced street. However, Ford offered an optional export suspension package to fix this dilemma. Another unique feature this car has is that it’s the only Thunderbird that actually sported the name as a logo instead of having the image of the bird.

During its release, the ’64 Ford Thunderbird came out as a hardtop, a convertible, and a Landau with a vinyl roof. There was even a limited high-performance version, of which only 120 units were produced (six of which are the only ones known to exist today).

Even though the 1964 Ford Thunderbird had some jumpstarting and suspension flaws, it still remained a popular vehicle. It even appeared in the Highlander series as Duncan Macleod’s car.

Sources: Wikipedia, Accg, Wikipedia Images