Unusual marques are often seen at the major Concours d’Elegance, but what is the chance of seeing a little-known marque...
Car Profiles
Profiles of sports, racing and vintage cars. Some of these cars are historically significant, some are about pushing the automotive technology of their time, while others are just the pinnacle of the driving experience – engaging, fast and fun. On this page we take a look at some of the most memorable sports cars of all time, all of them iconic and recognizable to any car-obsessed fan reading this site. These are the cars that get our blood flowing here at Sports Car Digest, from vintage racers to classics to the latest supercar offerings, we realize that there are myriad discussions debates over which ones are the most memorable, the most celebrated and the most remarkable. Ignore the debates and refrain from picking an overall winner. Just sit back and celebrate.
If you had to choose the worst decade of automobile design, it would be hard to surpass the period spanning...
Editor’s Note: Check out Sean Smith’s review of the Nissan Z Performance in 2023 for an in-depth read. I went back to the Mt. Equinox Hillclimb this year. The drive from New York takes you through beautiful countryside with wonderful winding roads. If you are not competing on the hill...
Written by: Glen Smale. Images by: Glen Smale & National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access...
Founded in 1906, Lancia is one of the foremost Italian automobile manufacturers and a world leader in engineering. Over the...
Before After. Rear cover of Paul Skilleter’s book on Jaguar saloons. Jim and Lisa Hendrix are committed fans of all things Jaguar. Nearly everything automotive inside and outside their garage is a Jaguar, with the notable exception of the Sunbeam motorcycle, but it has a Swallow sidecar mounted. The Hendrix...
The 1950s was one of the most prolific periods of automobile design. Aircraft technology developed during the war, aerodynamics, and...
Large and imposing, this Pierce-Arrow Model 48 commanded attention when it arrived back in 1916, and still does today over...
If you had to pick one of the most misunderstood European automotive brands imported to the United States, chances are Fiat would rise to the top. Though much of their brand name and recognition has improved in North American markets since their introduction of the new Fiat 500 (2007), back...
Pat Dennis and Lotus Chassis #39, Bud Okon’s Chassis #30. Most people know that “snake eyes” means a high risk...
When Porsche first unveiled the 911, we lived in steady but gently progressive times. The 1960s was a turning point...
All images: © Porter Press International If there is one manufacturer that has dominated the endurance racing landscape over the first two decades of the 21st Century, then it is certainly Audi. The German automaker burst onto the endurance racing scene in 1999 with its R8R, in open Spyder format,...
Photo credits courtesy of Fantasy Junction Automotive history offers a bounty of well-made sportscars. Tracing back to the earliest years...
Ferrari has always been a leader in high-performance engineering and design. Although many of their most innovative ideas were often...
The Triumph Motor Company made a name for itself after World War II by producing interesting sports cars that performed well against their competition, despite having to design them on very limited budgets. After becoming a part of British Leyland, Triumph took a chance with a dramatic new design, advertised...
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bugatti’s most iconic car, the Type 35, Club Bugatti France organized a tour...
Ettore Bugatti was a man who did not fear setting himself a hard task. It was not just Bugatti’s exceptional...
Though not well-known in North America for performance cars, Renault has always been a leader in clever engineering, leveraging platforms for a wide range of uses and innovating mechanical features with cost-conscious production methodologies. This methodology continues to make Renault one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Largely...
In the 1930s, it was not unusual to bring an older late-model luxury car back to the dealer, manufacturer, or...
Full disclosure: I am a serious fan of Alfa Romeo automobiles. I’ve owned Alfas built from 1961 to 2017. My...
Leslie R. Henry wrote an article in Automobile Quarterly (Volume VII # 3, Fall 1968) simply titled “The Lincoln.”His opening paragraph says a lot about Lincoln cars up to that time: “Some enthusiasts speak of them with passion. Others find them interesting. But no one seriously interested in fine automobiles...
Very few machines are more engaging than an Italian automobile built during the post war era. Literally every Italian manufacturer...
It never gets old looking back on one of the most famous pioneering efforts in the evolution of the automobile,...
First, the name “Dino” Throughout Ferrari’s history, one name remains emotionally charged: Dino. The name’s origins hark back to early 1932, and the birth of an eagerly awaited son, Alfredo, to Enzo Ferrari and his wife Signora Laura. Duly named after both Enzo’s late father and brother, the infant was...
It was probably 50 or so years ago when I first saw a Marcos. It was a 1/43rd scale model,...
The iconic Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa reigns as one of the most beautiful creations the industry has ever seen. The...
It is unlikely that most of us can picture a Simca that is not one of the econoboxes that the company exported to the US in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. It is also unlikely that most of us knew that the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon sold at US...
If you had to pick the most challenging era of sports cars development, it would have to be the late...
Credit – BarnFinds.com I saw my first Bricklin in 1974. Lit up under the Southern California sun, a local specialty...
If you’ve never seen a Lancia Stratos in person, you owe it to yourself to seek one out. The Stratos is one of those cars that must be experienced in person to fully understand its design audacity, stance, and visceral presence. Initially conceived as a concept car of dramatic proportions,...
