Click above for gallery of the Lincoln Town Car(nage)
When is a 1996 Lincoln Town Car with 114,000 miles on the clock worth $15,098? The correct answer should be never. In this case, however, the answer is when someone supposedly drops $45,000 worth of work into one to make a fake Bentley Arnage. The result is what you see above; add a couple of fender-mounted chandeliers and it could score a role as The Duke's car in Escape From New York. That giant C-pillar is more Rolls than Bentley and those chrome dubs are more bad than good. The biggest disaster comes into view when you open the door and look inside. That interior reportedly cost $10,000. You'd think that amount would buy more than quilted leather, a passel of winged-B emblems that aren't fooling anybody, and that stock instrument panel, but apparently... no. Anyway, somebody liked it enough to buy it, so what do we know. We're sure it'll look great in their garage. You know – right next to the Fierarri.
There are fantastic combinations, like bacon and, well, just about anything, and then there are things that should never be combined. Jeep CJ-7s are super iconic, and they represent the pinnacle of AMC's stewardship of the brand. Though the Dukes of Hazzard itself was no Citizen Kane, every kid of that era has indelible images of an orange Charger flying through the air etched in their memories. Again, General Lee: cool. Put them together; ignoring the fact that a proper "Dukes"-themed CJ would mirror the Golden Eagle edition that appeared in the show; and you have created that which should never be. The "01" treatment has been applied to some very odd vehicles the world over, though, so we suppose that a General Lee-themed CJ isn't so bad in the long run. At least both elements appeared in the original show...
Click for more hi-res images from the Ferrari California launch event in Santa Monica, California
"We're not building a cheap Ferrari". That was the oft-repeated party line from Maranello as the Prancing Horse marque was plainly working on the new California. Well no kidding, not at these prices.
The first example of the Ferrari California was sold during its American unveiling in Santa Monica this week, garnering a top bid of $520,000. The event was attended by a handful of Hollywood celebrities, and even the Governator dropped by. Half a million can buy you a lot of car, and the California is expected to retail for about a third of that amount, but of course that's not the point: proceeds from the sale will go to the After-School All-Stars charitable foundation. Press release after the jump and images in the gallery below.
At Pebble Beach this year, the descendants of R.E. Olds – founder of Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Company – bought a 1906 REO Model A. The car is over 100 years old and doubtless cost them a pretty penny or two. But it wasn't even the car they were interested in. Bundled in the lot was a 1/8-scale replica known as the Baby REO. That's what Debbie Stephens, Olds' great granddaughter, wanted to get her hands on.
The Baby REO was initially made as a marketing tool for the motor company, traveling around the country before being loaned to the Barnum & Bailey and Ringling Brothers Circus in 1911. Along the way, the Baby REO would make occasional stops at the company headquarters and family estate in Lansing, Michigan, where the children would have their portraits taken. The miniature Olds made its way back to Lansing in 2004 for the company's 100th anniversary, but the family has been trying to acquire it for decades, frustrated when its various owners would sell it without offering the family the opportunity to bid. But the car – along with its full-size counterpart – has finally returned home, where it will be on display for public viewing at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. Just make sure there isn't a family picnic going on if you're planning on stopping by or the Baby REO may be out on a field trip.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Ferrari 250 GTO
The going rate for vintage Ferraris seems to be at an all time high, as evidenced by the record sale of a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder back in May and the incredible selection of million dollar Ferraris at the RM Auction in Monterey this year. All of those are easily topped, however, by the rumored sale of a Ferrari 250 GTO for an incredible $28.5 million. Not much is known about the actual sale, since many of the high-dollar Ferrari transactions are done through private parties and not necessarily through an auction house. However, the knowledgeable members at FerrariChat.com have it on authority that the sale did happen. If anything, it gave us a chance to put together a huge gallery of 250 GTO photos from various concours and vintage racing events. Enjoy the photos below!
Here's your chance to own a piece of history. Sorta. This unique car was created for an unnamed Bond movie in the late 1970's but was ultimately rejected before filming. It's based on a modified 1972 Jaguar XKE, outfitted with custom bodywork and a Cobra 289-cubic-inch V8. Part of the...um, unique bodywork includes a trunk lid that can be swapped out for an alternate, apparently crafted so that Bond could escape a chasing vehicle without being noticed. Hard to understand why they didn't use this one. Who knows, maybe it could have replaced the Aston DBS in the upcoming Quantum of Solace. But since it didn't, bidding starts at $13,000.
Few automobiles on the road offer the kind of stately ride that a Rolls-Royce does, but this one-of-a-kind creation takes things to another level. At the upcoming Goodwood Revival later this month, Bonhams will offer a unique carousel built by Rolls-Royce in the 1930s.
Believed to have been crafted for a company field day during the Depression, the Rolls-Royce merry-go-round features 24 horses with leather saddles (none of them, to our disappointment, shaped like a giant Spirit of Ecstasy) and powered by a 50-horsepower engine from the Phantom of the day. The unique creation looks poised to deliver an open-air ride to rival even the Drophead Coupe, and is expected to fetch upwards of $60,000 when the gavel drops.
Click above for high-res gallery of Saleen's pre-pro Ford GT
The Ford GT went from concept to production in record time thanks to companies like ROUSH and Saleen that have niche manufacturing capabilities. Saleen handled the assembly of the GT in its 200,000-sq ft facility in Troy, MI, and whether it was part of the deal or just a thank you from Ford, Steve Saleen ended up owning a pre-production Ford GT, one of only nine built. There are some differences from the production version, including a 4.6-liter Mustang Cobra V8 that has been bored out to 5.4-liters, as well as a unique supercharger system made specifically for the car. The bad news is that its pre-production status means it can't be registered as a street legal vehicle, so this Ford GT will most likely be relegated to a collector's garage.
Click above for more images of the Batmobile, circa 1989
Built atop a lowly Chevrolet Impala chassis (or two), we don't imagine that the next owner of the Batmobile in this auction will be pulling too many Batman-esque stunts. Still, to own one of the vehicles used by Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger in the 1989 Tim Burton-directed movie is pretty cool. A few salient facts: This sucker is 20-feet long and 8-feet wide, so you're going to need a Bat Cave-sized garage. It's powered by a (probably anemic) Chevy 350 V8, so it's fuel mileage theoretically approaches that of the fictional turbine engine depicted in the flick. Lastly, the new owner will need you to sign a Warner Brothers purchase agreement, which we hear is pretty limiting in what it allows you to do with the car. Still, how many people can actually say, "I think I'll take the Batmobile to work today?" Therefore, we deem this car epic. Thanks for the tip, BMW122487!
Now that BMW's 1-series has a solid presence on dealer lots, enthusiasts of the Roundel can start with lusty customizations that pay homage to the great BMWs of the past. In the case of this 135, we can say that BMW started it with its Concept tii that made the rounds in late 2007. Classic BMW in Texas plucked a 135i out of its stock for Projekt 1. Many of the "upgrades" that have been applied to the car are largely unneeded cosmetic geegaws like mirror covers and bodykit accents. We're down with the matte stripe job on the hood, and the vaguely described "retrofit front suspension" and performance exhaust system offer some tangible benefits; the exhaust even proves its worth with dyno sheets.
Basically, the exhaust and suspension are the only things on the list worth having, and those would cost about 5 grand, rather than the 12K price inflation this 135 is carrying. While we're sure Projekt 1 is a hoot to drive, we already have a hard time getting behind 1 Series pricing, no matter how brilliant the chassis is. Slapping a bunch of junk on it and bumping the price into the heady $50,000 neighborhood doesn't make it any more attractive. Still, if you want to have the most exclusive 135i on the social climber block, a Buy It Now of $55,372 will make it yours. Thanks for the tip, David!
Spy Shots: Nissan 370Z again, with interior shots
2010 Mazda3 unveiled ahead of LA Auto Show
Spy Shots: Nissan 370Z caught undisguised
GM on Corvette ZR1 cancellation rumor: "Not true."
Follow the Audi Mileage Marathon starting Monday morning
Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 3
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3, return of the "hummer"
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
Paris 2008: Le Day 1 Wrapup
