On Jan. 22 a 1963 Pontiac ambulance sold for $132,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. The price is notable because the gray Bonneville was expected to sell for much more than that–it was said to have carried President John F. Kennedy from Air Force One to the capitol after he was killed.
But a series of questions about the car’s authenticity meant that an estimated $1 million price tag was greatly reduced.
Ray Wert, editor-in-chief of the car blog Jalopnik, which first reported the inquiry, says that while JFK’s mysterious ambulance not a case of fraud per se, it does raise questions about due diligence in the classic car world.Â
Indeed, just like in the art world, authenticating a classic car is essential for establishing its value. The ambulance didn’t meet its pricing expectations, but many other cars last year did … Details & Pictures
Â
Â
Â
When Michael Waltrip was riding “the streak” — an astounding 0-for-462 in Cup Series competition — he wasn’t exactly the sport’s hottest commodity.Â
Yet, going into the 2001 season, there was one believer. Driver and team owner Dale Earnhardt gave Waltrip a ride. The seven-time NASCAR champ knew his severely snakebitten driver could win, and he devised a plan to deem it so at NASCAR’s grandest race, the Daytona 500Â Â …Â More
On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz filed a Patent No. 37435 at the Reich Patent Office in Berlin – it is generally regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile and became the first of over 80,000 patents to the Mercedes Benz marque. Benz’ Patent Motor Car was equipped with a horizontal single-cylinder four-stroke engine, which developed an output of 0.55 kW at 400 rpm from a displacement of 954 cubic centimetres. The vehicle’s top speed was 16 km/h. Happy birthday to the automobile and congratulations to   … Pictures & More
A street-legal concept version of Volkswagen’s Dakar Rally Touareg could make it into limited production, company officials have revealed to Autocar at the Qatar motor show.
The Race Touareg 3 Qatar show car is only lightly modified from the Race Touareg 3 rally car that won the Dakar Rally earlier this month. Power for what VW calls “the world’s most  … Pictures & More