2009 Cadillac DTS Custom, 50th Street and Second Avenue

 

Always nice when the commander in chief takes a cruise through midtown on his way to the UN.

Citroën H-Van, North Moore Street and Hudson Street

Another H-Van! How brilliant! This one is a streetside emissary for La Colombe Torrefaction, so hung over models in town for fashion week can enjoy an overpriced espresso whilst tottering down the frightfully smart cobblestones of TriBeCa. I particularly like the mismatched wheels.

2010 Mercedes-Bens SLS AMG, 63rd Street and Third Avenue

Simply staggering. I wonder if its looks will age as well as the original SLR? One of the coolest things I read about this is that if you roll it, and the car is upside down and stationary for ten seconds, the doors have explosive bolts fitted which will detonate and literally blow the doors off. Unless you're an astronaut or fighter pilot, the words 'explosive bolts' are rarely used.

1951 Studebaker Starlight, Commerce Street and Seventh Avenue South

Something of a Greenwich Village landmark, so no surprise it should crop up here eventually. The beloved mascot of the Caliente Cab Co. restaurant.

1988 Yugo, 13th Street and First Avenue

Ahh Yugo. The butt of all car jokes since its introduction. Basically a crap Fiat slightly improved by Serbians and sold to us Yanks as the next beetle. Famous for being driven into lakes in movies, blown off a bridge by a stiff wind (true story), and having a timing belt that fails every 35,000 miles, blowing up the engine.

1996 Alfa Romeo GTV Spider, 47th Street and Park Avenue

I have no idea how this car is in America. I've never seen one in the states, ever. These materialize for sale every once in a while on Canadian want-ad sites, but to my limited knowlege was never offered by US dealers who pulled out of the US market in 1995. On a side note- please Alfa, come back. I would kill to buy the Brera 3.2 that replaced the GTV.

1967 Pontiac Bonneville Hearse, South Third Street and Wythe Avenue

I've never even heard of a Pontiac hearse, and this example has carted a lot of corpses in its day, judging by the faded paint and cracked leatherette roof. Also judging by the alloy wheels and fat Bridgestones, someone's looking to turn this into a bit of a muscle car. I particularly like how on the rear wings the chrome letters spelling BONNEVILLE were selectively removed to leave EVIL.

1979 Ferrari 308, St. Mark's Place and First Avenue

I think this would be an extremely pretty car if the federal government hadn't interfered and slapped a chunky bumper on it. Rather like putting Burt Reynolds' moustache on Natalie Portman. A fun and accessible entry point into vintage mid-engined motoring.

2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, 68th Street and Third Avenue

I have only rarely seen Gallardos, but seeing one on a flatbed is a new one for me- likely being delivered. This example sports a flat black paint job with matching flat black wheels. After a bit of research discovered that the black wheels are an optional extra costing $4,460, and the matte black paint job weighs in at an eye watering $26,600.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 46th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue

People bang on about modified suspension geometry being one of the things that finally makes this a proper supercar, but the most astounding reviews of this car are expelled from the mouth of Lord Clarkson: 'Enzo fast.' I spotted the secondary double glazing on the engine cover from a distance. It did look good being helmed down Vanderbilt by a happy man with grey hair and a pot belly.

1994 ИМЗ-Ural, 71st Street and Second Avenue

 

I spotted this after coming out of Grace's Marketplace with a hundredweight of overpriced organic veggies and juices to soothe a hangover, and even through one bleary eye behind a smeared glasses lens I was able to pick out that fuel tank shape and kneepad, and the passenger seat. A vintage BMW is one of my favorite things on earth. It was only when I got closer I realized it was a Ural! Great story behind these- the Russians basically knew the panzers were coming in 1941, and didn't have a good bike for the Red Army, so they just bought up a few used R-71s from some Scandos and started cranking their own out (the Krauts rather sniffily packed up R-71 production in 1942). The factory had to be moved to the Urals during the siege of Moscow, hence the name. They've been making this reverse-engineered BMW copy ever since.

1982 Ferrari 400, 65th Street and Third Avenue

More often than not the 400 is seen as being a bit of a head scratcher from the house of the prancing pony. It looks like part Jag and part Daytona, but the front is really more Rover SD1. This has appeared on several compilation lists of bad cars in the past, but despite the malaise looks at the front end it seems rather promising. It  was Ferrari's first automatic, with a three speed (!) from Chrysler (!!) as an option, but this one has the five speed manual, mated to a gorgeous 4.8 litre Ferrari V-12 putting out 335 horsepower. Not only that, but the 400 was never imported to the States, making this grey market example extremely rare.

1985-2000 HMMWV, 26th Street and Madison Avenue

Is there any way to tell these model years apart? I've seen photos of the new Oshkosh M-ATV which will be replacing the venerable HMMWV, being designed to deflect explosions from roadside bombs. It's an extraordinary vehicle, and supposedly much safer for troops, but certainly doesn't have the terrific Tom Clancy/Jerry Bruckhimer action star look of the HumVee, along with a hint of the DNA of Willys Jeeps. I'm sure we'll be seeing these in service for decades, though.

The Worst Lamborghini Countach Replica Ever, 62nd Street and First Avenue

'

Good. Lord. What an unholy creation. Even the badge on the bootlid is smudged and probably a glued on photocopy. Nearly laughed myself to death when I got close up to this. Even Don Johnson would vomit on it. 

1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 29th Street and Madison Avenue

The first Alfa! Anne Bancroft, sadly, was nowhere to be seen. 

1968 BMW 2002, Second Place and Court Street

I love these things. I've always wanted to buy one and prep it for rallying on the back roads home in Vermont. As you can see, the kidney grill has taken a battering, no doubt as a result of being nudged by the car in front after a lifetime of being parallel parked.

1965 Volkswagen Type I Transporter Flatbed. North 11th Street and Wythe Avenue

Terrific little machine. Parked directly across from Brooklyn Bowl and no doubt maintaining a high degree of slightly drunk hipster adoration.

1937 Bugatti Type 57S Corsica, Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

I know it wouldn't be fair to include photos of all the staggering machines that were here. I'll just let this snapshot speak for all of them. Note the reflection of the Delahaye in the German Silver radiator casing.

1986 Bentley Continental Drophead, White Street and Sixth Avenue

This has always been a period in the history of British luxury I've never really understood, to be honest. Rolls-Royce picked up Bentley in secret after the depression (Prompting W.O. Bentley to leave the firm for Lagonda), then proceeded to systematically run the marque into the ground until the early '90s. I think it's rather amazing how this became Rolls' budget brand, this particular one is simply a Corniche with a different grille and slightly lower price tag. In a way, it's rather like the relationship between the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Ford Crown Victoria. But it isn't, is it - it's still a Bentley. Just the next day I went to the Greenwich Concours and saw a true W.O. 4.5 Litre from 1929. It was absolutely incredible. I truly think that a product like today's Continental GT Supersports and the new Brooklands are terrific cars that push the brand in the proper direction - powerful, exquisite luxury. Bentleys are drivers cars, whereas Rolls Royce are for chauffeurs. This malaise era bus is charming, but should really be a warning about how great brands can easily have their heart and soul co-opted. Perhaps the same magic performed on Bentley by Volkswagen will be matched or bettered by Spyker on Saab. 

1974 AMC Gremlin, 68th Street and Second Avenue

Good lord. A cursory bit of research into the Gremlin finds Webster's defining it at the time of its release (April Fool's Day 1970) as 'a small gnome held to be responsible for the malfunction of equipment.' This is kind of like the American equivalent of the Austin Allegro- not much fun to drive and not much fun to look at. That said, it's an icon. An iconic car in the same way that leisure suits and woodette vinyl furniture are. It's the apex of poor taste,  and this almost makes it lovable. The fact that this one, with its rattlecan paint job, innumerable dents, and tasteful duct tape trim squats on a relatively smart street on the Upper East Side makes it all the more amazing. I walk past this car almost every day, and I never see it move, and I never see a ticket on it. I think most people up here (including traffic wardens apparently) would rather not acknowledge it exists.

2009 Aston Martin DBS, 61st Street and Second Avenue

I've never seen one in the flesh before, and it's spectacularly good looking. Apologies for the poor quality photograph, but cosmetically this is a wonderful compromise between the DB9, which is so pretty as to almost be feminine, and the Vanquish, which is a car that seems almost overblown. This is the best looking model in the Aston Martin range today and possibly the best looking car they've ever made.

2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo, 47th Street and Park Avenue

This is a seriously expensive and fast Porsche, and people have decried its woeful looks. Having never seen one in person, I was surprised how different my impression of it was. It's certainly not good looking, but not really as bad as people say. More than anything else, I just think that Porsche shouldn't be doing this sort of thing. I agree with Richard Hammond that you should only be able to walk into the dealership, say 'I want to buy a Porsche,' and the man says 'certainly sir, what color?' What I'm looking forward to is a revival of the 928. That was the last time Porsche moved in a new direction that was even remotely cool.

2006 Tesla Roadster, Allen Street and Houston Street

I hate to say it, but the Lotus it's based off of is much cooler looking. In the flesh, this car looks cheap despite the astronomical price tag. I think this car will be a total flash in the pan, but I suppose some people in New York use them as their about-town cars.

1989 Volvo 240DL, South Fourth Street and Driggs Avenue

I know the Volvo bricks are becoming increasingly imperiled by the crusher, but this extremely fine example in Texasware orange is reassuring, because it shows that there are real enthusiasts out there. First car I ever drove.

1956 Facel Vega FV, Greenwich Connecticut

Spotted this Facel Vega through the window at Carriage House Motor Cars in Greenwich and couldn't resist. It's incredibly pretty; basically a French muscle car with that big Chrysler V-8 under the hood, and the very best of french postwar styling. Anyone who was cool in the 60s had one. Picasso, Catherine Hepburn, Sinatra, Maurice Trintignant - Stirling Moss preferred to drive this rather than fly between races, and Camus was killed in one. I had the pleasure of speaking with Alex who runs the shop the next day. He said this is one of four Facel Vegas they have in stock. According to him, it drives like a truck but is huge fun. In the boot it has a fuel tank with a racing filler cap (not to mention the matched luggage from the factory, and this particular example has the 5-speed manual. Very rare. All they want is a cool $145,000.

1955 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, Spring Street and Crosby Street

Speaks for itself, really.

1978 Reliant Robin, 9th Street and Prospect Park West

At a certain point someone decided that importing a fiberglass 3-wheeled car that can be driven in the UK with a motorcycle license was a good idea. Pretty much destined to be relegated to being a promo vehicle for a Brooklyn chippie, but nice to see one on the streets nonetheless.

1976 Triumph TR6, North 7th Street and Bedford Avenue

I've been noticing a lot of 70s era cheap Euro sportscars knocking around Williamsburg. This particularly lurid example has always been a favorite of mine. I believe (having little knowledge of these things) that this sort of motor has a high degree of hipster streed cred. Nice if you can handle the rattle of British Leyland engineering and the cordite smell of failing Lucas electrics.

Citroën H-Van, North 11th Street and Wythe Avenue

I know this entry is a repeat offender, but how could I resist!? I snap it from a Brooklyn rooftop and then get to see it in the flesh coming home from work? Perfection.

Citroën H-Van, Berry Street and North 11th Street

Believe it or not, a second Citroen! The H-Van is one of those vehicles which is ugly, French, and utterly lovable. The fact they made them for 40 years with 2CV bits and paneling from a Junkers only increases the appeal. As you'd imagine, this example has 'Citroen' down its side in big black letters.

2010 BMW X6M, 47th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue

Well, I suppose my brief in the masthead is to highlight unique and beautiful machines, and a machine as mongrelish as the X6 with an M-Badge slapped on it is certainly...unique. Totally undecided on this one. In principle I should hate it, but actually in person it looks rather nice and I would be curious to drive it.

1959 MGA 1600, Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street

Ahh so we come full circle. I think for me, the spotting of the first MGA of the spring will signal the lifecycle of this blog. I spotted one last year in the Hamptons on the 4th of July just after I began this, and now this superb example, with black interior, seen on the edge of McCarren park on the first lovely Sunday of Spring in the city, seems to be a harbinger of New Yorkers getting the covers off their cars for some summer driving.

2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, 30th Street and Eighth Avenue

I imagine supercars to be a nightmare in the city, let alone gossamer light ones, which I imagine would be totally undone by potholes and roadworks. I'm sure Lamborghini thought of this in designing it, but the fellow behind the wheel still looked like he was bricking himself coming into this particularly ratty intersection near Penn Station.

1962 Autobianchi Bianchina Berlina Special D, 70th Street and Lexington Avenue

Autobianchi was a little known Italian carmaker, known for brutally simple little cars like this one. The Bianchina was based on the Fiat 500, and the performance stats are daunting. This model, one of the rarer 'Specials' had a 499cc engine which produced 21 horsepower, as opposed to the clearly insufficient 17hp of the base models. Charming.

1966 Land Rover Series IIA, 72nd Street and Park Avenue

A series Land Rover really might be the perfect car for New York. People love them, first of all. Also, no car thief will take one, because it's not worth much as parts, they're very unique looking, and you would struggle to find alloys or a stereo in it. In the summer, take the doors off, and the tiny wheelbase means you can park pretty much anywhere. Also, after this last winter, do you really want a car in the city without four wheel drive?

1972 Mercedes 220D, Bergen Street and Smith Street

Now, at the risk of this blog becoming a bit Benz-heavy, I've added this photograph because it's one of the few biodiesel cars I've seen in New York. This is what we all should do. The engines in these things are as reliable as the planets, they're not that expensive to buy, and they've all long since worked off their carbon footprint. Buying a Prius seems to be a false economy to me. Why do we insist on something being new to save the environment? Buying a secondhand car that gets great, sustainable fuel economy is, in the long run, a better idea than buying a costly and environmentally questionable stopgap technology. Plus, what a marvelous city we would have if everyone drove a vintage Mercedes! Have one of these until hydrogen power is made more available. That's a technology that convinces me that a whole new line of production is merited. Then when you have your hydrogen BMW, the old Merc will be a fantastic weekend cruiser.

1970 Mercedes 280 SL, 16th Street and Sixth Avenue

Mercedes has made a lot of very pretty cars in its day. In my opinion, this is the best looking post-war car they ever put out. The series II SL Mercedes looks extremely simple, and it is, but just as we were leaving the world of hand drawn body lines for rigid 70s boxiness, this incredibly subtle design showed an attention to detail lacking in most marques of the late 60s. The interior is wonderfully plain and inviting, like a boutique hotel lobby. Possibly the best Hamptons cruiser of all time, but, weirdly for a Mercedes, it's not a snobbish car at all. On a related note, every girl has the car that is perfect for her personality. There are girls that look good in VW Beetles, girls that look good in 3-Series convertibles, and girls that look good in Jeeps. One that looks good in this should not be passed up. 

1961 Ford Thunderbird, Schermerhorn Street and Clinton Street

This is without a doubt my favorite space-race cruiser. Its powerful (for a tank), big, two-door, two-tone, and most importantly, rocket shaped! Whereas the Cadillacs of the era stopped with Soyuz fins, Ford started with the enormous circular taillights like a Saturn V rocket and ended with the pointy nose cone at the front end. Ridiculous and brilliant. Cars like this let Brezhnev know who wore the pants in the cold war.

1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, 23rd Street and 3rd Avenue

Despite the poor quality of this photograph, this Cadillac is in amazing condition. A testament to its enormity is the fact that the piddly camera on my iPhone was unable to capture its great bulk, particularly the evocative tailfins. Not a particularly rare car in and of itself, it is nonetheless a brave feat to own one in New York. Oddly enough, a virtually identical one can be seen in the East Village from time to time. Similarly, the Fiat 124 shown below also has a companion car in white that can be seen in Cobble Hill. With millions of motorists in New York, it is refreshing to know that not only are vintage cars still on the road here, they exist in sufficient numbers to ensure duplicates. One hopes that the trend will last through the winter, but many of these models will take their usual place under cover in garages.

1988 Mercedes 560 SL AMG, 6th Street and 2nd Avenue

I was intrigued by the AMG badging I saw on this car. AMG was in its infancy when this car was made, and really hadn't emerged as a brand like it is today. Most likely someone put a subtle body kit and sporty trim in the interior and an AMG badge on the boot lid, but perhaps this is one of those fabled, legendary models? If true, it would be an exceptionally rare car with epic performance for its day (and even for today), and given how much of it is original, and how well it's cared for, it may not be completely beyond the scope of reason. The vigil has begun in order to interrogate the car's owner.

2008 Maserati GranTurismo S, 54th Street and Ninth Avenue

I personally find the Maserati Quattroporte to be a bulging and ungainly looking car, looking as though it was designed hastily. By contrast, the Granturismo is pretty much excellent from every angle. Pininfarina designed, and largely based on the platform for the Ferrari 599, I think the Granturismo is one of the better looking cars on the road today, and this S version has the larger 4.7 litre V8 (as opposed to the normal 4.2).

1959 Land Rover Series II, 17th Street and Third Avenue

This is certainly an exceptionally rare sight in New York. Its natural habitat is either a farmer's yard in Surrey or under a cover in Connecticut. By comparison, the Defender 90s in their peacock colors, still flecked with salt water from the Hamptons are a common sight. The Series II had a very limited production run, just three years, and was purely a slightly modified and modernized Series I. That curve running along the top of the fenders to the tailgate is a cosmetic feature introduced here which is still in production today. This one's seen a lot of hard miles, but evinces the Series' reputation for near-indestructibility.

2009 BMW M3 Convertible, 13th Street and University Place

To see one in photographs or in magazines, the M3 looks rather ho-hum, much like a fast BMW should. In person, however, it looks truly menacing. Bulging and gilled like a shark, from the gaping maw of the front diffuser to the compact and vicious looking origami of the folding metal roof, this car is mean and purposeful in appearance. Oh, and this particular one has a Police Vehicle parking permit on the dash. What human even vaguely associated with law enforcement could fill out the requisition form for his permit without blushing?

2008 Rolls Royce Phantom, Smith Street and DeGraw Street

The world's most pompous and ridiculous car, parked on a sleepy, restaurant filled street in Carroll Gardens. Seems oddly at home here (although the solid silver spirit of ecstasy bonnet mascot has been thoughtfully retracted into the grille).

BSA M20, Third Street and Second Avenue

This is a perfect example of a classic bike which looks much better with a well-worn patina of age. It is clearly a hard and regularly worked machine, still performing after 50 years with a good dressing of aftermarket parts and non-stock bits. Kind of like an old, patched armchair. This is the best of classic motoring. Worn, loved, and used.

2004 Land Rover Discovery G4 Edition, Houston Street and Orchard Street

This is a limited edition Land Rover Discovery released to commemorate the G4 Challenge, a highly-touted off road competition, organized by Land Rover, and staged across four continents. The G4 editions were top of the range models modified and strengthened for competitive off-roading. Just 200 G4 Discoveries were produced. All were painted this rather ghastly color, so you'll know one if you see one. There are some Land Rover Freelanders (LR2s) knocking about that are bright orange as well, but these are unrelated to the G4 Challenge.

1950 Dodge Meadowbrook, Tompkins Square Park

The white bread of post-war Dodge models, was simply a product of postwar demand and surplus of materials. At the time, cheap and unremarkable in every way. Perhaps the equivalent of the Mercury Grand Marquis of the last decade. And yet, someone has preserved one and still drives it regularly. It has become remarkable and charming in the way that our plastic American cars of the 1990s never will.

1978 Fiat 124 Spider, Second Street and First Avenue

One of the first inexpensive sportscars available in America, came standard with dual cam engine and disc brakes. Almost completely unaltered through its entire production run from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Based mainly on the wildly successful Fiat 124 sports saloon still in production (sort of) as the Lada.

1973 Volkswagen Type II Transporter, Court Street and Warren Street

Seen with a note on the windscreen asking for permission to film the car. Does that include transportation to The Island? This car is one of the best for amplifying the noise of that air-cooled engine, almost as good as the bathtub porsches. Surely one of the most enjoyable sounds in motoring.

Citroën 2CV, Second Avenue and St. Marks Place

The medical number plates seem to indicate the East Village's only hipster MD. It is consistently parked at an extremely busy intersection, serving only to emphasise the 2CVs misleading sense of fragility. These are rugged little trucks, originally tested by having a crate of eggs put on the back seat and then setting off at speed across a freshly plowed field.