1970 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB, 47th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue

Spotted this big chap parked up outside the offices of JPMorgan (formerly the Bear Stearns building) in midtown. I spoke briefly with the chauffeur, and while not inclined to disclose much about the owner, he did say that his staff referred to the car as 'the guillotine' due to the vigorousness with which the hydraulically operated trunk lid closes. 

1963 Ford Falcon, North Seventh Street and Wythe Avenue

Again, a vintage daily driver in my neighborhood. 

Willys Jeep, 52nd Street and Madison Avenue

I had to go to work on Veteran's Day, which is of course an unspeakable chore, but on the way I saw a full NYPD pipe band playing in Grand Central Terminal, and afterwards spotted this fantastic convoy of WWII era vehicles. Clearly they'd been participating in the parade over on Fifth and had turned off the route. Once the halftrack at right turned onto Madison, the remaining five or six jeeps broke with it and drove in the traffic like normal cars. That is, if normal cars used a hand cranked siren instead of a horn. 

Morris Minor, North Third Street and Kent Avenue

An unusual find in a Brooklyn parking garage, to say the least. 

1972 BMW 3.0CS, North Fourth Street and Berry Street

 

It has been an extraordinarily slow summer for The Cartorialist, but it's all made up for by seeing one of my all time favorite vehicles, the BMW 3.0CS. Not quite as rare or desirable as the CSL, but common enough to be used as a daily driver, and what a joyful experience that surely must be. In my opinion the best looking BMW ever made. Hunter green, tan interior, and seemingly mint condition throughout. 

1964 Ford Galaxie, North Third Street and Wythe Avenue

The black Galaxie on the opposite corner from my apartment is significant in a particular manner. This is actually a filming location for the upcoming Men in Black sequel, and the black Galaxie is apparently part of a time-travel subplot as the 1960s-era MIB-Mobile, proven by the repeated takes filmed of Will Smith and a young version of Tommy Lee Jones driving up, running into the diner, and subsequently departing in it. In addition to the three Galaxies on site, there were more than 20 ancillary vintage vehicles, among them a superb Studebaker, a vintage New York City bus and that tandem bike covered in lights.  

Volkswagen Microbus Concept, Javits Convention Center

I went to the New York Auto Show today and was distinctly underwhelmed. In looking at coverage of shows in Singapore and Geneva, I got the impression that this was a place to unveil startling new concepts and showcase creativity. Rather, it was a huge showroom floor, and amid the people in spiky hair smearing the door handles of Range Rovers I saw few gems. The highlight for me was this microbus concept, which likely won't be made because of the baby Tuareg VW just launched, but what fun. 

1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6, 46th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue

A great 80s Alfa - racing credentials and good looks. I think this is the best one from the 80s. Bit of BMW 5-Series, bit of Lamborghini Espada, but all Alfa personality. I still need to tick Alfa off on my petrolhead bucket list, possibly a good candidate, and quite rare.

1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe, Jane Street and Eighth Avenue

Whenever I see these C3 Corvettes, I don't think of mullets and splintering fiberglass, I think of the fact that all the Apollo astronauts had them. I rather like that it was co-opted by them.

Unknown, North Sixth Street and Bedford Avenue

Another matte black rattlecan special, but I can't identify it. Any ideas?

North Third Street and Berry Street

Snowpocalypse, Blizzaster, Snunderstorm, whatever you want to call it we've been getting fairly pasted of late, and, predictably, Brooklyn is always last to be dug out. There's a Volvo on my street where, even a couple of weeks down the road from this storm, it is only now starting to emerge from the snowbank. Not really a post as such, just apologies for the lack of interesting things to see.

1993 Chevrolet Suburban, 44th Street and Madison Avenue

Apologies to all for not posting in months. Given that this winter in New York smashes all records for snowfall, it's no wonder that nobody's getting their cars out. This DIY headlamp caught my eye, though. "There, I fixed it!"

2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R, 11th Street and Fourth Avenue

 

First of these I've ever seen in person. Ho-Hum. But rare.

1955 Cadillac Eldorado, North Fifth Street and Bedford Avenue

 

Marvellous. Full of happy hipsters. 

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.