Andrew Newton

5 days ago | hagerty.com | Andrew Newton

Lotus sold the Series 2 Elise in the U.S. from 2005 to 2011. There was nothing quite like it on the road in the mid-2000s, and there definitely isn’t anything quite like it on the road in the mid-2020s. Here was a raw, razor-sharp, light weight, analog driving machine with race-car looks and proportions but also a reliable Japanese powertrain, a radio and air conditioning (both sucked, but were nice to have), and a temptingly low sub-$40K MSRP.

6 days ago | hagerty.com | Andrew Newton

In the car world, we hear the word “preservation” quite a bit. For many, it means an uncompromising reverence for all-original classic automobiles that are just as they were when they were new, or close to it, despite the passage of time. Preservation has become a fundamental component of today’s car world, with special attention given to those cars that embody the term.

1 week ago | hagerty.com | Andrew Newton

“Dana Mecum’s Original Spring Classic,” known to most folks simply as “Mecum Indy,” is the auction company’s second-biggest sale each year, typically held over the course of one week every May. This year, there are over 100 Mustangs, over 120 Camaros, multiple historic drag cars and Indy racers, vintage semi-trucks, and even a Polaris Slingshot somebody transformed into the Starship Enterprise, for some reason.

1 week ago | hagerty.com | Andrew Newton

The economics facing the postwar car industry in the U.K. were complex and challenging. The country was nearly bankrupt, and it had to sell its manufactured products abroad in an “export or die” model. The U.S., with its booming economy and desirable dollars, were an obvious target for British goods.

1 week ago | hagerty.com | Andrew Newton

More than just a ‘roided-up Porsche 911, the original Ruf CTR “Yellowbird” is a rare bird. Just 29 were built, so it’s unusual to see two of them sell at auction in as many months. One was a highlight of the Amelia Island sales mere weeks ago, when it sold for a record-smashing $6.055M. The other just sold at Broad Arrow’s Air|Water auction in Costa Mesa for $4.68M. While the second result is lower, it cements this ’80s exotic as a top-tier modern collector car that’s worth deep into the millions.