1989 Alfa Romeo Graduate on 2040-cars

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Drive like Mario Andretti in his 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

In the United States, Mario Andretti is the racing driver whose name is likely best known among the general public. Over his decades-long career, Andretti has driven into the winner's circle numerous times and in a variety of racing series and venues. He is an ex-Formula One champion (1978), a four-time IndyCar champion, as well as an Indy 500 winner (1969). And while we mere mortals probably cannot drive like Mario Andretti, we can drive one of Mario Andretti's cars, specifically this 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6, which is currently for sale at classic-car vendor LBI Limited. Based on the pictures of this Alfa, the car shows just under 36,000 miles. This GTV-6 is finished in Grigio over a tan leather interior. Power is by a 2.5-liter DOHC V6. Equipment includes a five-speed manual, power windows, air conditioning, a wood-rim steering wheel and a Blaupunkt cassette stereo. Andretti drove for the Alfa Romeo F1 team in 1981, and he also appeared in ads for the GTV-6. There was even a Mario Andretti limited edition of the earlier European-market Alfa Romeo GTV in 1976. This car reportedly was a gift from the automaker and was delivered in May 1981. He reportedly kept it for a year, although his ownership is documented (click the "View Documents" tab on the listing). The current asking price for this Alfa is $48,000, although there may be some wiggle room there, given that this car appears to have been a no-sale in a May 2020 RM Sotheby's auction where it garnered a high bid of $28,000. That's about $8K more than is sold for at auction in 2016, although the car is said to have since had thousands of dollars in service. Regardless of the price, this is a cool Alfa with a direct connection to America's most famous racing driver. Related video:

Industrial designer seeking classic car, sketches his finds as he shops

The process of shopping for a vintage car can be both a joy and a nightmare. Wrapped up with the exciting opportunity of owning a classic is the anxiety of picking just the right one. Canadian industrial design professor Bruce Thomson and his wife are chronicling all of those ups and downs in a fascinating way. On their blog Kicking Vintage Tyres, Bruce exploits his talent as an expert draftsman to create detailed sketches of the vehicles they are considering, along with driving impressions of each one. The idea for the site started on a whim. After selling his 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220 a while back, it was time to own another classic. Bruce was looking at a Triumph TR6, and a friend asked for a description of the car. Bruce responded with a massive email detailing everything he saw, and the concept for the blog was born. "It dawned on me early that my search was not going to be as easy or as quick as I had expected," he said to Autoblog in an email. "I decided that the best thing I could do would be to make a sort of 'game' out of the search by sharing it with others." Thomson's sketches truly set the blog apart. He clearly has an exceptional eye for a car's lines and often mixes his drawings with inset depictions of key portions of the vehicle. Beyond just the fabulous diagrams, the site is a great read too. While the TR6 initially topped the list, Thomson's search has broadened over time, and a Series 2 Alfa Romeo Spider and BMW 3.0CS also received consideration. "I'd not commit myself to any preferences though, as my head is easily turned," he said. The criteria are that the car must have a manual gearbox, be made between 1959 and 1976, preferably European, hopefully a convertible and cost 15,000-25,000 Canadian dollars ($12,525-$20,870). No matter how long it takes, this is a wonderful hunt to follow along with. Featured Gallery Bruce Thomson Car Sketches News Source: Kicking Vintage Tyres via Core77 Auto News Design/Style Alfa Romeo Car Buying Convertible Classics auto design alfa romeo spider sketch blog

Editors' Choice: Top Five 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show Debuts

Consider the 2015-16 auto show season officially kicked off. The Frankfurt Motor Show offered a great look at the newest crop of production cars and conceptual machines, and brought some old favorites back into the spotlight for a closer look. (The Alfa Romeo Giulia, for example, debuted in June, but this was the first time most of us saw it.) Now that the dust has settled and we're all on flights back to the US, our editors cast their votes for their personal favorites from the Frankfurt show. These are the cars we truly loved seeing the most. But unlike other shows, there was no one runaway winner – all of the Top Five received positive praise from our team. We won't spoil the results, though. Scroll down to see what we liked most from this year's Frankfurt expo. 5th Place – MERCEDES-BENZ IAA CONCEPT View 12 Photos MIKE AUSTIN: The clean lines on this concept have me excited for a more elegant beauty to future Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Next to the Concept IAA, the lovely S-Class Coupe looks like an overstyled barge. DAVID GLUCKMAN: Yeah, the extendable rear is neat and all, but I'm more interested in the front-end styling of this one. It looks like the Tron version of a 300SL, in a good way. I'm hopeful it portends the future of Mercedes design. STEVEN EWING: I was super impressed when Mercedes said that, with the rear end extended, this concept has a drag coefficient of just 0.19. That's crazy aerodynamic. I'm not head-over-heels about the styling, but I think the lessons learned from this concept are really important, and will play a huge role in the future of Mercedes' products. 4th Place – ALFA ROMEO GIULIA View 15 Photos SEYTH MIERSMA: I can hardly express how in love with this car I am. The styling feels creative, modern, and evocative, without going over the top. The proposed performance is spectacular. And the Alfa badge speaks to a legacy of romantic motoring. DAVID GLUCKMAN: Pretty Italian car makes big promises and will probably deliver on about three quarters of them. I think that will still be enough for me. JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: I'm really intrigued by the Giulia. It looks great, sounds awesome, and I'm expecting it to have a load more character than its German rivals. I hope I'm not disappointed. 3rd Place – JAGUAR F-PACE View 15 Photos GREG MIGLIORE: It's the first SUV for Jaguar, and I think they nailed the design, capability, and electronics. It's the right car at the right time.