1936 Ford Hotrod on 2040-cars

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Seinfeld's Porsches, '61 Ferrari lead the way at Gooding Amelia Island sale

If you're in the market for a sports car with celebrity provenance or just an incredibly well-preserved high-performance machine, then you'll want to check out Gooding & Company's Amelia Island auction in Florida on March 11. The highlight of the sale is likely 18 cars, mostly Porsches, from Jerry Seinfeld's collection, but there's more to see than just the comedian's sporting metal. While several of Seinfeld's cars carry auction estimates in the millions, they aren't the most valuable at the sale. That honor falls on a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, which could sell for between $15 million and $17 million. This one is among the 37 examples with covered headlights, and it has some theatrical provenance after appearing in the Sophia Loren film Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. If your tastes skew more American, then one of 31 Ford GT40 MKI road cars is also among the lots. Gooding expects the rare coupe to sell for between $3.2 million and $3.6 million. Ford originally used this GT40 for dealer promotions, but it eventually fell into private hands. Even today, its multiple owners have only covered around 3,200 miles in it. Gooding also expects a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe with a body by Murphy to bring $2.5 million to $3 million. The auction house claims this might be the "most original" example left because of a history of owners who kept it for long periods – and the vehicle never needed a complete restoration. Some lots carry more attainable estimates like $35,000 for a 1962 MGA. You can check out all the listings on Gooding's online catalog and some of the highlights in the gallery above. You've probably read the news about Seinfeld's Porsches, but here's a refresher: The collection includes amazing cars like a 550 Spyder, 917/30 Can-Am Spyder, and a 718 RSK. Related Video:

Ford recalls 2020-21 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, 2021 E-Series

Ford announced safety recalls for the 2020-2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator along with the 2021 E-Series early Monday. The recalls address entirely different issues.  In the case of the 2020-2021 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, that issue is motor mount hardware. Specifically, the fasteners that secure the passenger-side motor mount may back out. In Ford's words, this can result in a "loss of power," which is the entirely predictable result of an engine parting ways with the vehicle it powers.  As alarming as that may sound, owners should not have to worry about anything extreme, as the passenger side mount is only one of multiple, and Ford says it is not aware of any incidents that have occurred with vehicles in customer hands. Ford says it impacts only about 1400 examples of the Explorer and Aviator in the States (plus two in Mexico and 65 in Canada) that were built at Chicago Assembly Plant between July 28 and 30, 2020. Ford is in the process of alerting its owners to the recall, and those with affected models will have their mount hardware replaced by their local Ford dealerships free of charge.  The 2021 E-Series is being recalled for a potential heat management issue resulting from improperly aligned thermal insulation on the underside of its engine cover. In vehicles where this insulation was not properly installed so that it reaches all the way to the edges of the cover, the resulting heat bleed can cause high in-cabin surface temperatures, and direct contact them could result in burns.  This is the larger of the two recalls, as Ford says it covers nearly 33,000 examples sold in the United States and Canada. Fortunately, as with the above issue, Ford says it has not been made aware of any customer incidents. Ford says the remedy is a set of insulation patches for the exposed areas.  Related Video:

Feds looking into Ford Explorer exhaust leak complaints

There may be a burgeoning problem with exhaust leaks in the 2011-2014 model year Ford Explorer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining multiple complaints of a gasoline smell in the cabin of these SUVs. However, the exact cause of this problem is still unknown.
"The agency is reviewing all available data and will take appropriate action as warranted," said a NHTSA spokesperson in an email to Automotive News. Owners seem to generally complain on the regulator's website of the smell entering the cabin through the air vents. At this time, the government organization has not yet opened an official investigation into the problem, though. When it does begin inspecting vehicles, NHTSA posts a detailed breakdown of its public data online.
Similar problems have been reported about the Explorer in the past, though. In 2013, Ford issued a recall for the 2013 model year of the SUV due to a fuel leak that could cause drivers to smell a gasoline odor and repaired them again later for another possible leak. In response to Autoblog's questions, Ford responded via email: "We are not aware of a NHTSA investigation. We are currently reviewing the case and in the event that any action is required, we will address it promptly."