Objects of Desire: Limited Edition Alfa Art

Aerodynamic Heart by Andras Baranyai

Untitled by Frau GrauRed Car by Tilo GöbelFor the true Alfisti there are some really incredible works of art and graphic design on an Alfa theme available for purchase at this official website:

ALFA ROMEO ART

Objects of Desire: Car Books of the 1970s

There's something I just love about car books of the 1970s.  They are often just packed so densely with archival photos and detailed history, plus the layout design is often really cool. They usually have a great old-book smell, too.  I think the 70s was the golden age of car publishing, when printing technology was good enough to make affordable books with tons of high quality photos (many 1960's books have lousy printing quality, especially in color), and when the market really was open -for whatever reason- to geeky books about automotive arcania.  The historians of the 70s took their job seriously, and fortunately for us, the protagonists of the 20 century's motoring history tended to still be alive and accessible in that era, providing a lot of great first-hand accounts of racing and automotive history which are increasingly hard to obtain today now that folks are dying off, or just tired of being interviewed.

In today's landscape of auto books, things have increasingly polarized.  At one end are the high-end glossy art books with stellar photography, beautiful layout and mind-blowing printing quality, but often light on substance. Then there are the car geek books full of B/W photos and chassis numbers, but these usually are written by passionate amateurs and hobbyists for small imprints, and have low standards of layout and printing. Many of the color photos will be taken by the author at historic racing meets, and aren't of high artistic quality. It's rare in today's book market to see a book like those from the 70s that combines all the best of historical rigor and depth, great photography and layout, all in a beautiful and satisfying package.  Fortunately for all of us, such special books are still being produced from time to time, and we'll have a review of one next week! Stay tuned!

Lancia Delta HF Integrale for sale -- In NYC!

I'm filing this baby under "objects of desire."  Whoever takes this car home is in for a lot of TLC and some degree of aggravation finding parts because the car definitely needs some work. But boy is this ever a cool car, hyper rare to see in North America. The next owner is going to have an absolute blast once this thing is sorted!  Along with the GTV6, the Delta Integrale it is the quintessential 80s Italian "Muscle Car."  Unlike the GTV6, though, the Lancia has a staggering record of Rally championships to give it ultimate cachet. The car is available here on ebay. Currrent bid is 13K with the reserve unmet. Not bad for legally titled car you can't get anywhere. These photos appear to have been taken in TriBeca.

Object of Desire: NOS Heuer Chronograph Store Display

Found this awesome photo on my favorite vintage watch collector site.  The gentleman who posted it was particularly proud of his New Old Stock Heuer store display set, featuring a photo of Niki Lauda in the Ferrari.  Very cool indeed.  Not to mention his breathtaking collection of watches and NOS boxes, which are also extremely rare.  In this shot there are 3 Silverstone Chronographs (!), the famous Monaco and Siffert Autavia models, as well as the Montreal and Jarama.  All in all very impressive! If only he had a Monza to complete the family portrait!

via On the Dash forum

Object of Desire: Halda SpeedPilot

   You have already heard me wax poetic about Heuer Monte Carlo dashboard timers a while back, but here is a very interesting device from the same time period, used as an onboard time-speed-distance computer for rally and trial events.  The Halda SpeedPilot is a fascinating Swedish-made timing enhancement device that I would love to fit in my Lancia Fulvia HF some day...when I eventually get a Fulvia HF, that is...

The upper photo I took of a Halda inside a vintage Alfa GTA, but they were also commonly found in Minis, Escorts, and other 1960s rally cars.

Priced in-period as a $95.00 add-on, the SpeedPilot is considerably more valuable today.  There is a nice example available on ebay right now if anyone's interested! Only 800 bucks!