Every year, each Formula One team on the grid designs a brand-new car and builds a handful of them for use at grands prix around the world. So what happens to the old ones? Well, the less important ones might get scrapped, unfortunately. The more important ones might find their way into museum collections. But then there’s a whole class of collectors who buy them for use at historic racing events or private track days.

Those collectors lust after opportunities like this one: to own a grand prix-winning car driven by a World Champion for a team no less celebrated than Scuderia Ferrari. This 1974 Ferrari 312 B3 was the very same that Niki Lauda drove to the checkered flag at the Dutch Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix that year. And while it would have been worth more if those races had helped Lauda secure the championship that year, unfortunately, a series of DNFs relegated him to fourth place in the standings, returning the following year to win his first title.

Just the same, the car is now based in California, has been fully backed and certified by the factory, and is on sale now on eBay Motors with a starting bid of .25 million. Check it out in the image gallery and follow the link to the auction page for a closer look. Thinking of bidding? Be quick about it – there’s mere hours left on the auction.

eBay Find of the Day: Niki Lauda’s race-winning 1974 Ferrari 312 B3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve come to expect varying levels of insanity from eBay Motors. The site is like a magnet for the one-off, the strange and the bizarre, which is part of why we love it. This machine is no different. Based on an unspecified 1974 Lincoln, the vehicle has received a full cosmetic makeover in the image of a Bugatti. Which Bugatti? The owner isn’t saying, but there’s no mistaking what lurks behind that big hoop grille as a French creation.

Now, we typically cringe at the over-application of fiberglass in any custom vehicle, which is part of what makes this Bug/Lincoln hybrid unique. The owner says that each body panel is crafted from aluminum, meaning that there are no seams, cracks, or, for that matter, rust. While not to our tastes, this creative rebody seems to have been done to a significantly higher standard than most of these sorts of misadventures. Either way, it isn’t immediately clear if this is a one-off, or if someone built a small run of these things.

Inside, the interior has been given the mohair treatment along with a set of “European gauges.” The castrated 460-cubic-inch V8 from the Lincoln is still tucked behind the headlights, but the engine is now concealed by a butterfly hood which should make working on the lump even more difficult than before. Wonders never cease. Head over to eBay Motors for a closer look. As of the time of writing, the auction carries a Buy It Now price of ,950, but prospective buyers are welcome to make an offer.

eBay Find of the Day: 1974 Lincoln-based ‘Bugatti’ is a piece of work originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Volvo 240 – and in particular, the five-door version known to fanatics as the 245 – is a certified classic. Its boxy shape, well-earned reputation for safety and cult status among collectors means this Swedish Brick will forever be on our radar as a memorable machine. And, for what its worth, this author owned a gold example for a number of years.

If there’s one thing the 245 is not known for, it’s speed. Sure, you could get a turbocharged version of Volvo’s ubiquitous B-series “Redblock” four cylinder, but that really only made the brick acceptable. For some real speed, some enthusiasts turn to classic American V8s. Others, like the man behind the menacing subject of the video pasted after the break, look a bit further outside the box (pun sadly intended).

Specifically, we’re honing in on an old Volvo wagon fitted with a 2JE-GTE engine that was likely lifted from a twin-turbocharged Toyota Supra. With dual-overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and an air-to-air intercooler, this inline six is known to tuners as a beast just waiting to be unleashed. And in this case, the Volvo-bodied beast is preying on an unsuspecting BMW M5 sedan. See the action in the video after the break.

Continue reading Quick Brick: 1974 Volvo 240 Wagon races an M5

Quick Brick: 1974 Volvo 240 Wagon races an M5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A man in Bloomfield Township, Michigan was trying to start his 1974 Lamborghini Espada when the car caught fire in the garage of a house he had just sold. Thankfully the man was unhurt and was able to get his mother and dog out of the house before the fire gutted the lower level and garage.

The new owner had closed on the house a week earlier. Firefighters said the first floor of the house was a total loss and the second story sustained heavy smoke damage. The classic Lambo was toast. Nobody’s sure what exactly caused the car to ignite, but we’d guess carburetors and notoriously faulty electronics have something to do with it. You can watch news coverage of the Lambo inferno after the jump.

[Source: Detroit Action News]

Continue reading Video: Fire destroys 1974 Lamborghini Espada

Video: Fire destroys 1974 Lamborghini Espada originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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