Hemmings Daily: Rotary rocket - Mazda RX-7 Evolution Group B Works

1985 Mazda RX-7 Evolution. Photos by Rowan Horncastle, courtesy RM Sotheby's. The World Rally Championship's Group B era lasted just four seasons, but the intense competition and inherent danger made it more popular than Formula 1 among fans. Manufacturers such as Audi, Lancia, Peugeot, and Ford spared no expense in developing competitive cars, but that's not to say that every team had an unlimited budget. In 1984 and 1985, the Mazda Rally Team Europe (MRTE) campaigned an RX-7 built with limited help from Japan [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, August 25, 2017 [Rotary rocket - Mazda RX-7 Evolution Group B Works]( [Rotary rocket - Mazda RX-7 Evolution Group B Works]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1985 Mazda RX-7 Evolution. Photos by Rowan Horncastle, courtesy RM Sotheby's. The World Rally Championship's Group B era lasted just four seasons, but the intense competition and inherent danger made it more popular than Formula 1 among fans. Manufacturers such as Audi, Lancia, Peugeot, and Ford spared no expense in developing competitive cars, but that's not to say that every team had an unlimited budget. In 1984 and 1985, the Mazda Rally Team Europe (MRTE) campaigned an RX-7 built with limited help from Japan... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix for sale. From the seller's description: This is a a true survivor Grand Prix that has only 3,996 original miles! This car was purchased new at Clement Auto in Fort Dodge, Iowa and has spent it's life parked inside under a cover. The original Athena Blue Poly is in beautiful condition and the White Bucket Seats look brand new......well they practically are. This car still wears the original Uniroyal Tires and is equipped with the 6.6 400 cid engine. Here's a chance to step back in time and o...[Read More]( [Does this weekend mark the 150th anniversary of the first auto race?]( [Does this weekend mark the 150th anniversary of the first auto race?]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Not the 1867 racer. Image courtesy Grace's Guide. Lore holds that the first automobile race took place after the second automobile was built. The historical record, however, shows that nearly a century lapsed from the invention of the self-propelled motor carriage to the first documented race, which took place 150 years ago this month. Or so argues steam-car researcher Karl Petersen. Several years ago Petersen, a steam-car builder himself, happened upon a brief mention of Isaac Watt Boulton's involvement in a ...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Lonnie Isam Jr., founder of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run, dead at age 48]( [Lonnie Isam Jr., founder of the Motorcycle Cannonball Run, dead at age 48]( Posted by Jim O'Clair - Lonnie James Isam, Jr. Photo courtesy Felicia Morgan. Lonnie James Isam, Jr., best known for being the motivating force behind, and the organizer of, the Motorcycle Cannonball semi-annual cross-country ride died on August 20 after a long battle with cancer. Lonnie became infatuated with everything old, including motorcycles, during his teen years. He enjoyed buying old broken-down bikes and rebuilding them, selling them to afford more bikes in need of repair. He was also quite versed in motorcycling history an...[Read More]( [1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire promo film... in color!]( [1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire promo film... in color!]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - Still image from video below. I briefly discussed my interest in the 1962 and 1963 turbocharged Oldsmobile Jetfire in Five reasons why I want these five 1960s GM compacts for the Hemmings Daily back on February 22, 2016. Kurt Ernst also presented them in Cars of Futures Past 1962-1963 Oldsmobile Jetfire posted on April 18, 2013. Recently, I discovered an additional route by which fans of these forward-thinking Oldsmobiles can enjoy them - via this 14-minute color promo film on the 1962 Jetfire. While wat...[Read More]( [Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1956]( [Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1956]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1956 Location: South Stratford Road, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Source: Forsyth County Public Library, courtesy Winston-Salem Time Traveler What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO] Seller Listings [Learn More]( [1939 Ford Super Deluxe]( [1939 Ford Super Deluxe $79,500]( [1956 Ford Fairlane]( [1956 Ford Fairlane $45,990]( [1988 Porsche 911]( [1988 Porsche 911 $77,500]( [1971 Chevrolet Chevelle]( [1971 Chevrolet Chevelle $72,500]( [1971 Chevrolet Malibu]( [1971 Chevrolet Malibu $12,950]( [2018 Piaggio MP3]( [2018 Piaggio MP3 $9,199]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 8/25/1921: "Six Cylinder Love," first full-length play about the automobile, opens, N.Y.C. UPCOMING EVENTS [Rods on the Bluff]( September 1, 2017 - Fresno, CA [Free 4th Annual Baltria Car Show]( September 1, 2017 - Saint Charles, IL [Downtown Oxford First Friday Car Show]( September 1, 2017 - Oxford, PA [30TH Annual Roanoke Valley Mopar Show]( September 1, 2017 - Salem, VA [Don Schumacher Racing Open House, Car & Bike Show]( September 1, 2017 - Brownsburg, IN [2017 ACPA Bickleton Car Show]( September 2, 2017 - Bickleton, WA [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor]( [1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster]( [1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster]( [$52,500]( [1957 Ford]( [1957 Ford]( [$28,500]( [1969 Mercury Cougar]( [1969 Mercury Cougar]( [$14,500]( [1950 Packard Deluxe]( [1950 Packard Deluxe]( [$12,250]( [1966 MG Midget]( [1966 MG Midget]( [$7,000]( [1973 Plymouth Duster]( [1973 Plymouth Duster]( [$21,000]( [2010 Dodge Viper]( [2010 Dodge Viper]( [$72,900]( [1939 LaSalle]( [1939 LaSalle]( [$60,000]( PROMOTED LISTING [1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL]( [1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL]( [$16,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1937 Ford Deluxe]( [1937 Ford Deluxe]( [Auction]( [Rebuilt 283 V8 Engine for a 1957 Chevy - GM 3731548]( [Rebuilt 283 V8 Engine for a 1957 Chevy - GM 3731548]( [$1,900]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [27 Pontiacs and 27 Tempests were awarded in General Mills "Big G" cereal contests for 1961]( [27 Pontiacs and 27 Tempests were awarded in General Mills 'Big G' cereal contests for 1961]( [ZCON, the annual celebration of the Datsun and Nissan Z, celebrates 30 years]( [ZCON, the annual celebration of the Datsun and Nissan Z, celebrates 30 years]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, August 24, 2017 [Mannix's puller: Barris-built Oldsmobile Toronado roadster heads to auction]( [Mannix's puller: Barris-built Oldsmobile Toronado roadster heads to auction]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos courtesy Dragone Auctions. Most TV shows get at most one chance to introduce a cool hero car: the A-Team van, KITT, and the Batmobile all pulled solo duty on their respective shows. Not so with the Mike Connors detective show "Mannix," which included a pair of custom cars for the title character, the first of which will head to auction next month. While Joe Mannix drove a series of stock FoMoCo products through the first few episodes of the first season, show producers decided partway through the season...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 Volvo 240DL]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1988 Volvo 240DL]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Original unrestored 1988 Volvo 240DL for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Very rare 5-speed with 115,000 original miles that is a well maintained and much loved car by both owners (I am the second owner). Originally a Seattle car, she now resides in sunny Southern California. No accidents, no rust, never smoked in. Mostly original, I had the car resprayed in factory color in 2016 as the paint had faded. Everything works extremely well. The car has passed California smog and is registered through...[Read More]( [Porsche 917K used in filming of "Le Mans" sets marque record at Pebble Beach]( [Porsche 917K used in filming of 'Le Mans' sets marque record at Pebble Beach]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Porsche 917K, chassis 917-024, sells for a hammer price of $12.8 million, $14.08 million with fees. Photo by Jensen Sutta, copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Porsche's legendary 917K is a racing car that needs no introduction, but oddly enough one of the most famous examples never actually won a race. Instead, chassis 917-024 was instrumental in the filming of Steve McQueen's 1971 epic, Le Mans, serving as both a camera car and a featured racing car. On August 18, 917-024 achieved yet another vi...[Read More]( [Reminiscing - My old black Chevrolet]( [Reminiscing - My old black Chevrolet]( Posted by Richard Lentinello - 1936 Chevrolet Standard Town Sedan. Brochure image courtesy of Lov2XLR8.no. I got my first car, a black 1936 Chevrolet two-door sedan, when I was 18 years old just after I started junior college. I was working part time as a boxboy (sacker) at a local supermarket about a mile from home. In those days, we often carried the groceries out to a customer's car, even on cold snowy days. And sometimes we got a quarter tip. A few times I talked with a lady customer who drove an old Chevrolet, and one day I asked her ...[Read More]( [Los Angeles, 1961]( [Los Angeles, 1961]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1961 Location: Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, California Source: USC Libraries via The Old Motor What do you see here? ...[Read More]( Wednesday, August 23, 2017 [A Duesenberg with a south-of-the-border history stars in Auburn sale]( [A Duesenberg with a south-of-the-border history stars in Auburn sale]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ sweep panel phaeton by LaGrande. Photos by Darin Schnabel, courtesy Auctions America. LaGrande, Duesenberg's in-house coachbuilder, constructed a total of 11 "sweep panel" phaetons on the long wheelbase Duesenberg J chassis, and of these, just three left the factory with supercharged engines. One of these three, chassis 2540, spent 24 years south of the border, earning the nickname the "Mexico City SJ." On September 2, this remarkably original and well-documented 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Ford Falcon Futura convertible]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1964 Ford Falcon Futura convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: For sale: 1964 Ford Falcon Futura Convertible. "Nice Car!" If I had a dollar for every time someone has told me that, I could retire. Same owner for last 30 years. Very good condition. 289 ci V-8, 4 speed top-loader transmission with new clutch Engine was professionally re-built with balance crank & hardened valve seats. Power white top and original AM radio and chrome hubcaps. Am/FM/CD player with 4 hidden speakers. Top, rear window and motor in good condition. ...[Read More]( ["Cheap and cheerful" Aston Martin DB4GT prototype sets record for model in Monterey]( ['Cheap and cheerful' Aston Martin DB4GT prototype sets record for model in Monterey]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT prototype, DP199. Photos by Tim Scott, courtesy RM Sothebys. Aston Martin's DB4 was revealed to the public at the London Motor Show in September 1958, but, by then, the British automaker was already half a year into the development of a racing variant. The DB4GT had to be "cheap and cheerful," in the words of Aston Martin team manager John Wyer, but the 1959 DB4GT prototype sold by RM Sothebys last weekend proved anything but the former, selling for a fee-inclusive $6.77 million to become ...[Read More]( [Biggest Crosley engine meets smallest possible place to put it]( [Biggest Crosley engine meets smallest possible place to put it]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos courtesy Crosley Automobile Club. You all know Paul Gorrell by now. Built that Crosley sign-turned-scooter. Owns the most complete collection of Crosley prototypes. His latest creation remains firmly in the Crosley camp but takes a few hard left turns to get there. First, it's another scooter, specifically a Doodle Bug, built in the postwar years by Beam Manufacturing Company and sold through Gambles stores under the Hiawatha brand name. Not a Crosley. However, where its 1-1/2hp Briggs and Stratton engi...[Read More]( [Mexico City, 1950s]( [Mexico City, 1950s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1956 to 1960 Location: Mexico City, Mexico Source: photos by Jimmy Macri, courtesy Francesca Steele, who writes Recently I acquired several boxes of Ektachrome slide transparencies that had been shot by my grandfather during his life in Mexico. He was a quiet, reserved gentleman, and lived in the little village of Zakapu, 223 miles west of Mexico City. He had worked as an engineer for the American Cyanamid Company, had a company car and a Kodak Retina II. My mother tells me that on his days off...[Read More]( Tuesday, August 22, 2017 ["Original Venice Crew" announces limited run of licensed 1965 Shelby G.T.350Rs]( ['Original Venice Crew' announces limited run of licensed 1965 Shelby G.T.350Rs]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - The "Original Venice Crew" of (L to R) Peter Brock, Jim Marietta, and Ted Sutton pose with a continuation Shelby G.T. 350R. Photos courtesy OVC Mustang unless otherwise noted. Launched in 1965, the Shelby G.T. 350R the competition version of the Shelby G.T. 350 went on to capture SCCA B Production Championships in 1965, 1966 and 1967. As good as it was, those building the original car the Original Venice Crew (OVC), as they've come to call themselves believed it could be better. Now, a limited p...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1966 Lancia Flavia PF coupe]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1966 Lancia Flavia PF coupe]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: This 1966 Lancia Flavia 1500 was purchased by my father at Tom Masono Motors in Reading Pennsylvania in March 1971. It had been advertised as a beautiful gray 2-door hardtop . . . absolutely like new inside and out. We still have the original newspaper add. He traded in his 1961 NSU Prinz and, according to the registration, my father became the Lancia's fourth owner. The Lancia then had 79,260km or 49,249 miles. My father chased down the original owner, said to be one Dr. Mor...[Read More]( [Restored, original-drivetrain 289 Cobra cracks the top-10 at Bonhams Quail Lodge sale]( [Restored, original-drivetrain 289 Cobra cracks the top-10 at Bonhams Quail Lodge sale]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra, CSX2328. Photos courtesy Bonhams. Launched in 1962, Carroll Shelby's Cobras quickly earned a reputation as fast and fearsome in competition, yet not every Cobra delivered turned a wheel in anger. CSX2328, a 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra, was configured as a well-equipped driver, delivering thrills to its owners on road, not track. Restored to near-original condition in recent years, the Cobra sold for a fee-inclusive $1,089,000, enough to enter the top-10 at Bonham's Quail Lodge sale. Orig...[Read More]( [A look back at a '60s stock-car survivor]( [A look back at a '60s stock-car survivor]( Posted by David Conwill - No. 67, seen here in the summer of 1964, raced from 1961 to 1965. Images courtesy Ken Gypson. Back in 1960, when Paul Leinbohm took aside a classmate to ask if her father could be persuaded to part with a 1937 Ford "flatback" Tudor from his junkyard, he likely had no idea that the jalopy stock car he wanted to build would survive the next 57 years and become a treasured collectible. As it happens, Paul never got to enjoy his car on the track. After handing over $50 for a complete, running V-8/60-powered Tudor,...[Read More]( [Sebring, Florida, 1967]( [Sebring, Florida, 1967]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1967 Location: Sebring, Florida Source: Jim and Chester's Garage What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, August 21, 2017 [Boattail 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer takes Best of Show at 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]( [Boattail 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer takes Best of Show at 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Bruce McCaw's 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer. Photos by Kimball Studios, courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. And then there were three: Staged on the lawn at Pebble Beach, awaiting the announcement of Best of Show, a 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer owned by Bruce McCaw sat lined up with a 1957 Ferrari 315 S Scaglietti Spyder, owned by Bruce's brother, John, and his wife, Gwen, and a 1932 Packard Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria, owned by William E. "Chip" Connor. Only one could be Best of S...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1984 Dodge Caravan]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1984 Dodge Caravan]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Original, well-preserved two-owner 1984 Dodge Caravan for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This is one of the cleanest original Dodge Caravans you will ever have the opportunity to own. 1984 was the first year for this award winning radical design that shook the entire auto industry and suddenly had everyone trying to create their own mini-van and catch up to Lee Iacocca's 'New Chrysler Corporation". This is a true survivor, exceptional condition, that has had only two owners who pampered her an...[Read More]( [Gordon Murray to celebrate 50 years of automotive design]( [Gordon Murray to celebrate 50 years of automotive design]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Gordon Murray poses with the Global Vehicle Trust OX, one of his more recent creations. Photos courtesy Gordon Murray Design, unless otherwise noted. Over the course of his five-decade career, Gordon Murray has designed everything from Formula 1 cars to a flat-pack truck named OX, meant to deliver affordable mobility to developing nations. Best known, perhaps, for his role in developing the McLaren F1, which redefined the supercar upon its 1991 introduction, Murray will be celebrating 50 years of automotive innov...[Read More]( [A special celebration of 50 years behind the wheel of a 1961 Corvette]( [A special celebration of 50 years behind the wheel of a 1961 Corvette]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - All images are courtesy of Burton Hall. Event photography is by John Currens. On Sunday the morning of July 16th, I celebrated owning my 1961 Corvette for 50 years. Gathering at sunrise around the local and still original Dairy Queen, 50 friends joined me to pose with their cars for my car photo for the ages. Burton, with girlfriend Elaine Larsson in the 1961, plus a celebratory group of car guys and car gals. It all began 50 years ago in the 1967 Summer of Love. That summer witnessed Th...[Read More]( [Norway, 1960s]( [Norway, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: possibly Oslo, certainly Norway Source: via VWVortex What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, August 20, 2017 [The Fiat 1400, as interpreted by coachbuilders]( [The Fiat 1400, as interpreted by coachbuilders]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - Following a then all-important tradition, the 1400 was the starting point for a wide array of specially built cars, cars made by the so-called carrozzieri: albeit the latest Fiat adopted a monocoque platform that could be seen as a contradiction in term for the making of fuoriserie, many reasons conjured up to make possible that so many creations were eventually built. Those were times of challenges and troubles for many revered names in the Italian body-building realm, and also some newcomers, despite juvenile ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 Lincoln Continental Mk III]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1970 Lincoln Continental Mk III]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1970 Lincoln Mark III loaded w/ many options. Automatic headlamps w/ dimming, pwr trunk release, ps, pb, pw, cruise, pwr antenna, A/C, 6 way seats, black exterior, red interior. Correct in every way. All documentation since day one! Window stickers, all factory manuals and brochures, etc.. Autronic eye, suree track rear michelin double striped white wall radials. 29k documented miles, NC cllimate control garage kept. Wears 69 wheel covers but original 70's come with purchase. ...[Read More]( [Four Links - solar eclipse at Carhenge, Millennial collectors, Oldsmobile J-TR concept, steel turret tops]( [Four Links - solar eclipse at Carhenge, Millennial collectors, Oldsmobile J-TR concept, steel turret tops]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Carhenge, by Chris M. Morris. The U.S. is currently in the grip of eclipse mania, as the first visible solar eclipse in nearly a this century will cut a swath from Oregon to South Carolina on Monday, August 21. In Nebraska, one of the prime viewing sites will be Carhenge, and the town of Alliance, Nebraska, is pulling out the stops to host visitors. The state's governor will be there for the viewing, and the celebration includes concerts, a softball tournament, a Native American powwow, and a not-to-be-missed l...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1948 Buick Roadmaster]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1948 Buick Roadmaster]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Flxible-built 1948 Buick Roadmaster funeral car for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Buick-Flxible premier funeral car with three way turntable. Only 29 made, as far as we can find out the last one left. Model FB27-748M. Body #16008 delivered to WS Mann & Company in Burlington, Kansas on September 24, 1948. The Buick frame number is 14912699 and the engine number was 51061997. Engine is gone, fender skirts are gone, otherwise very complete. Very solid except for some rust in driver side floo...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Carroll Shelby's Ford homecoming - the 2004 Shelby Cobra Concept]( [Carroll Shelby's Ford homecoming - the 2004 Shelby Cobra Concept]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 2004 Shelby Cobra Concept. Photos courtesy Ford Motor Company. In the 1960s, Carroll Shelby and Ford were indelibly linked, but the relationship had soured by the mid-1970s. After a few years of lending his name to Mopar products, Ford lured Shelby back to the blue oval in 2003, and the first re-collaboration between Ford and Shelby, the Shelby Cobra Concept, debuted to the public at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. On November 3, this functional (but not street legal) prototype will be offered for sale to the public ...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Open Diff: Tool chest or black hole?]( [Open Diff: Tool chest or black hole?]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Photo by author. I have a confession to make: I am a tool hoarder. Were I loyal to one brand of automobile or motorcycle, or even a single nationality, this would pose less of a problem, but over the course of three-and-a-half decades driving or riding vehicles from around the globe, I've amassed quite a collection of single- or limited-purpose tools. Take my collection of oil-filter wrenches, for example. There are strap wrenches of varying sizes and articulation, supplemented by slip-on cups of every size....[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.