6 Coolest Cars From Greenwich Concours Europa
It's time to geek out on some ultra rare cars from the 20th Greenwich Concours Europa. Car enthusiasts flocked to the classic car event, with Sunday drawing such a big crowd that it was standing room only at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park. The show featured some obscure European cars, six of which were spotlighted by AutoWeek. Here's a glimpse at some of what stood out.
There are only a few of these left in the United States. In 1964, 200 cars were imported by Nissan to test out midsized sedans in the US. There's one model undergoing a restoration at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville.
These Russian cars were handmade at a factory in Moscow that was better known for its trucks. It served the top government officials of the time. The car, produced sporadically between 1978 and 2002, has seating for six. This one has recently been retrofitted with an original style government radio telephone system called "Kavkaz."
This true hybrid is considered the British cousin of the Maserati Mistral. It features an American engine, an Italian body and a British chassis. The car was expensive during its time, not only because of its high performance, but also because of its labor-intensive production process. This involved the chassis being shipped from the UK to Italy, where it received its body. Then it was shipped back for completion.
This car was literally ahead of its time. When it was built in the early 1960s, there were only a limited number of buyers interested in the coupe. In the late '80s, demand for the car inspired Aston Martin to make an additional four cars using the leftover chassis numbers. And so became the "Sanction II" cars.
One of these received best in show this year. There are only 17 models, with the last one produced in 1952. Although only in production for a short time, its soft lines influenced later 1950s Italian cars—and automotive design altogether.
