There's a brand-new Beetle parked near my house that is black with those chrome dog-dish wheels. It's a really good look, and very convincingly retro-looking on the Gen2 new Beetle.

Condolences to Mr. Duran's family.

Condolences to Mr. Duran's family.

For what it's worth, the Formula 1 AAR Eagles did NOT have American engines - The founder (Dan Gurney) was American, but the engines were built in England by Weslake. The engines were a major weak point of the car its generally poor reliability. In fact, the F1 Eagles were built in the UK, while their indy car…

Isn't it true that a lot of Japanese-brand distribution networks still work on allocation, even though the big sellers (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru) all have US production for the volume models? If there are a lot of dealers restricted on allocation, that might explain why they hoard inventory.

You've just summarized my attitude towards NYC - It's a great place if you're filthy rich, but it would be a hellhole place to live otherwise. For most people, it's best regarded as a nice place just to visit.

More chassis history here - Serial numbers were often switched by Porsche to expedite customs, this one had it serial number swapped with 917-017:

Looks like it's the 1971 Le Mans winner, 917-053. That car had a magnesium frame.

Yes, I've read that too. Photo documentation of that kluged-together tail seems to be scarce, the one photo I recall seeing didn't show much detail and is rather grainy.

There were only four (really three) GT40's used by the Gulf team in '68-'69, so it's a very thinly traded market. The one that went for $11M had later been used as a camera car for Steve McQueen's Le Mans movie, so the association with McQueen added to its value.

It's not like they really expected it to be used, it's just that there were rules requiring it. Although- Vic Elford did win the Targa Florio in 1968 driving on the spare tire taken from his 907.

During most of 1969, the handling was terrible because of the lack of downforce from the tail. Ferdinand Piech insisted on low drag at all costs.

During most of 1969, the handling was terrible because of the lack of downforce from the tail. Ferdinand Piech insisted on low drag at all costs.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly for people unfamiliar with his books.

"You're taxed on income, not net worth: The IRS is interested in how much you make, not how much you have."

Don't try to time the stock market - If you have money to invest, and you're young, just put it in and index fund and leave it along for a few decades. Time and long-term market trends are your friends.

Don't try to time the stock market - If you have money to invest, and you're young, just put it in and index fund and leave it along for a few decades. Time and long-term market trends are your friends.

Don't try to time the stock market - If you have money to invest, and you're young, just put it in and index fund and leave it along for a few decades. Time and long-term market trends are your friends.

Solid gold would weigh too much and be too soft.

Back when it happened, I recall someone commenting about the poor care that led to Michael Jackson's death. Somebody who said they worked in the medical field said something to the effect that celebrities typically do NOT get good medical care, contrary to what you might expect.