What if I told you that there was a supercar from the 1980s that cost less than the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa and could outrun them both on a race track? And what if I told you that this car could also yield 30 miles per gallon? You would probably think I was crazy.
Well, such a car does exist and in theory, it sounds fantastic. However, there is just one drawback to the Mosler Consulier GTP…the way it looks.
One of my favorite things about Barrett-Jackson is coming across all of the weird, limited-production, boutique cars that you just never see anywhere else. The Mosler Raptor GTR is a perfect example of this.
Started in the mid-1980s, Mosler Automotive has been the side project of hedge fund manager Warren Mosler. Unfortunately, the company seems to have dissolved in 2013. The Riviera Beach, Florida-based company made a variety of cars for the street and for the track, and one of these was the Raptor GTR.
The history of the automobile in America is filled with dreamers who saw an existing car or idea and thought to themselves “I can do better.” People such as Henry Kaiser, John DeLorean, Malcolm Bricklin, Henrik Fisker, and countless others held that dream for a short time, only to watch it slip through their fingers. Starting a car company is really, really hard to do – even for those who are blessed with talent, ideas, money, and a whole lot of luck.
Enter Jeff Lemke, an entrepreneur from Holly, Michigan (a small town about 50 miles outside of Detroit). Lemke has years of experience in building aftermarket parts for Dodge Vipers. In 2009, he decided he wanted to do his own car and started a company called Falcon Motorsports.
Several years ago, there was a small automotive shop by my house in Phoenix called Exklusiv Motorsports that specialized in modifying Volkswagens. They had a pair of these big red trucks outside, so one day I took a picture of them. It wasn’t until recently that I learned how rare these things are!
These double-cab Volkswagens were sold in Northern Europe as very basic work trucks, but the TriStars were top-of-the-line models with full interiors, cruise control, power windows, heated seats, and armrests. Even rarer still, both of these trucks are the Synchro models (4WD)!
I’ve always thought myself to be a bit of a third generation Camaro aficionado. This would be the 1982-92 run of cars that were the perfect combination of sport and style. What the first year models lacked in power, they made up for in good looks and great handling. Don’t believe me? Ask that car god you hipsters all pray to: Jeremy Clarkson.
By 1983, the Camaro came with the 190hp 305-cubic inch L69. It’s classic combination of a 4bbl carb, hot cam, a good set of heads, and a manual transmission brought the lowly, five-liter, Chevy mill out of malaise-era limbo. From then on, the Camaro just got more bad ass as each year passed.
1983 was also the year for this strange, Ferrari 308-looking, coach-bodied 3rd gen, called the Stiletto. As you can see from the craigslist ad (or click here for a screenshot) it’s obviously strange, different and well-kept. I don’t know if that translates to being rare in the sense of being valuable, but it certainly is something you’ll probably never see again. Strangely enough, I came across this simply searching for “camaro” under our local phoenix craigslist.
Although the previously mentioned 190hp L69 was the hottest engine at the time, I assume they chose to use the lesser 165hp LU5 crossfire because it looks cooler and was more “futuristic” in it’s time because of it’s dual throttle-body setup. I’m sure that eventually it will be an engine people remember fondly, but like other people approaching their thirties with a car-loving parent I was taught that “Crossfire” will always be synonymous with “Piece of Shit”.
At $25,000 they only want half as much as the 1LE that we saw the year before last at the Imperial Palace car museum. I’ll let you be the judge on whether that price is a bargain. Hopefully we cross paths with this ultra rare third gen at next year’s Barrett Jackson, which is just around the corner. Until then, enjoy the rest of these pictures from the craigslist ad.
There is a gathering in Scottsdale on the first Saturday of each month called Cars and Coffee. This informal car show is open to all makes and models of vehicles, so you never know what might roll in.
It was here that I first spied the Hudson Italia, not knowing how rare or valuable it was. I kicked myself later for not taking more pictures of it. Well, I made the same mistake with this car. Not recognizing it, I foolishly took a single picture and moved on. Now I wish I had taken more!
This huge sedan is an Iso Rivolta S4 Fidia, and its claim to fame is that it briefly held the title of “World’s Fastest Four-Seater” in the late 1960s. Only of these cars 192 were built, so it’s pretty damn rare!
