Rare European-American Classics Draw Interest at Lucky Collector Car Auction's Spring Classic
A curated group of rare and historically significant grand touring cars crossed the auction block at the Lucky Collector Car Auction's Spring Classic 2025, showcasing a unique blend of European design and American muscle.
Among the standout offerings was a 1963 Facel Vega Facel II, widely regarded as one of the most refined GTs of the era. With a Chrysler 383ci 'Typhoon' V8 under the hood and elegant red paintwork, this French-built grand tourer once boasted the title of "fastest four-seat coupe in the world." One of just 180 produced, this example featured a new leather interior and faux wood dash, and was presented in excellent condition with only 13,956 miles showing.
Another highlight was a 1953 Nash-Healey Roadster, one of only about 160 examples bodied by Italian design house Pinin Farina that year. A product of a rare transatlantic partnership between Nash-Kelvinator and British engineer Donald Healey, the car retains its original engine block and chassis numbers. The convertible, finished in white with a red interior and beige top, reflects an era of hand-built sports cars that predated even the Chevrolet Corvette.
Also featured was a 1974 Jensen Interceptor III Convertible, blending British craftsmanship and Italian style with raw American power. Fitted with a Chrysler 440 V8 and TorqueFlite automatic transmission, this Interceptor had been part of a museum collection since 1993. With Recaro seats and updated leather upholstery, the chocolate-toned convertible remains a stylish and rare find among 1970s GTs.
Rounding out the group was a 1958 Facel Vega FV3B, one of just 90 built. Although no longer fitted with its original Chrysler Hemi and manual transmission, the car retained its factory-correct grey-over-red color scheme. Now powered by a 340ci V8, it had traveled just six miles over the last 14 years, underscoring its preservation-focused care.
Together, these vehicles highlighted the golden age of international collaboration in the automotive world—where American horsepower met European elegance in unforgettable fashion.
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Los Angeles Times
25 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Indian businesses in SoCal brace for 25% tariff hike: ‘More expensive to do business day by day'
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Devraj Keray, the owner of Pioneer Cash & Carry, said some vendors already notified him that prices will go up 25% effective Monday. The business, which is one of the largest Indian grocery stores in California, will have to raise prices on imported Indian products. 'We'll have to pass that on to the consumer,' he said. 'There's not really any way around that.' The grocery store, which has two locations in Artesia, has been owned and operated by family since 1982. Keray said he anticipates customers will buy less, but they'll still need basic grocery items. 'People will cut back, so we'll feel a bit of a pinch,' he said. 'It's getting more and more expensive to do business day by day. It's not going to be easy for the smaller guys.' Artesia's Little India area is a cultural hub for the community, and it's one of the largest Indian enclaves in Southern California. Artesia City Councilmember Zeel Ahir said the strip of businesses along Pioneer Boulevard is the 'heart and soul' of the area for Indians. 'It provides a sense of warmth and a homely feeling to know that the goods that were available in India for some immigrants are available here as well,' said Ahir, who has lived in the area for all her life. India 'is our friend,' Trump said on his Truth Social platform announcing the taxes, but its tariffs on U.S. products 'are far too high.' Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian goods on Wednesday came after a universal baseline tariff of 10% on imports from all foreign countries has already been in place for months. Indian goods exports to the U.S. totaled more than $87 billion in 2024, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The trade deficit with India was $45.7 billion last year, up more than 5% from 2023. Pharmaceuticals, jewelry, textiles, spices and food products are among the common imports. The Trump administration maintains that tariffs will 'strengthen the international economic position' of the United States and protect American workers. In addition to the 25% tariff on its products exported to the U.S., India is also facing an unspecified penalty for buying Russian oil. 'I don't care what India does with Russia,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. 'They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' Negotiations between the two countries continue, but local businesses are still scrambling to cope with the change in operations. Beyond Artesia, which is in southeast Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles has several Indian grocery stores, apparel stores and other businesses that depend on Indian imports. Dalbir Singh Ghotra, the owner of Kavita Grocery in the Palms neighborhood, said the tariff would 'spell disaster for small businesses like us.' 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The Intercept
25 minutes ago
- The Intercept
Guess Who's Eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness: New ICE Agents
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Business Insider
27 minutes ago
- Business Insider
I left my job in tech and moved to Spain. Being alone in a foreign country is hard, but it's changed me for the better.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Parrie Hartley, 30, who moved from Austin to Barcelona in February 2025. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. I'm from a really small town outside of Houston, where there are not a lot of employment opportunities. I've always been a city girl at heart, so in 2020, after a brief stint living in Australia, I moved to Austin and started working in software sales. Austin's tech scene is booming. Many, like big corporations, like Amazon, Tesla, and Meta, have opened offices there, bringing with them a lot of jobs. Moving there definitely built my career and made me a lot of money. Living in the city was awesome, too. It's a great place for young people, with an amazing culture, food, and music scene. There are a lot of events, and I definitely made some really great friends there. In May 2024, the startup company I was working for started making layoffs. By then, I had already started thinking about leaving Austin. I had been in the city for five years and was itching for a change. Everything in my life was perfect on paper, but I still missed adventure. I've always been very curious about the world, and I really do think I'm the best version of myself when traveling. At the time, I was 29 and single. I had no husband, job, children, or pets. My parents were healthy, so I didn't really have anything tying me down. I decided, "Why don't I move abroad?" A student visa was my ticket to Spain I had been working in sales, so I had built up quite a bit in savings. But once I decided to move, I sold everything — furniture, clothes, anything that I could get money from. In Austin, I lived alone in a 1,100-square-foot apartment on the East Side, downtown, and paid $1,800 monthly on rent. To save money, I moved back to my hometown and started picking up some shifts at a local boutique. I considered a lot of different places to move abroad. I had already lived in Australia, so I checked that off the list. 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In the end, everything came together, and my visa was approved just three days before my flight to Spain in February. I got lucky finding housing I attend a Spanish language school called Expanish in Spain. I have classes five days a week, four hours a day. The course lasts 40 weeks, with eight weeks of holiday included. I paid $6,800 in total. I live in a neighborhood pretty close to the Church of La Sagrada Família , which is not only the most famous building in Barcelona, but possibly in all of Spain. Since I'm in such a central area, there are a lot of tourists and markets around, but the area itself is still fairly quiet. My building is between three major metro stations. Figuring out the metro was initially a challenge for me as an American, but it turned out to be super easy. I feel safe walking there day or night because the area has low crime. I got really lucky finding an apartment through a rental website called Idealista. They matched me with a couple, and I'm paying €600 ($686) for my room. I pay €10 ($11) a month for WiFi, plus water and electricity, which adds another €40 ($46) a month. The apartment is around 753 square feet and came fully furnished, which was great. We have air conditioning, but unfortunately, it doesn't reach my room, which is rough in the summer. It's easy to make friends in Barcelona Meeting people in Barcelona is easy, and the people are very warm and welcoming. The city is filled with people from all over the world. Most are away from their families, here for a year or two, so eventually, you end up creating your own little family. Often, making friends is as simple as going out and striking up a conversation — if you hear someone speaking English, you just start talking. I've met plenty of people through my language school, though it tends to be a revolving door since it's a temporary program, and most students are only around for three or four months. Outside of school, I've built friendships through Bumble BFF. I also joined a volleyball league when I first got here, and I play regularly. I haven't ventured onto the dating apps just yet. I'm 30, and I do want to build toward a relationship, but I feel like I need to get my life a bit more together first. That said, I'm definitely having fun meeting people. I've met guys from Brazil, the Netherlands, and Colombia — it's been a really fun mix. Honestly, it feels a bit like being a kid in a candy store. Moving here was the right choice for my future Most of my time here has been really positive. I spend a lot of time at the beach, and I'm walking up to 20,000 steps a day. You can really see the difference in my face. I've also been traveling. In July, I visited Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. My round-trip flight was only €40 ($45.72). I just packed a backpack with bikinis and went. This month, I'm also heading to Mallorca because I scored free tickets to the Love Island UK finale. Right now, I earn money tutoring both kids and adults in English during after-school hours. I'm also helping my cousin, a lawyer in Texas, with some administrative work. My current visa is valid for one year and will expire in early February 2026. I'd love to stay longer, so I'm exploring the option of applying for a digital nomad visa. It's available in several European countries and essentially allows you to live and work remotely, as long as you meet certain income requirements and have health insurance. As for moving back to the US, I don't plan on it, at least not if I don't have to. Of course, there are cultural challenges that come with living abroad, especially in a place where you don't know the language or the people. I also miss my family, and get a little sad when I miss family events or big moments in their lives and can't be there in person. But I've come to realize that life keeps moving — both for them and for me. My motto is: you choose your hard. For me, marriage and raising a child right now would be difficult. For someone else, it might be moving overseas alone without knowing the language. But that's the kind of hard I'd gladly choose any day.
