this 1954 Lincoln Capri built to full Panamericana specs, a throwback to the era when you could utter the words "Lincoln" and "race car" in the same sentence and not confuse your listeners. A steal at $27,500! You listening, Overlords? [Craigslist Orange County; go here if ad disappears]

Most Americans have never heard of the Autobianchi A112, which is why we're providing the quick lesson in the video above. The little Lancia/Autobianchi/Fiat (mechanically similar to the Fiat 127) wasn't sold in the US of A, but it's worshiped as a classic rally-winning hoonmobile over there in Yurp. And now a A112 could live in your garage, simply by handing over $7,950 to the seller of this '79 (go here if the ad disappears). Hey, that's a complete running car, you say. Where's the hell in that? Perhaps it seems we're sentencing you Hell Lite today, like Joe Lucas just lost the air-conditioning contract in Hades and now it's a pleasant 70 degrees (F) down there and the car-parts store is open late? Come on, this is an orphaned high-strung Italian car based on the cheap-ass Fiat 127! Parts are probably clanking to the tarmac as I write this, and Italian parts dealers are rubbing their greedy hands together with glee in anticipation of your long-distance phone calls. But watch that video again and try to tell us you don't want an A112!

We don't need any video clip to convince folks of the incredible coolness of the Citröen DS, but what happens in your gasoline-pumping heart of hearts when you see this '72 DS in Carrera Panamericana trim (go here if the ad disappears) for only $4,500? But wait, there's more! It's equipped with 5-speed transmission and rollcage, the hydroinsanity suspension car has been replaced recently, and the original interior is in nice shape. Not only that, the Panamericana decals are removable and the cage is a bolt-in unit, so you could switch from wild-eyed racing hoon barreling down a Quintana Roo mountainside to suave Marseilles gangster in the matter of an afternoon! Like the A112, it's in pretty good shape... and also like the Abarth (cue sounds of demonic laughter, odor of sulfur). So what's it gonna be?

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Haller hooked us up with this example of an overcooked holiday meal. During this year's La Carrera Panamericana, Rusty Ward came through this corner a tad bit too hot and ended up dumping his Stude cop car into a stream. Luckily, Rusty and his co-driver James Miller escaped intact, and even hammered the car out enough to participate in the last day of the race. Awesome on top of awesome. – Davey G. Johnson

Happy Holidays! [The Unlimited Class]

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana Hangovers [Internal]

As Coop pointed out, raceblogging is tough business when you're covering the kind of ground that the drivers on La Carrera Panamericana do. So of all of our La Carrera pals, Rachel ended up writing the least on the race. That's now changing. Scotto enlisted her to write a five-part story for 0-60. Go check it. – Davey G. Johnson

By Way of Mexico (Part 1) [0-60]

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana Hangovers [Internal]

Coming down off the end of a marathon drive is always a little tricky; adapting back into the real world after spending thousands of miles watching for hazards and pushing oneself to the limit. But as Coop notes, "Maybe the fear of death does this to you, but food tasted better, the air smelled sweeter, everything just seemed to be turned up a notch or two higher somehow." And when it's an event like La Carrera Panamericana it must be even more amplified. The racers have been home for a bit and Coop's finished his tale; he also directed us to Kristin Stewart's blog, which is a great chronicle of her experience in a '52 Lincoln Ford. We think the only races that come close to La Carrera's cool factor are the 24 Heures du Mans, Paris-Dakar and the Baja 1000. So get to reading.

La Carrera Panamericana: Day 7 [Positive Ape Index]; WTF

Related:
More La Carrera Panamericana [Internal]

Haller, Rachel and Coop have all checked in with updates on the state of the race. There've been a number of hairy wrecks with at least one person, the navigator in an E-Type, landing in the hospital. Coop reports:

"We came around a very sharp curve at about 80 KPH, only to see that one entire lane of the road was GONE, having been washed out by the rains the night before. There was a 20-foot section of the inner lane that was simply gone, as if a bite had been taken out of the road. We avoided it, as well as the other challenges offered today. Others were not so lucky."

La Carrera: Raceblogging is Tough; La Carrera: Yes, I Am Having More Fun You [Positive Ape Index]; It's Only Day 3 [mil0] The Unlimited Class Blog

Related:
More La Carrera Panamericana [Internal]

Everyone's favorite fully-bearded Oklahoma-native pin-up, hot-rod and rock 'n' roll artist finally turned in a report from the Mexican road race, and he claims there's much more to come. He, Gerie Bledso and Jim Silver qualfied 7th and took 7th overall in the first stage. Then some do-gooder complained that their Mustang's engine was too powerful and they got bumped from the Historic C class to the Exhibition class. Keep Gerie and Jim away from the cliffs, Coop. Everyone stay safe out there! – Davey G. Johnson

Gone Racing [Positive Ape Index]

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana: It's a Race, Not a Rally [Internal]

Inverting the maxim constantly bandied about by competitors in the Gumball 3000 and Bullrun, among other events, La Carrera Panamericana is most assuredly a race. We've had radio silence from our correspondents from the last day as they were busy with qualifying (qualifying isn't mandatory for La Carrera, but a good session moves you up in the grid). Meanwhile, Haller got his blog on and has a cornucopia of snippets, including this Mini crash photo taken while the pilots of the diminutive British econobox suddenly noticed a Stude piloted by a couple of dudes named Carlos who ended up in the weeds. Thankfully, everyone was okay, and not only that the Mini's back on the grid. Oh, and Rachel qualified 16th of 103 cars in her mostly-stock Lotus.

The Unlimited Class Blog

Related:
More La Carrera Panamericana: Rachel Arrives in Veracruz [Internal]

We ended up finding the website for Nicolina H bert and Anna S rensson's La Carrera effort, the pearl-gray Saab 96 simply down as the Pearl. It turns out that it started with the two women meeting at a party and striking up a conversation, when H bert admitted that she'd dreamed of doing the Mexican road race since she was a little girl. And now they're in Veracruz. Oh, and their engine builder, Niklas Enander, managed to wrest 90 horsepower out of the 850cc 3-cylinder two-stroke. It originally had a whopping 38. Here's to hoping the Pearl holds together all the way to the Texas border.

saabpearl.se

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana: The Pearl is Ready to Rock [Internal]

Nicolina Hubert (right) and co-pilot Anna Sorensson are set to run their vintage Saab 96 — bearing the Steinbeckian sobriquet of "The Pearl" — in La Carrera Panamericana. The 96 was famously campaigned in rallies by Erik Carlsson back in the early 1960s and enjoyed a 20-year production run, with the last one trundling off the line in 1980. Quirk appeal? Totally. Distaff factor? Awesome. The qualifying flag drops in the morning. The cars have been stickered and painted up. Blood types have been added to the sides of doors. God, we we wish we were there. Vaya con Ronnie James Dio, friends!

"The Pearl" is prepared for La Carrera Panamericana [Autodeadline]

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana: Rachel Arrives in Veracruz [Internal]

Ms. Larratt did a bunch of towing and hauling to get from the Eastern Midwest to the Southern Mexico, and just prior to that, a bunch of bandaging and rollcaging her Elise. We'll tell you this: preparing for an event like La Carrera is a whole helluva lot of work. We didn't manage to pull it off. But at least we've got Coop and Rachel safely ensconced in their firesuits. Check out her blog for photographic and written evidence of her thrash to get to the starting line. – Davey G. Johnson

Veracruz; Getting ready to run... [mil0]

Related:
La Carrera Panamericana: Coop Arrives in Veracruz

Wherein, Mister Chris Cooper and Se or Gerie Bledso make it to Veracruz and are greeted by a big, giant head. Plus, pictures of neat scenery and beyond-cool racing cars. If Coop can manage to stay awake after a day of high-speed navigating, we predict the boy's race reports will be wicked-awesome. Click over to the only site that indexes positive apes for his latest dispatch.

On The Road to La Carrera: Day 6 [Positive Ape Index]

Related:
More La Carrera Panamericana: Rachel's Blogging, Too! [Internal]

With a history that includes racing legends Phil Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling, the Carrera Panamericana (now preceded by "La") is a race of primarily vintage cars (though an Unlimited Class allows relative youngsters) from Southern Mexico to the Texas border. First run in the early 1950s to celebrate the completion of the Mexican section of the Panamerican Highway (sometimes called "Langley Turnpike" by CIA operatives), La Carrera starts on November 9 and continues through the 16th. Check out the above video for a primer. Though it's entirely in French, there's a spine-tweaking soundtrack of enginery. Plus, it features a Studebaker Hawk whose sponsor produces the official Jalopnik chipotle peppers. That right there is worth the free admission. – Mike Spinelli

[via Mil0]

Related:
More on La Carrera Panamericana [internal]

A few long hours ago, we pointed you in the direction of Coop's Positive Ape Index in hopes of enlightening those of you who don't yet understand the sheer awesomeness of the Mexican Road Race. We also mentioned Rachel Larratt, who would be a mensch if mensches had vaginas. Plus, she's occasionally Canadian, has many tattoos and drives a Lotus. Is further endorsement needed? Anyway, Rach just informed us that she's got a blog of her own, and will be — as time allows — writing down her adventures in Mexico for all to scope. So go scope. Meanwhile, Wert...what's the feminine of "mensch?" – Davey G. Johnson

La Carrera Panamericana [mil0]

Related:
We're Not in Mexico, But Coop is: It's La Carrera Panamericana Time! [Internal]

Because we suck, we are not running La Carrera Panamericana this year. We came oh-so-close, but funding and timing simply were not on our side. As such, we sit here and send our regards and good faith to the mighty Coop, who is navigating for Gerie Bledso on the historic side of things, and the awesome Rachel Larratt, who threw a cage in her Elise to run the Unlimited Class. Gerie, Coop, Rachel, Haller and Kevin, we wish you all the best. Come back in once piece. Because as Coop says, "You're not really having an adventure unless knowledge of your blood type is required beforehand."

On The Road To La Carerra: Days 3 & 4 [Positive Ape Index]

Related:
Tequila! Cadillac Recreates La Carrera Panamericana Racer [Internal]

So we were yammering with Haller too late at night, and as late-night yammering between car guys often ends up, ridiculous ideas spring forth. On the spot, he decided to offer free entry into La Carrera Panamericana's Unlimited Class to any hombre with cojones enough to subject his Ferrari FXX to the Mexican endurance test. And here's a note to the kids over at the Scuderia: if you boys want data, here's a way to gather it. The invite is open. All you have to do is get your car to Mexico.

Reschedule the meetings and cue the Ennio Morricone, wealthy men. It's time to to rock your own spaghetti western and mix it up with plebes of lesser estates and other exotica fans alike. Are you true Ferraristi, willing to take on all manner of comers as Il Commendatore intended, including ridiculously-prepped Subies? Or are you simply vegetable-chewing pansies with too much money? Pony up, sirs. Besides, when will you ever get to drive your FXX this far again?

The question concerning the Ferrari FXX. [The Unlimited Class]

Related:
The Unlimited Class at La Carrera Panamericana [Internal]

So, as the kids in the cross-country, rich-people-rallying community (and those who obsessively follow such things) know, the Bullrun kicks off tomorrow in Spinelli's backyard. What only a few kids know, is that if all goes according to plan, Davey G. will be an embedded reporter with the crew of Kevin Ward's absolutely nuts-of-a-cheetah '54 Studebaker along with La Carrera Panamericana Unlimited Class co-founder Bret Haller, as well as with a few other crews for the last three days of the rally, catching a flight to an undisclosed locale, and then hauling ass (at legal speeds, of course — it's a rally, not a race), back to Los Angeles. Sadly, we won't be partying with Andretti, as he's apparently wussing out and only driving the beginning of the festivities.

Rallying Cars and Racing Stars; Racing Legend Joins Automotive Rally [ForbesAutos]

Related:
[Internal[

We reported earlier today that Gerie Bledso was looking for a co-driver for La Carrera Panamericana. Noted artist, Jalopnik commenter, Plomb tool fetishist and all-around good guy
Coop lamented in the comments on the post that he wanted to run the race, but his license points had just returned to normal.

However, since La Carrera is fully sanctioned by the Mexican government — and what's more, Bledso will handle the driving chores for all stages — the erstwhile Mr. Cooper's license is in no danger whatsoever. As such, he's apparently signed on for the race. We swear, now and then we flash back to our days in Fiddler on the Roof..."Matchmaker, Make me a match/Find me a find/Catch me a catch..." Maybe our future is as an aging Jewish lady. If, indeed, this happens, Gerie and Coop better list their names on at least one side of the car as Motel and Tzeitel. Make us proud, boys. [UPDATE: It's official!]

Related:
Who Wants to Blast Up Mexico in a Studebaker? [Internal]

Gerie Bledso needs a co-pilot for this November's La Carrera Panamericana. He's got a '54 Stude. '54 Studes are wicked-fast when prepared correctly, and according to Bret from The Unlimited Class, this one is indeed correctly prepared. If we were going, we'd dress as Kaiser Wilhelm and carry a photocopy of the Zimmermann telegram with us. Or maybe as Thomas Magnum. What would you wear for such an event? Contact Gerie via the Unlimited Class blog.

Historic racing seat opening! [The Unlimited Class]

Related:
Our Mad Existence: Lincoln Carrera Panamericana Replica [Internal]

While the Virgin of Guadalupe probably graced a number of dashboards in the Mexican Road Race, it's highly doubtful that Madonna will ever appear on the decklid of any of its competitors, especially since it went tits-up after 1954 — four years before Madge was born. However, Eva Peron did grace the trunk of one Argentine entry; a two-door hardtop Lincoln, a replica of which reader Marc submitted to us. Our friend Suz owns a '54 Capri she's convinced she wants to turn into a sled. We keep telling her she needs to build a Panamericana replica, as the Lincolns were ass-whuppers in the short-lived-yet legendary competition. So far, no dice. Maybe this will convince her.

Related:
Tequila! Cadillac Recreates La Carrera Panamericana Racer [Internal]

If there's a road race in history that's cooler than the original La Carrera Panamericana — a dusty, tequila-and-Lucky-Strike-fueled 1,900-mile trek up the Panamerican Highway from Southern Mexico to the Tejas border, held between 1950 and 1954 — we'd eat our sombreros. It was a matter of pride for the world's storied drivers, like Phil Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio, to compete in the race, which pitted modified American muscle against unforgiving terrain and manifold-melting heat. It was revived in 1988 as a rally for vintage cars, though the danger and bravado is impossible to recreate. Nonetheless, GM Performance is working up a 1954 Cadillac Model 62 hardtop — an homage to the privateer car that finished third in the '54 race, at an average speed of around 115 miles per hour. No word on whether the Caddy will compete in the rally, not that it matters. We're sticking with romanticizing the original.

Related:
Bullitt Rally to Take Place in San Francisco [internal]