Author: Diana M. Cuyler

New York State’s Thousand Islands Territory has a rich history of urban legends and confirmed stories of being a haven for pirates and smugglers. Being so close to Canada “Rum Runners”, as they were called, would bring Prohibition-era booze from Canada and hide it in the islands before distributing it to New Yorkers and beyond.

There are nearly 2,000 islands that make up this region and one of these islands is for sale. Could it be a former smugglers’ paradise? A hiding place for illegal whiskey, rum and scotch?

0 Pine Tree Island in Hammond, New York sits in the St. Lawrence River, literally a stone’s throw from Canada. The location of the land would have made it a hotspot for smugglers in the 1920s. Load a boat with illegal spirits, cruise the river, and hide the loot until it’s safe to move.

Speculation aside there is no confirmation that it was indeed a smugglers island but I can tell you that for the first time in 30 years it is on the market and it could be yours for $630,000. Listed by Robin Gedney Lucas for Southerby’s International Realty.

Southeby’s International Realty

This property offers so much more than the opportunity to be a smuggler’s island, you could literally own one of the Thousand Islands! Let’s not worry about where to park your car or how you’re going to get pizza delivered. Let’s focus on the unique details of 0 Pine Tree Island.

Before you scroll through the pictures below, I’ll let you know that you can enjoy 360 degree views, hot tub, sunken bathroom and more!

Could this island of New York have been one of the legendary “smuggler’s islands” of the 1920s? Yes, being so close to Canada, it certainly could have been! Whether or not, take a look at 0 Pine Tree Island, listed by Robin Gedney Lucas at Southeby’s International Realty.

Many of the towns included jump out at the casual observer as popular summer rental spots – Branson of the Ozarks, Missouri or Lake Havasu in Arizona – it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality of life offerings at beyond the beach and vacation homes. You’ll likely learn about a wide range of Americana: one of the last 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that began as a retirement area for Civil War veterans; an island teeming with some of the nation’s best public schools and revenue streams smack dab in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing more than the prison blues of Johnny Cash.

New York’s smallest island is Rat Island, but the origin of the name has nothing to do with rodents.

Ducati India updated its portfolio yesterday by riding in the Streetfighter V4 SP variant. The top-of-the-line motorbike costs more than Rs 10.76 lakh and Rs 14 lakh more than the ‘S’ and the standard variant respectively.

So what do you get for the extra moolah? Apart from the updated underpinnings, added features and tweaked cosmetics, the heart of the bike remains unchanged with the same 1103cc, V4 cylinder and Desmosedici Stradale engine producing a jaw-dropping 210hp.

With a price tag of Rs 34.99 lakh, the Streetfighter V4 SP is also one of the most expensive motorcycles in our shores. Which got us thinking, what are the best two-wheeled creations that money can buy. Looked. (all prices, excluding showroom)

1) Indian Chieftain Dark Horse/Chieftain Limited

If the Ducati is a little aggressive for you, how about discovering the Indian motorcycles on offer? And the two Chieftain variants – Dark Horse and Limited – are a great place to start. Along with the classic cruiser styling, the bikes also come with a ton of modern goodies like a fully featured infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple CarPlay. Then there are also USB charging capabilities, a power windshield, an all-LED lighting setup and power-locking saddlebags.
Price: Rs 33.54 lakeh for Limited; Rs 33.29 lakh for Dark Horse

2) Ducati Street Fighter V4 SP

Even though it costs as much as a tiny house in a Tier 2 town, the Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP is the cheapest bike on the list. But it is by no means left out. As well as all the goodies you get the special ‘Winder Test’ livery – which was used in pre-season testing of the company’s MotoGP and WSBK bikes – you also get a matte carbon finish on the fenders , a brushed aluminum tint for the fuel tank, Marchesini forged magnesium wheels and more!
Price: Rs 34.99 lakh

3) Special Harley-Davidson Road Glide

While Harley-Davidson as an entity has officially exited the Indian market, sales, service and distribution of HD Bikes are still handled by Hero Motorcycles. The caveat though is that most of the offerings on the manufacturer’s list now come in the form of CBUs (completely built units), making them more expensive. Similar in price to the Streetfighter V4, the HD Road Glide Special stands out on its own. Along with the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine and comfortable ergonomics, this one comes with a host of electronics like keyless ignition, a well-equipped infotainment system and the epitome of “Harley feel”.
Price: Rs 34.99 lakh

4) Honda Goldwing Tour

In case you want to make a statement, there’s no better option than the Honda Goldwing Tour. This two-wheeled limo not only packs a 1,833cc flat-six engine, which produces a respectable 127bhp, but also car-like features, including a power windshield, cruise control and a massive 7.0-inch infotainment system. , with Apple CarPlay as a bonus.
Price: Rs 37.20-39.16 lakh

5) Indian Roadmaster

Yet another contender in the Indian Motorcycles lineup, the 1890cc Roadmaster ups the ante on everything the Chieftain guarantees and more. For starters, you get more comfortable driver and passenger heated seats and grips and a massive 140 liters of weatherproof storage space! Who needs an SUV?
Price: Rs 43.21 lakh to 43.96 lakh

6)BMW M1000RR

If you’re looking for something in the same vein as the Streetfighter V4, take a look at the BMW M 1000 RR. Powered by a 999cc inline-four engine, the M-badged motorcycle develops a whopping 212bhp and weighs 16.3kg less than the standard S 1000 RR. We love it!
Price: Rs 42 lakh to 45 lakh

7) Kawasaki Ninja H2R 2019

For more than half a decade, the Ninja H2R has set a benchmark in our market, not only in terms of price, but also in terms of the maddening power and electronics it offers. While on paper the H2R packs a seemingly humble 998cc engine, its party trick comes in the form of a supercharger, which helps it produce 310bhp of power. Kick in the Ram Air intake and those numbers are pushed to 326 PS. How cool is that?
Price: Rs 79.90 lakh

(Image credits: Ducati, Indian Motorcycles, Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorrad, Kawasaki)

The name of legendary American racing driver Bob Bondurant will forever be linked to the Ford GT40, a car he drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965, helping the team win the International GT Constructors’ Championship.

The car you see here is not an original GT40, it is a replica built by ERA GT for Bondurant to the same specification and livery as the car he drove at Daytona in 1965. Leaping in this car took place in 2012 at Auto Club Raceway Pomona, unsurprisingly he would have won despite being 79 years old.

Quick Facts – Bob Bondurant’s ERA GT

• This is an ERA GT which was built for Bob Bondurant, it was driven by the famous American racing driver on several occasions and kept in his private collection.
• Although there have been many Ford GT40 replicas made over the years, none have been superior to the ERA GT. It’s a car that was developed to be indistinguishable from the original, despite having a stronger chassis, stronger bodywork and even optional air conditioning.
• This particular ERA GT is finished to the specification of the car driven by Bondurant in the 1965 Daytona Continental. This was an important race for the GT40 as it was the model’s first international win, with GT40s finishing 1st and 3rd.
• ERA GTs often sell for six-figure sums when they go on sale, such is the esteem in which they are held. This one is likely to get a lot of extra attention thanks to its influential former owner.

Bob Bondurant

Bob Bondurant was one of the most successful American racing drivers of his time, he also coached a slew of celebrities in the intricacies of driving, including James Garner, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tim Allen, Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage.

Here is Bob Bondurant at Riverside Raceway with the prototype Shelby GT350 Mustang for testing in 1965. Image courtesy of the Bondurant Archives.

Bondurant began his racing career as many have in the United States, riding an American-built motorcycle around an oval track. In the mid-1950s he raced on four wheels in a British Morgan before switching to a Corvette and winning the West Coast “B” production championship, claiming victory in 18 of 20 races.

Within a few years Bondurant became one of the most promising drivers on the West Coast, between 1961 and 1963 he won 30 of 32 races driving Corvettes for Santa Barbara Chevrolet dealership Shelly Washburn.

Race for Carroll Shelby

That’s about when he caught the eye of Carroll Shelby, who was looking to hire the best drivers he could find for his new Ford Cobra team. Shelby’s faith in Bondurant was quickly vindicated as he won his first race at Continental Divide Raceway in Colorado.

When Bob was not using the car on the track, it was parked at the Bondurant Museum, where it has been seen by thousands of visitors over the years.

Over the following years, Bondurant would travel the world, race in Europe and the United States, participate in Formula 1, the Targa Florio, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spa, the Nurburgring and help win the Championship. 1965 FIA Constructors’ World Championship. Championship for Shelby.

In 1966 his life would change forever when he was hired to serve as a technical consultant and pilot trainer for John Frankenheimer’s film. Grand Prize. He trained the film’s lead actor, James Garner, to drive Formula cars in the racing sequences.

Bondurant appreciated this experience and it led him to create the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. In the years that followed, he trained a host of other celebrities, some of whom went on to become championship-winning race drivers in their own right.

This racing school is still going strong today and you can register for the training here.

The interior is an almost exact replica of the original, except of course for the Bob Bondurant signature on the glove box.

Bob Bondurant’s ERA GT

This car became one of Bondurant’s most prized possessions after it was bought for him as a Christmas present by his wife, you can read the story below:

“Bob Bondurant’s wife, Pat, searched for months and found for her husband the best replica GT40 money could buy, a right-hand drive ERA GT40, almost identical to the GT40s he raced for Carroll Shelby in the 1960s.”

“Bob rubbed his eyes in disbelief when the transporter dropped this car off in Bondurant’s driveway on Christmas morning. He finally found his elusive GT40, and wow, did he have fun tracking this car for the next eight years!”

“Bob followed this car to a Shelby meeting at Fontana Raceway. More importantly, he last won his race in this same car at Pomona Raceway at the age of 79 and frequently followed the car on its famous Bob Bondurant School of High Performance driving track. – Bob Bondurant High Performance Driving School

Power is provided by a perfectly tuned, period-consistent Ford 289 V8 that sends power to the rear wheels via a ZF five-speed manual transaxle.

The ERA GT uses a bespoke chassis closely based on the design of the original, except it’s made from heavier gauge stainless steel to protect it from rust. The original was made from a lighter gauge mild steel.

The body is fiberglass, just like the Ford GT40s, but it is a slightly thicker layer that has been developed to stand the test of time without warping, cobwebbing or stress cracking .

Power is provided by a period-correct Ford 289-cubic-inch V8 mated to a ZF five-speed manual transaxle, and as you’d expect, the suspension is independent all around with disc brakes on the inside. front and back.

Bondurant’s ERA GT40 is now offered for sale on Bring A Trailer, it only has around 7,000 miles on the odometer and it is sold in Chandler, Arizona. If you want to know more or start an auction you can visit the list here.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

Ben has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the Official Pinterest Blog, the Official eBay Motors Blog, BuzzFeed and many more.

Silodrome was founded by Ben in 2010, in the years since the site has become a global leader in the alternative and vintage automotive sector, with millions of readers around the world and several hundred thousand followers on social networks.