Editorial

Picture the scene. Small boy walks up to an elegantly-suited cove standing by a strange-looking three-seater sports car, the sun reflecting off the goldleaf-lined engine compartment, engine quietly ‘ticking’, its work for the morning done. Over a million dollarsworth of machinery sits in the bleak winter sunshine of late February. Expecting the usual ‘what’ll she do mister’ from the young shaver, the McLaren F1 owner (for that is he) adjusts his cuffs and tie to exchange pleasantries with the great unwashed, quietly stating the 372 km/h top speed achieved over 12 years ago, and how no-one was ever going to break that with a current production car. Enzos, SLR McLarens, they’d all tried but just couldn’t make it.

But no, the young’un has news - and it isn’t good. It seems the record’s gone, been blasted out of existence by a team from the Swedish company Koenigsegg. They’ve upped the benchmark to 387.87 km/h, and the company’s eponymous owner is talking of 395 km/h, that’s about 245 mph.

With a stiff bow and bidding his fellow car enthusiast ‘good day’ , the Mclarenista clambers back aboard, fires up the engine and returns the car to its garage after a few more miles of motoring pleasure. Do things feel quite so good now? Well the earth is still spinning, and there’s always the finest car audio to consider, the Swedes wouldn’t try to better that now would they?

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com

THIS WEEK IN CLASSIC DRIVER

Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato

It is not known exactly how many 1900 Zagatos were made - probably no more than 38- but they are today exceedingly rare and no two cars appear identical. This Alfa Romeo 1900c (the ‘c’ denotes the final series with myriad minor improvements) Super Sprint Zagato spent many years in the USA, where it was owned by renowned Alfa Romeo and Zagato fancier Said Marouf, who entrusted it to world class restorer Nino Epifani for a complete rebuild which saw it entered in the 1990 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it took third a class.

Post-restoration, the car was used mainly for display purposes until acquired by the present European owner, another long-standing car collector, in January 2001. The car was imported to Europe, with all taxes paid, and has since undergone a programme of constant enjoyment and improvement resulting in a 1950s sports car which, in the words of the owner, "is quite versatile, taking the kids in the rear seats with my wife at the wheel on the Autobahn (at 95 mph all day long), or [taking me] flat out on the Nordschleife or on the winding roads of the Ardennes. It was all great fun and good motoring."

Dutch registered and offered with FIVA papers (B3), spare type 1308 (1900STI/SS) engine complete with carburettors and air filter, and sundry correspondence and bills, this is an ideal motor car for the Mille Miglia, Tour de France, Colorado Grand or Pebble Beach Concours where next year Alfa Romeo is the featured marque.


chassis AR 1900 C 02056
engine AR 00204*00914*
year 1955

Price P.O.R.


Dealership:

Bonhams Private Sales
7 Av. Pictet-de-Rochemont, 1207 Geneva

Phone +41 (0)22 300 3160

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Porsche GT2

6 speed, leather, Xenon lights, sports suspension, Matching Numbers , FJ149

Perfect Condition. Ex-Wayne Gretzky Low mileage 49 state car with Arizona title. California possible for additonal $2,500.00 certification fee. Excellent conditon throughout, leather headliner.

colour Lapis Blue
interior colour Black
year 2001
Mileage 17.220 km / 10.700 m

Price 112.500 USD

Dealership:

Fantasy Junction
1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608

Phone+1 510 653-7555

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Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman LWB 4 Door

Left hand drive, 1974, (one of only 28 built that year and originally delivered to the Canaries June 1975). Conference seating, rear sliding sunroof, refrigerated cocktail cabinet, central division, A/C front and rear, privacy glass, custom fitted Alpine CD/ DVD system. This car was purchased by Jay Kay of Jamiroquai in 2001 and has featured in the video for ‘You give me something’. The recorded mileage is only 27000 (43272 kms) and is believed to be genuine.

All original Mercedes Benz documentation from new, genuinely mint condition and one of a total production run of 487.

colour Blue Black
interior colour Black
year 1974
Mileage 43.272 km / 26.888 m

Price 89.950 GBP


Dealership:

Avro Motor Cars


Phone +44 (0) 1932 352220

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Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland
3rd - 13th Mar 2005

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Florida, USA
11th - 13th Mar 2005

Techno Classica, Essen, Germany
7th - 10th Mar 2005

Coppa Milano-San Remo, Italy
11th - 13th Mar 2005

Barons Classic, Collectors, Thoroughbred and Sports Car Auction, Esher, UK
21st - 22nd Mar 2005

Tour Auto Lissac, France
25th - 30th Mar 2005

Royal Windsor St George's Day Festival of Aston Martin, UK
21st - 23rd April 2005

see further event details

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