ClassicInside

Cannot read this mail correctly? Click here for the online version!
http://www.classicdriver.co.uk/upload/classicinside/archive/CIUK2005-30.htm

ClassicInside – The Classic Driver Newsletter

Edition 30/2005

August 5th 2005

This edition is sent to 44.952 subscribers

Editorial

Pity the lot of the manufacturer’s test driver. Despatched to the far corners of the world to evaluate the models in development, he or she will be subjected to the same extremes of climate and terrain that are designed to stretch the engineer’s designs converted from CAD screen to metal.

We are grateful to Audi for giving us an insight into the rigours of this testing procedure, in the article you can read below. A process that even extends to ‘breakfast-testing’ the cars for the North American market, where long commutes mean many meals are taken on the move, and the careful disposition of cup-holders, power-outlets and storage bins is rigorously checked.

One can only wonder how the 1962 Ferrari 250GT ‘Breadvan’ you can see adorning the masthead this week stood up to this sort of treatment when it was a ‘pool car’ for the Smart Set on the Cote d’Azur in the early ‘60s. Amazingly, after it was retired from active competition its owner, Count Volpi, lent it to his high-rolling friends to drive around Monaco and St Tropez.

Friends such as Giovanni Agnelli who (considering the car’s silhouette not dissimilar to a hearse) instructed his butler to paint it a more suitable shade of black. Sadly the hapless retainer ran out of paint before completing the task. I know we’ve said it before, but it wouldn’t happen today.

Steve Wakefield
Managing Editor
sw@classicdriver.com

*THIS WEEK IN CLASSIC DRIVER*
Christie's at The Monterey Jet Center 18th August 2005 First out of the auction blocks at the five-day West Coast celebration of motor cars exotic and expensive that is Monterey/Pebble Beach is Christie’s, with a 45+ motor car auction including the headlining Ferrari 250GT SWB ‘Breadvan’ estimated at $3,500,000 - 5,000,000... read the complete article
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - Safety First Travelling in a road-going sports car capable of 400 km/h, you have to be sure of its safety. The development team behind the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 have revealed some more details of the forthcoming "super-supercar", this time its safety-cell system... read the complete article
The Murciélago Roadster becomes a movie star "The Transporter 2" drives a Lamborghini After the worldwide on-screen debut in Batman Begins, the Murciélago Roadster will also appear in another 2005 summer blockbuster: The Transporter 2.. read the complete article
The Silverstone Classic 2005 Last weekend Silverstone circuit staged its biggest historic meeting of the last few years under the title ‘Silverstone Classic’. Spread over two days, fans were treated to races spanning six decades of Formula One, Le Mans, Formula Junior, Saloons and "Formula Libre"... read the complete article
Fisker Coachbuild to show new car at Frankfurt Roadster will be called 'Tramonto' The man who brought us the DB9 will be showing his first Fisker Coachbuild design at September’s IAA show at Frankfurt. The new cars is a convertible delivering 610 bhp, enough to give a 0 - 60 mph time of just 3.6 seconds... read the complete article
Maserati Victorious at Spa 24 Hours Aston Martin DBR9s finish 5th and 6th Maserati scored a historic one-two finish in the Spa 24 Hour. It was the first time the MC12 had competed in a race of this type. The last time a Maserati won an international endurance race was in 1957... read the complete article
Test driving the Audi Q7 From the Polar Icecaps to the 'Ring "Never before has a vehicle had to go through such a broad-based spectrum of tasks and operational conditions during testing... read the complete article
Maserati Quattroporte at the 2005 Frankfurt Show Two new versions of the model will appear on the exhibition stand in September: the Quattroporte Executive GT and the Quattroporte Sport GT... read the complete article

*CLASSIC LIFE*
The Cigar Piano Humidor by Gaggenau We live in an age of individualism. Almost any article can now be adapted or personalised to order. Gaggenau have produced a cigar humidor that will literally have its owner’s signature on it... read the complete article

PREMIUM OFFERS
24 hours a day - over 4,000 cars for sale on Classic Driver

Ferrari 250GT 'Nembo Spyder'

Tom Meade, a Californian drawn to Italy to realize in metal the shapes in his mind, penned a series of cars, both mainstream and extreme, and became recognized at the time as a leader in the Italian community of automobile stylists. In 1964 Meade secured a patron, Sergio Braidi, for the first of a series of three similar designs, a Ferrari-based spyder echoing the elements of the 1964 GTO race cars.

To execute his concept Meade chose Neri & Bonacini, the establishment of Srs. Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini in Modena. They were well known mechanical specialists serving the Ferrari market, often associated with Piero Drogo's Modena Sports Cars carrozzeria. The three Ferrari 250 GTs built under Meade's supervision were called Nembo, not only a neat contraction of Neri & Bonacini but also the name of an Italian cartoon character with Superman-like powers!

The base for the first of his Nembo creations was the car we offer here, originally a Ferrari 250GT Series II Pininfarina cabriolet bearing the chassis number 1777 GT, sold new to Gian Marco Moratti of Milan.

colour Rosso Corsa
interior colour Beige
drive LHD
year 1960
chassis 1777 GT
engine 2271 GT

Estimate USD 800.000 - 1.100.000

Auction:

Christie's Sale at the Monterey Jet Center 18th Aug 2005
300 Sky Park Drive, Monterey, Cal., USA

Phone +1 310 385 2698

see all details

see complete motor car auction entries

Bentley S1 Continental Fastback

colour Olympic White
interior colour Red and White leather trim
drive RHD
year 1957
mileage 77.409 km / 48.100 m

Price GBP 150.000

Dealership:

Frank Dale & Stepsons
125 Harlequin Avenue, Great West Road, London TW8 9EW

Phone +44 (0)20 8847 5447

see all details

see complete stock from this dealer

Lamborghini Gallardo

sequential gearbox / touchtronic, leather, navigation system, TV System, sports exhaust, full history,

1 Owner.
UK Delivery.

colour Silver
interior colour Black Hide with Grey Inserts
drive RHD
year 9/2004
mileage 4.506 km / 2.800 m

Price GBP 96.950

Dealership:

Cars International Limited
Unit B2 - B3 Lanterns Court, Millharbour, London, E14 9TU

Phone + 44 (0)207 537 9995

see all details

see complete stock from this dealer

EVENTGUIDE

VSCC Prescott Hillclimb, Near Cheltenham, Gloucs UK
6th - 7th August 2005

Classic Endurance Racing, Silverstone, UK
13th - 14th August 2005

Christie's Auction of Exceptional Motor Cars at Monterey, USA
18th August 2005

Bonhams & Butterfields Auction - Quail Lodge, USA
19th August 2005

VSCC 'SeeRed' Race Meeting Donington Park, UK
3rd - 4th September 2005

Tour Britannia 2005, UK
5th - 8th September 2005

Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit, Nr Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
16th - 18th September 2005

see further event details

Banner Advertising

Classicdriver.com – The 12-cylinder online advertising platform

Classic Driver is the world's best online platform for prestige and luxury brands, including cars and lifestyle.

Our business partner for all online banner advertising campaigns on our English-language pages is eType, the online sales and advertising division of the Media Initiatives Group Limited:

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7436 6726
Contact: Toby Harwood
eMail: tobyh@etype-europe.com

SERVICE

Copyright:
All articles in ClassicInside and in the Classic Driver Magazine subject to Classic Driver copyrights.

Classic Driver UK
Fountain Court 2
Victoria Square Victoria St
St Albans
Herts
AL1 3TF
United Kingdom

telephone +44 (0)1727 884650
telefax +44 (0)1727 884800
e-mail: contact@classicdriver.com
Responsible content: Steve Wakefield (Director).

If you want to unsubscribe from our Newsletter,
please visit our ClassicInside Homepage at

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/community/2300.asp