Monterey magic
In a final bid to prolong the commercial viability of the Diablo in America, Lamborghini announced the SV Monterey Edition in 1998, supposedly commemorating the growing importance of Monterey Car Week. Just 20 of these rear-wheel-drive examples were built for the US market and featured an array of special features including colour-coded wings with an exposed carbon-fibre lip, seats with ‘Monterey Edition’ embossed on the headrests and a full-fat 530bhp 5.7-litre V12. This particular car is the only one finished in Blu Scuro over yellow leather and was owned for more than 15 years by the baseball star Jason Giambi.
Ageing gracefully
Compared to the more chiselled F430, the Ferrari 360 Modena is a car whose soft Pininfarina lines have matured like a fine Bordeaux. It might not be a manual, but this Nero Daytona Ferrari 360 Spider from 2002shows just 10,000 miles on the clock and presents accordingly. It’s also a very generously specified car, with the electronically adjustable Daytona-style seats and brake calipers painted red. Who wouldn’t want to listen to the unobstructed symphony of that flat-plane V8 at full chat?
Wimbledon Green
Have you ever seen a 964-generation Porsche 911 Speedster finished in Wimbledon Green? Nor had we, until this example from 1993 emerged in the Classic Driver Market. The car’s first (and only) owner apparently loved his Speedster so much that he bought a second one, this time painted Polar Silver. It was this example, however, that clearly got the lion’s share of his love – together, the pair racked up an impressive 77,000km, not that the shine on the original Wimbledon Green paintwork would suggest it.
The collector’s item
Forget the 1980s V8 Vantage or the new Vanquish – in our opinion, the finest Aston Martin to bear the legendary Zagato ‘Z’ is the V12. There are so many intricate and charming details on the car that ogling one in the metal is a near-hypnotic experience. And because of the colour of this exquisite example, the only of the 61 produced finished in Sunburst Yellow, all those details are especially prominent, from the seductive ‘double bubble’ roof to the hand-beaten aluminium body. We’re not afraid to suggest that this is a car that will become more and more desirable to collectors with every passing year. And you’ll certainly never lose this one in a car park!
Whale tail
One of the esteemed automotive designer Frank Stephenson’s earliest works was the mighty Ford Escort RS Cosworth, When this particular example of the evocative Group A homologation special appeared on the popular American television show Wheeler Dealers in 2017, Stephenson assisted in the addition of a third wing, which was apparently part of his original design. Sure enough, after wind-tunnel testing, the third wing was shown to increase downforce by 30 percent.
Photos: Curated, Real Art On Wheels, Rock ‘n’ Roll Classics, Nicholas Mee & Company, Northwest European
