Preservation Perfection
As time rolls by seemingly stuck on fast-forward, it’s easy to forget that the classics we know and love are showing their age, too. Take the original Porsche Boxster as an example, which will celebrate its 30th birthday in 2026, while another is the Triumph TR3, which blows out 70 candles this year, and remains a true jewel of British-made motoring.
This example showcases restoration to the highest level by Mr. Hans Kooij. A renowned Triumph specialist based in the Netherlands, Mr. Kooij absolutely hated the idea of filling these machines with plaster and corner-cutting methods, and firmly believed the cars should be as thin as possible. While his attention to detail and unrivalled passion for perfection could have seen him work on multi-million-dollar Ferrari rebuilds, he preferred Triumph and would become a true celebrity in his field. This example is one of his finest creations, and comes complete with its matching Beige soft top, tonneau cover, hood stick cover, and side curtains that complement the Maritime Blue leather interior beautifully. If you’re looking for the perfect pastel-shaded classic to enjoy on the weekends, it doesn’t get much better than this!
One to keep
We often talk of future classics, cars that we believe will, or in some cases, already have started to gain popularity within the collector world, with one car often appearing within our office-based debates. The original Honda NSX is now safely on its way to becoming a million-dollar machine, and we firmly believe the second generation won’t be far behind.
Believed to be the last example to arrive into the UK, and one of just five facelifted examples that would arrive in Britain, this NSX has remained in single ownership since being delivered new in 2020. To complement its rarity, this example boasts carbon ceramic disc brakes with red brake calipers, an optional extra that totalled over £8,400 new, as well as a carbon fibre interior sport package. The NSX name holds its own within Japanese performance car lore, and we would bet our hard-earned money on this newer generation following in its elder’s footsteps!
Redbird
There is a video that is accessible by prompting just six letters into YouTube’s search function, ‘Ruf Yel-’ taking you to footage that just about any car enthusiast has likely watched, finished, and then watched one or two more times in quick succession. Uploaded 11 years ago, its footage was grainy and pixellated and sound tinny and crackly, but through the distortion, but the distinct sights and noises of Ruf’s CTR1 ‘Yellowbird’ with Stephan Rozer’s silky smooth car control will go down in history as one of the greatest driving videos of all time. The Yellowbird became even more of a legend from this video, but we’ve stumbled upon the slightly more subdued-shaded sibling of this god-like machine.
Known simply as ‘Redbird’, this one-of-six example was a highly personalised build and is the only CTR finished in paint-to-sample Bordeaux Red, previously used as Alois Ruf’s personal car. Its options list reads like a greatest hits of bespoke RUF engineering, including sports suspension, a RUF transaxle, 959-style door seals, lightweight door panels, six-point Sabelt harnesses, and a custom telemetry display gauge capable of switching between temperature readings within the engine or gearbox. Whilst speed was obviously important, the original client wanted comfort and usability to also play a key role in the car’s characteristics, with power windows, heated windshield and rear window, and aluminium door sills. Perhaps most unusually, Redbird was delivered without the full Matter roll cage found in nearly every other CTR1, making it one of the lightest of the six. As once-in-a-lifetime ownership opportunities go, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Our kind of Hybrid
No, we’re not talking hybrid engines, here, more the hybrid of two unlikely allies who would form a working relationship and bond that would allow the buying public the chance to experience Italian-American design and engineering at their very best. In a bid to revitalise the Chrysler image, Virgil Exner was tasked with creating a run of ‘Dream Cars’ which would spark raised eyebrows and open cheque books for the brand, and joining him on this journey was Commercial Director of Carrozzeria Ghia, Luigi “Gigi” Segre.
The pair created true motoring masterpieces during their time together, starting in 1950 with the Plymouth XX-500 show car, an elegant, four-door fastback built on the chassis of a Plymouth P20. Over the next decade, Ghia would produce for Chrysler a string of more than two dozen bespoke machines, sharing ideas and designs across the Atlantic that resulted in cars that were not simply American or Italian, but truly international. This Chrysler GS-1 from 1954 is a product of that collaboration and presents an incredible opportunity to own far more than just an impressive sunset cruiser, but a shared vision for the future of motoring from two ambitious designers.
From McDreamy to Pikes Peak
Whenever we talk of the Porsche 911’s motorsport endeavours, we usually flick the calendars back to the 1970s and 1980s, where the fire-spitting 935s reigned supreme. There are, however, some examples from the modern era which have racked up as many miles on racetracks around the world as some collector cars have on the public road. In 2014, this 911 GT America would complete two years of hard circuit racing across the United States in the IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship, before being acquired by actor and accomplished racer Patrick Dempsey, who would go on to race it around the US too. Despite its already-impressive history, its most celebrated chapter was still to come, when the car was purchased by the well-known Flying L Racing outfit operated by Lisa Taylor.
Switching closed circuits to the terrifying sheer drops, 2019 would see the race outfit enter the 97th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with Frenchman Raphaël Astier behind the wheel. He managed to conquer the mountain, and with it captured the Time Attack 1 class, finishing second overall with an incredible record-breaking time of 9 minutes 23.721 seconds. The car would return in the following years, and now sports a striking white and gold livery to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Mobil 1. If Stuttgart’s finest racers are what your collection is all about, this is one that needs to be added!
