The Stripey Scout
In recent years, SUVs have become so ubiquitous in the American way of life that it’s hard to imagine a world without them, not to mention just how much they have changed as the decades have passed. The International Scout is one of the true pioneers of the off-roading world, a highly capable four-wheel-drive that also flirted with interior comfort and even dabbled in a bit of luxury here and there, but above all, it was a machine built for adventures.
Best known as an agricultural powerhouse and builder of commercial trucks and heavy goods, International’s Scout became the ideal 4x4 for those seeking a little more out of their weekends. This example, the Scout II, represents life in the late 1970s perfectly, with its vibrant paintwork, wood grain painted side graphics and a striped two-tone interior with seats that would surely have some stories to tell. With modern SUVs growing in size, technology and price, almost all of them have models such as the Scout to thank for their popularity. These machines allowed families to go just about anywhere, and do it in style!
Pixel Perfect
Three-Spoke wheels, pop-up headlights, monumental rear wing, and bodywork that looked straight out of a martian’s sketchbook – that was just how the Vector M12 presented itself back in 1995. For four years that followed its launch, sales figured may not have been to the desire of the company’s investors and executives, but the M12 was, and very much still is one of the world’s craziest supercars.
Penned by Peter Stevens, its wildly angular carbon-Kevlar composite body more resembled a fighter jet than a car, a conscious move which coincided with Vector's tradition of extreme aerospace-inspired styling. Vector was owned by Megatech, an Indonesian company that also owned Lamborghini at the time, and therefore shared the Lamborghini Diablo’s 5.7-litre V12 engine, its gated six-speed manual transmission and much of its underpinnings. Boasting outrageous presence and alluring aura, this 1999 Vector M12 is number 12 of just 14 production examples built and said to be originally designed and built new for the Prince of Brunei!
Renault on Acid
Sometimes, cars come along that are so outrageous, so wildly different from anything else with four wheels it begs the question what kind of meetings the car maker had before approving such a thing. The Renault Clio V6 is perhaps the best example of a ludicrous idea that was given the green light, and while the Phase 1 laid the foundations of insanity, the Phase 2 brought with it some subtle refinements and technological advancements.
Finished in the retina-searing Acid Yellow, this example has covered just over 13,000 miles since new in 2004 and boasts OZ Supertourismo wheels, while its interior is a delightful mix of leather and alcantara. Despite the car’s bonkers bodywork, it still retains cruise control, a CD player and even xenon headlights. Sat directly where the usual back-seat drivers would bark expletives and incorrect directions at the driver, now sits a 3.0-litre V6, which made the Phase 2 the most powerful hot hatch in the world at the time, exceeding the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA and Seat Leon Cupra R!
Californian Dreamer
You’d be forgiven if we’ve just displayed a car you’ve never seen before, as it took us some time to understand exactly what it is we’re looking at too. Founded in 1964 in Palo Alto, California, FiberFab initially built custom panels for existing models, but within a few years they became one of the premiere kit car manufacturers in the world. Four years later, the company introduced the Jamaican, designed to fit on Austin-Healy or Triumph TR chassis.
This example was based on a Healey 3000 chassis, and was treated to a full body-off restoration in 2018, where the car was given fresh parts throughout, while its 3.0-litre straight-six engine was rebuilt with new pistons, bearings, alternator and starter. Now sporting Aston Martin California Sage paintwork, Mazda MX-5 pop-up headlights and modern features throughout, this is believed to be one of just six examples ever created, and will certainly turn heads wherever it ends up!
Growling Griffith
It was a marriage made in heaven. A British engineering marvel mated to American Ford V8 power, the TVR Griffith quickly became a formidable machine on the public road, but it’s the FIA-specification race car sibling that cemented the Griffith’s reputation on the historic motorsport stage.
This example, a Griffith 200, proudly sits as the outright winner of the 2023 RAC Pall Mall Cup Championship, producing massive torque levels from the V8, aided by its lightweight construction allowing for nimble changes of direction and immense pace in the right hands. Unlike the more refined GTs of the era, the Griffith is a car that punches far above its weight, with this example spending time as a front-running contender at the highest level of historic GT racing, competing in a range of prestigious international events, including the Spa Six Hours, Silverstone Classic and multiple Silverstone Pall Mall Cup wins!
