Zagato’s Zagato
Of the slew of exquisite blue-chip cars London dealer Fiskens presented for sale at Rétromobile in 2019, this 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato was the undoubted star. One of just 19 of the Anglo-Italian beauties built, the car was ordered new by Dr Elio Zagato, the son of founder Ugo Zagato. A gifted road racer, Elio specified numerous special features that distinguish this car from the other DB4GT Zagatos, including a bonnet scoop instead of the traditional three humps, Carello headlights, and, perhaps most importantly, an ashtray. Believed lost in the 1970s, the car was tracked down and fastidiously restored by marque specialist Richard Williams. Today, it’s being offered for the first time in over 10 years and most appropriately, in this, the Milanese design house’s centenary year.
A full-fat Cologne-built Capri
Along with the BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’, the Ford Capri RS2600 Cologne is a true poster car for the evocative 1970s period of touring car racing. Another star of this year’s Rétromobile show, this particular Capri is one of just three RS2600s built for the Works in 1972 and helped Ford to clinch that year’s European Touring Car Championship. It also has the distinction of being the only Ford Capri in existence to have entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans not once but twice. Having undergone an extensive restoration, the car’s now ‘on the button’ and ready to be enjoyed in any of the raft of events for which it’s eligible. It’s time to unleash your inner Andy Rouse…
The long and short of it
There are two types of people in this world: those who prefer their Land Rover Defender as a three-door 90 variant or in five-door 110 form. This particular example from 2011 will please those who fit in the latter category. Its powder blue exterior contrasted with the diamond-stitched ‘Oyster’ leather interior and black exterior accents lends the Defender the look of a man who’s clearly tough as nails but takes good care to look after his appearance. The steel protective plates at the skirts of the car are a particularly nice touch, particularly painted in black.
Owned by a certain Mr Irvine
Yet another Rétromobile 2019 alumni, this matching-numbers 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO once belonged to the former Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine. For the past 10 years, however, it’s resided in a prominent German collection of Ferraris and very well looked after. Did you know that 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of Ferrari’s ill-fated Group B homologation special and we know of at least one owners’ tour poised to take place this year. Commonly held as the original Ferrari supercar, the 288 GTO is a car that appears to be on a one-way trajectory: upwards.
Bentley for buck
Think about this for a moment, if you will. This 10-year-old Bentley Continental GT, resplendent in Cumbrian Green over Magnolia leather and walnut veneers, showing just 30,000 miles on the clock, and equipped with the abundantly powerful W12 engine, can be bought for the same price as a new German ‘hot’ hatchback from the likes of Volkswagen or Audi. For what is a quintessentially English and impossibly elegant way of wafting around at immense speed and in complete luxury, that’s a hell of a lot of car for the money.
Photos: Fiskens, Historic Cars, Autosalon Valencia, Movendi, Aston Workshop
