Cars

The historic Italian auction house Aste Bolaffi is back in business after the coronavirus lockdown. The catalogue for its first post-Covid auction, commencing online on 7 July, is a veritable smorgasbord of predominantly Italian collectables, from beautiful classic cars such as the Pininfarina-designed 1959 Lancia Flaminia 2.5 Coupé (est. 25,000–30,000 euros) and rare 1968 Fiat 500 Nuova America (15,000–20,000 euros) to an elegant four-metre wooden boat built by Cantiere Tognacci Pellicano in 1966 (5,300–7,000 euros) and a vast selection of vintage Fiat automobilia.

Three years ago, the fifth richest man in Britain Jim Radcliffe was in The Grenadier pub in London with some friends when an idea struck: if Land Rover was calling time on the original Defender, who was going to sell him an uncompromising, rugged and utilitarian off-road workhorse? Well, as it turned out, he was. Now we have the first official photos of the Ineos Grenadier, whose inspiration is clear to see. 

The epitome of automotive elegance and a high point in Alfa Romeo’s fruitful relationship with the Milanese coachbuilder Touring Superleggera, the 6C 2500SS Coupé Villa d’Este from the immediate post-War period is right up there with the most beautiful classic cars of them all. 

It’s been 25 years since JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya defied the odds to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in the Ueno Clinic-sponsored McLaren F1 GTR. It was the first time since Ferrari in 1949 that a manufacturer had won the great French endurance thriller on its maiden outing – that it was able to do so with a road-born GT car and not a purpose-built prototype made the feat even sweeter. Remarkably, F1s finished first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th.

Daddy Cool