Cars

McRae vs. McRae

A wall of multicoloured thunder surges forward at a frenetic rate as tens of wedge-shaped prototypes, all adorned with household brand logos and driven by motorsport’s greatest names, battle feistily for track position. Ah, the halcyon days of Group C sports car racing – an epoch when plucky privateers stood every chance of knocking major manufacturers off their perches, grids and grandstands alike were bursting at the seams and the technological envelope was pushed so far that the sport’s free spirit actually had to be curtailed. 

The Engadin in the Swiss Alps is a hotspot for automotive wonders, but if there is one car that can be considered a symbol of St. Moritz, it must be the modest Fiat Panda. Loved equally by Grisonian locals and influential visitors such as Gianni Agnelli, who used his signature silver Panda 4x4 to casually tear between the Cresta Run, Dracula Club, Palace Hotel and Suvretta House in the 1980s, the humble hatchback from Turin soon became a style icon of the international Jet Set. 

Snap, back to reality

Our 10 favourites from Noble Auctions in Zutendaal 

One week before the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, Formula 1 veterans including Emerson Fittipaldi and Felipe Massa joined thousands of passionate spectators in São Paolo to celebrate the life of Ayrton Senna da Silva, who was tragically killed in a freak accident at Imola 25 years ago. But the reverence felt for the supremely talented racer extends far beyond his native country. The entire world was rocked by Senna’s death and continues to remember his throttle-stabbing, wheel-yanking, seat-of-the-pants driving style on the track and his subtle charm off it.