Cars

Family affair

After the latest ‘IWC Schaffhausen talks to’ discussion, starring Jochen Mass and hosted by Classic Driver’s very own Philip Rathgen on the eve of the event, participants were shown the new limited-edition Ingenieur chronographs before being served dinner, during which Caracciola’s Mercedes-Benz W25 Silver Arrow acted as a rather impressive backdrop. 

While not as aerodynamically efficient as the later long-nose car, the original short-nose Ferrari 275 GTB was, without doubt, a prettier car. The slippery Pininfarina-designed bodywork, with its wide egg-crate grille and gills on its sides, could be likened to a great tropical fish. It’s sensuous and pure, as originally intended, and devoid of any unnecessary clutter.

After the surprise departure of frontman Max Girardo and the no-sale of the N.A.R.T. Spyder in Monaco shortly afterwards, RM needed a ‘win’ to send out a message of resilience during a transition period in the midst of uncertain economic times. We’ll have to wait until August to see just how emphatic that ‘win’ is – if it comes at all – but the Canadian auction house has set the stage by consigning a very special four-cylinder Ferrari sports racer to its flagship Monterey sale.

Proper American muscle cars will always be cool, be it a ‘humble’ Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (est. 32,000-36,000 US dollars) or an ultra-rare 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible (650,000-750,000 dollars). At Auctions America’s Santa Monica sale, a diverse selection of muscle cars is offered, each of which – preferably a drop-top – would be ideal to drive down to Muscle Beach. 

“Touring Superleggera has a long history of developing innovative and timeless designs,” says de Fabribeckers, “and that was plain to see with the Tigre project.” Indeed, Touring had been responsible for styling Miura’s predecessor – the 350 GT – and was invited to propose a design to clothe the mid-engined chassis that was famously revealed at the 1965 Turin Auto Show, and would ultimately underpin the Miura.

1970 Porsche 917/10 Prototype

As you might expect, both concepts explore futuristic ideas in terms of fully autonomous driving technology, alternative propulsion, ‘second-nature’ connectivity, next-level personalisation and a new interpretation of luxury.