Cars

In the early 1970s, BMW collaborated with Alpina in order to create a homologation special for the European Touring Car series, based on the existing E9 platform. The resulting 3.0 CSL instantly became the sharpest road version of the model – not because of the strong performance of the 180HP six-cylinder engine, but rather because it had been subjected to a crash diet.

The show opened with a ‘Happy View Day’, which sees keen visitors pay full price for a half-day ticket – allowing them a sneak preview and, more importantly, a little space in which to browse the show floor before the madness ensues. This relatively quiet day also provided our photographer Steve Hall with the chance to capture the sights undisturbed.

Attending a dinner in 1930 at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, the then-Chairman of Bentley Motors, Captain Woolf Barnato, placed a £100 wager among his peers on being able to reach The Conservative Club in London before ‘Le train bleu’ reached its destination in Calais. Barnato and his Speed Six won the race, reputedly with several minutes to spare.

Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) was founded in 1962 by a handful of former Ferrari employees in Pontecchio Marconi in Bologna, Italy. The goal was to compete with the Scuderia, by developing an F1 racing car. At the same time, a road-going sports car was planned, derived directly from the F1 car. Initially, the road-going Franco Scaglione-designed 2500 GT showed great promise, with the more powerful 2500 GTS racing derivative following soon after. Unfortunately, both the production car and its racing sibling had very short careers, failing primarily for financial reasons.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what a GT12 is, it’s what the Vantage GT3 has become since Porsche threw its toys out of its Panamera. The newly renamed model sits at the top of the Vantage tree, and is limited to 100 examples worldwide.

Photos/Video: Aston Martin

From 15 to 19 April 2015, the world’s passion for classic cars, motorcycles and collectables again focuses on Essen, in Germany. More than 1,250 exhibitors are booked, while the organisers themselves are presenting an exhibition of historic racing cars from the late 1920s, all of which took part in the legendary Tourist Trophy in Ireland. At the time, this road race (held from 1905 to 1936) counted as part of the World Sportscar Championship. Models ranging from Alfa Romeo and Alvis, Austin, Bentley and Bugatti, to Mercedes-Benz, OM and Riley are expected at the exhibition in Hall 6.