Trevor Fiore, Citroën’s design chief during this period, was a curious chap. Born in England as Trevor Frost, he soon took on his mother’s name in order to add a little Italian credibility to his work. Perhaps it worked, because he became Robert Opron’s successor at Citroën in 1980, but not before penning designs for several carmakers under the flag of his own consultancy in previous decades.
If you were asked to close your eyes and picture a classic Mercedes convertible in the ‘grand tourer’ tradition, this is quite probably the car that would pop into your mind. Not the sleekest, not the sportiest open-topped Mercedes, perhaps – but surely one of the most impressive. The car’s big, bold grille and characteristic double headlights assure us that this is the quintessential grand tourer, sitting halfway between flashy and restrained.
The relationship between Lister and Jaguar goes back almost 50 years, and is synonymous with sports car racing. Brian Lister began building his giant-killing sports-racers in 1954, but it wasn’t until 1957, when Sir William Lyons offered him the engines and gearboxes from the ageing Jaguar D-type, that Lister achieved international success.
The XJR racing prototype programme began in 1983 with the XJR-5, built with Jaguar’s backing by American outfit Group 44 Racing for the IMSA Grand Touring Prototypes series. Once established here, Jaguar handed the factory-backed baton to Tom Walkinshaw Racing, a British team with which it had previously collaborated in several Touring Car Championships.
Photos: Simon Clay ©2014 courtesy of RM Auctions
Despite the book’s title ‘Grand Prix Ferrari – The years of Enzo Ferrari’s Power, 1948-1980’, the 400-odd page hardback begins during Enzo’s formative years at Alfa Romeo in the 1920s, setting the scene for the fascinating story that was to come.
Owing to Bonhams’ sale successes at previous Goodwood events, the British auction house has added a third auction on Lord March’s estate to its 2015 calendar: the 73rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting sale. “The timing is perfect, allowing buyers a full season of recreational or competitive motoring for the year ahead” says Head of Motoring at Bonhams, James Knight. “The Members’ Meeting is a fantastically revived re-enactment of Goodwood race meetings from yesteryear, and provides the perfect backdrop for a Bonhams auction.”
Initially conceived as a testbed for engine and chassis components to be employed at Opel’s new high-speed test track in Dudenhofen, the Gran Tourisme concept was never intended to reach production. But when it was first shown to the public at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, it was welcomed with a warm reception from European show-goers.