Cars

The ‘barn-find’ has become a buzzword in the last decade, often with the hope of increasing the value of a neglected car. Here, we concentrate on the ‘authentic’ side of this phenomenon: cars with few owners that have remained untouched for several decades, with their originality completely preserved.

Photos: Classic Driver dealers

For some time, the automotive press has been speculating that Ferrari would employ a turbocharged V8 to power the new California. Now comes confirmation from Maranello: the California T will use forced induction to offset the downsizing of the V8, now 3.9 litres rather than the 4.3 of its predecessor. With 560HP, it has a 70HP advantage over the previous model, but even more impressive is the new torque figure, up 49% to 557lb ft. The California T completes the 0-62mph sprint in a supercar-like 3.5 seconds on its way towards a 196mph V-max. Fuel consumption is reduced by 15%.

It was capable of 158mph, a higher top speed than that of the Porsche 911 Turbo

Now given the esteemed ‘S’ title, Mercedes’ new luxury coupé must become a technological pioneer in its own right – and it doesn’t disappoint, introducing a new feature that sees the car tilt into corners, counteracting body-roll. “The vehicle leans into bends much like a motorcyclist, thereby reducing the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle's occupants,” claim the scientists of Stuttgart. The optional system is integrated into the ‘suspension with eyes’ set-up that was introduced with the debut of its four-door stablemate.

With no need for a reliable daily driver, and a passion for classic cars instilled in him by his father early on, a 19-year-old Wouter chose to defy the usual tendencies of his generation. Rather than buy a cheap used hatchback for insurance and other reasons of economy, he instead opted to spend his limited budget on a car almost twice his own age – a 1975 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior – and embarked on a project with the sole intention of creating “a classic racing car for the road”.

From pistons to seats

Truly exceptional cars are now harder to find than peacock pearls in the Tahitian seas