Bonhams is hosting a pilot auction on 21 March at the annual Members’ Meeting, with a wide variety of exceptional cars looking for new owners – including a whole range of exciting Feltham-era Aston Martin ‘projects’.
Well known for his exuberant, tail-out style, Marshall believed that winning simply wasn’t enough: he was determined to entertain the crowd and enjoy himself while doing it. In this fabulous Duke video ‘Winning Ain’t Easy’, Marshall is seen racing the near-500bhp V8 Vauxhall Super Saloon ‘Baby Bertha’ at Oulton Park in 1976, doing just that.
Few people would look to transform the appearance of the already handsome Aston Martin Vanquish, but Danish-born Fisker, the designer of the DB9 and V8 Vantage, has done just that. Enlarging the grille and adding a bonnet ‘power dome’ complete with triangular air-intakes won’t be to every Aston Martin fan’s tastes, nor will the wraparound rear glass and new strip-style taillights.
With wheels literally at each corner, AMC’s mini-wedge afforded passengers just as much interior space as many of the doorstop-shaped concepts of the era, despite being 350mm shorter than today’s Smart car. The wide track that formed part of the Amitron’s near-square footprint allowed three occupants to sit side-by-side in adequate comfort – and the seats were filled with air so they could be deflated when vacant, increasing loading space.
Like its contemporaries, the Ferrari 308 GT4 ‘Dino’ and Lamborghini Urraco, the Maserati Merak has remained a bit of an underdog in the collectors’ market, while nevertheless being one of the strongest design statements of the 1970s. If you find one for sale on the European market, it usually goes for less than 50,000 euros. Even in period, the Merak’s comparatively small three-litre V6, the same as used on its sister car
