Cars

“It’s a formula which was used in the AC Cobra in the 60s, and became increasingly popular during the 70s: European coachwork with US muscle,” says Tim Schofield of Bonhams. The British auction house will auction this Gulf-liveried Pantera (painted by the previous owner to match his GT40) later today, but it has already had recent success with its predecessor, selling a Mangusta for a world-record £203,100 a few weeks ago. “Mangustas were produced in the hundreds, whereas production of the Pantera spanned a 20-year period,” Tim says.

While Artcurial has not yet published the full auction catalogue, there is already enough to give Alfisti sweaty palms: such as that 6C 1750 SS, with its unique body. The car was in the hands of one owner for a full 58 years and has recently been comprehensively restored. 

The folks responsible for this ‘redefined Italian classic’ – dubbed the ADRNLN (the omission of vowels stumped us, too) – are Mike and Jim Ring, of the aptly named custom vehicle builders and billet manufacturers, Ringbrothers.

Its story is a humbling one. Mike and Jim got their hands on the 1971 Pantera, in an unrestored state, after its owner Randy Brickle tragically died of cancer. Brickle’s wife entrusted Ringbrothers to create a truly unique car in its late owner’s memory.

Built in 1958, chassis DB4/101/R was the first DB-badged Aston to glide through the halls of the then-new Newport Pagnell factory. The car is well known in the Aston community, and was lovingly restored by Works Service in the 1980s. Being one of the first batch made, it has the frameless side windows, a rear-hinged bonnet and simpler bumpers. Following the restoration, it was sold to a new owner in the early 90s, with whom it stayed until 2005.

Developing a car for a single market is becoming less feasible by the day. As a result, the sixth generation of the legendary American muscle car will adopt principles from the ‘One Ford’ strategy, which sees cars developed with a global market in mind.

In going all continental, the Mustang’s muscle needed to become lean - using lightweight aluminium parts and smaller dimensions - and better-controlled, thanks to the adoption (at last) of independent rear suspension.

Dealers in an urban location are easy to reach, but their showrooms can sometimes lack charm. For a conventional business this doesn’t pose much of a problem, but the decision to buy a classic car is often based largely on emotion. When visiting Steenbuck Automobiles – approximately 30 miles south of Hamburg – you’ll appreciate not only the location, but also the friendly atmosphere.

It glides low over autumnal leaves as a stingray does the seabed

Picture the situation: you’ve worked late into Saturday evening, and duly rewarded yourself with a glass of wine or three before dozing off in front of the fire. You wake the next morning and, although it’s a chilly winter day, the sun is out. Rather than waste your sole day of rest nursing a hangover in bed, you choose instead to blast it out of your body.