The Swiss are a reserved people but when it comes to their Engadine, and St. Moritz, modesty takes a back seat. Here, their confidence could be described as ‘top of the world’. Those who have taken a summer drive through the famous curves of the Albula Pass (or even enjoyed a coffee on the terrace of the famous Hauser Hotel, absorbing its stunning views of the lake) will understand the logic behind their passion.
The example shown here is one of only 2,000 factory-produced Rover Mini convertibles. Equipped with everything that a Mini driver desires, the smart Brit has the sort of likeable appearance to make sure it’s always a welcome guest. Its short wheelbase also gives it a priceless advantage in the Festival’s crowded car parks. Who said Mini couldn’t be mighty?
Photos: Alex Penfold
Take the last three days at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where racing hotshots burnt under an almost tropical sun, as did the Classic Driver team as we soaked up southern England’s annual rush of adrenalin – and caught our favourite moments on camera. Even in exile, the British burn brightly these days, as the British Classic Car Meeting in St. Moritz can prove; J. Philip Rathgen was out there to capture the action.
Fear not. While the surrounding countryside seems lifted straight from a BBC HD nature documentary, the latest technological masterpiece from Stuttgart is the kindest yet to the environment. And from the driving seat, the lush green trees, the dark, glittering lakes and circling birds of prey pass by undisturbed and in almost total silence.
After a speech by Lord March likening the "beauty and function" of Gerry Judah's 22-tonne masterpiece to the car it commemorates, a thunderous firework display penetrated the crisp night air of the Goodwood estate. Despite the meticulous planning, the ceremony's impact was soon outdone - by Richard Attwood pulling up outside the house in his 1970 Le Mans-winning 917 (appropriately sporting a tuxedo...), only to be greeted by long-time comrade Hans Herrmann. It's moments like this that add weight to the claims of Goodwood being the pinnacle of the world's automotive gatherings.
Toronto is Canada’s most populous city, and currently has more ‘work in progress’ skyscrapers than New York, its opposite number in America. From deluxe hotels to half-complete towers and ramshackle backstreets, the city's landscape is almost as diverse as the people who inhabit it – and what better place to settle into, ready for a private tour, than the back seat of a classic S-Class? Browse the gallery above and join us in First Class.
Photos: Jan Richter
Mercedes has always claimed that the S-Class is the best car in the world, and who are we to take issue with that? In 1972, the W116 was born relatively easily, into a world distinctly lacking in luxury saloon cars, vastly different from today’s intensely competitive market.