With a Jaguar E-type Series 1 3.8 FHC selling for a beyond-estimate £109,200 a few lots into the sale (please note these prices include buyers' commission), early signs showed the domestic-bred machines might prove the most triumphant at the Battersea Evolution. This view was reinforced when a Jaguar XJR-15 sold well, a few lots later, at £218,400.
The first winner of Chantilly Arts & Elegance certainly deserved the accolade: with its elegantly curved body and the covered wheelarches created by Figoni et Falaschi in 1937, the Delahaye is a glorious piece of Art Deco fantasy. The victory came as a surprise for the Californian Peter Mullin, known for his love of French marques – especially Bugatti: “Our expectations were zero. My wife and I had not expected this success, and we’re all the more excited to be accepting this award against the incredible backdrop of the Château de Chantilly.”
The first 'verification' prototype will be subjected to some 14,000 torturous miles in order to undertake a raft of durability tests in the extreme Arabian heat. These will include an hour-long heat ‘soak’ to see how the cabin trim deals with temperatures up to 70 degrees Celsius. And it’s even more apt considering the car will only be sold to selected customers in the Middle East.
Details of the resurrected Aston Martin Lagonda are scarce, though it’s safe to assume that it’ll be underpinned by the company’s VH architecture and powered by the 5.9-litre V12.
The ‘Flying Star’ is no stranger to concours events. Having been built specifically for the 1931 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (where, accompanied by model Josette Pozzo, it duly won the Coppa d’Oro), it has since made numerous appearances at shows across the world… apart from the UK, that is.
Commissioned by a European client and revealed at last weekend’s Chantilly Arts & Elegance, the Virage Shooting Brake Zagato follows the DBS Coupé and DB9 Spider Zagato Centennial models, both of which were shown at last year’s official Aston Martin centenary celebration in Kensington Park.
We’re a few days away from RM’s 2014 London auction – at which both these Ferraris are set to be sold for multi-million-pound sums – yet we could quite easily be smack-bang in the Golden Era of sports cars.
This new event – presented by Peter Auto (the organisation behind the Le Mans Classic and the Tour Auto) and Richard Mille watches – will focus on three distinct automotive competitions.
