You’ll already have guessed how this ends; however, the short film – another produced by Simon Kidston – is worth the watch just to see the legendary Irish rally hero back at the wheel of the same ‘Big Healey’ in which he won the Austrian Alpine Rally 50 years ago.
That’s why, when DK Engineering told us they had one of each on offer, we jumped at the chance to pair them up for a photoshoot.
Just as the Mona Lisa isn’t the only thing to see at the Louvre, the Maranello Rosso Collection offered so much more than that Ferrari 250 GTO. In addition to the world-class collection of Ferraris amassed by Fabrizio Violati in the 1960s, 70s and 80s was perhaps the finest assortment of Abarths ever seen.
London-based oil consultant Steve Roberts and his twin brother David had long been debating the requirements of the ideal modern GT car, eventually arriving at the conclusion that a V12 was a must, as was a manual gearbox. With the latter in particular narrowing down their options somewhat, the brothers test-drove the remaining candidates and decided the Aston Martin DBS was the most desirable. Dave promptly purchased a low-mileage Islay Blue example and, keen to share his positive experience of ownership, spent hours searching for an equally good example for Steve.
Built and unveiled at Classic Motor Cars’ impressive new headquarters, the revised Jaguar Mark 2 has been 18 months in the making and will be used by Callum personally. The modifications are extensive, stretching far beyond the obvious cosmetic changes in a bid to make the car even more “exciting in shape and performance”. A number of modern aesthetic twists have been added, such as the integrated bumpers and four (working) louvres, while performance enhancements include a tuned 4.3-litre XK engine, revised suspension and steering, and upgraded front brakes.
Taking place on 4 September – halfway through the Salon Privé extravaganza, now in its ninth year – the auction has a lotlist to rival even the most hotly anticipated concours classes.