Much of the demand for the services of Porsche Exclusive was created by the popularity of the official Flatnose conversions to the 930 Turbo, the first (and most extreme) of which was the one-off ‘935 Street’.
By the tender age of 16, Wim Prins had already been bitten by the bug that is Alfa Romeo, and his passion soon developed into an entrepreneurial ambition. “After I had bought my first Alfa, I opened a workshop on my mother’s farm,” recalls Prins. What began in that backyard steadily became an authorised representative of the company in the Netherlands, and Wim Prins has now been regarded a marque specialist for the past quarter-century.
Revealed to a select group of customers at the former headquarters of the Bluebird Motor Company on the King’s Road, Chelsea, the Waterspeed Collection Phantom also illustrates the breadth of bespoke options available to Rolls-Royce buyers. Painted in ‘Maggiore Blue’ – a special colour that extends to the engine and takes inspiration from the Bluebird’s famous scheme – the Drophead also has its usual teak decking replaced by hand-beaten brushed steel, while the hand-painted coachline culminates in a Bluebird motif.
Bonhams, Greenwich Concours d'Elegance Auction, June 1st 2014
Automobilia: Lots 1 to 252
Motorcars: Lots 301 to 405
Alongside the private entries to this year’s Mille Miglia will be a host of manufacturer cars, the most prominent of which are those of Mercedes-Benz, which this year celebrates its 120th year in motorsport. The roll call from Stuttgart this year includes Rudolf Caracciola's and Wilhelm Sebastian’s SSK. Accompanying this 1931 race-winning car will be the famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in which Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 race.
The triumphant machine is the Brabham BT20 that Denny Hulme steered to victory in the 1967 Monaco GP, his first win en route to that season’s Drivers’ Championship. Having undergone a three-year restoration completed in 2010, the Brabham now leads the pack of Monaco-provenance F1 machines currently for sale via Classic Driver.
Headlining the package of anniversary modifications is a pair of special colours – namely Rosso Magma and Inchiostro Blue – intended to pay tribute to the colours in the Maserati logo, which in turn reference those associated with the company’s 1914 birthplace, Bologna.
According to seller DLS Automobile, this is perhaps the most photographed classic Porsche 911 in history, having been used by Porsche for numerous advertisements, events, promotions and museum displays. Over the years, it's been snapped with a near-complete roster of Porsche luminaries, and remains in an original, unrestored condition.
Genuine enthusiasts love this uniquely intimate atmosphere, if the increasing spectator numbers are anything to go by – but it’s not yet crowded enough to spoil your fun. The general muttering in the paddock was along the lines of “There’s no other event like this – I hope this doesn’t change and grow too big…”
Even Bonhams had difficulty coming up with an estimate for the legendary Aston Martin DBS from The Persuaders!, such is the lack of a precedent – but having recently spent a day in its company, we see why it could sell at the top end of (or perhaps beyond) its pre-sale valuation of £350,000 - £550,000.