Cars

Of course, the Ferrari – famously built on a 250GT SWB chassis – has long been a regular at Goodwood. Sporting bodywork that represented the pinnacle of aerodynamic knowledge at the time, the Breadvan remains unmistakable among its peers, thanks to the visual effect created by its arrow-straight roofline and kamm tail.

Okay, so the United Nations proclaimed 1975 as the Year of the Woman – but that was unlikely to worry Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell and the other veterans of Le Mans. Nevertheless, on 14 June 1975, there was an unknown, blue-painted prototype in the pit lane, with a surprisingly feminine team: Christine Dacremont, Marianne Hoepfner and Michèle Mouton, the latter lady revered today as the most successful female rally driver of all time; but in 1975, her career was in its early stages. 

The high-rise district of La Défense in the northwest of Paris is certainly not the most picturesque location to run a meeting place for friends of rapid post-War sports cars. But the venue has a decisive advantage: "In 10 minutes, you are on the highway," smiles managing director Olivier Poelaert. That’s important, because his customers don’t enjoy the torment of an overheating engine and steam rising from the bonnet during the rush hour, while attempting to get away for the weekend or head off to a historic race meeting.

Early Porsche 911s, and even more recent versions such as the 964 and 993, have always represented a solid investment - almost regardless of specification. Most are loved, maintained properly and driven regularly by their owners, hence one is hardly stunned into awe-struck silence by seeing a good example on the road.

"You’ll find a Porsche 911 on almost every corner"

A backyard in West London. Dented vans parked in the rain, planes from Heathrow roaring over the rooftops and the distant hum of traffic on the highway. Nothing here to indicate that in the inconspicuous two-storey office building, the new secret weapon of the British Empire is waiting to be unleashed. In 2009, sports car manufacturer McLaren promised to unveil a new model every year and the British firm has so far stuck to its promise: the beginning of March will see a new sports car unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. This is not the much-discussed R8/911-hunter that goes by the name of P1

At around the same time, Sean Connery is in a studio in West London, touching the shoulder of gold-painted actress Shirley Eaton – which helps the third Bond film, Goldfinger, to rake in a good £125 million worldwide. Meanwhile, America strikes back with the Ford Mustang and Ford GT prototype, two of the best-loved cars of the 20th Century. Discover the other seminal classics that saw the light of day 50 years ago in our (hypothetical) 1964 Classic Driver Motor Show.

Spring awakening in Geneva