At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking the small, elegant Glas GT coupé was an Italian offering. But although the car was penned by Frua (the revered Italian design house) and the body manufactured by Maggiora, it is a German car, with final assembly at the firm’s home in Dingolfing.
It seems almost as if Marcello Gandini alone wrote the history of 1970s Italian sports cars
The two Turbo Cabriolets follow closely in the technical footsteps of their coupé equivalents, including the 3.8-litre 6-cylinder engine with either 520HP or – in the S model – 560HP. The 0-62mph sprint takes 3.5 and 3.2 seconds respectively, beating the two models' predecessors by a small but (at these performance levels) significant 0.2 seconds. Top speed is around 198mph (318 km/h) and both cars boast innovative rear-axle steering.
When Karl Foitek and his wife opened the Foitek Garage in Zurich in 1962, he had already made a name for himself as a racing and sportscar driver and while the entrepreneur always had a passion for fast Italian cars, brands such as Lotus and Jaguar were also represented in the garage. By the end of the Eighties, his three sons Reto, Frank and Gregor were taking an active role in the company.
"The Ghibli is the springboard to a major product offensive."
The Ghibli is possibly the most important model in Maserati’s 99-year history. If it enjoys the sales figures that the bean-counters are predicting – particularly in North America and Asia – the Italian manufacturer could have tens of thousands of new customers, the springboard for a major product offensive. In 2012, around 6,300 cars were made; by 2015, the company intends that number to be close to 50,000, with new SUV, GT and 911-rival models waiting in the wings.
The line between dealer and collector is narrow, and one that Lutziger treads carefully
The line between dealer and collector is narrow, and one that Koni Lutziger treads carefully, overseeing a true treasure trove at his dealership near Zurich in Switzerland. Around 80 exceptional cars of all vintages are stored there, distributed among several halls and garages. Of these 80, about 25 of them are typically for sale.
The ‘lifestyle SUV’ market is bustling with competition nowadays, but it’s more than three decades since the G-Wagon first created the sector by adopting a simple fabric roof. Mercedes will commemorate this with 200 ‘Final Edition’ models of the Cabriolet, all featuring metallic black exterior paintwork with a contrasting beige roof. The interior mirrors this scheme, with quilted beige doorcards and a classic walnut trim being our personal highlights.
'The 16-cylinder BRM was seen by many as their least favourite'
Video: Goodwood