What better way to see out the late Italian summer than to indulge your passion for classic cars and motorcycles – and then perhaps test out a new purchase by driving or riding it home? As you will see below, there are some tempting cars for sale at the show.

Around the world: Mercedes 300 SL

HK Engineering will bring a well-travelled 1955 Gullwing to the show. It has already completed a world tour, having been delivered new from the factory to New York, subsequently sent to a Japanese museum and, more recently, sent to France and restored in Switzerland. The 300 SL experts at HK then took it back home to Germany, and it now awaits a new owner with whom to complete another world tour.

Double trouble: Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and Speedster

It might be the wrong end of summer, but that doesn’t mean a classic Porsche convertible is any less desirable – just that you’ll have fewer rivals to compete with. Italian Classic Driver dealer Undici HP will take two fine examples across to Padua: a black-on-black 3.2-litre G-series Cabriolet and, slightly less discreet, a bright yellow 964 Speedster with fewer than 15,000 miles on the odometer. Just be aware that Porsche described the latter’s roof as “an emergency soft top for inclement weather”.

Restoration project: Aston Martin DB2

The DB2 has long been a favourite in the Classic Driver office and, even though it’s yet to be made roadworthy, this 1952 example in its mid-restoration state (being offered by Car Collection Wittner) has us captivated. Having been laid up in America for 25 years, the elderly owner had begun a restoration before becoming too ill to continue, so it now awaits a devoted new owner to finish his work. It might not be ready for the ride home just yet but, whatever you use as alternative transport, you’ll surely be smiling all the way to your front door in anticipation of the challenge.

Photos: Classic Driver dealers / Auto e Moto d’Epoca