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5 collector cars to put in your garage this week

We’re sure we’re not alone when we say any venture into the Classic Driver Market is never as brief as first intended. But then when you’re presented with such gems as Lola’s very first Formula 1 car or a Ferrari owned by one of the marque’s most famous engineer’s wives, it’s hardly surprising…

A fabulous Ford facsimile 

Fancy a shot at one of the most prestigious historic motor races in the world, the Spa Six Hours? Then this 1965 Ford GT40 recreation built by Gelscoe Motorsport might well be the car for you. Gelscoe’s like-for-like, toolroom copies of Ford’s mighty prototype are arguably the best in the business and have countless victories under their belts, including the aforementioned Spa Six Hours. Unraced and in as-new condition, this GT40 has an FIA HTP valid until 2029. So, even if you’re only just dipping your toe in the historic racing waters, there’s plenty of time to work your way up to the top. 

Lola’s first foray into Formula 1

In the world of British motorsport, few names resonate as much as Lola. The illustrious designer Eric Broadley and his Huntingdon-based outfit made their first foray into motorsport’s top flight in 1962 having been approached by Reg Parnell’s Bowmaker-Yeoman Racing Team to design a car for its star drivers John Surtees and Roy Salvadori. The resulting Mk4 was among the most beautiful Formula 1 cars of the era. It was quick, too – at the first round of the 1962 championship, John Surtees stuck the car on pole position, much to the shock of the sport’s ‘old guard’. This particular Mk4 is the very first prototype built and its significance as Lola’s very first Formula 1 car is difficult to underestimate. 

Q car, 1970s style

When this 1972 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super Polizia Stradale was bought at auction back in 2014, it was in a rather sorry state. Spotting the opportunity to create something exceptional, its new owner set about a fastidious restoration, during which the British marque specialist Alfaholics fitted a raft of performance parts more commonly found on its fantastic GTA-R restomod. These included a 185HP, Big Valve Nord engine, GTA-R wheels, brakes and suspension and a short-ratio gearbox. The proverbial cherry on the cake was a gorgeous brown interior trimmed by HVL Class Leathers in Holland in 1960s Ferrari leather. Ever dreamed of a Giulia GTA estate? Then here’s your chance… 

The Chitis’ Ferrari 

While it’s the Ferrari 250 GT and 275 GTB that garner the most column inches, be it in classic car magazines or auction catalogues, we actually reckon the most elegant 1960s Prancing Horse is the comparatively underappreciated 330 GTC. In fact, we’d go as far to say that the 330 GTC is the last Ferrari to embody automotive elegance in the truest sense. According to factory records, this fabulous Rosso Chiaro example from 1967 was originally delivered to Renata Chiti, wife of the famous Ferrari engineer Carlo Chiti. 

Black magic 

The black magic of turbocharging wasn’t commonplace in the 1970s and Porsche certainly spearheaded the development of the technology. Engineer Ernst Fuhrmann was given the task of shoehorning a turbo originally destined for the monster 917/30 Can-Am prototype into the less generously proportioned 3-litre flat-six in the back of the Carrera RS. Couple that with comically flared arches and a huge whale-tail rear spoiler, and you’ve got a recipe that – aside from the switch to 4WD – has changed little to this day. This immaculate 1988 Porsche 930, resplendent in Grand Prix White and fitted with a limited-slip differential, stands as a testament to the strength and appeal of said recipe. Want. 

Photos: LBI Limited, Albion Motorcars, William I’Anson, Dylan Miles, Williams Crawford Ltd