A fitting final flourish
The last of the line of the ‘proper’ coach-built Aston Martins, the Vantage V600 Le Mans was an entirely unnecessary yet wonderfully ridiculous last hurrah for the 30-year-old V8 range of models. We love the 600bhp brute here at Classic Driver, so when this outstanding low-mileage example appeared in the Market we were smitten. A rare left-hand-drive Le Mans, it was ordered new by the Qatari royal family and is one of just four examples fitted with a six-speed gearbox.
The Aga Khan
The Maserati 5000GT really was the pinnacle of automotive glamour, performance and luxury. Owing to its eye-watering price tag, just 34 examples were built for royals, heads of state, wealthy industrialists and film stars alike. This particular car was lavishly bodied by Pietro Frua for Karim Aga Khan in 1962 and no expense was spared on its specification – there is even a 45rpm record player installed in the dashboard. It’s telling of a car’s grandeur when it’s not commonly referred to by its given nomenclature, but by the name of its high-profile original owner. This Maserati 5000GT is one such machine.
A classic Super Cup season
Just as it does today, the Porsche Super Cup series supported the Formula 1 World Championship back in 1999 in what turned out to be a classic season. Among the bustling grid of identical 996 GT3 Cups was this car, which was effectively the Porsche of Great Britain entry and raced by Johnny Mowlem throughout the season. While Mowlem finished 11th overall in the championship, his most notable result came at Melbourne where he finished on the podium. It would now be a perfect tool with which to contest either of the flourishing Endurance Legends historic racing series or, as the listing notes, any number of prestigious concours events.
Family Defender
As was widely predicted, the long-awaited new Land Rover Defender has polarised public opinion like few other cars revealed in recent years. For those firmly in the ‘where am I going to put my sheep in that?’ camp, you can still find fantastic examples of the old Defender. Take this ultra-low-mileage Defender 90 pickup from 2016, for example, which is listed at virtually the exact base price as the new 110. Please, somebody buy it before we do!
Sprint Zagato
Having been blown away by Journées d’Automne and the wonderfully diverse selection of classic cars that made the journey to Reims, we were hit by the post-weekend blues particularly badly this week. But rather than dwell, we instead decided to hit the Classic Driver Market and find our dream car for next year’s edition. We reckon this 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ would fit the bill perfectly – it’s comfortable, fast and sexy enough to command attention in even the most esteemed of automotive company. We can but dream.
Photos: Copley Motorcars, Historika, Historic Cars, Tom Hartley Jnr, Veloce Classic And Sports Cars London
