#OuiAreFrench
Seeing the Citroën CX that Tristan Auer reinterpreted for the historic Hôtel de Crillon in Paris had us yearning for an example of the quirky French luxury saloon for ourselves. This right-hand-drive CX25 GTi from 1988 would fit the bill perfectly, not least because of its unusual exterior shade of green. The UK-delivered Citroën also boasts a modified split-level air-condition system and a tuned engine, so not only does it cut a dash on the streets of London, but it’s also got enough poke to generate smiles when the roads open up outside of town.
GTZ
Zagato’s centenary year might be nearing an end, but that’s no reason to stop celebrating the Milanese design house’s illustrious history. Of all Zagato’s idiosyncratic creations over the last 100 years, the Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta is among the most mysterious. Just three of these drop-top GTZs were reportedly built as part of Zagato’s ‘Zero Project’, which was commissioned by the Japanese collector Yoshiyuki Hayashi who wanted a modern interpretation of the historic Ferrari 250 GTZ built on the underpinnings of his 575M Maranello. This unique right-hand-drive example is the last of the three Barchettas. It’s a quintessential love-it-or-hate-it Zagato design.
A special special edition
Special editions these days so often fall by the wayside, distinguishing themselves with nothing more than a numbered plaque and features you can often already find on the options list. This Bentley Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner bucks that trend. Just 100 of the elegant Grand Tourers were built to mark their maker’s 100th anniversary and pay tribute to honour Sir Henry Birkin’s legendary Number 9 ‘Blower’. This is a case of lots of small things combining to make a big difference – we love the Viridian Green paint, the number 9 stencilled on the grille, the 1930s-inspired Jaeger dashboard clock and even the dash wood insert from the original seat of Birkin’s ‘Blower’, even if it is a bit gimmicky.
New year, new G-Wagen
Before Land Rover revealed its modern reinterpretation of the Defender, the world already had a reference for how a cult-classic off-roader should be updated for the 21st century – the new Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Mercedes managed to comprehensively modernise the G-Wagen’s technical underpinnings while retaining the core essence of the 38-year-old bruiser’s distinctive shape. This glossy brown 2019 G63 AMG is specified beautifully. And, like it or lump it, we’d plump for the Stuttgart SUV over the new Defender every day of the week.
Launch Edition
It’s no secret that when it comes to cars, collectors covet the first and last examples of a model the most. This Aston Martin DB11 V12 is one of the desirable ‘Launch Edition’ cars sold back in 2017, which basically meant it had every box on the options list ticked. As such, the original (and only) American owner forked out around 250,000 US dollars for the Grand Tourer new. Two years and just 11,000 miles later, the same car is being offered for sale in Pennsylvania priced at just 140,000 dollars.
Photos: British & Sportscars, L’Art de L’Automobile, Bonhams, LBI Limited, DD Classics
