7.0 litres of pure luxury
In the late 1990s, when Mercedes-Benz still engineered its roadsters with the quiet confidence of a master watchmaker, the R129-generation SL stood as a statement of effortless authority. Already at the the very top of the range being the SL600, this SL soon entered the rarified world in Affalterbach at the hands of AMG shortly after completing production. It was given fresh multi-contour seats, xenon headlights, the highly desirable AMG styling package and staggered, two-piece AMG wheels. That was the styling sorted, and AMG briskly replaced the standard 394-horsepower 6.0-litre V12 with the upgraded, potent 500-horsepower 7.0-litre AMG-tuned V12, transforming it into the SL70.
Occupying a true sweet spot between usable modern classic and bona fide collector’s prize, AMG-fettled Mercedes-Benzes have seen their values soar in recent years, with this example being no exception, set to fetch a figure skywards of $250,000 as it heads to Broad Arrow Auction’s upcoming sale.
The Lambo-doored Lamborghini
Created across an entire decade and ultimately becoming the marque’s best-selling model, the Gallardo is a rare cocktail from Lamborghini that paired a sonorous 5.0-litre V10 with somewhat restraint and usability, especially for a car from Sant A’gata. Some felt the Gallardo was too tame to carry the raging bull on its collar, a car that was too closely linked with Audi’s of the same era, but the reality was Lamborghini had engineered a supercar that could thunder down an autostrada one moment and idle through city streets the next. It did, however, not carry the same theatre when pulling up to a nightclub or fully-booked restaurant as previous Lambos, mostly due to its conventional doors. This example flips that theory on its head, boasting aftermarket scissor doors that change the presence of this ’04 rich icon entirely, undoubtably causing a stir wherever it parks up!
The Palatial Coupé
Citroën well and truly revolutionized the automotive world in 1955 with the DS. Over its life span, many versions were developed, but an official coupé was never produced. Former designer at Peugeot and HeuliezGérard Godefroy personally set out to correct this omission by designing the Grand-Palais.
More incredible still, this example wasn’t built in period, but in 2019, where the car has been homologated, approved by Stellantis, and comes with its barré rouge registration document and a “Grand-Palais” registration title, where it joins five other examples built, with this one being the only one road registered. It is a truly one-of-a-kind Citroën, one that oozes effortless charm and style unlike just about any other car on the road!
The perfect spec 16M?
Celebrating Maranello’s 16th Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, an achievement that’s still unbeaten in motorsport, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spider 16M is perhaps the ultimate iteration of early 2000s performance car. Built in a limited series of just 499 examples, the screaming naturally-aspirated V8 perfectly placed right behind the ears of its occupants, the 16M boasted an impressive 503 horsepower sent through the acclaimed F1-SuperFast 2 six-speed transmission.
While a great deal of 16Ms left Maranello in shades of Rosso, this example stands taller than the rest finished in Blu Pozzi over a Terra Bruciata interior, believed to be the only US car so-liveried, with Argento Nürburgring and Nero painted body stripe. As prices of limited-run Ferraris head to astronomical levels, the time to invest in examples such as this is right now!
The million-dollar Porsche 968
By now, it’s safe to say we are all used to seeing some of Stuttgart’s finest creations fetch figures that are truly eye-watering. 964-generation Carrera RSs nudge half a million, and just about any iteration of 993 will reach a figure beyond even the expert’s estimate. There has always been a cheaper alternative to the loveable 911, though, and that’s Porsche’s transaxle offerings, but we might just see a 968 top a million dollars at Gooding Christie’s upcoming sale.
This is, of course, no ordinary Porsche 968, this is a Turbo S. Built in extremely limited numbers and conceived with competition as its primary purpose, it marked the final and most concentrated expression of Porsche’s front-engine, transaxle lineage before the company turned its full attention back to the 911. Specified in paint-to-sample Zermatt Silver Metallic over a black leatherette interior with corduroy inserts, the car has been truly adored by its previous custodians, and now is offered to a new home, where it’ll be perfectly suited to the collector obsessed with Porsches!
