Aviation instead of marine mammals
The Ford Escort Cosworth might never have achieved its ultimate goal of winning the manufacturers' title in the World Rally Championship. It was highly successful anyway, securing a total of ten WRC victories between 1993 and 1997. However, it became a legend less for its sporting performance and more for its striking rear spoiler. Designed for maximum downforce, the wing is affectionately known to fans as the "whale tail". The actual inspiration behind the massive aerodynamic aid did not come from a sea creature but from the three-winged Fokker Dr.I flown by the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. This was clarified by star designer Frank Stephenson, whose very first project after graduating was to aerodynamically optimise the sensible compact car for rally use. Ultimately, the middle wing section was scrapped, but the look remained utterly unique. Swiss dealer Leuba Collection is offering one of just 1,143 examples of the early T35 Turbo version which is equipped with the larger Garrett turbocharger (T3/T04B). Alongside the elegant dark green colour scheme, a low mileage of just 21,575 kilometres makes a compelling case for this homologation special.
High-revving firefly
The honour of completing a crowd-pleasing demonstration run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is bestowed upon very few cars. One of them is this DLS Turbo by Singer, also known as the Firefly Commission, which the Californian restomod specialists unleashed at this year's edition of the event. The DLS Turbo programme comprises just 99 cars in total, and the example offered by Sealed by RM Sotheby's is one of approximately ten delivered in right-hand drive. The modernisation was inspired by the Porsche 934/5 that competed in endurance racing during the 1970s. This particular DLS Turbo catches the eye not only with its wild aerodynamic appendages but also thanks to its striking orange and black exterior. In the rear sits a 720 horsepower twin-turbo version of Singer's comprehensively reworked flat-six engine which only hits its limiter at a sensational 9,000 rpm. Crafted largely from carbon fibre, the Firefly was completed last November and subsequently delivered to its current owner in the UK. The car is registered as a 1990 model.
Swiss peak of extravagance
With their flat and radically angular silhouette penned by William Towns, the Series 2 to 4 Aston Martin Lagondas rank among the most uncompromising designs of the 1970s and 1980s. Added to this is their sometimes highly innovative technology, as the original 1976 version was the first production car to feature digital instruments. This shooting brake, which Broad Arrow Auctions will put under the hammer in Zurich in early November, takes the extravagance to a whole new level. A gently sloping roofline and a total of six side windows make the unique creation appear incredibly elongated, even though the overall length remained unchanged at 5.28 metres. The base car is one of only 76 Series 3 examples. It left the Newport Pagnell factory in 1987 and was subsequently delivered to Switzerland. Nine years later, it was sold to its next owner who commissioned the Swiss specialists at Roos Engineering with the conversion. The futuristic estate was handed over in the year 2000, right on time for the new millennium.
The undercover autobahn hero
Audi founded a true legend with the first generation of the RS 6, built from 2002 to 2004. Its visual appearance remained largely understated. Under the bonnet, however, breathes a 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8 engine built by the performance specialists at Cosworth. It unleashes 450 horsepower to all four wheels via a five-speed Tiptronic gearbox. This allowed the performance variant of the A6, which was available as a saloon and an Avant, to reach 100 kph within 4.7 seconds and hit the limiter at 250 kph. These were highly impressive figures for the era, especially given a hefty kerb weight of nearly 1.9 tonnes. A Swiss dealer currently has an early estate on offer that perfectly embodies the wolf in sheep's clothing philosophy. With an unobtrusively elegant Daytona Grey paintwork combined with dark wheels and a light grey leather interior, it is sure to leave many sports car drivers staring in disbelief as it pulls away on the motorway.
Alpine aristocrat
Rolls-Royce launched an exclusive special edition with plenty of mountain flair in 2013 with the Ghost 6.6 V12 Alpine Trial. It celebrated the centenary of the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trials, an event where four Silver Ghosts, most notably the private car of James Radley, successfully conquered over 1,820 gruelling miles through the high mountains without a single breakdown. This feat firmly established the brand's reputation for unparalleled reliability. The edition impresses with a completely bespoke specification featuring pale blue paintwork inspired by Radley's Silver Ghost, a black radiator grille and black wheels, as well as light wood veneers and a graphic of the alpine route on the dashboard. Auto Veloce Roma Srl is currently offering the exact car that was exhibited by Rolls-Royce at the Shanghai Motor Show. Originally finished in that characteristic light blue over a blue interior, the luxury saloon was wrapped in black in 2025 but can easily be returned to its spectacular original colour configuration upon request.
