Retro

Success may have eluded Fangio at Le Mans, but this supercharged 1950 Gordini Type 18S berlinette left a lasting impression on him and has a unique place in Gordini’s history.

Not all the early history of this sinfully attractive Alfa is recorded. But maybe that’s a force for good, reckons

Recently selling at auction for a record-breaking sum, this fully restored 190SL confirms that many still hold dear the Pagoda’s predecessor.

This is where modern motor sport-bred BMWs began – on the road in the 3.0CSL in its earliest, purest form.

Porsche and carburettor fan Ajmal Mahmood has always lusted after an early 911. Today we let him loose in a pre-impact bumper, fuel-injected Targa

This unusual Bentley MkVI was commissioned by a man with particularly rigid views on the way his cars should be. Was he onto something?

Bill Smith, known to his friends as ‘Barnsley Bill’, likes unusual American cars and he’s certainly got one with this 1954 Kaiser Darrin… When faced with a rare car such as this one, I’m always intrigued to hear why the owner decided to buy it.

The collection of Milan-based Architect Corrado Lopresto ranks among the best in the world. The Key — an annual which ranks individuals based on the value and provenance of their collections — placed Lopresto at 22nd: more significant than Andreas Mohringer, but not quite so important as Ralph Lauren. Though, if you are like me and think a list is just another divisive tactic to get people arguing over something they might normally bond over, you can appreciate the life’s work of Corrado Lopresto for what it is: an immense and valuable tribute to Italian automotive design.

It was an act of rebellion. Nothing made in Australia could match the exotic, space-age-looking exterior of the Purvis Eureka shown at the 1974 Melbourne Motor Show. The Eureka name came from Founder Allan Purvis, a determined man who — the story goes — was told that it would never make it past Australian Design Rules. Like a red flag to a bull, Purvis took a chance on the fiber-glass sports car to show that a small local operation could overcome both the bureaucracy and critics of the kit-car industry with a truly desirable unique product.

I am going to address the elephant in the room up-front. Citroen can make some pretty unusual, a little weird, “out there”, call them what you want, designs, and the Citroen DS is a classic example of this and is a strangely-popular vehicle. The DS model is the one you see driving around occasionally; you first look at the car — perhaps, no doubt with mixed emotions — then, look to the Driver and always wonder what they must know which you do not.

What is an early E-type like to use on a regular basis and can the flaws of the day be seen as charms today? Jim Patten swaps his 4.2 roadster for a 3.8 with a roof for a road trip.

We investigate the rebirth of a late-model member of the Mk2 family, a special survivor with just one surname in the logbook

This freshly restored 1950 Ferrari 195 is an intriguing and unique machine. There are almost as many mysteries about it as there are hard facts, as we discover

In the heart of South Africa, a 911 collector decided not to simply restore his SC to be used as a daily, but to upgrade it to be taken far off the beaten track. Written by Wilhelm Lutjeharms Photography by Peet Mocke.

Did the Innocenti regent sing a sweeter tune than the allegro? We visit the car’s ancestral home to find out.