August may be coming to a close, but Classic Driver Market is showing no signs of slowing down with the amount of weird and wonderful machines arriving. We’ve gathered five stand-out machines we spotted in the last week, from an airship-powered Fiat to one of Aston Martin’s sleekest speed machines!
Perfection in Pennine Grey
Launched in 1999 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Aston Martin’s legendary 1959 Le Mans win, the V600 LM is perhaps the ultimate sleeper to break out of the late 1990s into a new millennium. Limited to just 40 examples worldwide, this somewhat subtle motorway cruiser has enough power under the bonnet to leave even the newest of Gaydon’s creations quaking in their leather boots.
Finished in Pennine Grey with sumptuous red Connolly leather interior, this 2000 example takes its rarity to another level, being one of only four fitted with the 600-horsepower supercharged V8 and a six-speed manual, versus the more common five-speed or automatic. This glorious engine allows the V600 LM to reach 100 km/h from a standstill in under 4 seconds, with a top speed north of 320 km/h, figures that are impressive even by modern supercar standards!
VIEW CAR
From Brands Hatch to Buenos Aires
Born from an Autodelta works chassis known as AR 11572010, this Alfa Romeo 33 has been put through its paces since the moment the last nut and bolt were tightened as it rolled out of the factory. Raced in anger by Andrea de Adamich in 1972, when it was pounded by gruelling events like the Buenos Aires 1000 km, Daytona 6 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours, the 33 took it all in its stride.
When that wasn’t enough, the Alfa Romeo would then see competition at the Brands Hatch 1000 km, and even claiming podiums at Targa Florio and Nürburgring 1000 km, making it a hugely successful machine owned and managed by a privateer. Steeped in racing pedigree, with each scratch and dent telling a riveting story of races run hard and history made.
VIEW CAR
The Spirit of Japan
The early 2000s truly were a magical time for Japanese car lovers. Seemingly every month, from dozens of manufacturers, exotic sports cars designed to be driven to their limits were being launched, from the Nissan Skyline to Toyota Supra, but for many, the Mazda RX-7 was, and still is the one to own.
Of the many variants Mazda launched, the Spirit R Type A is regarded as the holy grail, being the final and most desirable iteration of Mazda’s rotary icon. With only 1,044 built, of which just 53 were in Championship Red, this modified example is a true collector’s item. We don’t usually put modified and collector’s item in the same sentence, but this is an exception, for this car was RE Amemiya’s own factory development car. Featuring a wind-tunnel-tested widebody kit, carbon-fibre aerodynamics, full race-spec interior, and twin HKS turbos optimized to deliver 507 bhp at the wheels, posting a 0-62 mph sprint rivalling a Carrera GT in 3.5 seconds. We predict this may be the last time we see this example priced under the $130,000 mark, as it will likely follow in the footsteps of its highly collectable rivals from Nissan and Toyota!
VIEW CAR
Automotive Royalty
Unveiled to a stunned motoring world after four decades of silence, the Bugatti EB 110 GT was one of the most ambitious hypercars of its era, balancing exclusivity, exotic design, and raw performance in package that still causes shock and awe even 34 years after its initial launch.
Finished in iconic Blu Bugatti over grey leather and showing only 6,525 miles, this one-of-84 example is the one to own. Once you’ve finished staring at it and finally turn the key, awakening the quad-turbo V12, its 4WD system and 6-speed manual gearbox every single sense in your body is running at full capacity. As more and more outrageous Bugatti variants emerge as they enter their new era, this masterpiece of design and engineering is only getting better by the day!
VIEW CAR
Chocks Away!
We’ve featured some truly incredible machines over our 27 years of market trawling, but this might be one of the coolest we’ve come across. Restored from a cache of parts tied to an aborted 1905 Land Speed Record attempt, this 1905 Fiat now houses a 16.6-litre Isotta-Fraschini engine taken from an airship, one which reportedly even still sports shrapnel marks on its housing! This magnificent machine produces around 250 horsepower, but an astonishing 3,000 lb-ft of torque.
After a meticulous restoration that spanned eight years by an engineer-owner using original factory blueprints and crafting techniques, this 120-year-old icon has seen plenty of on-track action, regularly seen blasting along at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting and the Festival of Speed, as well as navigating hillclimbs at Shelsley Walsh and Prescott, often celebrated for its visceral, sensory experience: sight, sound, smell, and awe!
VIEW CAR
link