By Ben Selby What does Adolf Hitler, Formula One team founder Ken Tyrrell, Lady Penelope from “Thunderbirds” and Mike Wazowski from Pixar’s “Monsters Inc” all have in common? They all owned or drove in cars which featured six wheels. This trend of six wheeled motoring was some which had a great influence on British automotive designer Robert Jankel. Jankel was …
By Ben Selby When most think of a vehicle with the name “Bread Van” naturally the image of, well, a van filled with bread, pastries, cakes and other goodies from a local bakery spring to mind. Mention Bread Van to a Ferrari fan and they will think of only one vehicle. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, chassis number 2819GT. …
By Ben Selby There have been many occasions when two car manufacturers, sometimes from different parts of the world, will come together to create something truly special. You only need look at the Ford GT40, De Tomaso Pantera, McLaren F1 and Pagani Zonda to get the drift. However, one car in particular sadly didn’t make that list. The idea of …
By Ben Selby In the years following World War 2, Italy dominated Grand Prix motor racing. Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari, achieved a winning formula which made these Italian giants the teams who everyone made their goal to vanquish. One of the earliest challenges to Italy in Formula One Grand Prix came from Britain. The team in question? British Racing …
By Ben Selby Who would have thought that one of the fiercest Italian automotive rivalries began merely out of spite. Were it not for wanting to get even with Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini may never have decided to create a line of cars which, over the generations, have become some of the most coveted exotic cars in the world. With …
By Ben Selby There probably will never be someone like Queen Elizabeth II. Whether you call yourself a royalist or not, one must admire the incredible sense of duty, commitment and dedication to devoting her entire life to the service of her people. With her passing, many, including myself, felt like they had lost a member of the family. When …
By Ben Selby Since its creation in 1886, it wasn’t long before the idea of racing motor cars caught on. The first European races were held on public roads and would see the pioneering drivers of the day racing at speed between two main European capitals. These continued until the early 20th century, where the notorious Paris to Madrid race …
By Ben Selby If you know classic cars, chances are you know the 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. You are also probably aware this one-of-two ever built unicorn changed hands for a mind- boggling $142 million US ($220.4 million NZ). The buyer, an anonymous but we can safely assume a very wealthy, car collector who was able to secure …
By Ben Selby What does the Ferrari 250 GTO, the Lamborghini V12 engine and the Iso Grifo all have in common? Well, apart from these being grand testimonials to Italian car design, one man had a hand their creation. That man was Giotto Bizzarrini and we owe him a lot. Born in Livorno, Italy in 1926, the young Bizzarrini had …
