Coys 'Legende et Passion', 9 May 2014
The Coys ‘Legende et Passion’ auction, taking place on Friday 9 May, offers a varied delicatessen of treats – from an Abarth recovery truck to a Monaco-built supercar. But our collective eye was caught by the 1950 Cisitalia Abarth 204 A Spider, which not only has Targa Florio and Mille Miglia provenance but can, we're told, also claim to be the last car driven in anger by Tazio Nuvolari before his retirement.
Elsewhere, the auction sees some familiar mid-90s supercars in some less-than-common guises: a 1994 Lamborghini Diablo SE 30th Anniversario, and a 1995 Porsche 911 (993) Turbo resplendent in ‘Indian Red’, a cousin of the iconic Guards Red colour.
RM Auctions, 10 May 2014
Among the slew of Italian machinery headlining RM’s 10 May auction is a 1967 Ferrari Dino 206 S Spider, being offered publicly for the first time. It’s one of only 18 of the high-revving, V6-engined sports cars – built primarily for gentleman drivers – and is thought to be the only one given a larger engine, 312 P-style bodywork and a 312 F1 gearbox by the factory at a later date. For those who prefer their racing machines a little younger (and a lot faster), there’s also a pair of Group C racers to choose from.
In terms of road machines, the 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America by Pinin Farina is not only the rarest, but also the prettiest roofless derivative of the Aurelia – just look at that wraparound windscreen, or the shallow doors uninterrupted by the presence of exterior handles. Meanwhile, our award for the most striking paintwork is only snatched from the Lime Green De Tomaso Mangusta by the Bugatti EB110 GT, which wears a sombre dark green that masks its ballistic character.
