Fun-Sized Ferrari
This diminutive beauty is a 1965 ASA 1000 GT, and no those prancing horses aren’t just for show. The idea for this car emerged in the late 1950s when Enzo Ferrari began considering building a smaller, more accessible grand tourer for the masses. Enzo himself tested the prototype for this micro Ferrari and it wasn’t long before a second iteration — featuring Bertone bodywork designed by none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro — was stealing hearts at the 1961 Turin Motor Show.
Thus the ASA 1000 GT was born, and two years later the spider variant, like this example, was revealed. Not only does it look like a mini 250 GT California Spider, its 1,032cc four-cylinder engine was also roughly equivalent in design to one-third of the legendary Colombo V12. Even better, the spider saved an extra 100 kg thanks to its fiberglass body. As far as obscure yet sexy classics go, you can’t do better than this!
The Ultimate Two Car Solution
Launched at the tail end of 2019 to celebrate Zagato’s 100th birthday — and 60 years of successful collaboration with Aston Martin — the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation and DBS GT Zagato represented arguably the greatest buy one get one free deal of all time, even at the original price of 6.1 million pounds before taxes. Now, you can get yourself even more of a steal as these two ultra-rare Astons are available for a mere 3.75 million pounds, how’s that for a discount?
While that is a monumental amount of cash, you have to consider that just 19 pairs were ever made, and we doubt any look as good as this Caribbean Pearl over Dark Blue duo. Both cars have covered minimal miles since new and remain in “as delivered” condition. The real question is: which of these drop-dead gorgeous Zagatos would you drive first?
Droop Snoot Beaut
Fast Fords have been gaining popularity for quite some time, and it takes just one look at this 1980 Ford Escort RS2000 to understand the appeal. Launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1975, the ‘droop snoot’ RS2000 was the most luxurious Escort of its day and was powered by a 2-litre single overhead cam four-cylinder producing 100hp. These figures aren’t going to win you any Top Trumps matches, but 8.5 seconds to 60mph is by no means slower and it we’re sure it won’t take long for this black-over-beige Ford to win you over.
This example was subject to a no-expense-spared restoration after its current custodian took ownership in 2017, and now benefits from a meatier rebuilt engine, a Janspeed exhaust, an upgraded 5-speed gearbox, and Bilstein suspension, no doubt making it much more agile than a standard RS2000. If you’re after an iconic Ford that goes even better than it looks, this droop snoot is what you’ve been waiting for.
Bleed Red
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft is one of Germany’s greatest gifts to the world, but naturally, it was the Italians who created the sexiest racer to ever compete in the championship (in our humble opinion, anyway). The Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI looks like it would eat its competition for lunch, and in the 1993 season, it pretty much did, with Nicola Larini winning 11 of the 22 races for Alfa Corse.
This 1994 example didn’t enjoy quite the same level of success thanks to the arrival of Mercedes’ Class 1 C Class, but we doubt you’ll have time to consider its racing history with your right foot controlling that mighty 11,800 rpm, 420 horsepower V6. Weighing in at just 1,100 kilos, this Alfa would be an excellent way to get an edge on the competition at the numerous historic racing series for which this stunning DTM racer is eligible.
To the Batmobile!
Everyone loves an automotive homage, and if any car is deserving of a tribute, it’s the iconic 3.0 CSL “Batmobile” from 1972. Based on the M4 CSL, this 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL definitely fulfills the sporty coupé aspect of its name with a whopping 560 horsepower driving the rear wheels alone via a lovely six-speed manual. Thanks to the 3.0 CSL’s unique carbon fibre bodywork, it also drops quite a bit of weight from the standard M4, claiming a power-to-weight ratio of 2.9 kilograms per horsepower.
As a celebration of the M division’s 50th birthday, just 50 of these M-liveried homages were ever built, each reportedly taking 30 technicians 10 days to build. This example is still brand new and could be your only chance to add one of these ultra-rare Bavarians to your garage, so don’t miss out!
