The Unvetted Vette
With its voluptuous Coke-bottle shape, the Chevrolet Corvette C3 was the epitome of bold 1970s hot-wheels styling and muscle car culture. But when the Corvette C4 that was introduced in 1984, GM designer Jerry Palmer had straightened and sobered up the sharkish, almost psychedelic shape, matching the all-american sportscar with the spirit and taste of the time. Interestingly, the custom car you see here might be considered the missing link between the two very different Corvette generations: designed by Jerry Palmer in 1975 for the legendary Chevrolet dealer and tuner Frank Milne, the one-of-a-kind design study already previewed some of the angular design elements that would be introduced to the market almost a decade later.
Le Mans prototype, anyone?
This summer, Aston Martin and works team Heart of Racing will return to the top class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two Valkyrie AMR-LMH hypercars. And while the drivers seats for the ultimate endurance showdown are already taken, this Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro now listed for sale with Mechatronik will bring you as close as you can get to the Circuit de la Sarthe. At first glance, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro may seem like another track-modified version of a road-legal supercar like the Ferrari FXX K or McLaren Senna GTR, but in fact it is a pure Le Mans prototype and is only comparable to the Ferrari 499P Modificata, the customer version of the two-time Le Mans winner 499P LMH from Maranello. Due to the fact that the HV hybrid system is no longer present as in the road version, the AMR Pro "only" produces 1,015 hp, but also weights just 1,000 kilos and therefore sports a sensational power-to-weight ratio of 0.99 kg per hp, making the road version of the Valkyrie almost seem tame in comparison. Only 40 cars were built, and this is your chance to join this ultra-exclusive club.
A Resto-Mod for the British Riviera
Designed by Michelotti and powered by a 2-litre 6-cylinder engine boasting 95 hp, the Triumph Vitesse was certainly one of the most exciting and enjoyable 4-seater convertibles of the mid-1960s. This particular example joined the personal museum of a collector in the south of France in 2013 – and was soon after restored and converted into a beach car. Coming up for auction with Aguttes, the Triumph sports a rather cool, black-and-pink livery, a matching hardtop – and a cabin that pays homage to 1960s mod culture with black-and-white stripes all across the leather interior. So if you want to outshine the Citroën Méharis in the South of France or explore the British Riviera in style, this affordable Triumph Vitesse might be the perfect beach car for you this summer!
The French Superamerica
There’s a fast-growing group of enthusiasts for the timelessly elegant, Pininfarina-designed Ferrari of the late 1990s and early 2000s – and this car might be the ultimate V12 open-top grand tourer to own from this era. Configured in Tour de France Blue with a sumptuous Bordeaux Pelle leather interior, it might be one of the most desirable – and most French – configurations of the Ferrari 575 Superamerica. The only thing that’s missing for purists like us is the manual gearbox, but only 43 of the 559 units were equipped with the stick, so hand-shifters are significantly more expensive. Sporting only 32.000 kilometres, this blue-over-bordeaux Superamerica is waiting for its next owner at Asphalt Classics in the South of France.
One of 16
German tuning culture certainly peaked in the 1980s – and while the wildest creations from customozers like Koenig and Gemballa starred on posters and magazine covers, other bespoke cars and their makers were soon forgotten. One of these creatives was Herbert Jurinek in Alling near Munich, who created a cabriolet version of the Porsche 928 S, charging a hefty 78,660 Deutschmarks for his soft-top conversion. The open-top four-seater even impressed the ever-critical Auto, Motor und Sport magazine who praised the car for its build quality in 1986: "Even at the motorway speeds we always expect of a Porsche 928, you hardly hear a flutter from the fabric trim." Configured in dark green over tan leather, this custom Porsche is one of only 16 Porsche 928 S Cabrios built in period – and a tasteful alternative to the open-top Aston Martin cruisers of the time.
