Collector Insight Vintage car collection: 5 unique pieces
Classic CarsCollector's InsightsThe list of classic cars to dream about owning is long.
If you ask most people what they would own with an unconstrained budget – they will rattle off the usual list of suspects: The Ferrari 250 GTO. The DB4 Zagato Aston Martin. A Miura SVJ, or if you are a connoisseur of Ferrari maybe a 275 GTB/C Speciale (the yellow one), a 250 Testarossa or 250 California Spyder SWB.
Without a doubt – these are all great cars. Among the most beautiful and rare on this planet. The problem is that you wouldn’t be the only owner. No matter how great the GTO is, there are 36 others (or 39 if you include the 330) that are part of that club. So, to make this exercise more challenging and interesting, I thought about the following:
What about creating a list of 5 cars. All have to be unique examples-so only one of them ever built (with one exception). Unlimited budget. A collection nobody, no matter how rich, could ever replicate. What would that list look like? And just to make this blog post more interesting, one of the five cars had to be a modern supercar.
Here is my list.
1: 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet by Bertone
It is no secret I love the DB4 series by Aston Martin. Not only did this series save Aston Martin and position it on the Map of supercars going forward in the end 1950s, but the DB4 is also responsible for the some of greatest cars Aston Martin ever built.
The DB4 GT zagato, the DB4 GT and the DB4 vantage are all dreams cars in their own right. However, each of these models were built more than once. There is however one DB4 GT that was only built once and there is simply nothing quite like it. The DB4 GT Jet by Bertone.
It looks nothing like the other 75 Aston Martin DB4 GT cars, and is incredibly elegant. The DB4GT was basically the racing version of a normal DB4 and thus the DB4GT by Bertone also has the stronger engine and triple weber carbs, claiming 300 plus horsepower. The car last changed hands for GBP3.2m in 2013, which seems like a bargain today.
(Picture Credit: Unknown).
The DB4 GT indeed is so elegant and fine and has some qualities of a supersonic jet at the time. Only built once – there is no Aston Martin similar.
(Picture Credit: Bonhams).
2: A 1955 Ferrari 250GT Europa Competition Speziale, 0403 GT
In the Ferrari world there are many unique and beautiful models, it was extremely hard to choose one model! In the end it really came down to taste as I could have equally chosen any of my runner up models of Ferrari too. So why this particular model?
Well for a start I wanted it to be part of the 250 series. Second, it had to be achingly beautiful. Third, I wanted something even the connoisseur of Ferrari would struggle to figure out if he saw it on the street. Fourth, it had to be completely unique. Fifth, simply put, there is not another car like it.
If you think it looks like the Ingrid Bergman 375MM coupe you could be forgiven (the car looks like the 375MM from the back). In fact, this car also has a Bergman connection. The color of this car is unofficially known as ‘Grigio Bergman‘ given that Ingrid Bergman received the 375MM from her husband in a similar color (the car was not bought new like many people think but rather used).
The Ferrari 250 GT Europa was born this way and contrary to some rumours was not a special order by the first owner, a Mr. John Gerard Murray. In fact experts like Massini and Pouret who wrote the Cavallino article on this car think that this car was the result of collaboration between Pininfarina (who designed the car) and Ferrari himself. We can think of it as a design project, testing what Ferrari is capable of as the company attempted to grow and evolve in its young history (Ferrari was only making cars since 5 years at that point).
As far as the details are concerned: The Europe Competition Speciale is powered by a 3.0L V12 engine built by Colombo, called the 250 GT engine type 112. It is claimed to produce 22ohp at 7’000 rpm. The chassis of this special car is called type 508 which is exactly 2600mm in length (Source: Keith Bluemel, Cavallino Magazine 106).
If you google this car, you only find out that it attended Villa d’Este concourse in 2005 (see picture below) and a Cartier Concours in 2013 at Goodwood. That’s about it. This special Europa remains a bit of a mystery and this is part of its appeal for me. It is a unique piece.
I chose it for its sheer beauty, femininity and also masculinity. I think it is one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
(Picture credit: Wheelsage.com).
3: 1930 Mercedes Benz SSK ‘Count Trossi’
I don’t really care for Pre-war cars and honestly speaking I am not really a fan of Mercedes Benz either (except for the Gullwing).
So why am I choosing this car? Well, you know, there are always exceptions in life, right? I think Mercedes built only two great cars. One is the Uhlenhaut SLR (which is my runner up choice) which resulted in the 300SL Gullwing being made (another great Mercedes car). The other is the SSK Count Trossi Mercedes. Technically, like the DB4 above and the 250 Speciale, the SSK is not unique. Over 30 examples were made. However only one carries this body.
At the request of owner, Count Trossi, he had his SSK completely rebodied by Touring of Milano. And Touring arguably created one of the greatest bodyworks ever made.
The engine is a beast too, a 7.1L supercharged straight six. For many it is the most beautiful pre-war car ever built. I tend to agree. And one of greatest men of style and sense of design owns since many years in his collection, RL).
(Credit: Unknown / Possibly supercarpage.com).
4: 1936 Bugatti Atlantic 57SC
My mother always said, ‘rules are there to be broken‘ and she is right.
Remember my rule about only choosing cars that are unique pieces? Technically I am breaking the rules here. There were three Bugatti Atlantics made, (two of which were born with a supercharged engine and one with that engine added 3 years later after purchase). So although three cars were made this car is too beautiful and too important not to include.
My favourite is the light blue one sitting in the Mullin museum in CA. It is the first production car (RL owns the last production car) and it is my favourite simply because of the color -gray metallic blue.
Technically the other two Atlantics are more important as they were born with a supercharged engine. The light blue car below was sent back to Bugatti for an upgrade with that engine in 1939, three years after the first owner (a Rothschild banker called Victor Rothschild) bought it in 1936.
For many the 57SC was the first true supercar ever made. Powered by a straight 8, dual overhead cam supercharged engine capable of an incredible 200hp. Remember, we are talking 1937 here the car was relatively light with an all alloy chassis. The car might look like it weighs a ton, but it doesn’t (it only weighs 950kg). I guess it just misses the ton mark.
The special teardrop shape with riveted bodywork rerminds me of the best period of Art Deco – this car is a masterpiece. To see a video of this car please see link here.
(Picture credit: Robb Report).
5: 2006 Ferrari P4/5 Supercar made for Mr: Jim Glickenhaus
Ever since I first saw this supercar – I fell in love with it.
It looks like an Enzo Ferrari (which the car is based on) but just much much better. It cost Mr. Jim Glickenhaus nearly USD 4m to create this masterpiece and it was made based on an original Ferrari Enzo that Jim brought to Pininfarina to have redesigned.
The exterior of the car is completely carbon fibre and the engine is exactly that of the Enzo (V12) producing 670hp and has an F1 paddle shift automatic gearbox exactly like the Enzo too. In fact, Ferrari (or better said Luca) was so impressed with the finished product that Ferrari gave it the blessing of calling it a Ferrari – the exact name being Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina.
I think it is the most beautiful Supercar ever made. For a brief Video please see here.
Below are the 4 cars that didn’t quite make it but are also dream cars to own:
All four cars below are extremely coveted and are regarded as some of the greatest cars ever made. They could have made the list but I lay out why they didn’t even though I still have high regard for them and it would indeed be my dream to own any one of these cars.
- 1954 Ferrari 375 Plus Convertible made for the King of Belgium, 0488 AM
- 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale, 0725 GT.
- 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Competition, 0393 GT
- 1955 Mercedes 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
The Ferrari 375 Plus is a dream and certainly unique, but in the end I prefer closed Ferrari more than convertible.
It still is one of my favourite cars ever made also due to the altimeter installed by King Leopold of Belgium. I also appreciate that the 375 was usually reserved for the race cars of Ferrari but the brand built a few 375 road cars including the Bergman car which also should be on this list as a runner up car.
(Credit: Unknown).
2. This was a close call. This is one of the most important Ferraris ever made.
First, it is from the famous 250 series that included many of Ferrari’s most well-known cars, like the TDF, the GTO and the SWB. Secondly it was made especially for Prince Bernhard of Holland. He and Enzo Ferrari came up with the car over a casual dinner. The side air vents, the 3 vents in the back all make this car unique. For me one of the most elegant and ‘under the radar’ Ferrari ever made.
3. This Ferrari was also a very difficult not to include. A 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Competition, 0393 GT
Utterly elegant and beautiful and it looks like a hybrid between a 410 Superamerica and 250 TDF LWB (which some say it was a prototype for). I love the 13 Louvres and the chrome accents on this car but also the side vents. For sure a special car and even a true Ferrari connoisseur would be hard pressed to figure out what it is, if seen on the street.
(Picture credit: Alan bee).
4. The Mercedes 300SLR (SLR for ‘super leicht Rennauto’ or super light race car translated from German) is a dream too.
Incredibly beautiful and important in racing history, it could technically be driven also on the road (in fact the engineer Uhlenhaut used as his daily car for a while). I love it but ultimately I find the Trossi car more beautiful. Also, more than one of the SLR cars were made complicating matters further. But it is for me one of the most beautiful cars ever made and also one of the most important.
Many people speculate that if this car would be able to trade in private hands – it would be the most valuable on the planet (I hear estimates of €2-300m).
