Category: News & Stories

The story of the long black Mercedes which served dictators, tyrants, presidents and celebrities with equal efficiency for many decades started in 1955 when the design and engineering work began. The Sindelfingen team were told to do their best, cost no object, and to produce an automobile of unparalleled quality.

„Der Große Mercedes“ was the title of the sales catalog published at the launch of the car, and despite what some uneducated Internet savants might tell you, it simply means “The Big Mercedes”. The car was supposed to continue the prewar tradition of majestic state limousines. Short-term profit was not the objective, but rather the association of the Mercedes brand with heads of state and top-level politics. The W100, as it came to be called internally, did not replace any existing model, nor was it directly replaced when its production ceased in 1981. IT not only commanded respect from the common man, but it also facilitated East-West detente and helped people like Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany, to establish a cohesive coexistence policy with the Soviet Bloc.

Heinz-Ulrich Wieselmann, the editor-in-chief of the German “Auto Motor und Sport” magazine, a born Berliner known for his critical eye and his acerbic wit, chose to describe the car using the following words, “One approaches the big black automobile with apprehension. No question, a Mercedes-Benz commands respect. Well-fed, heavy and perfect in every detail it stands on its huge 9.00 x 15 tires. Its elegance forces one to pull one’s hands out of one’s pockets when it arrives. Quite simply, it is the most interesting, the most advanced and the best car ever produced.” Such expressions of euphoria were not often seen in Wieselmann’s writing, but the experienced high-speed driver did not stop there, “Talking about the driving behavior of the big Mercedes, with a decidedly sporting driving style applied to it, we can only describe it, emphatically, as excellent. Most sports car manufacturers would like their little squirts to handle curves so fast, with such safety and composure as this three-ton vehicle. The driving comfort is unparalleled.” Strong words from a man not given to undue praise.

The passenger car development department at Daimler was run at that time by none other but Rudolf Uhlenhaut. He set three targets for his team while working on the new top-class vehicle: the highest possible ride comfort for passengers, the highest possible safety and excellent performance. They were the same premises on which its prewar predecessors were built; due to who rode in them prior to WWII and later until 1945, those premises had been, well, conveniently forgotten. Uhlenhaut, however, remembered them well. Times had changed. Before the war, such vehicles were predominantly ordered by individuals who wanted themselves to be seen in public, hence open-top versions constituted 67% of all production. After the war, dictators started to value their personal safety more, and leaders of democratic countries had no desire to be seen as power-hungry, therefore the Landaulet body with its open rear, perfect for parades, was only ordered by 22% of all clients. Landaulets were built on the LWB chassis with the notable exception of one SWB example, built at the request of Graf Berckheim, and full convertibles were never built at all. In general, the SWB cars were to be self-driven, and the LWB ones driven by chauffeurs. The longer chassis was available with four or six doors, and the frame for all variants was so designed that without alterations it had the stiffness sufficient for all types of bodies.

On the 28th of August, ten prominent European car journalists met in Val de Poix in Belgium, invited by Arthur Keser, the head of the Mercedes press department. These were: Robert Braunschweig, Bernard Cahier, Piero Casucci, Paul Frère, Hermann Harster, Jacky Ickx, Harry Mundy, Hans Patleich, Heinz-Ulrich Wieselmann and Gordon Wilkins. Don’t be surprised if you recognize some names… The welcome committee from Daimler consisted of Fritz Nallinger (development boss; the same guy who thought up a Mercedes bomber plane during the war), Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Josef Müller, Karl Wilfert and the aforementioned Arthur Keser. Uhlenhaut, in his perfect British English, told the guests about the main tenets of the new vehicle concept and about its development which had lasted 8 years. The reaction of the small, select group of journalists, some of whom were fantastically talented racing drivers, was overwhelmingly positive. The Swiss Robert Braunschweig commented that he had never expected Mercedes-Benz to come up with just such a vehicle. And Harry Mundy, the Brit, reported that he had nagged at Rolls-Royce for years, begging them to modernize their cars. His warnings had been ignored and now Rolls-Royce was forced to realize that Mercedes had come up with a car that was far above the standard that Rollses represented at the time.

Halfway through 1955 Nallinger wrote a brief containing the parameters for a car based on the “C-type” chassis, thus explaining his ideas: “This platform will serve the future long-distance touring car and state limousine. It has a standard automatic gearbox, power-assisted steering, and power-assisted brakes. Normally it is a 6-seater. The design of the body frame is such that it can be lengthened to produce a vehicle with 3 rows of seats.” In February 1956 Nallinger voiced his visionary idea of an aluminum V8 engine with a capacity of 6 liters, but at the beginning of the R&D work on the new M100 engine, the capacity was actually 5 liters. The first fully functioning prototype of the new V8 motor ran on a dyno at the close of 1959. During the course of testing the capacity was enlarged in two stages, first to 5.8 and later to 6 liters, to be finally established at 6.33 liters and a power output of a relatively modest 250 horsepower. The increases in capacity and power output were necessitated by the parallel development of the frame and bodywork, where a constantly growing level of equipment meant more weight and the need for more thrust. The first three-engine prototype generations were made of aluminum with cast iron cylinder liners, but the block had to be made in cast iron too for the final iterations, as bore could not be increased in aluminum without sacrificing reliability. The planetary gear set of the 4-speed automatic transmission grew from 3 to 6 planetary gears due to the massive increase in torque. Interestingly, Nallinger was looking at another engine option back in 1956, namely a 7.5-liter V12. Technical drawings by Adolf Wente from 1957 prove that this was not just a pipe dream, but a sound concept which was being assessed. Nallinger used the 6.4 and 6.7 Cadillac and Chrysler engines as benchmarks.

The standard engine was incredibly smooth and powerful, at 100 kph (62 mph) it was turning over at 2400 rpm, and its rev limit was 4800 rpm. It drove the rear wheels via a newly developed 4-speed automatic, with a hydraulic fluid coupling instead of the expected torque converter (it was later also used on smaller cars). A fluid coupling offered no torque multiplication but with this engine this was not necessary, given over 500 Nm of torque available. The driveline efficiency was better with no-slip (98%) than with a converter. The engine had some unusual devices fitted to it which facilitated using the car in the circumstances for which it had been created. One was the hot starting aid, necessary as principals do not like to wait embarrassing minutes while their car refuses to start. Another was the high-speed idle switch (increasing it to 1200 rpm) for increased aircon efficiency when stationary; at normal idle, there was not enough coolant pressure at low rpm to operate the air conditioning unit at peak efficiency, and there were additional electric blowers on the condenser as well (the aircon unit was so good that the one in the Maybach 62 was benchmarked against it several decades later). The high speed idle would activate only with the gear selector lever in the P position, and the gearshift remained locked when the high-speed idle function was engaged. Even with the car at a standstill, the engine had to cope with a heavy load: it drove 7 auxiliaries via 7 belts. It took a whole day to replace all the belts.

This is without a doubt my favorite Ferrari model. It has the classic front-engine, rear-drive proportions, a powerful, sonorous engine, and its shape simply screams “the Sixties”. The later Daytona started another era and ended the period of romanticism at Ferrari. The 275 series was launched in Paris in 1964, with two models, the 275 GTB Berlinetta/coupe and the 275 GTS drop-top. It was high time, as the 250 GT series was already past its prime. The new car had a tubular frame, the gearbox located in the rear for better weight distribution, and independent rear suspension in place of the primitive cart springs of earlier models.

It was the first roadgoing Ferrari with four-wheel independent suspension and the last which was sold with wire wheels (in its earlier iterations, later ones had steel rims). The engine was a final stage of development of the famous Gioacchino Colombo V12engine, with one overhead camshaft, and a capacity of 3286 cc. Pininfarina infused the shape with eternal beauty, and Scaglietti made the bodies. If Brioni made cars and not suits, they would look like this.

The first cars would go very light in the front at high speed (aerodynamic lift), so after a while, the design was updated: the nose was lengthened, and a torque tube was added to ameliorate the stability and durability of the drivetrain. Later another spate of modifications was performed, and it transformed the most beautiful Berlinetta into (almost) a fire-breathing monster, named 275 GTB/4. Another overhead camshaft was added to every cylinder bank, and a slight bulge was added to the hood. Only 330 Four-Cam cars were built, with 20 horsepower more than the previous standard model.

It is widely believed that the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 is a pinnacle of Ferrari performance and handling of the era, a collector’s car which can provide an uncommon level of pleasure for its driver. Today, when regular 275 GTBs start at about 2 million dollars, the slash-four model can be priced at well over 3 million, with the best ones fetching as much as 4,000,000 US dollars. The model was superseded by the 365 GTB/4, usually known as the Daytona (but never called that officially).

In period, a car capable of 258 km/h and weighing only 1100 kilograms was extraordinary, but not very strange: lots of sports cars were light, as the dawn of the passive safety age was still far away. Today it seems featherweight and will surprise a modern driver with the quality of its responses. The Holy Grail of the 275 GTB family is the alloy-bodied car, lighter and more corrosion-resistant than its steel brethren, as only around 80 were built. As with any high-value classic Ferrari, Ferrari Classiche certification is essential, and a full historical record of ownership plus all maintenance records and restoration documentation is an absolute must.

If I had the funds I would buy one today.

To celebrate its landmark centenary year in 2019, Bentley will introduce a special edition model inspired by one of its iconic racing models, at the Geneva International Motor Show (05.03.19). Visit www.bentleymotors.com/CentenaryEdition and register your interest to stay informed.

In 1919 Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley created a company with a simple objective: to build “a fast car, a good car, the best in its class”. This guiding principle has driven Bentley ever since, pushing the brand forward and making it a leader in automotive luxury around the world today. The 10th of July 2019 marks Bentley’s 100th year and this extraordinary milestone – reached by only a special few companies – will be a cause for celebration of the company’s history, its global success today and its exciting future.

The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s four model lines, Bentayga, Continental, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 4,000 people at Crewe.

Find the original post in the blog of Gapless App.

Classic cars are an emerging asset class that has become increasingly reliable over the past ten to twenty years. In other words, it’s a good game to get into. However, for most investors, the classic car market can seem complicated and opaque. So where should curious investors start? One approach is to familiarize oneself with classic car indices, just as one would do with equity markets. One could also find an expert to get advice from, or go to car shows and start asking around, but classic car indices are the most readily accessible entry point to those doing research from home.

Investing in cars, when done well, can not only be lucrative but also an exciting and rewarding hobby. However, be warned that the classic car scene can be more treacherous than traditional asset classes. Lack of transparency and regulation combined with growing hype mean fraud is common, so caution is paramount. This being said, anyone willing to do their research and accept help from trusted experts should have no trouble avoiding any scams they might encounter. 

Buying a used car can come with all kinds of pitfalls, read our guide to learn how to come out on top!

Market cap weighted vs price weighted Indices

Most equity indices are market cap weighted, meaning that the individual components of these indices are weighted according to their market capitalization. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ are examples of such indices. A minority of equity indices are price weighted, notably the DJ Industrial and Nikkei 225. Individual components in these indices are weighted based on their price per share (or in the case of cars, price per car). In the classic car world, this distribution is reversed. Most classic car indices are price weighted, especially if the index in question tracks a small number of cars. This means that when the prices of the car models in a classic car index rise, the index rises with them.

The main classic car indices

The following section will introduce the most prominent classic car indices. The purpose is not to explain the indices’ constructions, but rather to present some background and introductory considerations for each index. Most index providers make some of their data available for free, but charge for more detailed figures. It is important to mention that many of these indices are quite new. Although enthusiasts have traded classic cars for over a century, investors have only been using financial instruments to analyse this market for the past 15 years or so. This doesn’t discount the information one can glean from indices, but it should still be considered.

HAGI Indices

Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI) was the first serious player in classic car indices. It is an independent investment research house and think-tank with specialised expertise in the rare classic motorcar sector. In 2009, HAGI started using rigorous financial methodology usually associated with more traditional investments to track classic cars as an alternative asset. HAGI puts out 6 indices, each pertaining to a specific sector of the market. They are as follows.

1. “Top Index” a general index for rare automobiles that incorporates the top 50 most valuable car models on the market.
2. “Top ex. P&F” excludes all Porsche and Ferrari from its figures. This can give owners (or prospective buyers) of less popular brands a more accurate picture of the section of the market that pertains to them.
3. “F Index” tracks only the Ferrari market.
4. “LPS Index” tracks only the Lamborghini market.
5. “MBC Index” tracks only the market for classic Mercedes-Benz cars from between 1920 and 1980.
6. “P Index” tracks only the Porsche Market.

The Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index also has a classic car index, but it uses data from HAGI Indices.

Hagerty Indices

Hagerty is an American company that specializes in insurance for classic in luxury vehicles. This specialization gives Hagerty a uniquely detailed view of the classic car market, and it uses this position to publish various classic car indices that are widely respected. The indices are inflation adjusted and track the global market. Hagerty’s indices are as follows.

1. 1950′ American tracks classic American cars manufactured in the 1950s.
2. Affordable Classics tracks classic cars valued at under $30,000.
3. Blue Chips tracks only the most expensive cars.
4. British Cars
5. Ferrari
6. German Collectibles tracks Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
7. Muscle Cars

The K500 Index

The K500 index is put out by Kidston, a Geneva-based dealer and consultant firm with has its finger firmly on the pulse of the classic car market. The index tracks 500 cars by analyzing data from some 30,000 constantly growing auction results from over two decades of sales. Each car of the K500 has been chosen for its historical and intrinsic value. This insistence on the consideration of intangible value makes the K500 a good indicator for gauging the potency of some of the subjective factors that define a classic car’s value, like it’s racing history. The K500 also provides subscribers with curves tracking the price fluctuation history of each car in the index. Finally, every car in the K500 is given a score between 1-100 to denote how often this model is bought and sold. Cars with high scores are considered particularly desirable. 

The DOX Index

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) started publishing the Deutscher Oldtimers Index since 2010. This index tracks German classic car market. It is calculated once a year and incorporates 88 cars that are selected to reflect the German market that year. The average price of the cars included in the DOX is less than €50,000, which differentiates this index from most of the others on this list. The constituents of the DOX Index are changed every 3 years.

The DOX is useful for understanding the enthusiast market segment – which accounts for a majority of the market’s sales volume – in isolation from the hyper high price market, which draws much more attention but is largely irrelevant to the average investor.

The OTX Index

The other significant German index for classic cars is the OTX Index by Südwest Bank. Like the DOX, the OTX is released every year and tracks the values of 20 cars by South German manufacturers. the goal of the OTX is to reflect price fluctuations in the German classic car market.

Putting the indices in perspective

By monitoring the main international classic car Indices, you can start to compare the evolution of this relatively new but promising asset class. Since the end of 2015, classic car prices have been trending up or sideways. While the most expensive classic cars are probably out of your price range, the market is still worth getting into.

In conclusion, we could advise you not to look too much at the empirical data derived from classic car indexes as well as the price fluctuations they are capturing, but simply enjoy driving your classic car(s) for the sake of it.

There are few more legendary racing sedans than BMW’s Batmobiles, the bewinged, wide-hipped BMW E9 derivatives which wreaked havoc on race circuits around the world. They won the European Touring Car Championship in 1973 and took a famous class win at Le Mans in the same year, won races in the American IMSA championship in 1975, and did very well in other types of touring car racing all over the world. I once had a little Majorette diecast model of a Batmobile when I was a child, and remember it very fondly. It had purpose and strength visible in its brutal looks, and made other cars of the era look positively effeminate.

And now I am standing next to one, and I am scared. Not of the car, it’s a car, therefore subject to the same laws of physics which I am quite familiar with. Of Dieter Quester, the Austrian driver, a true hero, who has come to Goodwood to drive this car, because I am taking it away from him. Not for long, but he looks at me with a stern unsmiling face, his deeply chiseled features lending credence to the image he projects, perhaps unwillingly. Michael, the BMW Classic mechanic with a Bavarian sense of humor, tells me that over-revving the engine results in the driver forced to buy expensive hamburgers for the technical crew.

I make a mental note, but am sure I’ll forget: the run up the Goodwood hill is so short and so packed with sensations and reactions that my brain will be suffering from overload anyway. The mechanic helps me adjust the seat, and teaches me how to restart the engine,telling me also which dials to watch more closely. The engine is practically brand new, and the car is pristine. Quester drives VIP guests in it at DTM races, probably scaring them to death in the process.

This car is a replica of the car in which Dieter Quester, paired with Toine Hezemans, won their class at the Le Mans 24 hour race, and did so in style. They actually ended up in 11th place overall, in a BMW coupe similar to a road car! The seats and the belts are modern, that’s good, and the gearbox is my BMW favorite, the dogleg Sportgetriebe. I have a lot of experience driving a civilian 3.0 CSL, but the race car in warpaint looks much more purposeful. I am not really apprehensive, as the visibility out of the cockpit is good, the controls fall nicely to hand, and I am not going to try to go fast. Well… at least that’s what I tell the BMW crew.

I manage to get the Batmobile out of its tent in the paddock without stalling, drive over to the assembly area without running any spectators over, and finally am directed to a parking space behind the brand new M8 GTE race car. Funnily enough, especially in this livery, the DNA link between the two cars is unmistakable. I attempt to get out of the car gracefully, and fail, but nobody is looking. All the eyes are directed at my buddy, Mike Skinner, called “The Gunslinger” and his hellishly rapid NASCAR Truck.

At Goodwood, when you are driving an unfamiliar car, there is no opportunity to practice, to learn the behavior of the machine, to judge the grip. A short run to the start, turning the car around, a longish wait, and off you go, watched by 70,000 people and millions more on the web and on TV. No pressure at all. I have been driving here since 2010, and I can say I know the route pretty well by now, but even with this kind of familiarity it can be tricky, with slippery dust being blown over it from the vast, dried up lawns.

My launch is OK, but could be better, with the rain tires hooking up in a manner far from a smoothness I want to achieve. The car feels great, only the driver is cautious, because he remembers the look the Austrian gave him earlier. I whizz past Goodwood House, set the car up gently for Molecomb Corner, and continue next to the flint wall and through the last two turns as cleanly as I can. The run over, I park behind the supermodern M8 again, close to the incredibly fast Pikes Peak Volkswagen. Its driver, Romain Dumas,comes over to talk cars, and then runs away toward the rally stage. “i really prefer rallies,” he says with a slight shrug. Yeah, I know, he is helping Porsche develop its Cayman rally car.

And I trundle slowly down the hill afterwards, happy not to give Dieter any cause for concern. He acknowledges my greeting with a curt nod and gets ready for the next run. I look back at the car over my shoulder. What a well-mannered beast. I need to try to drive it again. Unfinished business…

I remember old Italian movies in which the Polizia and Carabinieri chased well-dressed villains while driving boxy Alfa Romeos with rounded edges. I watched them in black and white when I was still a child, so at the time I had no idea what these funny cars were called, but their concave rumps stayed in my memory for decades. Later I learned they were called Giulias. In Italian “Giulia” simply means “Julia”, a common female name. Typical for the Italians to give an outstanding car a banal name which sounds awesome only in their mother tongue.

The squarish Giulia replaced the 1950’s Giulietta which served as a basis for a multitude of special-bodied sports versions, some of them coachbuilt by Zagato, no less. At first the Alfa Romeo management had a different idea, this being the Tipo 103 economy car project. Fortunately for us, this was quickly abandoned and the wizards conspired to build a new sports sedan. The new car was presented to the press at the Monza racing circuit in 1962, and was an instant hit. Compared to contemporary German cars, its technological advancement made it look like a Nissan GT-R facing a row of Trabants.

Italians will race any kind of vehicle, so a special variant of the Giulia was prepared to make it easier for the new car to win. Lighter and more powerful, it was built in a short production run of only 501 examples, very few of which survive. Why? Racing attrition took its toll, but for sure some smug Italian males also used the cars to impress female companions, and ran into trouble. Remember, at the time this car was created, Communist Bloc cars were as simplistic as the combination of hammer and sickle, and popular British cars did not even offer a heater! Under the hood this white car has a version of the 1.6-liter engine from the Giulia Sprint Speciale, fed by two twin-barrel Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, developing 113 horsepower, powering the rear wheels via a 5-speed gearbox (a rarity in that period).

It sports a special light-alloy steering wheel with three spokes, bucket seats in front, and, as of 1964, four disc brakes plus superlight wheel rims made of electron, an aviation alloy of magnesium. as a result, the TI Super was lighter by a whole 100 kilos than the standard car, with a grand total weight of only 960 kilograms. And just look at those 155-section tires, today even shopping carts seem to boast wider rubber. One wiper speed, no radio, Quadrifoglio Verde badges, I am in heaven.

Such cars must be driven in a manner different to today’s turbocharged, obese sedans. There is no violent acceleration on the straights, no sensations of one’s kidneys being crushed. Braking very late creates no advantage, because the car cannot accelerate swiftly out of corners. You learn to carry more speed through turns, and learn the art of energy management this way. The same energy management that glider pilots display while doing aerobatics, and the same art which the late Bob Hoover demonstrated so many times in his aircraft.

I start my sightseeing tour of Milan at Portello, the original location of the Alfa Romeo factory, and later move closer to the new railway station. The whole front of the building is taken up by a huge billboard, advertising the Freccia Rossa express train. And here we arrive at the explanation of the essence of Italian engineering. Where the Swiss would have advertised the fact that their train is the most environmentally-friendly, where the Germans would have said it was either the fastest or the most punctual, and where the Poles would have told the world theirs was the cheapest, the Italians claim their Red Lightning is simply the most beautiful train extant. Simultaneously this viewpoint does not mean that Italian take technology lightly, without them we would not have screaming Ferrari engines, Common Rail diesels and the Beretta 92F handgun.

This whole car is a deliciously analog, not coldly digital, experience, and I am enjoying it immensely. The way the forces on the steering wheel grow smoothly in a corner, the way the controls work, the way the engine sings in the upper register… it all gels together to give the driver a lot of satisfaction. And is there anything else worth living for?

Jean Bugatti, the eldest son of Bugatti founder Ettore, is one of the most distinguished figures in the company’s long and proud history. Having become the creator of the most iconic Bugatti vehicle and leading his father’s company at the age of only 27, he tragically suffered a fatal accident in 1939. On January 15, he would have turned 110 years old, coinciding with the celebrations of the 110th anniversary of Bugatti.

On January 15, 1909 Jean was born in Cologne, Germany where his father Ettore worked as head of the production department of Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz AG (it is worth noting that Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach were also associated with Deutz). Jean’s full name, Gianoberto Carlo Rembrandt Ettore Bugatti, reflected his family’s Italian roots, yet he was called Jean due to his French home. For it was in the fall of the same year of his birth that the Bugatti family moved to Molsheim. In the small Alsatian town, Ettore Bugatti opened his own company in a disused dye works, before officially signing the tenancy agreement for his factory on the 1st of January 1910.

Since he was a child, Jean was highly interested in his father’s business, spending most of his free time around the workers in the factory. When he was a teenager, he already showed to be very skilled in different crafts and took on more and more tasks and responsibilities. By the late 1920s, Jean Bugatti was already an essential part of the Bugatti company. He even succeeded his father as the head of Bugatti at the age of 27 in 1936.

Jean is best known, however, for designing many of the brand’s most renowned models, complementing his father’s engineering skill and making Bugatti one of the greatest names in automobile manufacturing. The revolutionary and legendary Type 57 SC Atlantic was Jean Bugatti’s most iconic creation. It featured flowing coupe lines and a unique riveted spine and a chassis with significantly lower ground clearance. It is considered to be one of the world’s most exclusive and astonishing sport coupés. With only four units built and only two surviving with original parts, it is one of the most expensive vintage models.

The second Atlantic out of the four was the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC – Aéro Coupé, a car that would be known as “La voiture noire”; it is maybe the most mythical car in history. After having been built, its elegant, iconic appearance was used for internal brochures as well as different motor show exhibitions in France. It is said to never have had a registered owner, but it was used as the personal car of its creator Jean Bugatti who only permitted his race driver friends like Mr. William Grover-Williams, and sometimes his wife, to drive. The last certain mention of the vehicle was on an inventory list of a train that Ettore Bugatti used to send some of his most valued possessions to Bordeaux, trying to escape from Nazi-occupied France. What happened to “La voiture noire” after this is a matter of legends. The most common theory is that the Nazis got hold of the vehicle and towards the end of WWII and having dismantled it, they used its aluminum components for their last desperate war efforts. There are rumors that it survived, and, hopefully, time will reveal the truth.

Jean Bugatti himself didn’t live to see the dramatic loss of his beloved “La voiture noire”. On August 11, 1939, at the age of only 3,0 he was driving on one of his usual test drive routes not far from the factor,y near the village of Duppigheim. A cyclist got through a hole in a tree fence and abruptly crossed the road. Jean tried to avoid hitting the cyclist and lost control over his vehicle, crashing into a tree, fatally. Today, a monument at the site of the accident reminds us of this tragic loss. Jean’s final resting place is at the Bugatti family plot at the municipal cemetery in Dorlisheim. Very close, at the Château Street Jean and on the Bugatti premises his and his father’s legacy lives on to this day.

This summer’s Silverstone Classic will celebrate Bentley’s 100th birthday with a very special anniversary race dedicated to honoring the British marque’s most significant historical milestone. To be staged on Saturday evening at the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival, the Bentley Centenary Trophy for Pre-War Sports Cars comes almost exactly 100 years after the legendary W.O. Bentley founded the company that carries his name on 10 July, 1919.

To mark the momentous occasion, it is hoped that a record turn-out of more than 30 iconic racing Bentleys will line up, as in period, in a hugely evocative field also packed with pre-war Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, Bugattis, Fraser Nashes, Lagondas and MGs all dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.

It was in competition that the hallowed brand first earned its reputation, winning the coveted Le Mans 24 Hours no fewer than five times in seven years between 1924 and 1930, topped by an all-conquering 1-2-3 podium clean sweep precisely 90 years ago in 1929.

Furthering the appeal, the notoriously rugged cars – then being built at Cricklewood in north London and once described by competitive rival Ettore Bugatti as ‘the fastest trucks in the world’ – were raced by an alluring group of wealthy British drivers nicknamed the ‘Bentley Boys’.

Adding to the unmissable Bentley centenary celebrations, a special track parade for car clubs representing the distinguished luxury brand is also scheduled for Saturday at the Classic. Once again, huge numbers are expected to join the historic 100th birthday party.

Full details on general admission tickets and hospitality experiences can be found at silverstoneclassic.com.

Following the record-breaking run at the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the ID. R – Volkswagen’s fully-electric sports car – has now set its sights on another record in the summer of 2019: the lap record for electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, which is regarded as the toughest racetrack in the world. The ID. R is the sporty ambassador to an entire range of electric vehicles, which Volkswagen plans to launch from 2020 onwards. The ID. R’s motorsport assignments are a declaration of Volkswagen’s commitment to electromobility and underline the huge potential power that the E-drive can deliver on regular roads in the future. “After the record on Pikes Peak, the fastest time for electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is the next big challenge for the ID. R,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets. “A lap record on the Nordschleife is a great accolade for any car, whether a race car or a production car.”

The ID. R, which is being further developed for the record attempt at the Nürburgring, is powered by two electric engines with a system capacity of 500 kW (680 hp) and weighs less than 1,100 kilograms, including the driver. “Above all, we will modify the aerodynamics of the ID. R, in order to cope with the conditions on the Nordschleife, which differ greatly from those on Pikes Peak,” says François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport. Unlike the US classic on Pikes Peak, which starts at an altitude of 2,862 meters and ends at 4,302, the Nordschleife winds its way through the Eifel region at between 320 and 617 meters above sea level. The iconic German circuit has a very unique characteristic, not least thanks to the long Döttinger Höhe straight. “As part of our meticulous preparations for the record attempt, we will put the ID. R through an intense test and development program at various racetracks in the spring,” Demaison adds. The record attempt is planned for the summer. The multi-talented Romain Dumas will be at the wheel again for the record attempt. He won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with the ID. R Pikes Peak in June 2018 and, with a time of 7:57.148 minutes, became the first driver in over 100 years of this iconic race to go under eight minutes. The Frenchman also has four victories in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring to his name.

“The thought of driving the ID. R on the Nordschleife is already enough to give me goosebumps. I know the track very well, but the ID. R will be a completely different challenge, with its extreme acceleration and huge cornering speeds,” says Dumas. “I can hardly wait for the first tests. Breaking the existing electric record will certainly not be a stroll in the park.” The current record for fully-electric vehicles stands at 6:45.90 minutes – at an average speed of almost 185 km/h – and was set in 2017 by Britain’s Peter Dumbreck in an NIO EP9.

On May 15th, I had my first experience at the 1000 Miglia – and it was amazing! There were some of the most incredible cars of the automotive history on the road today and I think 1000 Miglia is an ode to the golden times of the automobile.

Words and images by Alexberlinetta from Carphiles

For this opportunity, I was invited by the team of DRIVERSHALL to take photos and join them for the Ferrari Tribute. DRIVERSHALL is a community of people who are connected by a passion for supercars, as well as an exclusive members club for car aficionados that own and know how to drive a supercar and want to connect and pursue their hobby with like-minded awesome people.

Starting on the streets of Desenzano the race took two days and featured an exquisite selection of some classic and contemporary Ferraris. The DRIVERSHALL team participated with a stunning red F40, and we were lucky to follow them until Milano Maritima capturing the race with the camera.

Following the strict standards of the 1000 Miglia, every car that is being part of it must have an impeccable provenance. You will get to see some of the finest, most exclusive and rare classic cars that exist.

On the second day of the race, I woke up very early at around 5 am to have the chance to see all the cars on the streets in front of the hotels just sitting there for your enjoyment. It also gave me the chance to see all the other cars that were part of the main 1000 Miglia race, besides the Ferrari Tribute.

It was an amazing sensation to be surrounded by all these beautiful masterpieces when the race took off – and to hear all the engines roaring is quite an unforgettable impression.

Here is my selection of photos that capture the magical moments of the race. Enjoy!