Buried among the multimillion dollar Ferraris, Bugattis and Lamborghinis at this past weekend’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Gooding & Co.’s concurrent auction was a little piece of automotive history belonging to one Steve McQueen..
The King of Cool’s 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera (above), in an understated shade of slate gray, was the car the actor drove daily for the last years of his tragically short life. While nothing like his older Jaguar XK-SS and Ferrari 250 Lusso, both of which sold for millions in years past, the Porsche—which was hammered down for a measly $137,000—is somehow a more authentic, poignant relic of the once and future King.
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Don’t know about you, but we’d pretty much given up on ever finding a motorcar worthy of sharing garage space with our Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes.
Leave it to Donatella Versace to save the day. The leathery Italian fashion queen has long been said to be collaborating with Lamborghini on a limited edition supercar.
More on the Versace-Lamborghini tag team»
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You can pick up a vintage Bentley that once belonged to Sean Connery, the greatest Bond of all, at Bonhams’ auto auction as part of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiast’s Club’s annual rally this weekend for a relative pittance. The beautiful 1961 S2 saloon, finished in two-tone Tudor Grey / Shell Grey with a contrasting red leather interior, is estimated at only £12,000 - £15,000, or about $24,000 - $30,000, a fraction of what a new, less distinguished model sans pedigree will cost you.
More on the classic ride»
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Concept cars occupy a strange corner of the auto industry. It’s taken for granted that they’ll never be seen outside an auto show. Their influence on the cars that actually reach the road is barely perceptible. It might as well be an art project.
Which is how we end up with something like this»
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For engineering, design, and just plain style, there’s nothing like a roadster. From Bullitt’s Mustang to Vanishing Point’s Dodge Challenger, muscle cars have always had their own special panache. Because of goings-on in the world of petroleum, they’re going through something of a sea change
but it’s no reason to get discommoded.
With Detroit taking their time going electric, outsiders like Tesla Motors and now Fisker are stepping into the void »
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The waiting list on a wicked new 420 h.p. $130,000+, all wheel drive Audi R8 is running at least six months, but if you’re quick on the draw you can snag one this week at an auction courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman. Of course you’ll pay a premium—the bidding starts at $160,000—but then this is no ordinary Audi, and you have to factor in the inestimable value of getting one up on the Joneses.
For starters, the R8 in question is customizable to the winner’s specifications »
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Around Kempt, we like our whips to have a provenance. Even when we buy new, we only get the behind the wheel of rides with impeccable pedigrees. This week got our gears turning with several bulletins about vintage vehicles.
First, Hertz cheered us with the news that they’ll be renting the Hurtan Albaycin for rides down Spain’s Costa del Sol. Next, Wired posited than in the near-future of smart cars and sustainable transport, designers might be looking to classic minis.
Continue reading »
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We’ve heard of watches inspired by cars, but Aston Martin’s new V8 Vantage Roadster may be the first car inspired by a watch. The venerable British sportscar marque has had a long association with Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre, and the stunning new convertible was influenced by the company’s legendary Reverso. Developed for posh polo players in the 1930s, the Reverso, like the Roadster, has “open” and “closed” modes, both equally stylish…
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