CULTURE & FASHION
Every now and then a vehicle comes along that is perfectly suited and crafted for long adventures on the open road. Last month I was lucky enough to drive one such vehicle and take it out on a short road trip to the historic Scottish town of St Andrews. It is a journey I’ve done before but never in quite so much comfort and elegance. This time I would be making said trip in the magnificent .
Everyday, anniversaries are celebrated throughout the world, and every so often, one comes round which is truly special, worth stopping for and admiring. This year of course we celebrate automotive manufacturing perfection with 50 years of Mercedes AMG.
In an ever evolving modern world of technology its nice sometimes to be reminded of mans past endeavours. There’s also few better in a motoring sense, uttered on the same line, as Juan Manuel Fangio, and Ferrari. Fangio was a master on the circuit, winning a wealth of grand prix and sports car races in a variety of great cars, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and of course Ferrari. What we see here then is the exact car Enzo Ferrari built for Fangio to ply his trade in and even better, its going up for auction where it is expected to fetch a monumental $28 million.
This car specifically is a 1956 Ferrari 290MM, chassis number 0626, which was constructed for Fangio to compete in the Mille Miglia. In his last competitive run in 1000 mile race through Italy before it was stopped the following year, Juan Manuel Fangio would finish 4th, however the journey of this legendary Ferrari 290mm would not finish there. It would go on to race at the Nurnburgring under Phil Hill, with Alfonso de Portago at the Rouen Grand Prix and saw Wolfgang von Trips win the Buenos Aires 1000km in 1957 at the start of his career. Subsequently performances like this from the 290MM helped Ferrari win the manufacturers title in 1956 and 1957.
What makes this car even more special is it was only 1 of 4 ever built, and even better that chassis 0626 went all that time with not an accident to its name. A flawless record of service. Since then it has spent its time, with is brutally beautiful 3.5l v12 engine, bubble wrapped in the hands of many a collector. It has spent 34 years in the Mas du Clos Collection of Pierre Bardinon before its current owner opting to place it up for auction on December 10th at RM Sothebys “Drive by Disruption” in New York. Should the car reach or exceed its $28 million estimate, it will become the most valuable car ever sold by the auction house, surpassing the previous record set by a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider which sold in 2013 for $27.5 million.
If you are in the New York area on the date do check it out, there is some equally unique examples of automotive perfection to see along with this Ferrari, cars such as 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato with a $16 million estimate and a $3 million Lamborghini concept S. Just be sure to take your check book.
Being avid Motorsport fans here at The Gentleman Select, it is with great excitement that we welcome back the glitz and glamour of the Formula 1 calendar this coming weekend.
Wether we watch it for “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac in the opening scene on BBC, or the total opulence and luxury of Monte Carlo, for many the main focal point this season is Lewis Hamilton and can he make it a third drivers world championship?
Analytically there are a few factors that say yes. After the completion of pre season testing Mercedes team boss Totto Wolff revealed the running of only one engine and racking up the most amount of testing in km, put them way ahead of nearest rivals by almost a second. A car which has performed in pre season and can for him provide consistency, is certainly a solid foundation to start.
For Lewis, his biggest personal goal has been to emulate his hero in Ayrton Senna with three world titles so this aspect has got to be on his mind, thus leading to his biggest challenge. His mental approach. He will be facing not only tough opposition from Red Bull, a team who tested strongly towards the end of pre season, but more intensely and closer, the rivalry between himself and team mate Nico Rosberg, a rivalry which will be immediately re-ignited on track come qualifying on Saturday. Both drivers have different points to prove and neither will hold back.
Lewis will be able to go into the new season with high confidence, however, knowing that he can produce results having done it twice before. If he can deal with his off track spilt from Nicole Scherzinger, and a team mate determined to scupper his chances, then there’s a good chance Lewis Hamilton could match the most successful British champion in Jackie Stuart with three world titles.
Whatever happens throughout the season it’s sure to be eventful and we wish him the best of luck.
Key Date: 14th of March, Qualifying, 15th of March, Race Day. Australian GP.