Who wants a Bugatti of their very own?

7 August, 2015

September is going to be a very busy month if you’re a car collector based in Europe. Just two days after the inaugural Chantilly Sale at the Bonhams auction house, there’s set to be another barnstorming car auction filled to the brim with high-quality machinery — the RM Sotheby Sale being held in London on September 7.

While the RM Sotheby auction lacks some of its Bonhams counterpart’s devastating estimated prices, there will still be more than 70 fantastic vehicles up for grabs to the privileged few willing to raise their paddles. The chief of which being a stunning silver 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’. Powered by a 3.0-litre V12 engine capable of hitting 60mph in a brisk-for-the-period eight seconds, only 350 Lussos were ever produced. Musician Eric Clapton and the late Steve McQueen were among those to own a Lusso, and this particular example has been maintained to a meticulous degree by its current owner in France. The Ferrari is estimated to sell for up to £1.4 million, or NZ$3.3 million.

Another car that’s sure to excite is the 1995 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport. Only 33 EB110s were ever produced, with the top-spec Super Sport edition ranking as the most sought-after of the lot. Finished in a one-off not-so-subtle bright yellow with an equally unique bright-red interior, this example comes with 610bhp on tap from its DOHC 3.5-litre V12 engine, making it a true thoroughbred. Curiously this particular car spent the first stint of its life in Japan, before eventually winding up back in Europe. Today, it only has 10,100km on its odometer. It’s no surprise then that it’s expected to sell for a premium, with an estimated value of £600,000–£770,000, or NZ$1.4–1.8 million.

Also among the Ferraris, Porsches, and Jaguars that line the RM Sotheby list will be this unassuming Peugeot 205. To the untrained eye, it looks out of place. But those who know of what lurks underneath its pumped, vented, wide-body exterior will quickly realize that it’s going to sell for serious money. It is of course a 205 Turbo 16 — also known as the T16 — one of only 200 ever built in order to homologate its Group B-rallying sibling.

Under the boxy exterior lies a 16-valve turbocharged four-cylinder engine, mated to a four-wheel-drive drivetrain with independent suspension and vented brake discs on all four corners to back up its straight-line capabilities. With a vast amount of technology on its side, the T16 can bolt from zero to 100kph in six seconds, achieving an eventual top speed of 209kph. This pocket rocket is expected to sell for £120,000–£150,000, or NZ$284,000–355,000.

There are many other wonderful and unique cars up for grabs. Check out some of our highlights in the gallery below:

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.

Who wants a Bugatti of their very own?

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