The date is May 2023, the scene a big boy's toy box of vintage and post-war motoring exotica, much of it of the seven-figure persuasion, strewn about like discarded playthings on the ex-RAF Tarmac. The occasion? It is best described as a sort of works outing for Kensington-based dealer Gregor Fisken, who, handily for us, has rented Wroughton Airfield for the day as a means of exercising some of his most rarefied stock.
It's hard to know where to look, with Ford GT40, Jaguar C-type, Alfa 8C and Grand Prix Talbot-Lago to name-drop just the highlights. The company I'm keeping today is so exalted I've almost forgotten why I'm here. As the desirability levels ramp up, the car in question hoves into view: a small, dark-blue open two-seater Ferrari by Vignale. The imposing eggcrate grille of chassis 0051S leaves you in no doubt as to the make, while 'V' badges on the front wings identify this curvaceous but not entirely harmonious drop-top as a Vignale creation courtesy of Giovanni Michelotti, that winning combination of Turin coachbuilder and prolific stylist which did most to give Ferrari's earliest road cars a distinctive visual identity before Maranello's official hook-up with Pinin Farina from the mid-1950s.
Bereft of bumpers, it is a compact spider - or more properly a cabriolet - with an air of purpose about it, even if the chunky, tobacco coloured seats and gleaming espresso-machine dashboard tell you it was not designed with Mille Miglia victories in mind. Struggling, in profile, to hide its low-slung exhaust, this 2.3-litre Ferrari rides on a short wheelbase shorter even than that of a T-type MG, at 7ft 4½in and the inevitable tall Borrani wire wheels hiding big drum brakes.
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
