Ford vs Ferrari Movie Review 08 April 2020 08:21 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) SharePolitics. When you read the word you would normally go to Liberal v Labor, Republicans v Democrats...for those that have and do work in the fields of motorsport and car sales, the word is just as applicable.The 2019 film Ford vs Ferrari is about politics in those fields. Yet, the title is largely about the sub-plot of what happened between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford the second. [More]
Rare Spares Holden Torana GTR-X Concept Car 17 April 2018 05:10 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareHolden has a very strong history when it comes to designing and engineering concept cars. Of recent years there’s the immaculate Efijy, and the reborn Monaro. Both two door cars, interestingly enough, as two other concept cars were also two doors. There’s the Hurricane, and the Torana GTR-X. The latter came oh so close to being put into production, and the chassis itself was based on the LC Torana XU-1. The low slung, fibreglass bodied, slinky looking, machine even had the same engine, the then potent 186S. Exterior design was eye catching, with a long bonnet that started with a flat, shovel-like nose, pop up headlights, a steeply raked windscreen, and a sharp tail with hockey stick tail lights. These were design elements that were later seen in two of Italy’s best from Ferrari and Maserati. Inside the cabin featured laid back bucket seats, milled aluminuim sheeting, a plethora of gauges for oil temp and pressure and the like, and a short throw gear selector for the four speed manual. That was connected to the straight six which produced 119kW and 265Nm. They’re hardly groundbreaking numbers now but for a car built in 1970 that weighed under 1050kg, they provided more than enough punch. Unique at the time were the disc brakes to be found at each corner. It’s unclear exactly how many versions were built; some say three, some say four, but it’s known that just one example of what could have been an inspirational car survives. Holden has a museum at its Melbourne based headquarters, where the sole survivor lives in cosseted luxury. Why wasn’t it ever sold? The population of Australia in 1970 was just over twelve million and Holden’s numbers indicated that wasn’t enough to justify what would potentially be a low volume seller. Considering how well received the Datsun 240Z was when it was released just a year before, and how it’s perceived still after nearly fifty years, one could say this was a somewhat shortsighted view. Have you seen the Holden Torana GTR-X? What do you think of the car? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
Summer Cruising – 5 Classic Convertibles 05 September 2017 05:35 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareWhether it’s cruising through the countryside or through beachside tourist hotspots, there’s hardly a motoring experience that compares to driving a convertible on a beautiful summers day. In this week’s article we will take a look at five of our favourite drop top classics. 1958 Chevrolet Corvette With most Corvette’s along the journey displaying a certain level of ‘cool’, it’s difficult to pick just one as our favourite. However, there’s just something about the ’58 Chevy Corvette that screams American Classic. With white wall tires, quad headlights, an abundance of chrome and the iconic ‘creases’ in the doors, the ’58 ‘Vette is remembered as one of Chevrolet’s most popular cars. 283 cubic inches of engine were bolted to a 4 speed manual transmission, resulted in an (at the time) impressive 290hp from the top of the line fuel injected model. Shelby Cobra The Shelby Cobra was the brainchild of Carol Shelby, who deemed it a great idea to place a Ford V8 engine in the tiny AC Ace roadster body. The original V8’s of choice were 260 and 289 cubic inch variants before making way for monster 427 and 428 cubic inch engines. Worldwide, the Cobra continues to prove popular among collectors although an original will set you back a pretty penny! More likely to be within reach of us mere mortals are the ‘continuation’ models that Shelby America still sells to this day or a replica kit car that is produced by several companies around the globe. Ferrari 250GT SWB California The Ferrari 250GT SWB California is not only one of the most beautiful cars ever built; unsurprisingly it’s also one of the most expensive to ever be sold at auction. Sold for an eye wateringly high sum of US$15.2 million 12 months ago, this 250GT is one of only 56 ever built. While 56 is an already low number, at the present time only around half of those are accounted for. So, if you have a spare US$15 million up your sleeve, now might be the time to make a play for the 250GT convertible you’ve always had your eye on. First Generation Mazda MX-5 Comfortably the most modern car on this list, the MX-5 is also the cheapest, and most likely the most fun to get behind the wheel of. The pint-sized Mazda doesn’t fit the typical sports car bill, opting in favour of a small sized 1.6 litre engine producing 85kw, Mazda instead turned its focus towards handling, utilising a further back than usual engine placement coupled with a shockingly low total weight of 980kg’s to bring the fun. The fourth generation MX-5 is now on showroom floors and after straying from the original brief for the second and third generations, all reports suggest the latest model is just as much a hoot to drive as the original! Jaguar E-Type Battling the above Ferrari for ‘most beautiful car ever built’ the E-Type roadster to this day is still immensely popular among collectors. With four wheel disc brakes coming standard and independent coil spring suspension, this Jag handled incredibly well for its day. Power was supplied by a 3.8 litre engine in series I models while later models were graced with the larger and more powerful 4.8 litre engine. While not in the same price range as the 250GT California; you’ll be hard pressed to find an E-Type convertible with much change to spare from a couple of hundred grand. What is your all-time favourite convertible? Do you agree with the list we’ve compiled? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
Celebrity Supercars – Jay Kay 05 August 2017 05:53 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareThroughout 2017 we’ve been taking a look at some of the most impressive celebrity supercar collections around the world; we’ve looked at Jay Leno, Rowan Atkinson, Nick Mason and Eric Bana among others. In this installment we will be taking a look at the lead singer of Jamiroquai; Jay Kay, and his incredible collection of ‘about 90-100’ classic, crazy and all round impressive cars. With a number of hit songs throughout the 90’s and 00’s Jay Kay’s fortune skyrocketed to a net worth of an estimated $70 million, and as many of us would do, he has spent a large portion of this on exotic cars. A Porsche 918, ENZO Ferrari, Maserati, A6G Ferrari F40, Rolls Royce Phantom and Bentley Continental have held real estate in Jay Kay’s garage; however the following four cars are the ones that most caught our eye. ‘Kermit the Frog Green’ LaFerrari With only 500 examples worldwide, chances are that you’ve never seen a LaFerrari in the flesh, and if you had you could almost bet it would have been red in colour, maybe black or even white. But not one afraid of standing out in a crowd, Jay Kay decided to go with bright green. At first glance, the car is interesting to say the least! However, in all fairness the incredible Ferrari didn’t look too bad in 2014 when it made the trip to Goodwood. And while understandably this wouldn’t be the first choice of colour for most, it does seem to suit Jay Kay! Aston Martin DB5 There aren’t too many cars that are as instantly recognisable as the Aston Martin DB5, which of course leapt to stardom off the back of the wildly successful James Bond film franchise. A tick over 1000 DB5’s were built and are said to be worth in the area of £2 million these days, little surprise that one of the UK’s most impressive car collections is home to one. Lamborghini Miura P400SV Featuring a 3.9 litre V12 and looks to die for, the Miura is widely considered one of the very first supercars. Capable of 0-60mph in just under 7 seconds, the Miura was fast by even today’s standards and with only 150 P400SV’s built it certainly ticks the exclusivity box. Making Jay Kay’s Miura even more unique was the lack of a driver’s side window, which shattered under the pressure of a door being closed with slightly too much force. 1965 Ferrari 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake This one of a kind Ferrari is one of the stranger cars that were ever in Jay Kay’s collection. What started as a 330 GT was commissioned to Fredo Vignale of Vignale Coachworks for modification to include shooting brake bodywork. This strange but impressive contraption has been a common sight at many car shows and even the odd short course hill climb over the last few years whilst under Jay Kay’s ownership. The 330 GT Vignale Shooting Brake was listed for sale by Jay Kay in 2015 for an undisclosed price, and if you have to ask for the price… well you know the rest. Which of these cars is the most impressive to you? Do you know of any celebrity car collections we haven’t covered yet? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
Another Car in the Wall – The Nick Mason Car Collection 20 June 2017 05:10 Rare Spares General, Rare Spares (0) ShareBetter known as the drummer from the iconic band Pink Floyd, Nick Mason is also the proud owner of a car collection that would rival that of most around the world. With approximately 300 cars passing through his ownership over the last half a century, Nick Mason is fortunate to have driven every single one of them, and in many cases has hit the track in some of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history. Mason’s collection currently sits at over 40 and features classics such as the Bugatti T35, Porsche 962, Ferrari 213 T3 and Aston Martin LM18. As impressive as these are, there are still a handful of cars in Mason’s possession that surpass these classics. Ferrari 250 GTO Worth potentially north of $40 Million AUD, Mason was able to purchase this masterpiece for 35,000 pounds back in 1977, and admits to feeling a little bit stupid at the time to be spending so much on a car. Little did he know it would go on to become one of the most valuable cars in automotive history! One of only 39 built, this GTO lives a cosy life, however has been used in the past to drop the kids off at school and has even been spotted parked on London Streets! Maserati ‘Birdcage’ Tipo 61 Owning the lucrative title as possibly Mason’s favourite car, the Tipo 61 earned the nickname of ‘Birdcage’ as a result of its roughly 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together to form it’s chassis. The ‘Birdcage’ still hits the track, and has cut laps at the famous Goodwood Revival on more than one occasion. McLaren F1 GTR Unfortunately this car hit the headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this year, as Mason lost control of the car during a demonstration at Goodwood resulting in some relatively high speed contact with a tyre wall. Fortunately the damage was not terminal, and the GTR will live to see another day. To give you an idea of how rare this car is; there were only 106 F1’s built, and of those only 28 wore the GTR badge. The GTR was essentially the race going version of the iconic McLaren Supercar and dominated various GT racing series in the mid-late 90’s. Ferrari 512 S A spectacular car, the Ferrari 512 S did a lot of things right, it had oodles of power and looked absolutely fantastic. However, according to Mason, they didn’t quite get the aerodynamics right, which has led to some interesting moments behind the wheel of the prancing horse. Powered by a 5 litre V12 (hence the name 512), this Ferrari led a somewhat disappointing racing life as it had to contend with the all-conquering Porsche 917. Rules were eventually changed to close the loophole which allowed heavy 5 litre cars to race against the lighter 3 litre cars in the early 70’s sports car racing world, thus rendering the 512 S somewhat obsolete on the track. This spectacular collection is up with the best we’ve ever seen! Do you know of any other celebrities with impressive car collections? Or maybe you have a burgeoning collection of your own? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.