For several years now, Alfa Romeo has been reconnecting with its rich sporting past, and intends to make it known. As a prelude to a return to F1, which will include six consecutive seasons in the premier class from 2018 to 2023, Alfa Romeo has been marketing exclusive models with a strong character and names evocative of its history since 2007. The magnificent 8C preceded the 4C, which was followed by the Giulia Quadrifoglio and a wild version, the GTAm. More recently, the Italian firm has created a surprise by entering a field where it was perhaps not expected. Like the Phoenix rising from its ashes, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale returns to us in 2023 in the form of a supercar.
Do you know of any sports cars that have been produced continuously over several decades, in line with the initial concept, with successive generations and countless improvements? The Porsche 911 (1963), the Ford Mustang (1964) and the Chevrolet Camaro (1966) are all examples, but they all add at least a decade to the reign of America's oldest sports car.
The association of a handsome château and an Aston Martin seems a natural one, given the brand's undeniable aristocratic connotations. From its origins in 1913, through the long period under the inspired aegis of Sir David Brown, to the difficult 70's and 80's and its repeated bankruptcies, Aston Martin was limited to the marketing of very small series of exclusive, high-quality automobiles whose astronomical price tag reserved them for the very wealthy.
So beautiful, in fact, that it's considered a milestone of automotive design, and has entered the collections of one of the world's leading contemporary art museums. So daring, that Enzo Ferrari himself, usually so silent, is said to have commented glowingly on its release. So desirable, that those who haven't had the chance to drive it invent faults for it. So rare, that 77,000 of its various versions were produced.
The Porsche 911 is the archetypal sports car and its 60-year history is a novel. The first production 911 leaves the assembly line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on September 14, 1964. It was an entirely new car, powered by a new air-cooled, dry-sump lubricated, 2-liter, 130 hp, 6-cylinder engine with a top speed of 210 km/h. It does not take any elements from its big sister, the 356. The 911 Turbo of series, type 930, is presented at the Paris show 1974...
Presented in October 1984 at the Paris Motor Show where it caused a sensation, the Ferrari Testarossa is now a "classic". Despite its age, it remains a very impressive car.
Porsche's mark on automotive history is one that few manufacturers can claim. A symbol of sportiness, robustness, innovation, passion and dreams, Porsche has spanned the decades, creating some of the most desirable automobiles ever conceived.
Investing in classic or prestige cars can be an interesting financial investment, as long as it is made on the right models.
Classic car owners don't usually embark on a journey to reach a destination, but the journey is the destination.